#JOTW 1930s-Inspired Right Hand Ring

[Lula]

This is my 1930s-inspired right-hand ring that I had made to commemorate a "big" birthday. I knew I didn't want anything that looked like an engagement ring. I'm a fan of art, architecture, furniture, and jewelry from the 1930s - 1950s. 1930s jewelry retains the geometric feel of Art Deco pieces (baguettes, carre cuts), but also incorporates "newer" design features, such as flowers, bows, scrolls, stirrups, and "pagoda" profiles. It was blingy -- Hollywood! -- and a bit escapist and fun. I'm also a fan of modern round brilliants, so I didn't want anything too Victorian, Edwardian, or Deco. Transitional and modern cut diamonds originated in the 1920 - 1940s time period, so I focused on jewelry from those decades. I spent a lot of time looking at Lang's and other estate vendors' sites. I found a design for a center stone similar in size to my center stone:

http://www.craigevansmall.com/engagement-rings/1-26-carat-diamond-and-platinum-ring-circa-1930s.html

I asked for some modifications (double claw prongs instead of tab prongs; size and number of carre cuts) and spent an inordinate amount of time obsessing about whether to add milgrain, lol.

I've attached a few photos of my ring -- one of my ring resting on an aloe plant, and two of my ring on my hands. [Old lady hands warning] I am not a professional hand model. I'm a woman of a certain age and I live in a dry climate. So look away if you are offended by dry skin, fleshy fingers, and knobby knuckles
Thanks for looking!

 

[AprilBaby]

That is Stunning! The diamond looks so sparkley.

 

[yennyfire]

It's gorgeous!! Was it made locally? Happy Birthday from one wrinkled handed lady to another!

 

[motownmama]

Soooooooo pretty!

 

[Gussie]

This is beautiful! What is the size of the diamond? Who made it?

Stunning! Love it!

 

[Loreal]

Absolutely gorgeous. We need to see more pictures of your beauty!!

 

[Matthews1127]

Absolutely gorgeous!!! I LOVE IT!! More photos, please!!!

 

[msop04]

Very pretty!!! We need more pics!!

 

[Nitedula]

What a lovely ring! So intricate and so sparkly!

 

[ac117]

This is so lovely!!

 

[Lula]

Thank you, AprilBaby! It is indeed a very sparkly diamond.
Thanks so much, yennyfire! Yes, we need to celebrate our wrinkles! It was made by High Performance Diamonds (HPD).
Thanks, ceg! It's a 1.01 G VS2 Crafted by Infinity (CBI) diamond. It was made by HPD's custom bench, with HPD Lux melee, and special-ordered carre cut side stones (btw, beautiful dog in your avatar!).
Thank you, Loreal, Matthews1127, msop04, Nitedula, ac117.

Some more photos:

 

[Lula]

I don't spend much time on PS anymore due to work (and, frankly, due to the decline in the lovers of precision-cut, modern round brilliants). But in a weird PS coincidence, I believe Cflutist and I were both working with Melissa from HPD on our custom settings for new CBI diamonds. Of course, mine is the little sister to her middle and big sister CBIs. But no matter the carat weight, CBIs are lovely. So happy to have one back in my jewelry wardrobe. I also have four smaller CBIs waiting for their new home. What can I say -- I'm a hoarder!

 

[GeorgieQ]

Absolutely stunning !! Perfect right hand ring, it looks gorgeous on you! Congratulations!!

 

[luv2sparkle]

Wow, congratulations! What a beautiful ring! I think it looks lovely on your beautiful hands. I love that you added carre cuts. I love them. Your project could not have turned out better!

 

[mrs-b]

How very, very lovely! Unique and beautiful.

 

[cflutist]

Thank you, AprilBaby! It is indeed a very sparkly diamond.
Thanks so much, yennyfire! Yes, we need to celebrate our wrinkles! It was made by High Performance Diamonds (HPD).
Thanks, ceg! It's a 1.01 G VS2 Crafted by Infinity (CBI) diamond. It was made by HPD's custom bench, with HPD Lux melee, and special-ordered carre cut side stones (btw, beautiful dog in your avatar!).
Thank you, Loreal, Matthews1127, msop04, Nitedula, ac117.

Some more photos:

Congratulations Lula! What a gorgeous diamond and a gorgeous ring. Your ring is the epitome of HPD's custom bench, so intricate and beautiful.
Hope to meet you at a future Meet the Cutter event. Wear it in good health.
We both need to add our recent purchases to the Show Me your CBI thread.

 

[tyty333]

Wow, I love, love, love that! It reminds me a little bit of a ring that Gaberial and Co makes that I always admired. Doesnt look the same but
sort of has the same romantic feel to me. Yours is really lovely!

https://www.gabrielny.com/engagement-ring/ER11865R0W44JJ

 

[bright ice]

WOW!!! Gorgeous ring and glad you now have another CBI to stare at.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ohhh, that is gorgeous, Lula! I really love it! I'll always still love top quality modern rounds such as CBI! Beautiful diamond and setting!

 

[Lula]

Thank you, Queenie! (Beautiful cat in your avatar -- is she/he a Ragdoll, by any chance?)
Thanks, fellow carre cut lover, Luv2sparkle -- the carre cuts are amazingly sparkly despite their small size.
Thanks much, mrs-b!
Thank you for stopping by, cflutist. I attended a Meet the Cutter event in Chicago several years ago -- it was so much fun. I'd love to meet you in person at a Meet the Cutter event. Maybe next year! And, yes, HPD's new bench is simply amazing.
Thanks, tyty333 -- I know that ring, lol! It does indeed have the same romantic feel.
Hi, bright ice -- thank you. Yup, it's good to be back in the CBI family.
Thank you, diamondseeker2006. You have indeed been a true advocate for precision cut MRBs. I absolutely love your light yellow antique cushion cut diamond. What a beauty. Someday I hope to own a fancy cut by Yoram

 

[Catmom]

Oh my goodness, it's absolutely gorgeous! The detail work is perfection. Congratulations!!!

 

[MissGotRocks]

What a beautiful ring - love the design! Such a wonderful way to enjoy a precision cut MRB without it looking like an engagement ring. Enjoy!!

 

[Lula]

Thank you, Catmom and MissGotRocks!
Yes, I agree, MissGotRocks, it is difficult to find designs for right-hand rings that sit low to the finger and don't look engagement-y. Plus, I just don't like the look of solitaires on my hand.
I've uploaded two photos from Wink and Jamie. HPD was so easy to work with -- a seamless process from the stone purchase to the setting design to the finished product.

 

[cflutist]

Thank you, Catmom and MissGotRocks!
Yes, I agree, MissGotRocks, it is difficult to find designs for right-hand rings that sit low to the finger and don't look engagement-y. Plus, I just don't like the look of solitaires on my hand.
I've uploaded two photos from Wink and Jamie. HPD was so easy to work with -- a seamless process from the stone purchase to the setting design to the finished product.

Wow, I can't get over just how beautiful this is. Big kudos to HPD's bench.

 

[LLJsmom]

Gorgeous CBI!! The setting is fabulous too. Love the side stone design.

 

[lalala]

Oh my!!!!!

 

[VoldeNuit]

Awesome ring!! Just gorgeous!

 

[Octo2005]

Gorgeous!

 

[metall]

Wowies that's beautiful!

 

[Lula]

Thank you so much, cflutist, LLJsmom, lalala, VoldeNuit, Octo2005, and metall!
cflutist -- yes, I am so impressed with HPD's bench. The quality of my setting is absolutely top notch. the tiny HPD Lux melee in the setting sparkle -- finally, melee that can hold its own next to a CBI stone I'm so in love with the carre cuts, that I'm considering ordering a matching carre cut band for my left hand I'm sure you are loving your new CBI/HPD solitaire. I only wish solitaries looked good on me -- but, on second thought, it would be very bad for my budget if they did!

Melissa at HPD was a great help in the design I looked at late Deco period rings for inspiration, but I also incorporated a few design elements from my favorite Cartier design, the Ballerine.
Cartier's site:
http://www.cartier.com/en-us/collections/engagement/engagement-rings/ballerine.html
Better photos:
https://www.reebonz.com/au/cartier/...diamond-ring-pt950-platinum-d050ct-48-1118409
I loved the profile of the Ballerine ring. The Ballerine does not have milgrain, and it's modern take on a vintage design appealed to me. But the scrolls (or paisleys as Melissa and I called them) were much better defined on the vintage ring. http://www.craigevansmall.com/engagement-rings/1-26-carat-diamond-and-platinum-ring-circa-1930s.html

Melissa and I had about a half-dozen phone conversations about whether or not to add the milgrain. In the end, we kept the design true to the vintage styling and added the milgrain. It's the one thing about the design that I'm still not quite sure about. The milgrain is executed perfectly, but it feels trendy to me, which is ironic, lol, as milgrain is truly a vintage finish. I do like the contrast between the plain edges on the carre cut and the milgrain edges on the "paisleys."

I'm signing off PS for a few weeks -- I'll be visiting family in the Pacific Northwest (and attending a CBI Meet the Cutter Event in Washington State -- woo-hoo!). After I return, it's crunch time at work (end of semester).