shape
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2.18ct H&A Cushion in Victor Canera Cathedral Knife Edge Pave Setting

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
Since this community was so helpful to me in creating the perfect engagement ring, I wanted to post the end result! If you're curious about the process in how I got here, you can have a look at this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...g-designer-hannah-vs-kirsch-vs-canera.270595/. If you're specifically curious about an emerald surprise stone, then this one will be helpful: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...lity-natural-vs-lab-grown-vs-simulant.272333/

Starting with the diamond, I chose a H&A cushion from Brain Gavin (https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/2.180-i-vs1-select-cushion-gia-2185861629): 2.18ct, 7.52x7.52x5.24mm, I color, VS1 clarity. BG gave me the option to obtain an AGS certificate in addition to the existing GIA certificate, which I opted for, and they graded it as AGS Ideal 0 across the board for cut, light performance, polish and symmetry. The process with Brian Gavin was really wonderful and I can't recommend the company enough. I should note that I did start with Victor on the diamond, but he was not able to obtain a H&A cushion at the time, so agreed to use an outside diamond in my specific instance.

Moving onto the setting, it took me quite a while to end up not only on Victor as the ringmaker, but also on this specific design. However, I'm very, very pleased with both of my decisions, which were heavily influenced by all the help I got from this forum. This is Victor's "Solitaire with Knife Edge Band" (https://www.victorcanera.com/product/10915/solitaire-with-knife-edge-pave-band) in platinum with 0.3tcw of melee stones.

At arm's length, it's difficult to make out how ornate this setting actually is. It wears much more toned down than a setting with bright cut/u-cut pave. However, when you start looking at it more close up, it's an absolute masterpiece and the detail really comes alive. The pave work is unbelievable; I can't stress this enough. There are many threads on here in which people claim Victor is the pave master (especially on halo settings), but I feel like my setting takes it to a whole different level because the melee stones are half the size of most rings he does! It's really incredible work from him! In certain lighting situations, the pave lights up and sparkles like crazy, but is often more subtle and unnoticeable. This effect gives the ring a lot of a personality.

I was very concerned about this being a knife edge band, as I don't usually like this look at all. However, Victor assured me it was a very shallow knife edge and it would wear like a more standard band. I actually asked him to change this part of the design, to which he declined becasue he felt it would ruin the overall style of the ring. He was 100% correct and I'm very happy I trusted his judgement and went ahead with it. It definitely adds an interesting dynamic to the overall look of the setting. In fact, my fiancee will be doubling down on the knife edge aspect and has opted for a wedding band from Victor that will match the setting. She says this ring feels no different to any other non-knife edge ring that she has worn, so if you're concerned about a VC knife edge ring, don't be!

Finally, you'll note there is an emerald surprise stone (which is my fiancee's birthstone). My plan is to put my birthstone in her wedding band, and then my band will have both of our birthstones in it. Although this feature seems rather trivial, apparently emeralds are not overly durable gemstones, to my surprise. Check out the other thread I linked to if you're curious, but I REALLY had to work with Victor to find an acceptable solution, as he did not like this idea. The short story is that if you're using an emerald for a surprise stone, you'll need either a lab grown one or an unoiled natural one. I had some amazing help from the PS gemstone community, so a hat tip to the folks over on that part of the forum!

Although this process was extremely difficult and grueling for me personally (as all I had to go off of was that my girlfriend likes cushion diamonds), all the time spent in the trenches was worth it becasue she absolutely adores the ring. I've shown her some of my other ideas and she still maintains that everything about her VC ring is perfect and there is nothing that she would change. I do owe this community a huge thank you for helping me along the way, as this process would have been exponentially more difficult without the advice I got here! I also owe a big thank you to Victor for being a steady hand throughout the process and putting up with my OCD personality traits.

Anyway, let's get to the pictures!

Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 1.jpg Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 2.jpg Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 3.jpg Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 4.jpg

IMG_4122.jpg IMG_4124.jpg IMG_4125.jpg IMG_4130.jpg

IMG_4586.jpg IMG_4588.jpg IMG_4862.jpg IMG_4692.jpg

Brian Gavin ASET- 2.18ct H&A Cushion 1.jpg Brian Gavin ASET- 2.18ct H&A Cushion 2.jpg
 

CBianco

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 25, 2021
Messages
586
Congratulations on the engagement!
The ring is absolutely fabulous and looks exceptionally done down to the last detail! Am very glad the Emerald surprise stone worked out for you too. Cheers!:kiss2:
 

lulu_ma

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
4,082
It's a masterpiece. And I love how thoughtful you were about every aspect!

Congratulations and please tell your fiancee that she's a lucky girl! Most of us had to be much more involved with the process. You knocked it out of the park!
 

Dmrocky11

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jun 3, 2022
Messages
2
Since this community was so helpful to me in creating the perfect engagement ring, I wanted to post the end result! If you're curious about the process in how I got here, you can have a look at this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...g-designer-hannah-vs-kirsch-vs-canera.270595/. If you're specifically curious about an emerald surprise stone, then this one will be helpful: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...lity-natural-vs-lab-grown-vs-simulant.272333/

Starting with the diamond, I chose a H&A cushion from Brain Gavin (https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/2.180-i-vs1-select-cushion-gia-2185861629): 2.18ct, 7.52x7.52x5.24mm, I color, VS1 clarity. BG gave me the option to obtain an AGS certificate in addition to the existing GIA certificate, which I opted for, and they graded it as AGS Ideal 0 across the board for cut, light performance, polish and symmetry. The process with Brian Gavin was really wonderful and I can't recommend the company enough. I should note that I did start with Victor on the diamond, but he was not able to obtain a H&A cushion at the time, so agreed to use an outside diamond in my specific instance.

Moving onto the setting, it took me quite a while to end up not only on Victor as the ringmaker, but also on this specific design. However, I'm very, very pleased with both of my decisions, which were heavily influenced by all the help I got from this forum. This is Victor's "Solitaire with Knife Edge Band" (https://www.victorcanera.com/product/10915/solitaire-with-knife-edge-pave-band) in platinum with 0.3tcw of melee stones.

At arm's length, it's difficult to make out how ornate this setting actually is. It wears much more toned down than a setting with bright cut/u-cut pave. However, when you start looking at it more close up, it's an absolute masterpiece and the detail really comes alive. The pave work is unbelievable; I can't stress this enough. There are many threads on here in which people claim Victor is the pave master (especially on halo settings), but I feel like my setting takes it to a whole different level because the melee stones are half the size of most rings he does! It's really incredible work from him! In certain lighting situations, the pave lights up and sparkles like crazy, but is often more subtle and unnoticeable. This effect gives the ring a lot of a personality.

I was very concerned about this being a knife edge band, as I don't usually like this look at all. However, Victor assured me it was a very shallow knife edge and it would wear like a more standard band. I actually asked him to change this part of the design, to which he declined becasue he felt it would ruin the overall style of the ring. He was 100% correct and I'm very happy I trusted his judgement and went ahead with it. It definitely adds an interesting dynamic to the overall look of the setting. In fact, my fiancee will be doubling down on the knife edge aspect and has opted for a wedding band from Victor that will match the setting. She says this ring feels no different to any other non-knife edge ring that she has worn, so if you're concerned about a VC knife edge ring, don't be!

Finally, you'll note there is an emerald surprise stone (which is my fiancee's birthstone). My plan is to put my birthstone in her wedding band, and then my band will have both of our birthstones in it. Although this feature seems rather trivial, apparently emeralds are not overly durable gemstones, to my surprise. Check out the other thread I linked to if you're curious, but I REALLY had to work with Victor to find an acceptable solution, as he did not like this idea. The short story is that if you're using an emerald for a surprise stone, you'll need either a lab grown one or an unoiled natural one. I had some amazing help from the PS gemstone community, so a hat tip to the folks over on that part of the forum!

Although this process was extremely difficult and grueling for me personally (as all I had to go off of was that my girlfriend likes cushion diamonds), all the time spent in the trenches was worth it becasue she absolutely adores the ring. I've shown her some of my other ideas and she still maintains that everything about her VC ring is perfect and there is nothing that she would change. I do owe this community a huge thank you for helping me along the way, as this process would have been exponentially more difficult without the advice I got here! I also owe a big thank you to Victor for being a steady hand throughout the process and putting up with my OCD personality traits.

Anyway, let's get to the pictures!

Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 1.jpg Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 2.jpg Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 3.jpg Victor Canera- 2.48tcw Solitaire Knife Edge- 4.jpg

IMG_4122.jpg IMG_4124.jpg IMG_4125.jpg IMG_4130.jpg

IMG_4586.jpg IMG_4588.jpg IMG_4862.jpg IMG_4692.jpg

Brian Gavin ASET- 2.18ct H&A Cushion 1.jpg Brian Gavin ASET- 2.18ct H&A Cushion 2.jpg

thanks for share
 

Bonfire

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
4,232
Congratulations!!!
What a beautiful diamond! The ring is stunning and looks so lovely on her hand.
I love the look of the soft knife edge with pave. Victor really knows how to beautifully sculpt a cathedral shoulder! Enjoy this masterpiece and your future together.
 

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
Victor really knows how to beautifully sculpt a cathedral shoulder!

The shoulders was one of the places I was overly obsessive about. I think this design area can make or break a cathedral. Victor's demo setting like mine has near perfect shoulders, but I asked him to increase the radius ever so slightly on my ring and he absolutely nailed it!

You knocked it out of the park!

I can't even tell you how much the kind words mean to me. This was such a stressful process for me (I'm my own worst enemy), but it's really reassuring to have people who are not my fiancee also agree that the ring is wonderful!

The ring is absolutely fabulous and looks exceptionally done down to the last detail!

As above, thank you so much! There are so many detials that go into a ring, if you want to do it right. I thought I had an idea before I started the process, but I was in for a surprise. I have a couple obsessive details that I may ask Victor to refine ever so slightly if the ring ever finds itself in his shop again, but there is no detail that I would change outright. I'm really pleased with the end result, given my initial vision for it.
 

Dandi

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
6,652
You've done an incredible job! The ring is beyond stunning, and I just love how much thought and care you have put into it. Your fiancee is a very, very lucky lady. Congratulations!!
 

MissGotRocks

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
16,269
Perfectly gorgeous! Love the diamond and the setting!!
 

LightBright

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
Messages
1,563
Your ring is beautiful! Congratulations on your efforts and this exceptional accomplishment. Most of all congratulations on your engagement!
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
Wow! Now that is perfection!!! :love: Your research paid off, and I am so pleased to see your final choice! The ring is gorgeous and I know she is thrilled! Congratulations on your engagement, and thanks SO much for returning to show us the beautiful ring!
 

LLJsmom

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
12,633
Congratulations on a very beautiful ring and a successful project. Yes , convincing Victor to try with that emerald was no mean feat, but worth the work in the end. The ring looks amazing on your fiancé’s hand. Thanks for sharing the wonderful pic and the story. May you both have a lifetime of happiness.
 

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
8,507
Beautiful, beautiful ring! And huge congratulations on your engagement!
 

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
Congratulations on your engagement, and thanks SO much for returning to show us the beautiful ring!
Thanks for sharing the wonderful pic and the story.

You're both very welcome! I actually receivd the ring at the end of March and have been meaning to post something about it, but finding time to sit down and properly write a post was hard . . . not to mention I was also trying to plan the engagement!

@diamondseeker2006 and @LLJsmom, I'd like to give an extra "thank you" to both of you, as you were very active on my previous thread where I was working through the ringmaker and design. Your advice was really key.

Also a hat tip to @Bonfire, as there was one specific post telling me to pull the trigger on that BG diamond before someone else lurking on the forum did! That nudge really helped to kick off this whole process properly.
 

OdetteOdile

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
Messages
1,581
I’ve really enjoyed reading through your threads and seeing the gorgeous outcome! Congratulations on your engagement and this spectacular ring! I have not seen knife edge pave very often at all, and I really like the effect! I think everything flows beautifully in this ring. The hidden halo is perfect. What craftsmanship
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,198
Beautiful ring! Congratulations!
 

canuk-gal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
25,646
HI:

Very beautiful ring. WOW!

cheers--Sharon
 

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
Now that Victor has completed the wedding bands for me, I wanted to update this thread so it was as complete as possible for anyone else who may be interested in this kind of design. I'll post some photos so you can see how a VC e-ring + wedding band combo looks (on my hairy man hands- sorry!). The e-ring has prongs allowing the wedding band to be flush fit, and I must admit that the rings work VERY well together. It doesn't appear that there will be any kind of unwanted rubbing between the rings, so Victor gets top marks for this!

My fiancee's main wedding band is a carbon copy of the e-ring setting, although the melee stones go all the way around, whereby the e-ring has a solid section on the bottom. Victor recommended this since the wedding band will rotate constantly while worn, so this way the pair will always look good and she won't have to fiddle with adjusting the wedding band. However, resizing the band will be more complicated if ever required.

The second wedding band that you see (plain with no stones) is intended to be worn on its own by my fiancee while at work. As she's a nurse, she can't wear jewelry with external stones due to infection control protocols, so we decided to get a plain band that she can wear when she's at the hospital. It's the same knife-edge design as the main band, so I suppose she could even stack one ring on each side of the e-ring if she wanted. I'm adding a coupe pics of what the plain band looks like with the e-ring in case anyone is considring this kind of pairing (I don't personally like it, though).

I stayed with the surprise stone thing, so all the rings have an emerald/amethyst (our birthstones). The e-ring and main wedding band just have one of each, since they're intended to be worn together.

Overall, I'm really happy with the way everything turned out. Victor does indeed do amazing work and I'm thankful that he worked with me on this project.

If anyone is interested in my wedding band (also made by VC, but my own personal design), details can be found here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/victor-canera-mens-wedding-bands-photos-wanted.273959/

Thank you again to the PS community for all the help I received throughout this project. I'm SO happy to be on the other side of this, but it would have been impossible without all the input I received here.

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MissGotRocks

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
16,269
Beautiful set! So glad you decided to purchase a plain wedding band at the same time. Good thinking and great design ideas!
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
The matching diamond wedding band looks perfect with her e-ring!!! And how GREAT that you also got her a plain band to wear to work! Yours is fabulous, too! You have great taste!
 

Kim N

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
6,388
All of the rings are stunning! You did an amazing job selecting everything from stone to settings. The surprise stones are such a lovely touch. Congratulations on your engagement!
 

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
Thanks for the kind words. It was really important for me to have all the rings made by the same person/entity. When I first started working with Victor, I asked him upfront if he could make everything, which he was happy to do.

This forum was an immense resource for me, so I can only take very minimal credit. I explained the whole process to my fiancee and she was floored with the amount of effort and thought that went into this, and is hugely appreciative of it all. I've even caught her explaining how unique the H&A cushion diamond is and how special a VC setting is to others when they ask about her ring . . . girl after my own heart!
 

iluvcarats

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2008
Messages
2,855
Such a beautiful wedding set! I love the low profile and tiny pave. Best wishes to you both!
 

Eli22

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Messages
989
I love love love everything about your rings! The design, surprise stones, matching bands, plain band- wow, just wow! Congratulations!

Did you propose in Amalfi? Details pls! I can only imagine it was an amazing event, with your attention to detail!
 

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
I love love love everything about your rings! The design, surprise stones, matching bands, plain band- wow, just wow! Congratulations!

Did you propose in Amalfi? Details pls! I can only imagine it was an amazing event, with your attention to detail!

Wow, thank you for the wonderful words! The more time I spend with the rings the more I like them, so I'm really pleased with the outcome. I also feel like the pics don't really capture how beautiful the e-ring and wedding band are. The pave work seems really overpowering in my photos, but when your eyes are a normal distance from the rings, some people may not even realize there are any melee diamonds at all. It really depends on the lighting, but the pave work is much, much more subtle than it appears in photos.

Regarding the proposal, this was yet another thing that I toiled over for many months. I'll spare you all the various ideas I had, but the actual proposal ended up being much less pomp and circumstance than you may imagine. I'm actually a bit underwhelmed with the Amalfi Coast overall, but the town we stayed in was genuinely charming.

We were in Ravello, which sits pretty much above Amalfi higher up on the cliff. It's away from all the touristy stuff, and the view is amazing. The house we rented had arguably the best privately owned terrace in the whole town. If you type "Ravello" into a Google Image search, you'll see the pic of this tree sitting above an old church. Our terrace effectively had this view, as it was literally next door to the church. This "postcard" pic of Ravello is actually taken from a park directly above the house and the view is slightly obstructed. My terrace had nothing blocking the view, so it was even better than what you see in the pic.

One evening before we had dinner, we spent a short time just standing out on the terrace overlooking the towns and the sea below. I'd been carrying the ring around with me in my pocket all day waiting for the right moment, but nothing ever hit me as such until that moment on the terrace . . . so I proposed then. It was private with no onlookers or distractions, which is what I wanted. Afterwards, I ran all my other ideas past my fiancee and she agreed that how I did it was how she would have preferred, so I'll take that win!
 

Eli22

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Messages
989
Wow, thank you for the wonderful words! The more time I spend with the rings the more I like them, so I'm really pleased with the outcome. I also feel like the pics don't really capture how beautiful the e-ring and wedding band are. The pave work seems really overpowering in my photos, but when your eyes are a normal distance from the rings, some people may not even realize there are any melee diamonds at all. It really depends on the lighting, but the pave work is much, much more subtle than it appears in photos.

Regarding the proposal, this was yet another thing that I toiled over for many months. I'll spare you all the various ideas I had, but the actual proposal ended up being much less pomp and circumstance than you may imagine. I'm actually a bit underwhelmed with the Amalfi Coast overall, but the town we stayed in was genuinely charming.

We were in Ravello, which sits pretty much above Amalfi higher up on the cliff. It's away from all the touristy stuff, and the view is amazing. The house we rented had arguably the best privately owned terrace in the whole town. If you type "Ravello" into a Google Image search, you'll see the pic of this tree sitting above an old church. Our terrace effectively had this view, as it was literally next door to the church. This "postcard" pic of Ravello is actually taken from a park directly above the house and the view is slightly obstructed. My terrace had nothing blocking the view, so it was even better than what you see in the pic.

One evening before we had dinner, we spent a short time just standing out on the terrace overlooking the towns and the sea below. I'd been carrying the ring around with me in my pocket all day waiting for the right moment, but nothing ever hit me as such until that moment on the terrace . . . so I proposed then. It was private with no onlookers or distractions, which is what I wanted. Afterwards, I ran all my other ideas past my fiancee and she agreed that how I did it was how she would have preferred, so I'll take that win!

Aww, that sounds like it was the perfect proposal for both of you! Congratulations again!
 

LLJsmom

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
12,633
All your time, energy, thoughtfulness and dedication paid off. Thrilled for you. And I love that your fiancé really appreciates all your effort as well. Congratulations, your rings and her whole set look absolutely stunning. And that quite intimate proposal seems like the perfect way to complete the project. And of course Victor’s pave work is impeccable and just exquisite. What a joy for her to be able to appreciate that every day for the rest of her life.
 

Bozman52

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
62
All your time, energy, thoughtfulness and dedication paid off. Thrilled for you. And I love that your fiancé really appreciates all your effort as well. Congratulations, your rings and her whole set look absolutely stunning. And that quite intimate proposal seems like the perfect way to complete the project. And of course Victor’s pave work is impeccable and just exquisite. What a joy for her to be able to appreciate that every day for the rest of her life.

Thank you for the very thougtful words. I appreciate all the input you personally provided to me along the way!
 
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