#JOTW 3.14ct OMB in hand-forged halo setting by Mark at ERD

[KristyDarling]

slg47 and Dreamer_D - Totally! A gemstone in my old 3-stone setting would be so cool. For some reason I'm envisioning a spectacular opal!
stargurl78 - elongated cushions are my fave! I like square ones too but there's just something regal about a longer one.
vinjewels - Thanks so much! I actually like both low and higher settings. If this stone were set higher, I think it'd look more formal/dressy. The lowness of it makes it seem a lot more wearable, IMHO.
onedrop - I know, I had no idea either until Mark mentioned it! All I know now is, his guy is GOOD.
elisekelly - I usually shy away from mentioning $$$ specifics online about a vendor, but suffice it to say that Mark is well-known for his very fair pricing. I encourage you to give him a call.
alene - I don't think it's a new thing, no. My impression is he's had this hand-forge specialist on his team for a long time, doing custom work for clients. But now that hand-forged jewelry is becoming so popular on PS, demand has suddenly increased and it makes sense that word is starting to spread about him.
Skippy - ain't that the truth?! I'm constantly looking down while driving. It cannot be helped!!
anne_h - thanks! Actually, your beautiful ring was one of my inspiration rings! The proportions of your halo are exactly what I wanted!
thbmok - you're so sweet! I'm a huge fan of the big chunky faceting. You just cannot lose with one of Mark's A Cut Beyond cushions!
slksapphire - interesting question. Both jewelers do incredibly FINE work...."fine" as in very delicately executed and dainty. It's hard to compare and contrast them because my LM setting was a cast piece and quite simple compared to the pave work of this hand-forged ring. But they both have excellent reputations and do amazing work. Sorry, I'm no help!
Ganesha, SC86, junebug17, starrynight, rosetta, mrssalvo, Snooper, purplesilk, fridays_child, GemFever, Maisie, Zoe, YayTacori, AmysBling, whatamiwithoutapurpose, Catmom, Lai761 - thank you so much for your kind compliments! I love that I can share my enjoyment here with you guys. My IRL friends just don't get my passion for this kind of thing!

 

[swingirl]

WOW!!!! Your ring is gorgeous! I love every detail about it...including you teeny tiny ring size! Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary. What a nice way to celebrate.

 

[cutes814]

holy smokes Kristy!!!

WOW!!!

congrats babe. What an amazing ring!

 

[mitsui4]

It looks like 5 carat on your tiny finger!!

 

[watson80]

very impressive

 

[Misskaity]

Really lovely rectangular halo! Love well done halos

 

[novicediamond]

Awww this ring is simply AMAZING! The photo entitled 'car -shot' THE COLORS!! in that baby?!!!, wow THATS why I love cushions, enjoy every second wearing her...

 

[novicediamond]

Awww this ring is simply AMAZING! The photo entitled 'car -shot' THE COLORS!! in that baby?!!!, wow THATS why I love cushions, enjoy every second wearing her...

 

[Begood]

Kristydarling, your new ring is simply gorgeous. It's been a while since I've logged onto PS and I somehow came across your post. Both the round diamond and this OMB are lovely. I had the privilege of meeting Kristydarling and seeing her round solitaire/LM setting. You have exquisite taste so I have no doubt that you are enjoying the sparkle and craftsmanship of this new beauty.

 

[KristyDarling]

swingirl - Hey lady! Thanks for the kind wishes. Our 11th wedding anniversary (and our 15th year together) is actually coming up in a month. Time flies!! No sparkles for me this year though, DH is maxed out!
Milly - aw, thanks. I agree.
mitsui4 - yes the small finger size does come in handy. No complaints, ha!
watson80 - the only person who isn't impressed is my husband! He will never understand the appeal.
Misskaity - I'm a very late-comer to halo's compared to other PS'ers, but here IRL I hardly ever see ladies wearing them! Almost never. It's been fun having a halo'ed stone.
novicediamond - I really love car-shots too....that's when all the colors of the spectrum seem to be the intense. I'm a total threat to people's safety while wearing this ring and sitting behind the wheel.
Begood - Hey there!!!! Glad to see you around again. I do miss my round/pears ring but I've been enjoying this completely different diamond experience. As much as I love the glittery little sparkles of a MRB, I go nuts over the broad flashes coming off these big ole fat facets!

 

[mimi72]

KristyDarling - Spectacular stone and setting! Congratulations on that and your 10 year anny!

My current projects are a set of milgrain bezel stud earrings, using my original e-ring stone (0.66 ACA), and an eternity band with 25 pointers. I have been waiting for a quote from BGD but it's slow in coming (not their fault, something with their overseas diamond source). In the meantime, I've gotten quotes from Mark at ERD and he's been very customer-service oriented but not pushy, checking in with me every so often to see if I've made a decision. His pricing is very good, my concern has been whether the execution of the settings/metalwork would be up to the standard of a BGD or LM (my upgraded e-ring is by the latter). Looking at the work he's done on yours, I should have no concerns!! Should I ask for someone in particular from his bench to do my work? Since yours was hand-forged I guess CAD wasn't used? Confused about those options.

Thanks for posting your fantastic ring!!

 

[KristyDarling]

Hi Mimi!

Your project sounds awesome! Milgrain bezel studs and a 25-pointer eternity band -- !!!! I have no issues about the quality of my ERD ring whatsoever. It's top-notch work. And I'm now a fan of the hand-forge process, specifically for more delicate or detailed custom work.

If you decide to go ahead with Mark, here are some tips for working with him on a hand-forged piece. Since CADs are not used, stay in close communication with him to make sure you're on the same page on all the details. I.e., once you've discussed and agreed upon all the details, put it in writing (like in an email) and then go over it together, point by point. And I didn't think of doing this, but you could also ask if it's possible to receive photos of the production process along the way. Without CADs, you don't have a visual reference point -- photos taken during the process can help to ensure that details weren't lost in translation between Mark and the bench. As for the specific bench person, I would think you could ask Mark to use the same person who forged my ring. He really does amazing work.

Good luck and let us know if you decide to go ahead with ERD!
Christie

 

[CDCsparkles]

Beautiful! Congrats on your anniversary.

 

[mimi72]

KristyDarling, Thanks for the tips and enjoy your ring!!

 

[lorrissey]

I know I'm late to the party, but the proportions of this ring are puurrrrrrfect! jawdropping. Absolutely stunning!

 

[sarahb]

That is one beautiful ring--it truly is gorgeous!! Congrats!!
sarahb

 

[lovesapphires]

Beautiful ring! Congrats!

 

[TracyBear]

What a stunning ring! Congrats!!!

 

[soxfan]

incredible. This might be the best thing I've seen on here!

 

[blushingnude]

hi,
could you give some information about mark?? i'm doing custom work but i'm not totally happy with my jeweler.

thanks so much!

 

[arkieb1]

Wow, lovely stone and beautiful ring!!!! Great finger coverage as well!!!!

 

[pixgirl]

I just love a low-set diamond. Yours is perfect in every way. Enjoy!

 

[AnnaH]

Perfection. Congrats!

 

[Acinom]

Oh my!!! Your ring is just perfect!!! I like every aspect of it: your amazing stone, the high quality and perfection of the setting ad well ad the fact that it's so beautifully low set!

 

[iluvshinythings]

Everything about that ring is beautiful! I love PS because I don't actually get to see nice, well executed jewelry in real life very often. That halo is just gorgeous and the OMB makes me drool. I've never actually seen pics of the forging process and it's very interesting. Congrats on your new ring!!!!

 

[Lady5]

BEAUTIFUL!