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3 Stone Ering transformation help!

F

freedom2016

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 7, 2016
Messages
288
Hi Everyone

I have been on and off here for years and am super thankful for the help I have gotten to date. A few years ago I upgraded my center K stone (in my 3 stone ering) to a gorgeous ACA from Whiteflash. I kept my original 3 stone setting which wasn't my favorite. old thread here

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-opinions-experts-pls-help.276763/

Now, I am considering trying to bump up the size of my ACA (with whiteflash upgrade policy) and then have a new setting made incorporating my side stones (from my 3 stone). I originally thought I would want a plain solitaire as I adore the Tiffany style but I will admit, I worry if I would miss the more bling on my hand - over time. That said, I thought maybe the best idea for the new setting is to do a graduated style ering,
so Upgraded to larger ACA in center, use my current 2 side stones and then just add smaller stones along shank to get this look.

Question for you all is, do you prefer one of these settings over the other? I will likely have DK make the new ring for me. I have a thin diamond wedding band for WF so both will work.

www.bengarelick.com

Simon G. Large Round Center Graduating U Prong Engagement Ring | TR394

Simon G. Large Center Round Center Cathedral Diamond Engagement Ring Featuring 1.14 Carats Round Cut Graduating Diamonds Set in U Shape Prongs. Style TR394
www.bengarelick.com www.bengarelick.com


Is the u-prong too risky or can it be made firmly enough?
Is the Tacori set too high?

My ideal is for the new setting to have the center really stand out from the rest of the stones and NOT look like a 3 stone anymore. I can likely afford up to a 1.4 or 1.5 center to upgrade to but the 2 sides are .33 so not sure which setting will allow the center to stand out - do you know what I mean? Hoping someone with better expertise can help me decide.

Thank you in advance for anything input you can offer me !!!
 
You can enter the size of a 1.4/1.5 and your .33 side stones in the diamdb tool to get an idea of the relatiave size difference. You
can also use it to help figure out what size you want the next stones to be (like maybe .25 or .20).

Diamond Database - Compare Diamond Shapes and Sizes

Diamond comparison platform where you can compare and evaluate actual diamond sizes on ring and finger. Explore diamond shapes, get buying advice.
www.diamdb.com www.diamdb.com
 
tyty333 said:
You can enter the size of a 1.4/1.5 and your .33 side stones in the diamdb tool to get an idea of the relatiave size difference. You
can also use it to help figure out what size you want the next stones to be (like maybe .25 or .20).

Diamond Database - Compare Diamond Shapes and Sizes

Diamond comparison platform where you can compare and evaluate actual diamond sizes on ring and finger. Explore diamond shapes, get buying advice.
www.diamdb.com www.diamdb.com
Click to expand...

thank you! i'll play around with that.
 
The center stone in the Simon G example is showing a two carat diamond. With a 1.4 or 1.5 center stone, the look will not be the same. Even with using the .33 side stones, it looks like you would have to purchase six more smaller diamonds to complete the look. Why not put the money into a larger center stone and use your existing .33s as side stones? Or just use the larger center stone in a pave shank? David Klass can do a CAD to show you the different options so that would be a plus to you. In order to get the above looks, you have to compare apples to apples in terms of size. Having many smaller diamonds going down the shank won’t necessarily make the center diamond pop.
Whiteflash upgrade options changed as well. If you are under their old policy, you can upgrade the center stone once with a purchase of $1 more. After that, you will have to spend significantly more to upgrade. All of this to say that if you are wanting to upgrade your center stone, I would put as much into the upgrade now because upgrading again down the road can be at a significant cost.
 
MissGotRocks said:
The center stone in the Simon G example is showing a two carat diamond. With a 1.4 or 1.5 center stone, the look will not be the same. Even with using the .33 side stones, it looks like you would have to purchase six more smaller diamonds to complete the look. Why not put the money into a larger center stone and use your existing .33s as side stones? Or just use the larger center stone in a pave shank? David Klass can do a CAD to show you the different options so that would be a plus to you. In order to get the above looks, you have to compare apples to apples in terms of size. Having many smaller diamonds going down the shank won’t necessarily make the center diamond pop.
Whiteflash upgrade options changed as well. If you are under their old policy, you can upgrade the center stone once with a purchase of $1 more. After that, you will have to spend significantly more to upgrade. All of this to say that if you are wanting to upgrade your center stone, I would put as much into the upgrade now because upgrading again down the road can be at a significant cost.
Click to expand...

HI there
I am so glad you responded! Thank you. Yes, i am lucky enough that I am under the "OLD" upgrade policy, thank goodness! I will be getting full amount back. I am starting going back and forth with David now. I feel silly as I need guidance.
I am OPEN to having LGD as the sides and fully agree I want to spend the money on really getting a great center. Can you help me? Here is what i know. I DONT WANT 3 stone look :). I was thinking of using the .3 to start the side stones but seeing they are so big, I think I would need a MUCH larger center to make it stand out. Should I just use LGD for shank and maybe get a 1.3 or 1.4. I feel lost but definitely am ready to change the 3 stone and have full support of hubby.

1)If I were to keep the .3's, how big would the new center need to be?
2) would i be better served just giving up on the 3's and getting LGD for shank?
3) do you have other setting ideas that would work? can you show me a pave shank one that you would recommend?

I only found the simon g one as I was thinking I could use the .3's and not have them to go waste but if they are SO big that I would need MORE then a 1.5 center to off set then it may not be worth trying to use them.

I appreciate the dialogue on this.

ps i saw these 2 on white but i dont think they would POP next to the .3's so im torn. i have aca 1.08 fvs2 now


www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.40 ct G VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4708687

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.40 carat G color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4708687
www.whiteflash.com

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.32 ct F VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4678017

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.32 carat F color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4678017
www.whiteflash.com
 
My opinion...I think you might be better off going with a pave band (with larger tapered stones) than using your .33s because I think
they might be too large (and they'll give you more of a 3 stone look).

@MissGotRocks what size are the side stones in your ring?

Edit...also, you might try looking through David Klass' IG pages to see if he has made any settings like you like.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.
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I think you should try for a larger center, however you swing that, as the expense of settings is high and diamond prices are relatively low right now. Play around with budget and see where you land. 1.1 to 1.3ct is not a huge jump and might not feel so different from what you have.
 
tyty333 said:
My opinion...I think you might be better off going with a pave band (with larger tapered stones) than using your .33s because I think
they might be too large (and they'll give you more of a 3 stone look).

@MissGotRocks what size are the side stones in your ring?

Edit...also, you might try looking through David Klass' IG pages to see if he has made any settings like you like.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
Click to expand...

My side stones are .33 each with a 2.53 center.
IMG_0952.jpeg
 
I too think those side stones may be too large for a 1.4 diamond. Not too large overall unless you want the center stone to really pop. You can try to cut out a piece of white paper in the same diameter as the diamond you are considering and hold it beside the side stones to see if you like the proportions. I like the horizontal coverage of a three stone ring but I still want the center to be the main attraction and I am guessing that is what you want as well. I am not sure that diamonds going down the shank as individual prong set diamonds will give you the extra diamond coverage you are wanting. Those diamonds will curve around the finger and not be on the same plane as the middle and side stones - know what I mean? They won’t show up as well and might be uncomfortable in between your fingers. Just a thought!
 
Yeah I have .35ct sides with my 1.89ct and they still look like a three stone. I think you’d need much smalller stones for the band look. Maybe .20 or .15.
 
thank you guys. I think you are all correct. Maybe my best bet is to just try to get a 1.5 center and an entirely different setting and give up on trying to use the .30's. I was just trying to be cost efficient. lol.

My problem is I have size 7 short fingers and I want the stone to really stand out so can anyone suggest a setting style that would be best? WIth a 1.5 tcw center.
David said to get one with larger diameter but to be honest, i dont know "what" diameter that would be, what numbers am i looking for to find a 1.5 with a large diameter? I know all the other specs needed for a great performing stone and i will get an ACA again. Maybe I can ask Becca to help me with that.

Can you all give me some ideas on a setting that would be nicest considering finger size and 1.5 tcw center?

Thank you!
 
A super ideal cut diamond will have a diameter in proportion to the other specs. If you were looking at a lesser cut diamond, you could possibly try to maximize the diameter but at the cost of best fire and brilliance. That just really doesn’t work in this situation.
This is their Butterflies three stone setting pictured on their website with a 1.5 center diamond. The side stones are included with the setting and are .25 each. Does this look interest you?
1726931647291.png
 
Not sure what your budget is for upgrade - here is a beautiful 1.5 ACA. Clarity is VS1 which probably boosts the price a bit but not a lot to choose from in this size. Are you willing to go up in color? I seem to remember that your current diamond is an F? Figured you would want to stay in the same color range?
 
Maybe something like this with some embellishment? Honestly though I would put as much money into the diamond size at this point even if I had to do a plain solitaire setting for now. Your next upgrade - if there is one - will cost you substantially more due to the change in their upgrade policy.

Ritani Modern Arched Micro Pave Diamond Engagemen... | 4493

Embrace modern elegance with the Ritani Modern Arched Micro Pave Diamond Engagement Ring, available at Whiteflash. | 4493
www.whiteflash.com
 
Last thought is to use your current .30 side stones with the larger center but in a newly made setting. The diamonds could be set on a different angle than your current three stone ring. Going from a one carat diamond at 6.50 diameter to a 1.50 carat at approximately 7.40 diameter is a decent size jump. You could ask David Klass about a different setting - maybe setting the side stones lower or at a different angle with a bit thinner shank? The other enhancement would be to go with a halo setting. Not sure if you want that and again, would be more expensive. I would want more dollars in the diamond than the setting but you may not feel that way.
 
MissGotRocks said:
Not sure what your budget is for upgrade - here is a beautiful 1.5 ACA. Clarity is VS1 which probably boosts the price a bit but not a lot to choose from in this size. Are you willing to go up in color? I seem to remember that your current diamond is an F? Figured you would want to stay in the same color range?
Click to expand...

Hi thank you. I was hoping to keep the stone maybe 12/13k if I stretch to 15k then I’ll need more time to save. I agree I should maybe focus most budget on the stone.
I mean, if I could go up to 15k and went down on color but still an aca how big can I get? I didn’t see a link if u posted one

Yes I have an F good memory, I wonder though if I could go down on color to get a larger stone seeing maybe I could go solitaire route. I could saw these two videos and I like these

Knife edge 6 prong soliayire


And this one with more pave

Any thoughts? Just the style I mean. I wouldn’t get from her
I’m intrigued by the first one but worry I’d miss more stones in the band. No idea though. If made right it could be lovely and then do I have DK make or just get from wf ?

It really stinks I can try these on my hand

I do love them both.
 
If you are upgrading from whiteflash I suspect the most cost effective way would be to have whiteflash make the setting and use your current side stones again. Something a little more fluid with more design panache would be lovely, like the butterflies.

I recall you had a K but t was poorly cut and tinted. Now you have an F. I think you could easily go to an H with an ACA or maybe an expert selection and maximize size for budget. Look for an eye clean SI1.

I’d try to find an eye clean J SI2 but that’s just me lol
 
One thing you can do to offset the 3 stone look is to sit your center stone a bit higher than the sides. I have a 1.3 center and .3 sides - it’s still a 3 stone - but has a slightly different feel because it sits 2.5 mm higher than my sides.
 
Here is an H color diamond. You can always ask Becca to do a side by side with a G to see if the color is ok for you.

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.55 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4691038

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.55 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4691038
www.whiteflash.com

Whiteflash can do a knife edge solitaire or a pave shank. Becca could direct you in that as well - the. You would get the completed ring and be done.
 
MissGotRocks said:
Here is an H color diamond. You can always ask Becca to do a side by side with a G to see if the color is ok for you.

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.55 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4691038

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.55 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4691038
www.whiteflash.com

Whiteflash can do a knife edge solitaire or a pave shank. Becca could direct you in that as well - the. You would get the completed ring and be done.
Click to expand...

Good point! I like it! I’ll write to her and start working on this.
Out of the two from Bonnie which do u like better ? Pave cathedral or plain 6 prong knife edge ?
 
freedom2016 said:
Good point! I like it! I’ll write to her and start working on this.
Out of the two from Bonnie which do u like better ? Pave cathedral or plain 6 prong knife edge ?
Click to expand...

I personally would choose the plain knife edge. You can always add a blingy band with it or even one on each side. You can with the pave too but I like a more cohesive look.
 
MissGotRocks said:
Here is an H color diamond. You can always ask Becca to do a side by side with a G to see if the color is ok for you.

www.whiteflash.com

Diamond | 1.55 ct H VS2 A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Round Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | 4691038

This Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® super ideal cut hearts and arrows 1.55 carat H color VS2 clarity loose diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). | 4691038
www.whiteflash.com

Whiteflash can do a knife edge solitaire or a pave shank. Becca could direct you in that as well - the. You would get the completed ring and be done.
Click to expand...

It’s funny I just went to their site and
My wedding band is the Elena so I could always get the match ering

Elena Diamond Engagement Ring | 1363

Elena Diamond Engagement Ring. An engagement ring that showcases the beauty of love in the Elena design. | 1363
www.whiteflash.com

Funny as it’s similar to what we are discussing-
 
MissGotRocks said:
I personally would choose the plain knife edge. You can always add a blingy band with it or even one on each side. You can with the pave too but I like a more cohesive look.
Click to expand...

Good point. I do appreciate chatting it thru.

I don’t know if wf has a knife edge
I was looking.
Would u do all platinum to match my wedding band ?
 
freedom2016 said:
Good point. I do appreciate chatting it thru.

I don’t know if wf has a knife edge
I was looking.
Would u do all platinum to match my wedding band ?
Click to expand...

Classic Knife Edge Engagement Ring from Whiteflash | 734

Classic Knife Edge Engagement Ring from Whiteflash. A classic design that cuts deep into the heart of love. | 734
www.whiteflash.com

They also have the Vatche U-113 which is knife edge. I probably would do the platinum if that is the metal of your wedding band.
 
jjca said:
One thing you can do to offset the 3 stone look is to sit your center stone a bit higher than the sides. I have a 1.3 center and .3 sides - it’s still a 3 stone - but has a slightly different feel because it sits 2.5 mm higher than my sides.
Click to expand...

Mine is set like that.
982204
 
MissGotRocks said:

Classic Knife Edge Engagement Ring from Whiteflash | 734

Classic Knife Edge Engagement Ring from Whiteflash. A classic design that cuts deep into the heart of love. | 734
www.whiteflash.com

They also have the Vatche U-113 which is knife edge. I probably would do the platinum if that is the metal of your wedding band.
Click to expand...

What do you think of this stone?

Diamond | 2.00 ct F VVS2 Cushion Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | GIA7501192193 | GIA

This fabulous 2.00 carat Cushion None cut diamond has a clarity grade of VVS2 and color grade of F.It is a great choice for those seeking the finest in diamond cut. | 163924887 | GIA
www.whiteflash.com

Do cushions have ACA or is that only round. I feel like the size of 2ct+ is what I’d want so trying to find it at a better price point. But this isn’t ACA.
Any thoughts? Are cushions not as sparkly ? This could be an option for me but wanted input
 
freedom2016 said:
What do you think of this stone?

Diamond | 2.00 ct F VVS2 Cushion Cut Loose Diamond GIA Certified | GIA7501192193 | GIA

This fabulous 2.00 carat Cushion None cut diamond has a clarity grade of VVS2 and color grade of F.It is a great choice for those seeking the finest in diamond cut. | 163924887 | GIA
www.whiteflash.com

Do cushions have ACA or is that only round. I feel like the size of 2ct+ is what I’d want so trying to find it at a better price point. But this isn’t ACA.
Any thoughts? Are cushions not as sparkly ? This could be an option for me but wanted input
Click to expand...

The measurement of that cushion is longer than the round diamond you are considering, but narrower than the round. Whiteflash does not have ACA cushions that I am aware of. Brian Gavin diamonds sells hearts and arrow cushions but will not, of course, take your trade. Rounds are - especially super ideal cut ones - probably the best bet for sparkle. However, there are fans of all cuts so it really is personal preference.
You can always ask Becca to put that diamond in a video with the doing you are considering. There are differences between the two though that account for price difference. Let your eyes be the judge - good luck and keep us posted!
 
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