3 Stone Reset: Pear side stones vs Rounds

[recordaras]

Is there any difference between pear and round side stones in a 3 stone setting, other than the obvious aesthetic one? I really don't have much experience with pears, so I don't know how differently they perform next to a round center stone. I also came across a PSer that had issues with the side stones getting dirty - are they really much more difficult to keep clean?

Backstory: I need to reset my .64ct J BGD Signature stone. It's currently in a stock 6-prong Stuller with a 2 mm shank, and the setting isn't bringing me any joy whatsoever - it's really uncomfortable, the side view is sad and generic, and overall as much as I love my diamond, I really can't say the same about the ring.
I've been considering resetting it into another solitaire, but my dream has always been a 3 stone. And while I was initially planning to spend no more than $1.5K on the reset, I've come to realize that anything less than perfect will make me unhappy again and will lead to another expensive setting change in a couple of years.

 

[Niel]

Rounds will perform on average better than a pear. A pear will take up more finger coverage.

A stone your size I usually like rounds,but someone recently had like a .45 ct set in a rose gold BGD pear setting and it was perfection.

 

[recordaras]

Rounds will perform on average better than a pear. A pear will take up more finger coverage.

A stone your size I usually like rounds,but someone recently had like a .45 ct set in a rose gold BGD pear setting and it was perfection.

Thank you so much, Niel!
Is there really a big difference in performance between pears and rounds? As in, will it drive an OCD person crazy? Gah, I wish our local stores had something with pear sides, but alas - only round three stone settings to be found.

I think I do like the finger coverage (and, therefore, less twisting) of the pear sides, not to mention that rounds would end up being even more expensive, but at the same time I'd really want some extra sparkle as well.

And as for the ring you are talking about, that thread is bookmarked on every device I own! Here it is: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/so-proud-of-my-elegant-3-stone-e-ring.185109/, and it really is pure perfection.

 

[AprilBaby]

I have a three stone round but if I had seen the pear when I got it I would have gone with the pear side stones, so elegant!

 

[Niel]

Rounds will perform on average better than a pear. A pear will take up more finger coverage.

A stone your size I usually like rounds,but someone recently had like a .45 ct set in a rose gold BGD pear setting and it was perfection.

Thank you so much, Niel!
Is there really a big difference in performance between pears and rounds? As in, will it drive an OCD person crazy? Gah, I wish our local stores had something with pear sides, but alas - only round three stone settings to be found.

I think I do like the finger coverage (and, therefore, less twisting) of the pear sides, not to mention that rounds would end up being even more expensive, but at the same time I'd really want some extra sparkle as well.

And as for the ring you are talking about, that thread is bookmarked on every device I own! Here it is: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/so-proud-of-my-elegant-3-stone-e-ring.185109/, and it really is pure perfection.

Yes I do think even at a lower size the sparkle of a well cut round is noticeably higher than a pear. Though a good pear will still have sparkle. What size is your finger??

And yes that exactly.

 

[recordaras]

I have a three stone round but if I had seen the pear when I got it I would have gone with the pear side stones, so elegant!

I keep going back and forth between C.P.'s 3 stone with pears and JuneRose's 3 stone trellis and they are both just so beautiful!

 

[recordaras]

Yes I do think even at a lower size the sparkle of a well cut round is noticeably higher than a pear. Though a good pear will still have sparkle. What size is your finger??

And yes that exactly.

I'm a 5.75. Hmmm, now I definitely have to figure out a way to look at some pears IRL, although I doubt the quality of stones at our local jewelers would be anywhere near BGD...

 

[Niel]

Would you do it in rose gold?

 

[recordaras]

Would you do it in rose gold?

No, unfortunately as much as I love rose gold on others, on my skin it just blends in and disappears in a not very attractive way.
I'd be doing either plat or white gold. The WG is only $300 less than the plat, but I feel I might end up so over budget if I go with the rounds that I'll have to cut corners somewhere.

 

[Niel]

Would you do it in rose gold?

No, unfortunately as much as I love rose gold on others, on my skin it just blends in and disappears in a not very attractive way.
I'd be doing either plat or white gold. The WG is only $300 less than the plat, but I feel I might end up so over budget if I go with the rounds that I'll have to cut corners somewhere.

Crazy talk here, but yellow gold?

 

[recordaras]

Crazy talk here, but yellow gold?

Not crazy at all, as I was seriously considering that! Yellow gold actually goes with my skin tone very well, so I tried a couple of cheap ebay wedding bands to see how it would work. Ended up not liking what it did to my J color - it looked noticeably more yellow face up next to YG than next to a white metal.

 

[Niel]

Crazy talk here, but yellow gold?

Not crazy at all, as I was seriously considering that! Yellow gold actually goes with my skin tone very well, so I tried a couple of cheap ebay wedding bands to see how it would work. Ended up not liking what it did to my J color - it looked noticeably more yellow face up next to YG than next to a white metal.

How strange. My k was briefly in a YG solitaire with white gold prongs and I didn't notice that effect. But I do know each stone has its own reaction.
White metal is of course nice too. Just a shame to love colors gold and not be able to use it.

I really love the grace pear tree stone from BGD. I want my marquise in it lol.

I love them both. I am no help.

 

[braga123]

I bought a preloved 3 stone pear setting from Whiteflash. The pear side stones were .34 tcw and I set a .91 OEC in it. I don't know IF it was the fact that I was mixing cuts, but I didn't really care for it. I will post a picture. I ended up reselling the setting (at a loss) and resetting my OEC. I am much happier with the 5 stone! I will post that too! One thing I was certain of was that the 3 stone pears sat too low, so maybe that is a factor you need to consider in the process.
before:


After

 

[recordaras]

How strange. My k was briefly in a YG solitaire with white gold prongs and I didn't notice that effect. But I do know each stone has its own reaction.
White metal is of course nice too. Just a shame to love colors gold and not be able to use it.

I really love the grace pear tree stone from BGD. I want my marquise in it lol.

I love them both. I am no help.

Are you kidding? You are not just "of help", you are a brainstorming master! I'm really glad you brought up the difference in performance - it would have been pretty bad if I went into the project not knowing that pears have a different kind of brilliance to them.

As for the color, I agree. Although I do love white metals too, albeit they do seem like a slightly safer option. But then again for a ring I plan on wearing forever that might not be a bad thing - at least I know I'll never get tired of that particular metal choice.

 

[recordaras]

I bought a preloved 3 stone pear setting from Whiteflash. The pear side stones were .34 tcw and I set a .91 OEC in it. I don't know IF it was the fact that I was mixing cuts, but I didn't really care for it. I will post a picture. I ended up reselling the setting (at a loss) and resetting my OEC. I am much happier with the 5 stone! I will post that too! One thing I was certain of was that the 3 stone pears sat too low, so maybe that is a factor you need to consider in the process.

Thank you so much, braga123! Do you think you could pinpoint what it was about the pears that you weren't comfortable with?
Also, did you have any issues with them getting dirty and being difficult to clean? I have to ask, since you have firsthand experience. And thanks for pointing out the height of the setting - one of the things I don't like about my current Stuller is that it's actually too low set for my taste, so that's also definitely something I will be considering.

Oh, and your 5 stone is incredible! Congratulations on finally getting everything as you want it.

 

[Niel]

Oh and to answer your "dirty" question. No I don't notice them getting any more dirty than the center. But I clean them more than once a week, just to keep them all lookin fresh.

 

[braga123]

For me, I just felt that the 3 stone didn't have enough presence. The pear stones didn't get dirty more than the rounds, but I guess they were just not as blingy and didn't seem to shine as much as the rounds. My new reset diamonds are not certified, but they still sparkle more than the WF setting which was described as G VS2 . I think that if you do go with pears, you need to make sure that you can see the pears you are choosing, for sure.

 

[recordaras]

Oh and to answer your "dirty" question. No I don't notice them getting any more dirty than the center. But I clean them more than once a week, just to keep them all lookin fresh.

Ah, okay, that's a relief! I came across a thread where a fellow PS'er couldn't fully clean them at home (the underside at the tip is apparently difficult to reach), and they remained cloudy till she was able to take them to the jeweler for a full cleaning, which had me a little concerned.

 

[recordaras]

For me, I just felt that the 3 stone didn't have enough presence. The pear stones didn't get dirty more than the rounds, but I guess they were just not as blingy and didn't seem to shine as much as the rounds. My new reset diamonds are not certified, but they still sparkle more than the WF setting which was described as G VS2 . I think that if you do go with pears, you need to make sure that you can see the pears you are choosing, for sure.

Thank you, I'm so glad I asked. The lack of sparkle is definitely something that can be a deal breaker for me, since I'm so used to the light performance of RBs.
I will have to go searching for a similar setting at one of our local b&m jewelers to see what I think of pears IRL, although I still feel that that's a little bit dangerous - if I find that their pears suck, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'd feel the same way about BGD's. Gah, why am I not in Texas??

 

[mrs-b]

Recordaras - I suggest pears. I think the combination is beautiful and elegant. But even more specifically, you'll use smaller pears than rounds as side stones (in general) and pears tend to be a cheaper cut. So you'll get the same coverage side to side, but save yourself some dollars. There's a bunch of photos on PS of rounds with pear sides, and although the light reflection is different - it's just that; different. For myself, I liked the contrast as it maintained the center stone as the star of the ring. Jewelers will also sometimes suggest going one grade whiter in pear sides. This tends to deal with any sense you might have of them being dull in comparison to your center stone.

Good luck! And just by the way - I love your elegant e-ring just as it is, and your new studs are very nice.

 

[recordaras]

Recordaras - I suggest pears. I think the combination is beautiful and elegant. But even more specifically, you'll use smaller pears than rounds as side stones (in general) and pears tend to be a cheaper cut. So you'll get the same coverage side to side, but save yourself some dollars. There's a bunch of photos on PS of rounds with pear sides, and although the light reflection is different - it's just that; different. For myself, I liked the contrast as it maintained the center stone as the star of the ring. Jewelers will also sometimes suggest going one grade whiter in pear sides. This tends to deal with any sense you might have of them being dull in comparison to your center stone.

Good luck! And just by the way - I love your elegant e-ring just as it is, and your new studs are very nice.

Thank you so much!
I thought it would be easier to make a decision once I slept on it, but alas - my heart wants the pears, but my mind wants maximum sparkle. I put my two studs next to my center stone to try and visualize what it would look like (there might or might not have been some scotch tape involved...), and the sparkle really blew me away. Gah, if only I had two small pears to experiment with!

That is really great advice about the color trick. I would be going down in color from their standard F/G anyway, but now I'll know to bring that up and have them show me a couple of options if I decide to go the pear route.

And thank you for your kind words! I would definitely love my ring more if only it were comfortable to wear... The shank isn't comfort fit, and it tapers down to a little over 1mm wide at the bottom, so it can really dig into the skin to the point of it being actually painful. And while I love the way the thin shank looks from the top, the standard Stuller 6 prong head just isn't doing it for me in terms of side view. However, I'll still probably set a cz or colored gemstone in there to wear on the days that I miss the solitaire!

 

[recordaras]

I spoke with Jamie today (btw, if anyone isn't getting email replies from the BGD team you might want to call instead - she said it has been insane recently, and they are already entering the pre-Valentine's day rush), and she said it is definitely a very different look with the pears, more "antique" and less "wall of sparkle".
I'm still driving myself crazy going back and forth between the two options, but I think the pear sides will end up winning. I kind of wish there was some kind of cross between the Grace 3 stone with pears and the Crossed Trellis settings, but since custom isn't in the budget that's unfortunately not an option.

 

[SMC]

Will BGD be able to source lower-color pears for you without driving up the price? It would drive me crazy if the sides were a higher color than the center stone. It might be easier to find lower-color rounds.

My personal preference is for rounds, but that's just a personal preference. With your size center, the pears would have to be quite small to not overwhelm the center stone.

 

[Tekate]

I really like this one http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/3-stone-trellis-diamond-engagement-ring-1428.htm

I had an oval once it was a D/E color.. that danged dark spot drove me crazy .. so I upgraded to a MRB G/H color VS 2..

 

[recordaras]

Will BGD be able to source lower-color pears for you without driving up the price? It would drive me crazy if the sides were a higher color than the center stone. It might be easier to find lower-color rounds.

My personal preference is for rounds, but that's just a personal preference. With your size center, the pears would have to be quite small to not overwhelm the center stone.

Yes, they will be able to do G/H pears (they said they wouldn't go lower, since pears do show more color), and it will actually be a smidge cheaper that way. I'd also go nuts if the side stones were Fs!
And size wise their standard is .4 ctw for the sides. Here's a link to another PSer who did a smaller stone in that setting, and I just love the way it looks.

 

[recordaras]

I really like this one http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/3-stone-trellis-diamond-engagement-ring-1428.htm

I had an oval once it was a D/E color.. that danged dark spot drove me crazy .. so I upgraded to a MRB G/H color VS 2..

That's a really great option, thank you! BGD have a couple of gorgeous trellis settings, and I was really surprised to find out that getting Signature stones in the .25 range was actually cheaper than using their Signature melee... But they still come out over budget.

 

[SMC]

Will BGD be able to source lower-color pears for you without driving up the price? It would drive me crazy if the sides were a higher color than the center stone. It might be easier to find lower-color rounds.

My personal preference is for rounds, but that's just a personal preference. With your size center, the pears would have to be quite small to not overwhelm the center stone.

Yes, they will be able to do G/H pears (they said they wouldn't go lower, since pears do show more color), and it will actually be a smidge cheaper that way. I'd also go nuts if the side stones were Fs!
And size wise their standard is .4 ctw for the sides. Here's a link to another PSer who did a smaller stone in that setting, and I just love the way it looks.

I agree - that looks like a very nice ring! Can BGD send you the measurements of the side stones so you can mock it up and see how it looks with your center?

 

[recordaras]

I agree - that looks like a very nice ring! Can BGD send you the measurements of the side stones so you can mock it up and see how it looks with your center?

Hmm, this is a good question. I've seen this picture, but if they'll be bringing in a "special order" with the lower colored stones they might not be able to do something like that for me. I can just use the measurements in those pictures though, although I'm pretty sure I would prefer the skinnier pears and the more finger coverage they give.

 

[Gypsy]

I normally vote for pears. But with your sized center I think rounds will give you more bang for buck. So rounds is what I vote for.

 

[recordaras]

I normally vote for pears. But with your sized center I think rounds will give you more bang for buck. So rounds is what I vote for.

Is that because of the added sparkle?
The thing I don't like about rounds is that I won't get full finger coverage and will still have to deal with twisting...