Platinum or 18k Yellow gold for my Emerald, "Ivy"??

[LemonMoonLex]

Hello Everyone

So, I'm looking to eventually set my Zambian emerald in a CVBInspired setting and am pretty positive about EVERYTHING except for the metal.

Please help me out and give me your honest opinion in the poll on whether I should set "Ivy" in platinum (to bring out that luscious icy blue that I love in my emeralds), or set her in 18k yellow gold that will make her glow!

Here is the setting that I will modify. The emerald in her photo is 3cts and mine is half that at 1.5cts; I will also not have any diamonds on the ring.

Which metal?!?

Help me before I think too much on it and my head explodes! Haha
I think this poll will help to teeter me in one direction as this decision is so so difficult!

But its a good problem to have, right?

Heres my GIA certified unoiled/untreated, "Ivy" girl!

Inspired setting from CVB

 

[voce]

I'm so in love with the original inspiration look that I'm voting for yellow gold.

 

[leslie1956]

Great inspiration picture, though I think I like your idea of losing the diamonds, to my eye they look kind of jammed in there on either side. Otherwise, I really like the setting, the metalwork around the emerald is beautiful!. Honestly, either a colored or white metal is going to look great!

Here is a picture of different intensely green stone, my trillion tsavorite set in platinum in Yvonne's Gatsby ring. This is one of my favorite pieces from CRD I thought it might be nice to see it for comparison.

 

[voce]

Great inspiration picture, though I think I like your idea of losing the diamonds, to my eye they look kind of jammed in there on either side. Otherwise, I really like the setting, the metalwork around the emerald is beautiful!. Honestly, either a colored or white metal is going to look great!

Here is a picture of different intensely green stone, my trillion tsavorite set in platinum in Yvonne's Gatsby ring. This is one of my favorite pieces from CRD I thought it might be nice to see it for comparison.

That color combination is gorgeous!

 

[2Neezers]

Your stone is beautiful and will look amazing with either metal choice, but I voted for yellow gold. The reason why is the way you described it on your poll as warm/glowy/rich/home vs the way you described platinum as stunning/cold/icy/princess. I would want to go with the metal for my e-ring that made me feel the way you do about yellow gold .

 

[leslie1956]

That color combination is gorgeous!

Thank you, voce! I really miss the hauynite melee, it worked so well with so many other colors.

 

[Niel]

I think emeralds should always be in yellow metal, myself

 

[Austina]

I think emeralds should always be in white metals

 

[LemonMoonLex]

I'm loving the duality here!!
& I truly can see the beauty of both metals!

To make matters more entangled my beau went from wanting a yellow gold wedding band to being positive of wanting a platinum wedding band out of nowhere, which complicates matters further.

I wish I had the editing skills to take my inspo picture and make the metal white. I'm having such a hard time seeing the claws in platinum or the setting in general but i think itd be stunning.
Ahhhhhhh the indecision

 

[Bluegemz]

Oh this is hard. I’m still voting for yg because I can imagine it very well. It will be beautiful regardless of which metal you chose though!

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Great inspiration picture, though I think I like your idea of losing the diamonds, to my eye they look kind of jammed in there on either side. Otherwise, I really like the setting, the metalwork around the emerald is beautiful!. Honestly, either a colored or white metal is going to look great!

Here is a picture of different intensely green stone, my trillion tsavorite set in platinum in Yvonne's Gatsby ring. This is one of my favorite pieces from CRD I thought it might be nice to see it for comparison.

Wow! That tsav is so yummy! Ive never seen such a bluish minty one?!
Do you have any photos of the tsav unset?
I already know that white gold/plat brings out an icy blue in my emerald that i just adore but its nice to see the difference it makes for other stones.

Also, for either metal I dont plan on using any diamonds whatsoever in the ring, I truly want Ivy to be center stage...now does anyone think platinum wont be able to carry Ivy alone as well as yellow gold might be able to?
I hope im making sense as this idea is difficult to articulate.
As in, if I go with platinum im worried that the ring would beg for diamonds which i dont want, where as with yellow gold and Ivy it might look more complete; since in my mind platinum carries extra diamonds so well; same-ish color.
Does that make sense?

Its almost laughable how complicated ring designing can get.

 

[chrono]

Can you place a white metal and yellow metal next to the emerald for comparison? It usually easier for me to decide once I see all 3 together.

 

[elizabethess]

Here's a quickie photoshop for you. I only desaturated the metal, didn't change the stone or background. Hope it helps

 

[elizabethess]

Here, so you don't have to scroll

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Here's a quickie photoshop for you. I only desaturated the metal, didn't change the stone or background. Hope it helps

Omg thank you so so much!!! You are awesome! Sadly I'm just not technologically gifted whatsoever!
If it only took you a few minutes/seconds could i ask you for a big favor? Could you take the picture with the 4 photos and only desaturate one of the side profile shots to white metal?
& if it took awhile please, theres no need to do so!!
I will pass on your kindness today!

& @chrono Here are some quick shots that i took and posted on my original thread when trying to decide.
Theyre not the best photos whatsoever, and since the yellow gold is a nest, its not fair to the white gold.
You still get the idea though with them;
-A white metal brings out the most gorgeous blue!
-Yellow gold makes it glow!

I can also try and even the playing field and take some better photos when I'm out of work today!

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Here, so you don't have to scroll

You are helping me IMMENSELY right now, my Lord!

 

[suzanne2]

YELLOW!! I have the CVB Isadora in 18k yellow gold and it's glorious. My emerald isn't nearly as nice as yours but the yellow really sets if off.

 

[elizabethess]

Haha, I have been deeply procrastinating starting a project so I don't mind the request. Good luck!

 

[Austina]

I’m still preferring the white metal, I think it makes emeralds pop more, makes them look a bit blue/green, whereas emeralds I’ve seen in y/g IRL do look greener. Not sure if that’s making any sense @TheGarnetGirl , just my thoughts.

 

[voce]

Having seen the Photoshop of platinum, I think the platinum looks more premium, but would be really costly, since you'll need to use whiter diamonds than you need to with YG. That said, I do not like the look of your emerald with lower karat yellow gold like your chain. I love the look of the 18kyg.

Do you care whether your beau and you wear the same color bands? I have a white gold ruby e-ring, but df insists he wants yellow gold for the band. At first it bothered me, but I couldn't persuade him to wear any white metals, and I've since resigned myself to the idea of wearing different colored rings from his.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

Having seen the Photoshop of platinum, I think the platinum looks more premium, but would be really costly, since you'll need to use whiter diamonds than you need to with YG. That said, I do not like the look of your emerald with lower karat yellow gold like your chain. I love the look of the 18kyg.

Do you care whether your beau and you wear the same color bands? I have a white gold ruby e-ring, but df insists he wants yellow gold for the band. At first it bothered me, but I couldn't persuade him to wear any white metals, and I've since resigned myself to the idea of wearing different colored rings from his.

So I actually dont want Any diamonds for this setting at all! It'll just be my emerald (:

& While I think that it would be sweet to match, it wont be a letdown if we dont to either of us.

Could you explain what you mean by the word "premium"?

& Thank you for your opinion, I'm still so stuck on the color and I dont want to make the wrong decision! Ugh

 

[scouty]

I originally voted platinum but then remembered this Isadora ring on CvB's IG and thought of your stone and since you mention you don't want any side diamonds. If you are really 50/50 on the metal choice then I would probably go with yellow gold then because it is more cost effective. Can't go wrong either way though with your beautiful stone!

 

[SouthernGent]

I believe platinum or white gold brings out the colors of that stone the best.

 

[voce]

By premium, I mean obviously intended for well-to-do buyers. The feeling is high class. Mercedes is a premium car, but I'm happy to drive a Toyota.

If you're not doing diamonds, I would not do platinum at all, but 18k WG, if you still want icy princess look. Platinum will develop a patina over time that looks antique, but white metals were really used for diamonds in the past, and without them I would hesitate to go with an antique look, which platinum will look like in a few more years. White gold will resist dents and scratches much better than platinum.

Side by side, the yellow gold still makes my heart sing more than white metal, with emerald.

 

[EC8]

Which metal color do you prefer with your skin tone? Your emerald will look gorgeous in either

 

[alene]

White metal gets my vote. It really plays up the bluish tone in your emerald and makes it pop more.

 

[bludiva]

I generally prefer white metal but that yellow looks so good with the green. Would the color of the metal make a difference in how often you'd wear it? In which case I'd lean towards the one you'd wear more. The best kind of dilemma, one with two right answers

 

[AMRN0516]

Another vote for green with yellow gold! I love emeralds (my birthstone) and to me yellow gold is the only way to go. Of course personal preference.....

 

[T L]

White metal tends to look more vintage, especially if you’re picking out a vintage looking setting. Yellow looks more modern. You really can’t go wrong with either color metal, because the color is very strong on the emerald. It just depends what kind of look you’re going for.

I would only caution going with platinum, especially in a bezel setting, as it is a very hard, dense metal, and a jeweler working with it may damage the stone.
You’re better off with softer 14K white gold. I really love unplated 18k white gold too, which is very antique looking.

ETA: if you want a bezel, make sure it’s a top notch bench doing the work. Bezel setting adds much stress to the stone and many jewelers damage stones and/or the bezels are sloppily done. The same goes for prong setting in platinum.

 

[voce]

White metal tends to look more vintage, especially if you’re picking out a vintage looking setting. Yellow looks more modern. You really can’t go wrong with either color metal, because the color is very strong on the emerald. It just depends what kind of look you’re going for.

I would only caution going with platinum, especially in a bezel setting, as it is a very hard, dense metal, and a jeweler working with it may damage the stone.
You’re better off with softer 14K white gold.

ETA: if you want a bezel, make sure it’s a top notch bench doing the work. Bezel setting adds much stress to the stone and many jewelers damage stones and/or the bezels are sloppily done.

I'm going to disagree with T L on this. According to many jewellers who know about gem setting, platinum is easier to work with, way more malleable. It's dense, but more pliable and will get scratched not only by 14k white gold, which is harder and more brittle, but also will get scratched by 18k white gold. Yellow gold, however, is softer than platinum, because the alloys are different. Setting in platinum, in my opinion, will not damage your emerald. I've had a discussion with Yvonne Raley, who gets her information from her setter who used to do work for Tiffany and Cartier, regarding metal choice for softer stones like paraiba and sphene. There's also enough jeweler blogs that say the same thing. Platinum is softer than WG.

CvB should be a top notch bench, so I don't think you'll have problems with the setter damaging your stone.

I respectfully submit that when you look up truly antique emerald jewelry, they're all set in yellow gold. So unless vintage to you means only during and after the Edwardian era, I think more vintage emerald jewelry has been set in yellow gold than in white gold and platinum.