A home for my red diamond

[periwinklegirl]

After much back and forth (and helpful advice from CSers), I think I'm getting closer to a design for setting my red diamond. I had originally wanted a cluster ring like LD's, but my jeweler (and LD - thanks!) pointed out that it would look small on my hand, since my side stones are only 5 pointers and not tens. And my finger size is 9, so I was worried it wouldn't have much presence.

So here is what my jeweler has come up with instead.

The centre will be my 0.40 purplish red diamond, the petals will be white 5 pointers and the shoulder "leaf" side stones will be 3 pointer green diamonds. I have two shades of green on each shoulder, one for each leaf.
Neatfreak's lovely setting inspired the leaf shoulders. I'm still strongly considering milgrain on the "leaves". My jeweler thinks it will look too busy, but I'm not convinced.

Evergreen very kindly photoshopped the colours onto my all-white cad, so I can finally visualize the coloured diamonds in the setting! Thanks so much, Evergreen!

I still feel the overall design is a little clunky, but I'm not sure if that's just the cad. I definitely want a thinner shank.
The white "petals" are shared prong set, not bezeled, although it it looks that way in the CAD (thanks Niel for pointing that out!).

Thoughts?

 

[LD]

It will definitely have far more of a presence on your finger than before but do you mind if I make three suggestions?

1. I would make the shank a knife edge one. Even allowing for the fact it's a CAD, at the moment the shank is wayyyyy too chunky and it makes the whole ring look fat. I'd stick it on a diet and skinny the shank right down. A knife edge will change the look radically.

2. I'd be tempted NOT to use green diamonds. The whole point of your ring is to showcase the red in the centre. Why make it compete with another colour? Can you ask the person who did the photoshopping to change the green back to white and see how it looks? I think it'd be far more asthetically pleasing (to me anyway )

3. Also, I'd be tempted to skinny and elongate the leaves also. So squash in and elongate more. I think they'd look better if they met nearer to the middle of the flower head than right at the outside edges. Hope that makes sense? For the life of me, I can't do anything that remotely looks like a shank but this is what I mean about the flowers on the outside - can you see how I've skinnied them down and then made them meet the flower more towards the centre rather than the outer edge of the flower?

 

[periwinklegirl]

Hmmm, not sure how to ask Evergreen.

Here's the all-white CAD, if that helps. And from the side.

 

[beaujolais]

+1 what LD said

not feeling your jeweler's design; too busy

But a red diamond - Wow, how cool !

 

[LD]

Oooops you've replied and I've edited my post re the leaves on the side - pop back up and have a look Periwinkle!

Apologies in advance because this is awful but this will hopefully show you the proportions I mean (or not - you do need to use your imagination)!

 

[the_mother_thing]

What a unique design ... I love it! I do like the green diamonds for leaves since it makes the ring look more like a flower vs just a red stone surrounded by white stones, but agree with LD about skinnying them down to marry up more with a thinner band. Can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[pinkjewel]

Love the thinner shank and the slimmer leaves that LD suggested. Although I like the idea of green leaves- I'd like it better with almost any other color main stone-as the red and green will look too Christmas like for me. Also- don't know if you want to consider a prong on the outside of each diamond petal to elongate the petals. I have these on my flower ring by DBL and like it.

 

[Enerchi]

+1 to LDs thinned out option. Keeps the stunning red diamond as the focus and being thinner, will make your finger look slimmer too.

I love the inspiration ring of neat freaks. That's gorgeous w the leaf wrapping on the shank....

 

[chrono]

The shank is way too thick, hence the chunky look. To slim it down, I concur with LD's advice to make the "marquises" more elongated and the angle not as sharp so that the shank can be made around half the current width.

 

[Niel]

By thinning those leaves out you'd have to probably cut the melee down to 1 instead of 2

 

[periwinklegirl]

Wow! Thanks, LD! And Chrono, Enerchi and pinkjewel! And everyone else, for your input and suggestions!

I am attached to the green diamonds, like JoCoJenn, I think it helps make the ring look more like a flower. And I'm very partial to my fcds! I'm much less a fan of white diamonds not that I know there's a coloured alternative!

I do like the idea of the thinner shank. Not as keen on a knife edge - I've never liked those.

Narrowing the spread of the leaves is a good idea - I'll pop that off to my jeweler and see what she can come up with.

Thanks Niel - I think I'd prefer to keep two greens diamonds for each leaf, they wouldn't be very visible otherwise. And I think it's harder to get smaller matching ones to go up to three on each leaf - like Gypsy's emerald ring. It was hard enough to get the ones I've got!

Pinkjewel - thanks. I prefer the shared prong look for the petals, a bit more like a daisy and less like a cluster. And the red and the green really don't look Christmassy - they are more nature-inspired shades of red and green, if that makes sense.

I do have an earlier CAD with only one leaf on each side, it really didn't have as much presence. I'll dig it up. OK, here it is.

It was at this stage that I came across Neatfreak's ring. And that's how I got to two leaves on each side.
I also didn't like the diamonds along the shank.

I really appreciate everyone's insight and, as always, LD, you improve all my jewelry ideas! Thanks!!!

I'll keep you all posted!

 

[Niel]

I prefer the two diamonds in the leaves as well, I'm just wondering if you can really fit them of you reduce the leaves any further. I stillike the two leaves better than one, but I do like them and the shank thinned out. Also I know those pedals in the flower aren't bezels, so I think they have a twinge to much metal on the outside. But that could just be the cads..

 

[LD]

I prefer the two diamonds in the leaves as well, I'm just wondering if you can really fit them of you reduce the leaves any further. I stillike the two leaves better than one, but I do like them and the shank thinned out. Also I know those pedals in the flower aren't bezels, so I think they have a twinge to much metal on the outside. But that could just be the cads..

It'll be easy to put small diamonds in the flowers even when they're thinned down. Look at the scale of the ring. The diamonds are 5 pointers and so if you use that as a gauge you can see it'll work.

 

[evergreen]

I am attached to the green diamonds, like JoCoJenn, I think it helps make the ring look more like a flower. And I'm very partial to my fcds! I'm much less a fan of white diamonds not that I know there's a coloured alternative!
...
And the red and the green really don't look Christmassy - they are more nature-inspired shades of red and green, if that makes sense.

Totally agree. So much so that I refuse to re-Photoshop those green diamonds to colorless.

Periwinkle, I love your design! Can't wait to see the fabulous finished product!

 

[periwinklegirl]

Thanks Niel and LD, I'll talk to my jeweler and see what she can do about thinning the leaves and the shank. The green stones are only 2mm, so they should be thinner then they look.

What I would really love is to sit down with her and the CAD program and point to changes on the screen. But I don't think that's an option.
I know she can make some changes to the wax, once we get to that stage, but there's a limit to what can be carved off!

Evergreen - thanks! And no worries, I'm definitely keeping the green diamonds! I love them!

 

[chrono]

It is far easier to make adjustments on CAD than once the wax is done.

 

[hippi_pixi]

you won't like me for this but i so much prefer the white diamonds on the leaves. it just looks so much more focused and classy to me.

if you're attached to the green diamonds is there any chance of 4 matching green marquise stones??

 

[chrono]

if you're attached to the green diamonds is there any chance of 4 matching green marquise stones??

It is highly unlikely to find a single marquise green diamond, much less 4 matching ones.

 

[periwinklegirl]

So I talked to my jeweler and she doesn't think that the leaves can be made thinner, using the green diamonds that I want to use. Her exact words were, "if you make the leaf more delicate you won't have any gold to set it in". So I wonder if the proportions just look off in the CAD and they really are fairly thin.

She is going to make me a new CAD with a thinner band and we'll go from there.

I have seen a picture of another idea for leaf sides, with three leaves on each side, with the points together next to the flower and spreading out towards the shank. But now I can't find it again.

Once the rest of the green diamonds come, I"ll go and see her with the stones and discuss working on the CAD together. (It's harder for her to say no in person).

I'll keep you all posted!

Thanks so much,

Caroline

 

[LD]

This doesn't make sense at all Periwinkle! Moving and elongating the leaves is simple! However, if it's because she has to incorporate a specific set of green diamonds then that'll be a restrictor. However, there's no reason why she couldn't tension set them in the middle of a leaf or at the very least reduce the angle of the leaves!

Please rethink the green diamonds hun. I know how much you desperately wanted a red/pink diamond and I honestly honestly don't believe the green diamonds do anything for the design apart from detract from the main stone and look Christmassy! I know this is a personal opinion and you will probably disagree but ............. anyway, getting rid of the green diamonds would mean you could have a better design

 

[periwinklegirl]

Thanks LD. I think the problem is that I asked her if they could be made thinner and more delicate looking, not moved and elongated.
I'm going to talk to her in person. I take a piece of paper and a pen and make visual aids - that works so much better than emailing her suggested changes.

I think I am going to have to take gimp lessons before I try to design any pieces of jewelry!

One good thing about this project is that I think I've finally learned that patience really pays off! I was impatient with the last one and I never wear it as a result.

 

[LD]

Oh yes doing things by email can be very difficult!

Take your time - there's no rush and it can be expensive if you get it wrong (as you've found out ) I can't wait to see the result.

 

[periwinklegirl]

OK, here's an idea. What do you all think of the leaves pointing the other way?
ie. points touching closest to the flower and spread further apart closer to the shank. Like this: >O<

Thoughts?

 

[SapphireSun]

Hi Perwinklegirl!

I love your new ring design, especially with the marquise shaped leaves - they're beautiful with the green diamonds! I think you're right, I too like the milgrain design on the leaves. My halo melee are also 5 pointers with shared prongs and are much slimmer than in your CAD. The obvious reason is that the metal is sticking out and from the side angle looks to be very significant. It does look almost to be a bezel setting with prongs. I think once the band is slimmed down it'll look gorgeous and I can't wait for you to have it in your possession!

A side note for you: I'm getting my wax model next week for the larger diamond marquise and round band!

 

[periwinklegirl]

Hi Sapphire Sun,
Thanks!! Just picked up the rest of the green diamonds.

Any thoughts on direction of leaves?

How exciting! Your wax model! Didn't know jewelers let you take those home. Keep us posted!

 

[SapphireSun]

My suggestion is to keep the leaves the way you have them now. I believe that the point touching was so the band would narrow, like a split shank. I'm sure your jeweler could slim it down to your liking. I feel your anxiety!!

I received a wax model of my halo as well before I went ahead with the custom work. I think it helps enormously when customizing a ring online! This way I get a feel for the size and fit. Perhaps you can ask your jeweler if they could do that for you?? Not only do I get the wax model for free before starting my ring, but they also ship it to me next day (after completion of the mold). Do take your time and make requests, as many as you can think of. My emails usually start with, "can you do..." or "can I have...!" You've got to absolutely love your ring! I bet the little green diamonds are yummy! And I forgot to tell you how exquisite your red diamond is!! It's beautiful!

Good luck!

 

[chrono]

Your new design equates to a thicker shank in addition to having 4 points now sticking out to nowhere, breaking the existing smooth tapered design flow. I would stick to the original design.

 

[periwinklegirl]

Thanks Chrono and Sapphire Sun, excellent points! I think you're both right.

Leaves stay pointing the way there are already. I will work on thinning them and/or moving them closer together.

One option is to have smaller green diamonds. Or one large and two small in each leaf. Or only one large in each leaf.

Hmmm, I'll talk to my jeweler and see what she thinks.

 

[periwinklegirl]

Here's my wax.

My jeweler actually apologized for her hands! I said, hey, you create beautiful things with those hands.

 

[SapphireSun]

Looks like it's going to be beautiful!!!