Advice needed on size of halo for my new cushion

[stone_seeker]

I just bought a new 3ct cushion (aka my new avatar

) and I''m having trouble deciding on the size of the pave for the halo. I don''t want the halo to look like I''m trying to make the stone look larger but rather for just sparkly accents around the center stone. I''m looking for a very delicate look.

I am going with a 1.8mm band (which will have 1mm pave stones on the shank) for a size 4 finger.

Typically micropave is usually no more than 1.2mm in size but do you all think 1.3mm (just about 1 pointers) would be too big and therefore not accomplish the look I am aiming for? I''ve been looking for some examples but it''s very hard to get a sense of size and proportions from pictures on the net.

Any thoughts would be very welcome and appreciated!!!

Thanks!!

 

[RxTechRN2b]

A 3 carat stone on size 4 finger is going to look massive. Bliss (I think that''s her name) posted her new ring yesterday or the day before -- she put her large diamond into a halo and it completely covers her finger width and then some. In fact, the shank is not even visible from the top of the ring. What I''m tying to say is that even with the smallest possible halo, your ring will not acheive a delicate look - the top will be larger than the shank. If you must halo, I''d use stones less than a mm and do shared prong so that there is no metal rim on the outer edge. I''d hold the center stone with prongs as well because a bezel will add even more to the size. In addition, I''d set the stone as low to the finger as possible on a plain slender band -- avoid putting little diamonds underneath or up the prongs, avoid adding tons of detail because that will only add to the massive size. I''d do just the center in prongs with the tiniest possible shared prong halo, set low to the finger on a plain, single slender band with absolutely no other detail -- especially since you don''t have a size 10 finger to balance the proportions.

 

[RxTechRN2b]

I just wanted to add that if you aren''t set on the halo, that baby could be set in a style similar to the Tiffany Novo, and it could seem a bit more elegant and refined. I was thinking that it would be amazing with double claws holding each corner, set low with the prong curving gracefully from underneath, on a single band of dainty round diamonds (shared prong, bead set, pave, or fishtail). Or even set it on a plain platinum band -- let that 3 ct shine all on its own!

 

[Catmom]

stone_seeker, first off your cushion looks amazing! I can''t wait to see the final ring! It is possible to achieve a delicate look with a larger stone and a halo if the proportions are right. I have a 2.52ct center stone with less than 1 pointers in the halo. It''s actually 36 rounds in the band and halo for a ctw. of .30. My band width is pretty much as you are thinking of, just shy of 2mm. My finger size is 4.5. My mele in my halo is bead set so there is no extra metel and that helps. Here is a side view that shows the width of the band as well as how delicate the ring really is. I hope this helps give you an idea of size.

 

[Catmom]

Here''s a top view that shows the halo and proportion to my finger.....

 

[mrssalvo]

I''ve got a halo on my 1.67 cushion and I wear a size 3.75. the band on my ring is 2.5mm and is sooo thin. I personally wouldn''t want it much thinner, but I like a little substance to my rings. I have no idea what size melee were used in the halo or on the band though...

 

[Catmom]

mrssalvo, your ring is sooo gorgeous!!!

 

[Bliss]

Ohhhhhhh... Lovely halos in this thread!!!!!

I agree with the others, go delicate if that's what your heart is yearning for! How about Ritani halos? They are so fine and delicate. I love them!

Be prepared, however, for what a halo will do to a 3 carat stone!

I decided not to fight it and went for a statement piece. Figured life is too short not to go for fabulous! LOL. Your ring will be fabulous with or without a halo.

I'd go with 1-pointers or less if you can if you want delicate. For the shank, for the structural integrity of the ring, it may have to be about 2-2.5 mm. I was told I could not go below this due to the size of my diamond and design.

It will be spectacular!!!! Yes, and due to your tiny finger size, you may not see much shank. I can't see it top down on mine, but then again, I couldn't really with it as a solitaire either. However, in real life, you are moving and no one is staring top down at the ring. You see it from the side and at angles. So the diamonds on the shank really do add extra pop. It really is a lovely addition!

Oh! And I agree with Rx that prongs are a better choice if you want delicate. I was told that a bezel will make the center stone look bigger. Again, be prepared for how much bigger it will make your diamond look if you opt for that! (Be careful what you ask for!) And make sure there is as little metal as possible in the ring!

In photos and cads, everything is magnified and bulkier. In real life, pieces look much more delicate. So keep that in mind when designing!!!


Congrats!

 

[Bliss]

Catmom...THAT IS AN AMAZING CANARY DIAMOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW! It's a real piece. Not just a ring... it's MAGIC! WOWOWOWOWOWOW!

What a statement piece. GORGEOUS. Just regal. So substantial and incredibly luxurious looking!

FAB. U. LOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! It's... it's... pure elegance. You could walk into a room with flipflops and THAT ring... and be a queen. It's a real statement piece. LOVELY!

Mrs.Salvo, you're killing me with your honker in a delicate halo! YOWZA! Ditto to your piece!

 

[Catmom]

Date: 8/2/2008 3:52:07 PM
Author: Bliss
Catmom...THAT IS AN AMAZING CANARY DIAMOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW! It''s a real piece. Not just a ring... it''s MAGIC! WOWOWOWOWOWOW!

What a statement piece. GORGEOUS. Just regal. So substantial and incredibly luxurious looking!

FAB. U. LOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! It''s... it''s... pure elegance. You could walk into a room with flipflops and THAT ring... and be a queen. It''s a real statement piece. LOVELY!

Mrs.Salvo, you''re killing me with your honker in a delicate halo! YOWZA! Ditto to your piece!

Oh My Goodness Bliss, thank you for your kind words! Now if you really want to talk about a gorgeous statement piece just look down at your own hand! Oh and do you happen to have a crystal ball on hand cuz flip flops and jeans and a tshirt are what I have on right now, LOL!

 

[stone_seeker]

Thanks everyone for your useful hints.

I think I can accomplish delicate on a 3ct ring even on a size 4 finger. I went to Harry Winston today in NYC and they have the most delicate halo and shanks I have ever seen. The replicas always seem "chunkier" which is what I am trying to avoid. I saw one cushion halo that had 86 rounds for a total of 0.51ct So those were like half pointers.

But half pointers seem so small to me but at 1mm I guess they are micropave. Cartier uses slightly larger on the halo than on the shank but Cartier''s cushion halo wasnt nearly as dainty but still very delicate. I also think Harry uses a 1.5mm band which is too small for me.

I am sticking with 1.8mm shank with half pointers on it and maybe will go to 1.3mm (one-pointers) for the halo. So long as they are bead set and no metal showing it should still look very delicate with the 1.3mm halo.

Bliss - you are right though - everything always looks bigger in pics and thats what through me off which is why I decided to go on a day trip to 5th Ave

. But they never say exactly what the size of the melee is but I just calculated using the # of stones divided into the total carat weight. But Harry Winston was definitely the most delicate. Cartier had a halo''d cushion that uses slightly bigger on the halo than on the shank. It seems my ideal is somewhere in between.

As for the basket, I am going a bit different than the HW and going for a flush fit so no pave on the prongs under the halo. Keeping it simple as I like the stone to sit pretty low on the finger.

 

[munkafoo]

hi stone seeker, i am very excited to see the end product of this fanfreakintastic ring of yours!!!

 

[MMT]

Wow those are some gorgeous rings. I can''t wait to see yours stone seeker.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 8/2/2008 10:43:10 AM
Author: RxTechRN2b
A 3 carat stone on size 4 finger is going to look massive. Bliss (I think that's her name) posted her new ring yesterday or the day before -- she put her large diamond into a halo and it completely covers her finger width and then some. In fact, the shank is not even visible from the top of the ring. What I'm tying to say is that even with the smallest possible halo, your ring will not acheive a delicate look - the top will be larger than the shank. If you must halo, I'd use stones less than a mm and do shared prong so that there is no metal rim on the outer edge. I'd hold the center stone with prongs as well because a bezel will add even more to the size. In addition, I'd set the stone as low to the finger as possible on a plain slender band -- avoid putting little diamonds underneath or up the prongs, avoid adding tons of detail because that will only add to the massive size. I'd do just the center in prongs with the tiniest possible shared prong halo, set low to the finger on a plain, single slender band with absolutely no other detail -- especially since you don't have a size 10 finger to balance the proportions.

Terry, this statement really is not true.
There are many many examples of delicate halos on big stones (some alot bigger than SS's) from LM and HW etc (I'm sure there are many more I can't think of right now).

I don't see why SS would want a size 10 finger to "balance the proportions" as you say? So all the time/money she put into finding a 3ct can look like a 1ct ??

I'm sorry, I am not trying to be rude to you or anything like that, I just feel like, we are all aware of your preferences and ideals when it comes to stone size and styles of rings - I'm not sure if a thread where someone is asking how to halo their 3 ct is the place to attempt to impinge these ideals..?

That said, I agree with your other suggestions of using prongs and not a bezel, and a slender band (this will actually enhance the large size of the stone in most cases), similiar to Mrs Salvos' lovely ring

But in the end, Stone Seeker its really about what you like - if you want to enhance that 3ct, go for it, why not!?

Do you have any pics of the style you described? It sounds lovely!

Can't wait to see what you decide!

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 8/2/2008 10:58:46 AM
Author: RxTechRN2b
I just wanted to add that if you aren''t set on the halo, that baby could be set in a style similar to the Tiffany Novo, and it could seem a bit more elegant and refined. I was thinking that it would be amazing with double claws holding each corner, set low with the prong curving gracefully from underneath, on a single band of dainty round diamonds (shared prong, bead set, pave, or fishtail). Or even set it on a plain platinum band -- let that 3 ct shine all on its own!

I totally agree! I would not be interested in haloing a 3ct stone, but I''d love to see it in the setting RxTechRN2b described, or a split shank non-halo a la Leon. A split shank could achieve the sparkly but delicate look while avoiding a halo.

Whatever you do, I''m sure it will look beautiful with a killer stone like that. But like RxTech, I''m just not a fan of halos around larger stones.

 

[pixley]

Hi stone_seeker,

Acebruin's wife has a Leon ring which has lovely proportions on the melee, and the design is very similar in terms of delicateness to the HW micropave. acebruin lists the melee size, which might be helpful to you in determining whether you want to go up or down from there.

 

[pixley]

This is another new Leon halo (albeit a split shank) that has a large stone, and I think it looks about as delicate as can be. I wouldn't go that thin on the shank, though. Little too thin for safety if you asked me, but man does it ever show off that stone.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 8/23/2008 8:38:41 AM
Author: jstarfireb

Date: 8/2/2008 10:58:46 AM
Author: RxTechRN2b
I just wanted to add that if you aren''t set on the halo, that baby could be set in a style similar to the Tiffany Novo, and it could seem a bit more elegant and refined. I was thinking that it would be amazing with double claws holding each corner, set low with the prong curving gracefully from underneath, on a single band of dainty round diamonds (shared prong, bead set, pave, or fishtail). Or even set it on a plain platinum band -- let that 3 ct shine all on its own!

I totally agree! I would not be interested in haloing a 3ct stone, but I''d love to see it in the setting RxTechRN2b described, or a split shank non-halo a la Leon. A split shank could achieve the sparkly but delicate look while avoiding a halo.

Whatever you do, I''m sure it will look beautiful with a killer stone like that. But like RxTech, I''m just not a fan of halos around larger stones.

Ditto! I think one of the most tasteful, elegant, larger stone rings ever posted on this site is here:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-tiffany-novo.93270/

 

[stone_seeker]

I will be posting pics of the ring next weekend at the latest (SO wont let me until then

).

But I will tell you, the halo hardly has any effect on the center stone - its just for accent. Harry Winston has halos on some of their 10 carat cushions. Its all about how delicate you do it, and how the cushion is set relative to the melee in the halo. Trust me when i say my jeweler got it right.

I''ve seen some halo''s that look clunky because melee is too big or the jeweler used to much metal in the setting. HW uses half pointers which are tiny (1mm). 1mm adds just the right amount of sparkle but not so where it looks obvious that someone tried to make the center stone look so much larger.

I cant wait to show everyone some pics - its been burning a hole in my pocket!!!

 

[dc888]

Hi Stoneseeker,

I can''t wait to see what your ring looks like. Given your satisfied tone, it must be amazing. Who was your jeweler if you don''t mind me asking, and how thorough custom process? Thank you

 

[sunnymom1]

I just picked up my 3ct Radiant with 3pt stones in the halo and it is way to big and gaudy and I wear a 5.5 ring size, Go for the smaller stones. I learned an expensive lesson/

 

[Beacon]

I think it is fine to halo a larger stone.

I tried this on yesterday: it's a 4ct RB, F color in a halo w/ split shank. I am sorry the photo is blurry - I am going to go back to the jeweler and reshoot the photo. I fell in love with this! Very seriously in love with it. However, it's $136K. Yikes.

I liked it so much that I popped my 2.57 ct RB off my hand, gave it to the jeweler and told him to do the same to mine. Seriously. I did that. It is a custom hand made setting.

My finger size is 5.25 (although the ring in the photo was sized at 5.75) and I thought the haloed 4 carater looked just fine!

 

[bebe]

whoa, Beacon, I like that 4ct honker!! Do you know the manuf. of the halo setting? Or is the setting on the 4ct''er handmade custom? Very pretty, it''s giving me ideas.

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 8/2/2008 10:58:46 AM
Author: RxTechRN2b
I just wanted to add that if you aren''t set on the halo, that baby could be set in a style similar to the Tiffany Novo, and it could seem a bit more elegant and refined. I was thinking that it would be amazing with double claws holding each corner, set low with the prong curving gracefully from underneath, on a single band of dainty round diamonds (shared prong, bead set, pave, or fishtail). Or even set it on a plain platinum band -- let that 3 ct shine all on its own!

RxTech, your descriptions of settings are like poetry!

Stone_seeker, I love that you''re looking at tiny little melee for the halo, which will look very tasteful and sparkly. And as much as I would be a fan of a different style, I think your ring will turn out beautifully. Please post pictures once it''s done!

 

[CrookedRock]

Hey Stone seeker! Congrats on finding your cushion, I know it''s not easy. Just thought I would chime in with my ring specs bc it''s similar to what you describe. The stones on my ring are half pointers, so tiny and I love them. Also I know mine is a split shank but eack shank is 1.8mm if that helps any. I can honestly say that I would not want the stones in my halo any larger, bc like you, I wasn''t trying to make it look bigger, but just loved the look of the little extra sparkle. I can also assure you that my ring is very delicate looking, halo and all... Here is my ring in case you haven''t seen it.

 

[stone_seeker]

Date: 8/24/2008 6:22:07 PM
Author: CrookedRock
Hey Stone seeker! Congrats on finding your cushion, I know it''s not easy. Just thought I would chime in with my ring specs bc it''s similar to what you describe. The stones on my ring are half pointers, so tiny and I love them. Also I know mine is a split shank but eack shank is 1.8mm if that helps any. I can honestly say that I would not want the stones in my halo any larger, bc like you, I wasn''t trying to make it look bigger, but just loved the look of the little extra sparkle. I can also assure you that my ring is very delicate looking, halo and all... Here is my ring in case you haven''t seen it.

Thanks...your ring is fantastic. I was working with mark T also for a few months but ended up buying my stone from someone else. He''s so nice.

I also went with a 1.8mm shank with half pointers and used .006ct stone for halo. It looks super delicate and just adds just a touch of sparkly on the sides but the center of attention is definitely the rock in the middle, as it should be with the halo being barely noticeable.

And I think thats the main difference by some halo''s, especially for big stones, can look gaudy and some look very tasteful.

 

[Miranda]

I was in Harry Winston earlier today. I tried on the micropave cushion. Their halo is so small. It''s just a delicate shimmer around the edge of the stone. I''d go with a halo as small as possible. I personally like it when the halo and shank width are different sizes. Then again, I like it when they are the same!

I guess I''m not much help! You are building a gorgeous ring! I can''t wait to see it!

And FWIW, you can TOTALLY acheive a delicate look with a large stone.

 

[Beacon]

Date: 8/24/2008 6:07:29 PM
Author: bebe
whoa, Beacon, I like that 4ct honker!! Do you know the manuf. of the halo setting? Or is the setting on the 4ct''er handmade custom? Very pretty, it''s giving me ideas.

I know - it''s a whopper! However that ring did not look tasteless or heavy. Very low setting, very nice. It is a handmade custom setting. Fishtail pave, 1.5mm halo and shanks.

It made my husband a bit pale when he heard the price and saw how much I liked it! I am going to get a better photo of it.

 

[princesss]

The HW halo is my absolute dream. It''s just so soft and delicate around the center.

I can''t wait to see your finished ring!

 

[CrookedRock]

Thank you StoneSeeker! Your ring sounds perfect (at least to me

). I can''t wait to see the pictures!