Assistance with Ring Purchase (Halo with Emerald)

[MollyMalone]

My eyes are, weirdly, very sensitive to variations of white and beige. But count me in among those who are urging you to ditch the idea of a D color & use the savings realized by "compromising" on color to good use on the other 3 C's. (I put compromising in quotes because it sounds as if you've not yet seen any EC's in real life, so you don't know how white, or otherwise pleasing, G and beyond can be; you wouldn't be the first were you to end up concluding that a D/E/F EC actually looks "harsh" to your eyes or maybe doesn't show off an EC to its best advantage).

Would you share with us why getting the halo now (rather than halo'ing a solitaire e-ring later as, say, an anniversary gift) seems important to you two...is it because you see the e-ring as a forever ring, i.e., you envision the ring that's on her finger when you exchange wedding vows will remain a constant, unchanged through your life together?

That info would be helpful for us to have as it may affect feedback, e.g., altho' I think mountings from LOGR and jewelryhoo (or one of its corporate Changxing siblings) can be a very good value, I'd be hesitant to recommend them to someone who adamantly wants a halo'd and/or pave e-ring that will stand up to 50+ years of daily wear.

ETA apologies for the earlier typing bloopers

 

[tyty333]

Msop04- those 70ish stones that were posted don't fit his criteria.

 

[msop04]

Okay, OP... I know you're probably getting tired of all my posts! But if you're adamant about a halo, this is what I'd do if it were me...

Diamond:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.61-carat-d-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-165574 5.39 x 4.71 @ $1870 ($630 left for setting)
- icy color, great clarity (yes, it's overkill, but it just happened to be)
-"chubbier" stone
- leaves a little more for setting
- great price

- OR -

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.71-carat-g-color-vs2-clarity-sku-282954 5.95 x 4.31 @ $2160 ($340 left for setting)
- white color, really good clarity (totally eye-clean)
- more elongated stone
- a litte less for setting, but certainly doable
- great price

in either of these settings by LOGR:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-11ct-VVS-...t=Diamond_Solitaire_Rings&hash=item3a84977829
- double halo will add a lot of size and look
- price listed is with amethyst (you could offer $450-$550 for setting to be made to fit your choice of stone)
- beautiful

- OR -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Emerald-Cut...75911120?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item3f294de7d0
- would probably run less than $275 without stone (and made to fit yours)
- you could have LOGR do claw prongs if you prefer them to the more rounded prongs
- beautiful

What do you think??

 

[msop04]

Msop04- those 70ish stones that were posted don't fit his criteria.

What doesn't fit? The price was higher, but if he doesn't spend 1/2 of his budget on a setting, they could work...

EDIT: Isn't the budget $2500 for the entire ring?

 

[tyty333]

Msop04- those 70ish stones that were posted don't fit his criteria.

What doesn't fit? The price was higher, but if he doesn't spend 1/2 of his budget on a setting, they could work...

EDIT: Isn't the budget $2500 for the entire ring?

Oh, I must have missed the post that said he was willing to go with a solitaire instead of a halo.

 

[msop04]

That info would be helpful for us to have as it may affect feedback, e.g., altho' I think mountings from LOGR and jewelryhoo (or one of its corporate Changxing siblings) can be a very good value, I'd be hesitant to recommend them to someone who adamantly wants a halo'd and/or pave e-ring that will stand up to 50+ years of daily wear.

I can definitely see where you're coming from, Molly... but wouldn't LOGR be better than say, a Jared, Kay, or other big-box retail chain that people buy from all the time with no question? I know it's not VC, Gabriel & Co, or even JA, but his budget is very challenging.

 

[msop04]

Msop04- those 70ish stones that were posted don't fit his criteria.

What doesn't fit? The price was higher, but if he doesn't spend 1/2 of his budget on a setting, they could work...

EDIT: Isn't the budget $2500 for the entire ring?

Oh, I must have missed the post that said he was willing to go with a solitaire instead of a halo.

No, you're correct... he is not willing to go to a solitaire. He wants a halo. The halo setting will just have to be more budget friendly... that's why I was interested in LOGR or the like. Although not the best, they seem solid and a good value for the money.

I'm about out of suggestions... I'm grasping at straws here... LOL

 

[ihy138]

It really is too bad that you won't consider lower colors. I purchased a 1.23 ct emerald cut in K color for about 1,300. It was on eBay, so that's riskier, but it can be done. But, I get it! We all have priorities. I would recommend you consider at least F-G stones to maximize your budget. These WILL be icy white - I promise, you wouldn't notice the different once set.

I also can speak to LOGR settings. While they are not Victor Canera-level quality, they are great for the price. I have had my emerald in a LOGR setting (see photo) for over a year and it has held up very well. You just have to take care of it, like any other delicate setting. I haven't had any issues at all.

ETA - Didn't realize how poorly taken my photo was. Sorry! Guess I should wear my glasses...

 

[msop04]

It really is too bad that you won't consider lower colors. I purchased a 1.23 ct emerald cut in K color for about 1,300. It was on eBay, so that's riskier, but it can be done. But, I get it! We all have priorities. I would recommend you consider at least F-G stones to maximize your budget. These WILL be icy white - I promise, you wouldn't notice the different once set.

I also can speak to LOGR settings. While they are not Victor Canera-level quality, they are great for the price. I have had my emerald in a LOGR setting (see photo) for over a year and it has held up very well. You just have to take care of it, like any other delicate setting. I haven't had any issues at all.

ETA - Didn't realize how poorly taken my photo was. Sorry! Guess I should wear my glasses...

That's a beautiful ring, ihy138! I didn't realize your EC was a K!! Great value and great price!! When I was looking at ECs for the OP, I didn't purposefully look for such a high color on the D stone... I noticed it because the faceting was so pretty -- and the fact that it was a D didn't hurt, either!

But I'm with ya on the lower color route! I have a J MRB for my ering and love it!

 

[MollyMalone]

That info would be helpful for us to have as it may affect feedback, e.g., altho' I think mountings from LOGR and jewelryhoo (or one of its corporate Changxing siblings) can be a very good value, I'd be hesitant to recommend them to someone who adamantly wants a halo'd and/or pave e-ring that will stand up to 50+ years of daily wear.

I can definitely see where you're coming from, Molly... but wouldn't LOGR be better than say, a Jared, Kay, or other big-box retail chain that people buy from all the time with no question? I know it's not VC, Gabriel & Co, or even JA, but his budget is very challenging.

[said in a whisper] Since they have decided platinum isn't a must, I'm still hoping we can also nudge them away from halo-only, and that my comment might help do that

I think we -- or more accurately, they -- are "in the clear" insofar as Jared and the like goes. E.g., the least expensive, halo'd EC e-ring Jared seems to carry is $2900 and although the center stone would be .5 cw, Jared won't promise that it will be better than I1-I2, so I imagine our OP and his FF would rule it out for that reason alone.

 

[ihy138]

That's a beautiful ring, ihy138! I didn't realize your EC was a K!! Great value and great price!! When I was looking at ECs for the OP, I didn't purposefully look for such a high color on the D stone... I noticed it because the faceting was so pretty -- and the fact that it was a D didn't hurt, either!

But I'm with ya on the lower color route! I have a J MRB for my ering and love it!

Oh, thank you!! K all the way - the OEC in my engagement ring is also a K.I think it's my sweet spot That D that you posted is INCREDIBLE - hope you didn't take that the wrong way. The faceting makes me drool.

Looking forward to seeing what the OP goes with.

 

[MollyMalone]

As someone who was comparison shopping them as recently as November, let me offer some additional comments about the often recommended, Chinese vendors on eBay that offer semi-mounts: LOGR and the Changxing family (jewelryhoo, jewelryhoo2, changxingjewelry, leejewelry, jewelryhoo-custom-design -- I think that's all of them). So you aren't comparing apples and oranges, it's really important to
* seek clarification on the weight of the mounting, i.e., do they calculate it on the basis of the metal alone or after the accent/pave/halo diamonds are set? Even when the listing indicates "weight of metal", the weight given may actually be the full semi-mount. (I never thought they were trying to be deceptive, but rather, simply employing different definitions; plus, English is not their native language).

* get price quotations for precisely what you want. I was looking to put together a ring for a Xmas present. Like the EC you will most probably end up with, my colored gem differed enough from stock dimensions that it wasn't suitable for the semi-mounts they listed (and in many instances, I wanted better diamonds than described in the listing for the designs). The additional cost for a custom-made semi-mount varied more widely than one might expect; even price quotes from the same Chinese vendor were occasionally different for reasons that weren't apparent to me.

Bottom line: I wouldn't assume that relative pricings of the listed semi-mounts from the Chinese vendors is going to carry over to the same degree to custom orders. A semi-mount from LOGR that is listed as less expensive than one like/similar to it from Changxing may end up more expensive than Changxing when customized... and vice versa.

Is the use of CAD something that would matter to you? If so, LOGR didn't offer that, but Changxing did.

 

[krish82]

I understand what OP wants because it's pretty similar to what my fiancé and I wanted. I went for a smaller diamond with great specs but G color and a setting that we BOTH liked a lot, so my diamond and setting cost about the same. We are getting a halo, and getting this because we like how it looks, not because we wanted to make it look bigger. I think it's not a bad thing to get a nice and high quality metal either, I consider them as good investments with gold and platinum getting more and more expensive worldwide. I also think that color is a personal preference. I personally like colorless, so I went for a G and nothing lower, D was also too expensive and was not necessary.

I was wondering though if OP and fiancé are planning to upgrade in the future? It seem like a lot does an upgrade after a few years.

 

[MollyMalone]

* * * I can speak to LOGR settings. While they are not Victor Canera-level quality, they are great for the price. * * *

Pretty ring!! Did you ask LOGR to upgrade the diamonds to VS? The reason I ask is because of threads I'd seen like this April 2013 one,
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-thin-eternity-band-from-logr-opinion.188134/
I was reluctant to "roll the dice" in November on their SI's (which I had done some years ago, what I received was acceptable) & asked for price quotes using VS.

 

[ihy138]

* * * I can speak to LOGR settings. While they are not Victor Canera-level quality, they are great for the price. * * *

Pretty ring!! Did you ask LOGR to upgrade the diamonds to VS? The reason I ask is because of threads I'd seen like this April 2013 one,
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-thin-eternity-band-from-logr-opinion.188134/
I was reluctant to "roll the dice" in November on their SI's (which I had done some years ago, what I received was acceptable) & asked for price quotes using VS.

I did ask them for upgraded diamonds! I forgot to mention that. It was well worth the upgrade. I think my setting in rose gold with diamonds halfway around the shank it was $250? Maybe a bit less? Very well priced.

And it was a setting custom made for my stone and they didn't charge any extra at all. Just as long as you provide them with photos and dimensions, they do a great job.

 

[msop04]

That info would be helpful for us to have as it may affect feedback, e.g., altho' I think mountings from LOGR and jewelryhoo (or one of its corporate Changxing siblings) can be a very good value, I'd be hesitant to recommend them to someone who adamantly wants a halo'd and/or pave e-ring that will stand up to 50+ years of daily wear.

I can definitely see where you're coming from, Molly... but wouldn't LOGR be better than say, a Jared, Kay, or other big-box retail chain that people buy from all the time with no question? I know it's not VC, Gabriel & Co, or even JA, but his budget is very challenging.

[said in a whisper] Since they have decided platinum isn't a must, I'm still hoping we can also nudge them away from halo-only, and that my comment might help do that

I think we -- or more accurately, they -- are "in the clear" insofar as Jared and the like goes. E.g., the least expensive, halo'd EC e-ring Jared seems to carry is $2900 and although the center stone would be .5 cw, Jared won't promise that it will be better than I1-I2, so I imagine our OP and his FF would rule it out for that reason alone.

[also said in a whisper] I hope they would consider it too!! OP seems adamant... we'll see!

Yikes! Jared's settings must be worse than I remember! ...good to know though... I have a little crush on that D stone I happened upon... if I had some extra cash, I'd buy it for myself right now!

 

[PattyCo]

Here is a longer emerald cut diamond that might not get "lost" in a halo setting.
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.52-carat-e-color-vs1-clarity-sku-207324

And maybe this halo could be modified to accomodate it. 14K White Gold, $1,025
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/14k-white-gold-pave-halo-and-shank-diamond-engagement-ring-cushion-center-item-17429

Platinum, $1,600
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/halo/platinum-pave-halo-and-shank-diamond-engagement-ring-cushion-center-item-17426


I hope this helps ,
Warm regards,
PattyCo

PattyCo, please don't take offense to my comments -- I'm just trying to share what I see for the benefit of the OP and his FF...

I'm not an EC expert, but it looks like the faceting on the stone above is pretty bad. It doesn't throw a lot of light at many angles I could see and it's a very dark "black widow" hourglass when viewed straight on... please someone correct me if I'm way off base here. Also, it's 3 mm wide -- very thin. The best stones that have been mentioned so far have been the 0.70ish EC's posted by Gypsy.

The problem with the JA settings, although lovely, is that they would take up 1/2 of his budget. The platinum one only leaves about $900 for the stone. Platinum would be a complete waste of money in this budget situation. If the OP is set on a halo, there are other vendors who could provide one at a much lower price.

Sorry

 

[msop04]

I understand what OP wants because it's pretty similar to what my fiancé and I wanted. I went for a smaller diamond with great specs but G color and a setting that we BOTH liked a lot, so my diamond and setting cost about the same. We are getting a halo, and getting this because we like how it looks, not because we wanted to make it look bigger. I think it's not a bad thing to get a nice and high quality metal either, I consider them as good investments with gold and platinum getting more and more expensive worldwide. I also think that color is a personal preference. I personally like colorless, so I went for a G and nothing lower, D was also too expensive and was not necessary.

I was wondering though if OP and fiancé are planning to upgrade in the future? It seem like a lot does an upgrade after a few years.

I agree with you that a G is a safe bet on color! Regarding high quality metal, I don't think OP has anything to worry about since 14K, 18K, and platinum are high quality metals people use in erings and wbands all the time. FWIW, my ering is in 18K, but I wish I'd gone with 14K in order to rhodium plate less frequently. *oh well... hindsight's 20/20*

 

[msop04]

Sorry

No problem at all, PattyCo!!

 

[TheOneHC]

Okay so I read every single one of the posts and I TRULY thank everyone for their input and wise words, they really do mean much to me. So to answer some questions..
We're not looking to upgrade the ring in the future, that's why we wanted to have this to last a lifetime, though we're willing to plate them overtime (that being 14K or 18K). So yes, we were envisioning it to be a forever e-ring and that's why we wanted to just get a halo + plus she absolute LOVES halo
I am willing to increase the budget to 3K if it's worth it to get necessary things down.
Therefore, is it worth to go for LOGR? Will it last for a lifetime? I can deal with a halo for around 1500 from Adiamor making it custom leaving room for a decent diamond.
Also in regards to the diamond, Krish completely nails it on this one shown below:

I understand what OP wants because it's pretty similar to what my fiancé and I wanted. I went for a smaller diamond with great specs but G color and a setting that we BOTH liked a lot, so my diamond and setting cost about the same. We are getting a halo, and getting this because we like how it looks, not because we wanted to make it look bigger. I think it's not a bad thing to get a nice and high quality metal either, I consider them as good investments with gold and platinum getting more and more expensive worldwide. I also think that color is a personal preference. I personally like colorless, so I went for a G and nothing lower, D was also too expensive and was not necessary.

I was wondering though if OP and fiancé are planning to upgrade in the future? It seem like a lot does an upgrade after a few years.

When I asked my fiance if she wanted a bigger diamond she said she didn't care about the size of it. Just wanted it to look amazing with a halo as Krish pointed out.
I was leaning towards the D color due to the amazing ice white it gave, but G is perfectly fine after reading everyone's posts, I am definitely all ears

I love the suggestions everyone has given me, like the one by msop's: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.61-carat-d-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-165574 with an LOGR (though Ebay seems to be down right now and I will look more into it when they are back up). But will an LOGR be sufficient for a lifetime without any upgrades? I'd be willing to get a good setting by increasing my budget with that diamond because I feel like it would be worth it Or is it not?

Or what krish suggested with this: http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/Results/D19944845 and http://www.adiamor.com/Engagement-Rings/Halo/French-Cut-Cushion-Halo-Setting/18KWhiteGold/1652 custom made.

Yes, I am very and I mean VERY newbie when it comes to all of this, and I really REALLY love the fact everyone here is very helpful. And thanks for clearing my mind about being able to get a G color as well

 

[tyty333]

I would not suggest an LOGR for a lifetime ring. I think you can probably do what you are looking for with $3k.

 

[Niel]

my apologies but did you say the halo had to have diamonds in the shank too? i may have missed it while looking though your thread... sorry

 

[TheOneHC]

I would not suggest an LOGR for a lifetime ring. I think you can probably do what you are looking for with $3k.

Ah alright, yeah I was wondering... The setting you suggested seems a bit dark in the halo, is that normal?

 

[TheOneHC]

my apologies but did you say the halo had to have diamonds in the shank too? i may have missed it while looking though your thread... sorry

Yes it does and no need to apologies

 

[krish82]

I live in Japan actually and getting a ring rhodium plated is quite new to me... Lol we don't do that and our rings seem fine even in 18k. Although if his fiancé is a bit rough with jewelry then 14k would be better. I agree 14k is high quality as well and I think you should not go lower than that, but the reason I prefer 18k is because... Well there's more gold in it lol and can be a better investment, so if you can afford it for now and she's not rough with her jewelries at all then I do suggest an 18k or platinum. Mine is going to be an 18k rose gold and I might post about it here hehe. I'm kind of new here as well and totally enjoy looking at everyone's ring!

 

[TheOneHC]

I live in Japan actually and getting a ring rhodium plated is quite new to me... Lol we don't do that and our rings seem fine even in 18k. Although if his fiancé is a bit rough with jewelry then 14k would be better. I agree 14k is high quality as well and I think you should not go lower than that, but the reason I prefer 18k is because... Well there's more gold in it lol and can be a better investment, so if you can afford it for now and she's not rough with her jewelries at all then I do suggest an 18k or platinum. Mine is going to be an 18k rose gold and I might post about it here hehe. I'm kind of new here as well and totally enjoy looking at everyone's ring!

Ah i see! That's good to know haha. But 14K vs 18K shouldn't matter since it's white gold right?

 

[msop04]

I love the suggestions everyone has given me, like the one by msop's: http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/emerald-cut/0.61-carat-d-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-165574 with an LOGR (though Ebay seems to be down right now and I will look more into it when they are back up). But will an LOGR be sufficient for a lifetime without any upgrades? I'd be willing to get a good setting by increasing my budget with that diamond because I feel like it would be worth it Or is it not?

Or what krish suggested with this: http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/Results/D19944845 and http://www.adiamor.com/Engagement-Rings/Halo/French-Cut-Cushion-Halo-Setting/18KWhiteGold/1652 custom made.

Yes, I am very and I mean VERY newbie when it comes to all of this, and I really REALLY love the fact everyone here is very helpful. And thanks for clearing my mind about being able to get a G color as well

Hey, OP! Glad we didn't scare you off!

Could you not get the adiamor setting and the JA stone? The problem with the adiamor stone is that you can't buy ECs by the numbers -- you really need to see them with your eyes (which is what is so nice about JA's site... videos are really helpful, so you know it's not just a "glamour shot"). The adiamor site has no photo, video, or anything else you'd need to tell if it's a good EC -- that doesn't mean the one krish listed isn't a great one, you just don't have any way of knowing... KWIM? For fancy cuts, I'm just leary of vendors that have sample photos is all.

I think it will make it easier to find what you're looking for with the increased budget... at least it gives you more options on settings. Gypsy's stones were awesome, and of course I'm gonna be partial to the JA EC I posted... $3K... let me look some more.

 

[Niel]

I live in Japan actually and getting a ring rhodium plated is quite new to me... Lol we don't do that and our rings seem fine even in 18k. Although if his fiancé is a bit rough with jewelry then 14k would be better. I agree 14k is high quality as well and I think you should not go lower than that, but the reason I prefer 18k is because... Well there's more gold in it lol and can be a better investment, so if you can afford it for now and she's not rough with her jewelries at all then I do suggest an 18k or platinum. Mine is going to be an 18k rose gold and I might post about it here hehe. I'm kind of new here as well and totally enjoy looking at everyone's ring!

Ah i see! That's good to know haha. But 14K vs 18K shouldn't matter since it's white gold right?

not exactly. Sense 18k gold has more actual gold in it, that means there more yellow alloy in the mixture, so the result is a yellower white gold, if you go 14k, it'll be whiter after the plating wears off, you may not even need to plate it.

 

[msop04]

I live in Japan actually and getting a ring rhodium plated is quite new to me... Lol we don't do that and our rings seem fine even in 18k. Although if his fiancé is a bit rough with jewelry then 14k would be better. I agree 14k is high quality as well and I think you should not go lower than that, but the reason I prefer 18k is because... Well there's more gold in it lol and can be a better investment, so if you can afford it for now and she's not rough with her jewelries at all then I do suggest an 18k or platinum. Mine is going to be an 18k rose gold and I might post about it here hehe. I'm kind of new here as well and totally enjoy looking at everyone's ring!

Ah i see! That's good to know haha. But 14K vs 18K shouldn't matter since it's white gold right?

If you're not doing unplated gold, I would go with 14K all day before 18K... I made that mistake. I wanted 18K because it seemed "more luxurious" and the vendor suggested it. The rhodium will wear the same on 14 and 18, but you will see more yellow in the 18 when it wears off -- because there is more gold in the 18K (since gold is yellow). Each time you get it replated it will have to be buffed really well so the plate will bind (this means losing gold each time). So with a smaller shank, 14K seems like the best option (less plating, less buffing, less $$$ than 18K).

 

[msop04]

I live in Japan actually and getting a ring rhodium plated is quite new to me... Lol we don't do that and our rings seem fine even in 18k. Although if his fiancé is a bit rough with jewelry then 14k would be better. I agree 14k is high quality as well and I think you should not go lower than that, but the reason I prefer 18k is because... Well there's more gold in it lol and can be a better investment, so if you can afford it for now and she's not rough with her jewelries at all then I do suggest an 18k or platinum. Mine is going to be an 18k rose gold and I might post about it here hehe. I'm kind of new here as well and totally enjoy looking at everyone's ring!

Ah i see! That's good to know haha. But 14K vs 18K shouldn't matter since it's white gold right?

not exactly. Sense 18k gold has more actual gold in it, that means there more yellow alloy in the mixture, so the result is a yellower white gold, if you go 14k, it'll be whiter after the plating wears off, you may not even need to plate it.

We're totally posting over each other, Niel! HA!

This is true... I have several pieces in 14K that I've never replated in over 10 years of wear!