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CAD Crisis of Confidence

VaesAndalus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 4, 2015
Messages
5
Hi All,

Long-time lurker but first-time poster! I thought I'd throw myself at the mercy of the exquisite taste of the ladies of this forum! Can anyone here offer me advice on how to improve this design?

Briefly, this is my third attempt at an engagement ring and I'd like to get it right this time. I received the CAD tonight.... and I'm not thrilled. Like it's a "meh" :think: for me--it just seems so ordinary and a 3+ct diamond should never seem ordinary! I'm wondering how I can make this design seem cleaner, sharper ----and this will seem gauche but look like I paid good money for it!

Background Info:
I'm a busy/KLUTZY person, so delicate pave settings are a no-no (i ruined an gorgeous vintage pave halo and im still broken up about that)--clean modern solitaire or bust.


Design basics:
  • 3.22ct L-ish RB
    YG rails using my original e-ring band (I'm using the original gold for sentimental reasons so consider that essential) and a WG center with WG prongs.
    It's based off of Stuart Moore's "Anteris" solitaire

My issues:
I think either the prongs or the band overwhelm the diamond. The "Anteris" ring doesn't have a basket and has finer prongs, but the designer expressed concern about the stability of the diamond.
I'm not crazy about the shape of the shank--I think it should look like a traditional euro shank
The rails don't look sharp. I wanted a pipe style band with two linear grooves. In this picture, it looks like the the WG center "bubbles" away from the YG rails --like a 80's men's ring. Not cute!
I'm also just having a terrible time visualizing what the final product will look like and i'm scared i've made a bad choice :doh: :sick:

I've attached photos of the CAD, the Stuart Moore design, my ideal rail and shank styles

I know I'm going to lose some "crispness" due to the color of my diamond and the use of YG but I wanted a stark geometrical ring. What are your thoughts? Am I being too picky?

095e7169-237b-47d4-a0ce-e41c093066cd.jpg

wedding7.jpg

fb5301a0f82c90f0766499ff7ef81f33.jpg

imgres_copy_3.jpg
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
This is too far outside my design wheelhouse.

Hopefully someone will be along to assist, like maybe Kenny or Neil.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
27,242
I think you ought to post a pic of your 3.22 L RB so we can better visualise as well :sun:

Ditto Gypsy, there are some great people here who can help you with this project! My 2c in the meantime:
Part of the problem might be that you're looking at very "industrial" CADs. Some vendors give customers pictures of the CAD they're going to make the mold for the wax from; others give customers blog-ready CADs that are supposed to look like the final product, shading and colouring and contouring and all. Unless you've gone through the process... it can be hard to visualise the result!

I like the inspiration rails! The rails are thicker on your CAD to allow for polishing which will grind away some of the material. From the CADs its clear that the design is intended to have clear-cut edges; the "sharpness" will be determined in large part by the polishing, as well. This is in contrast to the prongs, which are clearly rounded even in the CAD ::)

I'm very glad that you and your designer chose to differentiate your ring from the Anteris by adding the crossbar, as well :)) And I don't believe you'll be losing crispness by choosing an L or YG! The second "preferred shank" definitely has different shape that isn't reflected in the CAD: the interior is round, and the exterior is euroshanked (hah, is that a word?)... you'll want to talk to your designer about that.
 

VaesAndalus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 4, 2015
Messages
5
Thanks for the feedback,

You're right in that these are pre-wax mold CADs so there might be some details that are missing.

Also, for you euro-shankers (is that a word? it's a fun one!) can you confirm whether or not there is a major visual difference between euro and regular shanks once the ring is on your finger? I ask because I was initially really happy with the CAD shank style, but I can see it's quite different from the second example. If its not so different, I'd hate to have him redesign the shank.

re: prongs, to be clear, i requested claw prongs so i assume that means that they have to be rounded? Is that true? Or are rectangular prongs with claw tips a thing?


Thanks again!
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
33,225
Gypsy|1452830686|3976209 said:
This is too far outside my design wheelhouse.

Hopefully someone will be along to assist, like maybe Kenny or Neil.

Huh?
Kenny?

Huh?

You name me?
You think this is in my 'design wheelhouse"?

Huh?

screen_shot_2016-01-14_at_0.png
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
27,242
I wasn't clear - I should have said "prong wire", the wire making up the basket, is clearly rounded. The shape of the prongtips - clawed, rounded (bulb-like), tabbed - is again a finishing detail, not something you'd see in this type of CAD.

I've never worn a euroshank, beyond trying one or two on at some point, so I'll let others speak to that.
 

Travelgal

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2013
Messages
332
Have you tried on the Stuart Moore ring? Not everyone has "round" fingers. I know that sounds funny, but the advantage of the current shank is if you have wider knuckles, you can turn the ring sideways when you put it on and then rotate it once it's on and still have a snug fit. Personally, I like the current shank rather than the euro shank, but it's what's most comfortable to you. My mom has the camber ring and she loves the fit.
 

Michael_E

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
Joined
Nov 19, 2003
Messages
1,290
VaesAndalus|1452829308|3976201 said:
Background Info:
I'm a busy/KLUTZY person, so delicate pave settings are a no-no (i ruined an gorgeous vintage pave halo and im still broken up about that)--clean modern solitaire or bust.
.
.
My issues:
I think either the prongs or the band overwhelm the diamond. The "Anteris" ring doesn't have a basket and has finer prongs, but the designer expressed concern about the stability of the diamond.
This is right inside my "design wheelhouse" so I'll answer this in a way that does not reflect on the maker of this CAD, who did a great job so far. If you are rough on rings you DO NOT want finer prongs. Large stones do not go well with smaller prongs unless you are going to install this in a frame on your wall. Since you will be wearing it I would suggest using even havier prongs than are shown in this CAD, or you will run the risk of bending/breaking the prongs and losing that fine gem.


I'm not crazy about the shape of the shank--I think it should look like a traditional euro shank
I doubt that the maker of this CAD will have any problem changing the design to suit this requirement. Tell them and they'll undoubtedly say, "No Problem"

The rails don't look sharp. I wanted a pipe style band with two linear grooves. In this picture, it looks like the the WG center "bubbles" away from the YG rails --like a 80's men's ring. Not cute!
Also not a problem. The designer has beveled or rounded all of the edges and the bevels on the inside make the inner band look a bit rounded. Tell them and their magic wand will fix it.


I'm also just having a terrible time visualizing what the final product will look like and i'm scared i've made a bad choice :doh: :sick:
Nah, it'll look fine. Have them put the CAD model through a rendering software and show you what it will look like in metal colors and not those preliminary screen grab colors. Once you see what it will look like IRL I'm sure that you'll feel much better about it.


I know I'm going to lose some "crispness" due to the color of my diamond and the use of YG but I wanted a stark geometrical ring. What are your thoughts? Am I being too picky?
Honestly there is no such thing as "too picky" and it's only a problem if you don't mention your concerns before the ring is made. A sense of crispness comes from having sharper edges. Stark geometry is harder to do since your finger is not stark and the metalwork is not really big enough to bring a sense of "stark geometry" to the design. Perhaps if you made the band section wider and added some geometrical surface features to that white gold section, as in your attached image?
 

MarionC

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 9, 2013
Messages
6,246
Kenny,

Even more handsome than I imagined! :saint:
 

Sagefemme

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 8, 2015
Messages
290
Make sure you try on some Euro shanks (if you don't already have one and know that it works for you). I have one and it spins anyway, and I don't think it's too big. It just doesn't do what it's supposed to do (prevent spinning) on my particular finger. Also it does seem like a very individual preference the shape of the shank--perfectly round versus the more oblong shape of the posted ring. Probably works for some fingers and not others. So do some trying before committing.
 

VaesAndalus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 4, 2015
Messages
5
Michael_E|1452836028|3976248 said:
VaesAndalus|1452829308|3976201 said:
Background Info:
I'm a busy/KLUTZY person, so delicate pave settings are a no-no (i ruined an gorgeous vintage pave halo and im still broken up about that)--clean modern solitaire or bust.
.
.
My issues:
I think either the prongs or the band overwhelm the diamond. The "Anteris" ring doesn't have a basket and has finer prongs, but the designer expressed concern about the stability of the diamond.
This is right inside my "design wheelhouse" so I'll answer this in a way that does not reflect on the maker of this CAD, who did a great job so far. If you are rough on rings you DO NOT want finer prongs. Large stones do not go well with smaller prongs unless you are going to install this in a frame on your wall. Since you will be wearing it I would suggest using even havier prongs than are shown in this CAD, or you will run the risk of bending/breaking the prongs and losing that fine gem.


I'm not crazy about the shape of the shank--I think it should look like a traditional euro shank
I doubt that the maker of this CAD will have any problem changing the design to suit this requirement. Tell them and they'll undoubtedly say, "No Problem"

The rails don't look sharp. I wanted a pipe style band with two linear grooves. In this picture, it looks like the the WG center "bubbles" away from the YG rails --like a 80's men's ring. Not cute!
Also not a problem. The designer has beveled or rounded all of the edges and the bevels on the inside make the inner band look a bit rounded. Tell them and their magic wand will fix it.


I'm also just having a terrible time visualizing what the final product will look like and i'm scared i've made a bad choice :doh: :sick:
Nah, it'll look fine. Have them put the CAD model through a rendering software and show you what it will look like in metal colors and not those preliminary screen grab colors. Once you see what it will look like IRL I'm sure that you'll feel much better about it.


I know I'm going to lose some "crispness" due to the color of my diamond and the use of YG but I wanted a stark geometrical ring. What are your thoughts? Am I being too picky?
Honestly there is no such thing as "too picky" and it's only a problem if you don't mention your concerns before the ring is made. A sense of crispness comes from having sharper edges. Stark geometry is harder to do since your finger is not stark and the metalwork is not really big enough to bring a sense of "stark geometry" to the design. Perhaps if you made the band section wider and added some geometrical surface features to that white gold section, as in your attached image?



Thank you for your incredibly detailed response!!! Do you think that the band might be too thick? It's 4mm and my rock is 9.6mm--I knew I wanted something substantial (i don't want an engagementy-engagement ring, if that makes sense--im a adult married woman and i want something to reflect my age) but now im concerned that it swallows my lovely honker ::)

thoughts?
 

D&T

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
12,502
Hi, I haven't read anyone's response, but just a comment of the design of the shank vs EURO shank, I have had several pieces with this type of design (back a few years ago, not sure if there was a patent pending) but I worked with Coffin and Trout Jewelers in Arizona. I can honestly say that this design of a shank DOES help the ring more so than a Euro shank To curb the spinning, in fact my rings never spun around to the palm side. I have had Euro shank as well and did not like them. This type of shank tapers down between the two fingers and is more comfortable than the typical Round shank. As far as any other design element I won't comment, only it does look a little bulky but I like bulk.

Also have you tried a wax model of this type of shank? where its more squarish inside than the traditional round. you might find it very comfy (or not or weird... ) but don't knock it out until you've tried a wax model. Ask the jeweler how they come up with the shape of the shank. Coffin and Trout did studies and looked at how are hands/palm side is actually a little flatter than the top side so hence the more "flatten" interior side of the ring and I believe they were in the process of patenting the shank design (But its been years and I can't remember :loopy: ) and their ring mandrel is not the typical ring sizer... and maybe a little more difficult to resize :wacko: but it was pretty comfy when I had those rings.

here it is... although your width at the bottom does not spread out like mine did which I prefer. having it more half round towards the bottom will help it feel more buttery smooth as well.

_36021.jpg
 

packrat

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
10,614
The ring on the left I no longer have, but I thought they both were good examples to look at. The ring on the right I still have. It doesn't spin at all. I was a little unsure about it b/c it's completely flat on the bottom-it will stand up like a little sculpture. But I love it. And it feels great when I wear it too. A little weird at first, but was super easy to get used to.

1011831_10200450149791206_96282919_0.jpg
 

Michael_E

Brilliant_Rock
Trade
Joined
Nov 19, 2003
Messages
1,290
VaesAndalus|1452883467|3976446 said:
Thank you for your incredibly detailed response!!! Do you think that the band might be too thick? It's 4mm and my rock is 9.6mm--I knew I wanted something substantial (i don't want an engagementy-engagement ring, if that makes sense--im a adult married woman and i want something to reflect my age) but now im concerned that it swallows my lovely honker ::)

thoughts?

No, I don't think that the band shown is too thick, I think that the thickness of your band is just about right. A band starts getting too thick at around 2.2mm, but the dimension shown on your CAD is 1.89mm, so it should feel very nice without feeling like a bar between your fingers. As for the width of 4mm, that's also a very nice, substantial without being overbearing. You want something to reflect your age? That would be about 29 right? :naughty: Yep, this ring ought to do the trick.

Honestly, I don't think that anything you could do would "swallow" your stone. A 3+ carat diamond is serious bling and regardless of the setting, you may still need to wear sunglasses while wearing it, even on a cloudy day. This sounds like it will be spectacular, so enjoy it immensely!
 
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