Calling for antique emerald cut experts - close to pulling the trigger on 4+ carat stone!

[madelise]

Two more videos outside of the 5.69 K VS1. Asked jeweler for these because it was very overcast this morning when I saw the diamonds.

Here is one under direct sunlight outside (link) and one outside in the shade (link).



I was waiting for your expert opinion. Personally for me, I instantly connected with the 5.69 in person!

Haha, I mean you got me feeling like I’m rooting for a sports team or something bc you already know I love the 5.69 hands down, none of the others compare!

 

[Dreamer_D]

The 5.69 all the way!

 

[lovedogs]

The 5.69 is EVERYTHING! I adore it

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Why are we still talking about this?!
5.69 man, five point six nine!

 

[RX1990]

Haha, I mean you got me feeling like I’m rooting for a sports team or something bc you already know I love the 5.69 hands down, none of the others compare!

Haha! Not that it matters too much since I am likely “sold” on this one already, but thought I’d ask this since you mentioned in a prior post you were recently on the hunt for an upgrade ring and were looking at antique emerald cuts. I suspect you also had a very extensive search and came across some helpful price datapoints along the way.

If you’re comfortable sharing, do you have an opinion on the price? Was able to get the 5.69 diamond down to just a little below $80k. Compared to everything else I’ve come across in this style, it seems like a competitive price (especially on a $/carat basis). It’s just tough for me to assess how the K color grade should impact the price. When I compare it to available modern emerald cuts with similar stats, the price seems like less of a “no brainer”. But it does seem a lot more competitive when I compare it to the other antique cut options I m have come across in the last two months.

 

[lulu_ma]

Have you ever used Stonealgo? Not perfect but good for a benchmark.

Price and quality scores for GIA Number 2225741448

View the fair price estimate, Cut Score® and price history for GIA Certified Diamond 2225741448. Everything you need to know to buy this diamond.

www.stonealgo.com

 

[madelise]

Haha! Not that it matters too much since I am likely “sold” on this one already, but thought I’d ask this since you mentioned in a prior post you were recently on the hunt for an upgrade ring and were looking at antique emerald cuts. I suspect you also had a very extensive search and came across some helpful price datapoints along the way.

If you’re comfortable sharing, do you have an opinion on the price? Was able to get the 5.69 diamond down to just a little below $80k. Compared to everything else I’ve come across in this style, it seems like a competitive price (especially on a $/carat basis). It’s just tough for me to assess how the K color grade should impact the price. When I compare it to available modern emerald cuts with similar stats, the price seems like less of a “no brainer”. But it does seem a lot more competitive when I compare it to the other antique cut options I m have come across in the last two months.

I would be very happy with a price in the 80k range. I bought my 7.34 ct for 70k but it was GIA M SI1.

 

[BlingDreams]

Big update!

Saw the 5.69 K VS1 and 5.41 I VS2 today in person. Here are some video clips of them. The 5.69 was originally in a rose gold setting, so I needed to remove that to get a better sense of true color face up since it would be going in a platinum mounting.

Both beautiful diamonds but there is one here that instantly connected with me. They are about ~$5k different in price and both within budget (both in $8x,xxx range).

Here are some video comparisons (each video has a few clips stitched together). The 5.69 K VS1 is on the left and 5.41 I VS2 is on the right.

Video 1 - below window inside
Video 2 - near window with hand covering inside
Video 3 - resting on fingers (sorry for my ugly hand!)
Video 4 - 5.69 K only in mounting

The 5.69 certainly seems to have more “personality” to me. I’d say it’s more the life of the party, where the other is a bit of a wallflower.

 

[oldcutclubmember]

Two more videos outside of the 5.69 K VS1. Asked jeweler for these because it was very overcast this morning when I saw the diamonds.

Here is one under direct sunlight outside (link) and one outside in the shade (link).



I was waiting for your expert opinion. Personally for me, I instantly connected with the 5.69 in person!

Yesssssssss 5.69 all the way!

 

[RX1990]

Why are we still talking about this?!
5.69 man, five point six nine!

I hear you! It's a bit surreal to come to the end of a search and being finally ready to pull the trigger on one. It's a big purchase for me -- I feel like I am just dragging my feet this weekend out of obligation at this point. Hoping to share an exciting update on it tomorrow!

Have you ever used Stonealgo? Not perfect but good for a benchmark.

Price and quality scores for GIA Number 2225741448

View the fair price estimate, Cut Score® and price history for GIA Certified Diamond 2225741448. Everything you need to know to buy this diamond.

www.stonealgo.com

Will follow up on this in a bit. It's been tough to find many comparable modern diamonds that serve as datapoints. In short, what matters most to me is the 5.69 seems to be the best "value" compared to other antique cut diamonds I have come across in this search that check most/all boxes (independent of budget). From the few examples I've found on modern diamond equivalents (i.e., looking at modern emerald and Asscher cuts of similar weight, clarity, and color), the price does not seem like a "bad" deal but isn't quite a total "no brainer" great deal when comparing to modern comparables either. That's okay with me, because I do recognize there is some scarcity value/potential price premium in this being a harder to find diamond style.

The 5.69 certainly seems to have more “personality” to me. I’d say it’s more the life of the party, where the other is a bit of a wallflower.

I agree. I don't know the technical terminology or proper explanation behind it, but I have looked at enough of these diamonds now and have noticed in this length to width range (1.15x to 1.3x) that some tend to look more like a slightly squarish emerald cut while others look more like a slightly elongated or "stretched" Asscher cut. I personally prefer the latter. The big thing for me are the chunky windmill facets that come tightly together and are connected by an open culet. The two most recent candidates both have this, but I prefer the smaller and shorter open culet on the 5.69 diamond. Second to this is how some of the facet design on the "left" and "right" (long ends of the diamond) appears. The 5.69 seems to just have "more going on" (or brilliance?) than the 5.41 diamond when comparing them face up. The 5.41, along with a few other candidates I've seen (like the 4.07 in the original post) don't seem to have as much of this when looking face up. I have a hard time putting this into words - probably the best way I can describe it is they remind more of the "hall of mirrors" you get with the long step cut facets you see in traditional emeralds. Maybe another way of saying this is you get a less interrupted view of the pavilion tiers face up with these examples? Not saying one type of diamond is better or worse than the other, I just prefer the look of the 5.69 and 4.46 examples.

 

[lulu_ma]

I’m on the road rn and can’t easily pull up the report for you, but Stone Algo pegged $91k as a fair market price for your stone. So $80k-ish seems like decent price!

 

[RX1990]

I would be very happy with a price in the 80k range. I bought my 7.34 ct for 70k but it was GIA M SI1.

I am not sure if you have done a post on this yet but would love to see it if you're comfortable sharing!!

I’m on the road rn and can’t easily pull up the report for you, but Stone Algo pegged $91k as a fair market price for your stone. So $80k-ish seems like decent price!

Thanks for this. I was able to see that myself as well with the Diamond Check page. Not sure how accurate it is but it is a positive thing to see at minimum. I question the fair price estimate it gave me a bit because I tried using the same page for a round brilliant cut diamond I also own (previous purchase from years ago) and that fair price estimate was coming up quite a bit higher than estimate I just got from a dealer.

 

[lulu_ma]

I am not sure if you have done a post on this yet but would love to see it if you're comfortable sharing!!


Thanks for this. I was able to see that myself as well with the Diamond Check page. Not sure how accurate it is but it is a positive thing to see at minimum. I question the fair price estimate it gave me a bit because I tried using the same page for a round brilliant cut diamond I also own (previous purchase from years ago) and that fair price estimate was coming up quite a bit higher than estimate I just got from a dealer.

Stonealgo will give you the retail market price. Any dealer will offer you pennies on dollar to buy your diamond because they want to flip for a profit.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think you have done your research and approached this search very logically! You have done everything right. You educated yourself. You saw diamonds in person and compared multiple options. You have sought advice from experts. You are searching for something so rare and unique that “a deal” in terms of dollar value is not really the main priority in selecting the stone. It seems clear that you are paying a fair price, and that seems like enough given rarity. The cut quality of the 5.69 is superior to all the others you have seen and for me that is the true measure of whether this is a “deal” — it has more life than others you have seen (scintillation, excellent contrast patterning) and perhaps more importantly, it stacks up well against all others we have seen too! We all agree on thst!. You are newish here but you have multiple people posting here who are real experts on old cuts — who collect them and have seen many dozens of old cuts in person, some even the same cut you are looking for! And all give the seal of approval! You have done it! You found the needle in a haystack. You don’t need to question yourself anymore.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Stonealgo will give you the retail market price. Any dealer will offer you pennies on dollar to buy your diamond because they want to flip for a profit.

Plus the resale market for MRBs is not the same as for old cuts like this. They are almost completely different markets with different buyers.

 

[Dreamer_D]

One option if you are uncertain is to have the purchase contingent on the appraisal of a trusted independent appraiser. There are a few who post here on PS and others people might recommend who can peg fair market value for you and likely also provide some context for cut quality.

 

[madelise]

I don’t find stonealgo reliable at all. I would take anything on there— especially for antiques— with a huge grain of salt. They inflate “face up size”

I am not sure if you have done a post on this yet but would love to see it if you're comfortable sharing!!


Thanks for this. I was able to see that myself as well with the Diamond Check page. Not sure how accurate it is but it is a positive thing to see at minimum. I question the fair price estimate it gave me a bit because I tried using the same page for a round brilliant cut diamond I also own (previous purchase from years ago) and that fair price estimate was coming up quite a bit higher than estimate I just got from a dealer.

I know you seeking price comps is going to help you feel like you’re getting a fair offer to buy but comparing to modern cuts is almost completely moot point, and stonealgo doesn’t have any info re: antique market from sellers that are much more small scale like most antique sellers.

As long as you know you aren’t being ripped off, you should feel confident.

Antiques aren’t defined by narrow cut angle and percentage parameters so there’s no real apples to apples like if you compared XXX or hearts and arrows in MRB.

Your stone you’re considering is PHENOMENALLY made cut design.

There really is not any other apples to compare it to as accurate representation.

It’s a “to die for” stone.

I “upvote” or “like” or “ditto” what Dreamer has said the last few posts.

Please feel confident moving forward! And please don’t ghost us, and share the final product!!!

Re: my stone, there’s a long story and a ring coming this week, hopefully. I’ll share when I’m ready to!

 

[RX1990]

I think you have done your research and approached this search very logically! You have done everything right. You educated yourself. You saw diamonds in person and compared multiple options. You have sought advice from experts. You are searching for something so rare and unique that “a deal” in terms of dollar value is not really the main priority in selecting the stone. It seems clear that you are paying a fair price, and that seems like enough given rarity. The cut quality of the 5.69 is superior to all the others you have seen and for me that is the true measure of whether this is a “deal” — it has more life than others you have seen (scintillation, excellent contrast patterning) and perhaps more importantly, it stacks up well against all others we have seen too! We all agree on thst!. You are newish here but you have multiple people posting here who are real experts on old cuts — who collect them and have seen many dozens of old cuts in person, some even the same cut you are looking for! And all give the seal of approval! You have done it! You found the needle in a haystack. You don’t need to question yourself anymore.

Thank you for this. Everyone in this thread has been such an incredible resource and source of support in this search process and journey! I've put a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect diamond for her, so it's encouraging to hopefully see that legwork pay off. I am fortunate to have found the experts and discerning eyes that are present in this community and grateful for all the time and consideration you have all given me.

I don’t find stonealgo reliable at all. I would take anything on there— especially for antiques— with a huge grain of salt. They inflate “face up size”



I know you seeking price comps is going to help you feel like you’re getting a fair offer to buy but comparing to modern cuts is almost completely moot point, and stonealgo doesn’t have any info re: antique market from sellers that are much more small scale like most antique sellers.

As long as you know you aren’t being ripped off, you should feel confident.

Antiques aren’t defined by narrow cut angle and percentage parameters so there’s no real apples to apples like if you compared XXX or hearts and arrows in MRB.

Your stone you’re considering is PHENOMENALLY made cut design.

There really is not any other apples to compare it to as accurate representation.

It’s a “to die for” stone.

I “upvote” or “like” or “ditto” what Dreamer has said the last few posts.

Please feel confident moving forward! And please don’t ghost us, and share the final product!!!

Re: my stone, there’s a long story and a ring coming this week, hopefully. I’ll share when I’m ready to!

Thank you for this as well. Everything I mentioned above applies to you! I hear you on modern diamond comps not being very helpful, but it has been comforting to see where I am shaking out on an all-in and $ per carat price compared to similar modern emerald and Asscher cuts. And as I mentioned before, this one stands out a lot to me AND seems very competitive on price compared to some other antique cut diamonds that are closer candidates. I recognize those are more relevant datapoints with feeling comfortable on price.

I am feeling great about this one. The K color was the only thing that gave me some pause - but I do recognize it seems to punch well above its weight-class in color grading when looking at it face up. Her seeing another similar diamond with K color (the 4.46 carat) and not having an issue with the color is comforting as well.

I am waiting to hear back on a proposed price that I submitted. Stay tuned on that.

And of course I plan to keep the community here posted on the next leg of the journey with the mounting design. I will probably make a new thread for that not sure if Rocky Talky or Antique forum is a better place to post that?). I still plan on using the original inspo ring as a starting point for the design as I know she loves that style, especially the French cut side stones and finely millgrained borders. That said, I recognize that inspo ring is for a slightly longer diamond (length to width of 1.28x vs. this stone at 1.18x) with slightly less deep clipped corners, so I don't want to fall victim to a "square peg round hole" recreation. I am open to tweaks and ideas to make this truly one of a kind

 

[Dreamer_D]

I sort of like when people keep all the steps in the process in the same thread so you could just keep posting here. Remember people will read this thread in like 10 years and they will like not having to hunt down the follow ups! But if you start a new one then keeping it here in rocky tally makes sense, just post the link to the follow up thread in this one so people can find it easily!

I feel like this ring could become a PS classic so the more photos and info you post for us the better! That is all the thanks any of us could hope for.

Have you chosen a vendor for the mounting? Take care there! You want a well crafted mount to match the calibre of this amazing gem.

 

[lovedogs]

I don’t find stonealgo reliable at all. I would take anything on there— especially for antiques— with a huge grain of salt. They inflate “face up size”



I know you seeking price comps is going to help you feel like you’re getting a fair offer to buy but comparing to modern cuts is almost completely moot point, and stonealgo doesn’t have any info re: antique market from sellers that are much more small scale like most antique sellers.

As long as you know you aren’t being ripped off, you should feel confident.

Antiques aren’t defined by narrow cut angle and percentage parameters so there’s no real apples to apples like if you compared XXX or hearts and arrows in MRB.

Your stone you’re considering is PHENOMENALLY made cut design.

There really is not any other apples to compare it to as accurate representation.

It’s a “to die for” stone.

I “upvote” or “like” or “ditto” what Dreamer has said the last few posts.

Please feel confident moving forward! And please don’t ghost us, and share the final product!!!

Re: my stone, there’s a long story and a ring coming this week, hopefully. I’ll share when I’m ready to!

This 100%

 

[madelise]

We can definitely help you with the setting! Are you going to use the same jeweler for the setting, and do they have experience making antique-inspired settings?

 

[lulu_ma]

I don’t find stonealgo reliable at all. I would take anything on there— especially for antiques— with a huge grain of salt. They inflate “face up size”



I know you seeking price comps is going to help you feel like you’re getting a fair offer to buy but comparing to modern cuts is almost completely moot point, and stonealgo doesn’t have any info re: antique market from sellers that are much more small scale like most antique sellers.

As long as you know you aren’t being ripped off, you should feel confident.

Antiques aren’t defined by narrow cut angle and percentage parameters so there’s no real apples to apples like if you compared XXX or hearts and arrows in MRB.

Your stone you’re considering is PHENOMENALLY made cut design.

There really is not any other apples to compare it to as accurate representation.

It’s a “to die for” stone.

I “upvote” or “like” or “ditto” what Dreamer has said the last few posts.

Please feel confident moving forward! And please don’t ghost us, and share the final product!!!

Re: my stone, there’s a long story and a ring coming this week, hopefully. I’ll share when I’m ready to!

@madelise I had no idea Stonealgo inflated face up sizing-good to know!

 

[BlingDreams]

And of course I plan to keep the community here posted on the next leg of the journey with the mounting design. I will probably make a new thread for that not sure if Rocky Talky or Antique forum is a better place to post that?). I still plan on using the original inspo ring as a starting point for the design as I know she loves that style, especially the French cut side stones and finely millgrained borders. That said, I recognize that inspo ring is for a slightly longer diamond (length to width of 1.28x vs. this stone at 1.18x) with slightly less deep clipped corners, so I don't want to fall victim to a "square peg round hole" recreation. I am open to tweaks and ideas to make this truly one of a kind

Others can weigh in on this, but I’m thinking that Victor Canera would be an excellent choice for this setting; the only thing I’m unsure of is he’s currently setting “outside” stones (OP - meaning you didn’t buy it from him).

OP: here’s an example of one he does that’s similar and uses French cut stones.

Victor Canera

www.victorcanera.com

And one that is somewhat similar to your inspo ring:

Victor Canera

www.victorcanera.com

All of his rings are made completely by hand (no casting) and are heirloom quality.

If not Victor, maybe David Klass? He posted one on IG recently that was breathtaking…

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[madelise]

DK’s work keeps getting better and better. I would specify to ask for whatever bench made ^ that IG ring though because it’s seriously superb. He works with multiple benches depending on your price point, and his prices are always a steal regardless. There’s a reason why he’s so popular on all of the ring and bridal forums, and why most of us use him as his go-to. Many jewelers themselves also use him as their go-to lol. DK is also quick. Amy has things zoom zoom zooming through all the hands it needs to go through, and meets deadlines pretty spot on. I recommend DK to almost every single one of my friends unless their piece calls for something specific or more high end.

Sako is also great, especially if you already have an inspiration ring to tell him to imitate. His IG is @sjd_sako. He himself *is* the bench person, meaning he isn’t a designer or jeweler “front” for the actual person who’s hands on manipulating your actual material. It’s his hands. He’s also another person many jewelers use as their go-to bench for their designs. He will need more checking in, as he doesn’t have a team or customer service person or whatever; it’s just him. So I’d give leeway on deadlines by a bit as well as knowing you’ll need to be your own customer service lol. He’s also very dry in communication so some folks have said he’s rude; via voice or IRL, he’s a sweetie so I think he just doesn’t manage text well, esp while he’s texting mid-working on his tons of stuff.

CVB is also phenomenal. @cvb.inspired.design makes antique inspired pieces with high quality details. She’s a designer, and really has an eye for details. If you zoom in on her pieces’ photos, it’s immaculate. Her prices will be higher, but not as much as Victor Canera I don’t think since it’s not hand forged. She’s also slower with communication as it’s just her and no staff.

Those are my 3 to toss in the ring for consideration! They’re also the 3 I considered for my own upgrade.

 

[RX1990]

Update - seller is good with my offer! Should hopefully have everything finalized with the diamond purchase tomorrow! Not going to share more on that (at least until it's finalized and done) but was able to get the price reduced a bit!

I sort of like when people keep all the steps in the process in the same thread so you could just keep posting here. Remember people will read this thread in like 10 years and they will like not having to hunt down the follow ups! But if you start a new one then keeping it here in rocky tally makes sense, just post the link to the follow up thread in this one so people can find it easily!

I feel like this ring could become a PS classic so the more photos and info you post for us the better! That is all the thanks any of us could hope for.

Have you chosen a vendor for the mounting? Take care there! You want a well crafted mount to match the calibre of this amazing gem.

We can definitely help you with the setting! Are you going to use the same jeweler for the setting, and do they have experience making antique-inspired settings?

I am planning on using the same jeweler for the setting as of now, but I am open to other suggestions. He seemed pretty confident in his ability to deliver on the setting based on the inspo ring photos I've shared with him. I give him immense credit for sourcing this diamond for me, but at first impression of his website I don’t get the sense he is as "design forward" as some of the others suggested here.

I reached out to David Klass this afternoon by phone and sent them an email after with everything on the project. Hoping to hear back from them tomorrow with more. One thing they mentioned on the phone today that did concern me (not about the jeweler, but about my ask and timeline) is that they would likely need to custom cut the French cut side stone diamonds, which will obviously take a bit longer. I haven't thought about this possibility up until now.

My issue is this - I have about 4 weeks total from today to get this completely finished in time to meet my ideal timeline. This is largely on me because of how long this diamond search has taken. I obviously don't want to rush this last, important stage given all the time invested in this to date, but this is a pretty firm deadline for me unless everyone tells me it is definitely going to take longer.

A couple questions for this group:
- I assume most of the model design will be done in CAD. What does this typically mean for how much of the setting is machine fabricated versus hand made? I've always assumed fine details like millegrain, etc. would be hand finished but not familiar with how designers typically handle the overall project. Noted regarding Victor Canera in the posts above.
- Regarding the French cut diamonds for side stones. Would you expect these needing to be custom cut for the ring or is it reasonable to assume they can be sourced ready made? I can share more photos of the inspo ring, but don't believe these will require real custom work (e.g., tapering stone dimensions for the ones that go partially down the band)
- Am I crazy to think four weeks (max) is an unrealistic timeline for the mounting? I understand this will be partially dependent on the amount of time spent on iterations with locking in the design before moving into production.

I will reach out to Victor Canera tomorrow morning as well to get another perspective. Hopefully after everything is locked down with the center stone!

Here are some photos of the inspo ring again for reference. Welcome any thoughts or feedback on this design as I recognize this ring is with a diamond that has a 1.28 l/w ratio vs. my selected diamond that has a 1.18 l/w ratio (and I also think a little more sharply cut cornered edges). I am curious to get thoughts on the tab prongs for this style diamond.

 

[lulu_ma]

Tbh, 4 weeks is a bit ambitious because of the tapered french cuts in the shank.

And-this is key-you want the color of the side stones to match the K color center. Most melee is G/H color. If you use melee that is colorless, it may make the center look more tinted.

Here’s a visual to demonstrate my point. The center is a J color emerald cut. In the original setting the side stones are G/H. In the reset, the melee is I/J color.

 

[madelise]

Ugh that inspiration ring kills me!! It’s so stunning.

Re: your jeweler, we won’t know how to provide you info about their work if you don’t tell us who it is. And with the setting requiring custom cut frenchies and milgrain, I really do advise you “do it right” than use a random jeweler since this is the stuff that can make or break your ring looking high quality or cheap.

Re: CAD use, unless you’re using someone who is completely hand forging every detail such as Victor Canera, it is typical to use CAD, print a wax mold, make the rough setting out of the mold, and then do all of the rest by hand (polishing, setting the stone, shaping the prongs, milgrain). Although some jewelers have had CAD printed milgrain so I would specifically ask them how they do their milgrain and for examples of their milgrain work.

Another advice is to ask them re: examples of their tab prong work as well. Tabs aren’t very popular anymore for modern stuff so a noob can make it look bulky vs. sleek in those antique pieces.

And I agree with Lulu, ask for matched color side stones.

With a 4 week deadline, I honestly only trust DK to pull something like this off. And Amy is very honest about their likelihood of doing rush jobs. She’s pulled miracles for my ex-BIL before, and drove the piece down to OC through traffic just to get it there on time for a rushed job to the proposal spot! They work with so many benches and sources of all the things that they have multiple people to reach out to in order to secure things for deadlines. They’re the most transparent people I’ve ever worked with.

Don’t even call Victor and waste his time. There’s no way he can hand fabricate something in that short of a time! CAD and printing can be done in a mere few hours vs. Victor hand rolling metal.

 

[lovedogs]

Ugh that inspiration ring kills me!! It’s so stunning.

Re: your jeweler, we won’t know how to provide you info about their work if you don’t tell us who it is. And with the setting requiring custom cut frenchies and milgrain, I really do advise you “do it right” than use a random jeweler since this is the stuff that can make or break your ring looking high quality or cheap.

Re: CAD use, unless you’re using someone who is completely hand forging every detail such as Victor Canera, it is typical to use CAD, print a wax mold, make the rough setting out of the mold, and then do all of the rest by hand (polishing, setting the stone, shaping the prongs, milgrain). Although some jewelers have had CAD printed milgrain so I would specifically ask them how they do their milgrain and for examples of their milgrain work.

Another advice is to ask them re: examples of their tab prong work as well. Tabs aren’t very popular anymore for modern stuff so a noob can make it look bulky vs. sleek in those antique pieces.

And I agree with Lulu, ask for matched color side stones.

With a 4 week deadline, I honestly only trust DK to pull something like this off. And Amy is very honest about their likelihood of doing rush jobs. She’s pulled miracles for my ex-BIL before, and drove the piece down to OC through traffic just to get it there on time for a rushed job to the proposal spot! They work with so many benches and sources of all the things that they have multiple people to reach out to in order to secure things for deadlines. They’re the most transparent people I’ve ever worked with.

Don’t even call Victor and waste his time. There’s no way he can hand fabricate something in that short of a time! CAD and printing can be done in a mere few hours vs. Victor hand rolling metal.

For a 4 week timeline, DK 100%.

 

[Lookinagain]

If you go with the jeweler who sourced the stone, make sure you see examples of his custom work with similar attributes. Saying he is confident, and delivering what you want may be two different things and you don't have time to have mistakes fixed. I agree, for your timeline, DK is the best choice, but needing custom cut K color French cuts might even be a challenge for them. But their turn around time is great and they will prioritize your ring. Just don't dawdle. Ask them for a CAD asap and what the likelihood is of getting the French cuts in time. And ask for their uber bench.

 

[RX1990]

Thank you all for the insight, tips, and recommendations on this as I move into the next stage of the process. Ignorant of me to think the toughest part is over! I'll provide an update today once I have more to report, but I've sent everything over to DK yesterday afternoon and a follow up this morning with some more info.

@madelise thank you for flagging the tab prongs specifically. This is actually the one part of the inspo ring I am not 100% sold on. I welcome everyone's thoughts on those while keeping the rest of the general ring design in mind. If I go with tab prongs, I would hope they are sleek/narrow enough to showcase some of the clipped corners (i.e., the prong doesn't cover the entire clipped corner) because I think that is such a unique and pretty aspect of this diamond. I really want the final product to accentuate the shape of the diamond face up. I have seen a few examples of double claw prongs with this diamond style that I think nicely complement the clipped corners. Not sure if that prong style would be cohesive to the rest of the overall design.

No clue if this would work, but here is a crude visual to give you a sense of what I mean. Remove the red denoted below and turn the tab into a double claw as denoted by the black outline. Not sure if this would look "good" for this design or if it's even a practical modification in terms of keeping the center stone secure.