Can you discern low quality melee in a setting?

[headlight]

My 2 cents:
You’re not happy with this mounting... this is the 2nd thread you’ve posted questioning the mounting. As stated by others, I, too, have been through the rotation of mountings and center stones in the quest for diamond ring nirvana lol! I guess this must be a prerequisite to be on PS lol!!! You already KNOW you are going to change it... it’s just change to what being the question! You are very fortunate the jeweler said you could do an exchange of sorts... so you have options and are not starting for scratch financially speaking.
So here’s a question for you: what do you think of mounting your GORGEOUS diamond in a solitaire setting that can fit flush between the 2 diamond bands? I think that would look fabulous. Then it’s like nothing is competing (or taking away from) but those bands are still separate entities. And it gives you flexibility on how to stack or how many you want to wear on any given day (we all LOVE options, now don’t we lol!!!). So here’s my take on your mounting... irrigardness of whether the melee is good quality, the stones are very small. I think it’s not a good combo with your diamond. You need larger stones (hence my rec to use your stacking bands). You asked what others may think when they see you wearing it... I think it underwhelms your ring. It doesn’t seem congruent with your diamond... I think that mounting would be better with a more subtle center stone... your diamond is anything but subtle... it’s like holy cow outstanding... as in a STAND OUT!!!
As for melee, there is definitely good and not so good!... and there’s also hearts and arrows melee (like it’s not enough we had to spend so much for the ideal cut and now the mounting stones!!! I’ve seen some really dead, dull, dark, lifeless melee. And then I’ve seen some outstanding melee. Recently, I got 2 pairs of earrings from antiqueengagementrings.com with stellar melee... that’s actually what prompted me to upgrade the color of my diamond! I will post photos later. So now that it wasn’t enough for me to be so picky about so many other details, I have to obsess over melee lol!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Yes, I often can. If it's a stand alone piece I can usually deal with it (unless it's totally lifeless) but next to a higher quality diamond I generally can't stand it.

 

[HappyNewLife]

I wish. Lol. But no. It’s defintely not that. It’s a combo of color, clarity and cut. I can discern the lower color, and I think the clarity might be clouding what ever mediocre cut these are. That said, I have some super gorgeous diamond bands that I hesitate to stack when I’m wearing it in a soli style bc I hate hot super sparkly melee outshines my stone.

yeah, that would annoy me. I have a DBTY necklace that was a gift from my MIL. The diamonds have got to be I3 clarity. Is there anything lower? If there is, these diamonds are that. They are frozen spit cloudballs.

 

[headlight]

yeah, that would annoy me. I have a DBTY necklace that was a gift from my MIL. The diamonds have got to be I3 clarity. Is there anything lower? If there is, these diamonds are that. They are frozen spit cloudballs.

It’s the thought that counts LOL

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@HappyNewLife, my MIL got me size 2X pajamas for Christmas once, I am not a 2X.

I would have rather gotten frozen spit on a chain

 

[kmoro]

I couldn’t before, but as with so many other things ... now that I’ve seen beautiful melee, I’m ruined.

I have teeny H&A diamonds for the melee in my setting, and I was shocked to see the amount of fire and sparkle. I laughed at the overkill when I placed the order and it’s probably still overkill, but wow - it’s beautiful and I’m so pleased.

To continue to agree with what others have said though - no one else will notice unless they’re a fellow diamond nut

 

[Wewechew]

Yes, I can and it would bug me

 

[kmoro]

@HappyNewLife, my MIL got me size 2X pajamas for Christmas once, I am not a 2X.

I would have rather gotten frozen spit on a chain

Thread jack!

Hahaha my mother got my sister-in-law triple D 46 bras for Christmas once ... SIL was petite and not small chested but nowhere near that size ... and what kind of gift are gigantic bras anyway .... the 2X pajamas sound good now, don’t they? The DBTY necklace is sounding better all the time!

 

[HappyNewLife]

@HappyNewLife, my MIL got me size 2X pajamas for Christmas once, I am not a 2X.

I would have rather gotten frozen spit on a chain

LOL. Yikes.

I wear the necklace every time I see her and would never say anything about the quality of the diamonds (of course). I appreciate the gesture and that she loves me so much.

 

[JmeeMrie]

Ok. Here is as bad as it gets! Am I neurotic? Can you see it?

I see it, I too was wondering if it was the size of the melee. The band melee make the smaller melee on your setting look less shiny. It might even just be the comparison between them.

 

[nala]

I see it, I too was wondering if it was the size of the melee. The band melee make the smaller melee on your setting look less shiny. It might even just be the comparison between them.

Ok. So to downplay this effect I stacked a silver band. It helped to mask a little. Lol.

 

[JmeeMrie]

Oooh that does change it up a bit, I love the change in textures.

 

[JmeeMrie]

I also think it provides an effective separation, so each can shine.

 

[missy]

Ok. So to downplay this effect I stacked a silver band. It helped to mask a little. Lol.

I like it. Gives you more options and variety depending on what you feel like wearing at the time and definitely provides visual interest healing mask the difference in melee quality and sparkle. Nicely done @nala. Making it work.

 

[nala]

I like it. Gives you more options and variety depending on what you feel like wearing at the time and definitely provides visual interest healing mask the difference in melee quality and sparkle. Nicely done @nala. Making it work.

Ty! Making it work for now. Lol. I’m beginning to believe what Karl said that most people Irl can’t discern bc I’ve been getting a lot of compliments since I reset it! As in I love your ring and how huge is your diamond?!!!

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you! That logic is what compelled me to choose it. And I’m still on the fence! I did wear it to the mall to stack it with maul bands and my ring was not that bad! That was a relief. I’m waiting for my daughter to come home for spring break so that she can wear it and I can observe how perceptible it is when I’m not wearing it. Lol.

That’s the best way Nala...You can observe how it performs on someone else. Another thing I do is put my diamonds on a higher shelf in my kitchen that gets lots of different light..that’s eye level. I walk in front of it and observe it that’s way. The best is to have your daughter wear it..

I think once you have a doubt about the melee it will always bug you and you may second guess your decision to keep it...That’s me..Usually my first gut feeling stays even after I decide I’m okay with how something looks...I flip back and forth and arrive at the beginning where it first bothered me..if that makes any sense at all.

 

[Blingalingaling]

While I do think this is a pretty setting and it's different from others you've had, I feel that some of your other settings have wowed me more than this one, including the last halo you had it in.
Maybe the issue for you is that this ring just doesn't pack the punch that you've had on your hand before. Good quality melee or not. It's a more subtle style, maybe more Victorian, not as modern.
You might just not like it as much. Anyway, objectively, that's how I feel. I LOVE your stone, though! It's killer!!!

 

[WinkHPD]

yeah, that would annoy me. I have a DBTY necklace that was a gift from my MIL. The diamonds have got to be I3 clarity. Is there anything lower? If there is, these diamonds are that. They are frozen spit cloudballs.

It’s the thought that counts LOL

@happy New Life, you have raised a memory in my brain that I feel compelled to share before I forget it again. For this memory, I thank you!

One year, 1988 I think, I ordered a nice tennis bracelet for a client for Christmas for his wife, who is truly a lovely lady. I called him when it was in. He came in, looked at it and told me he bought one down the street for $1,200 less. I asked him to show it to me. When he did, I took one look and said, "Wow, I have one that sparkles like crazy and you have one you need a road map to find the tiny clear spots in a sea of frozen spit. Are you really going to give that to your lovely wife?"

He got all mad for some reason and I never had to put up with him again.

I did already own the piece though, so I gave it to my wife for Christmas.

Thirty years later and she still loves it and wears it often. I guess I should call the guy up and thank him for doing me a favor.

Wink

 

[kmoro]

@happy New Life, you have raised a memory in my brain that I feel compelled to share before I forget it again. For this memory, I thank you!

One year, 1988 I think, I ordered a nice tennis bracelet for a client for Christmas for his wife, who is truly a lovely lady. I called him when it was in. He came in, looked at it and told me he bought one down the street for $1,200 less. I asked him to show it to me. When he did, I took one look and said, "Wow, I have one that sparkles like crazy and you have one you need a road map to find the tiny clear spots in a sea of frozen spit. Are you really going to give that to your lovely wife?"

He got all mad for some reason and I never had to put up with him again.

I did already own the piece though, so I gave it to my wife for Christmas.

Thirty years later and she still loves it and wears it often. I guess I should call the guy up and thank him for doing me a favor.

Wink

Geez ... I wonder what he got all mad about? For sure I would send a Christmas card or something, Wink ... lol

 

[WinkHPD]

In my lifetime, I have fired three clients. He had the distinction of being the first.

Wink

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

In my lifetime, I have fired three clients. He had the distinction of being the first.

Wink

I know the feeling Wink. My first was a lady who wanted a pearl clasp hand made - it was perfect. She did'nt like it so I took some scissors and said "I will give you your money back". She snatched it from me and ran out the door. No idea what her motive was???
Second was one of my apprentices did a deal to repair a local hairdressers jewelry after we had said it would not work. He came into the store demanding his money back (from me, hahaha). I asked one of the staff to open the door. Grabbed him by the arm. Threw him out. Could have been manslaughter as we are on a busy road and he landed in the middle.
The third is current and the ex customer may not yet know.

 

[nala]

While I do think this is a pretty setting and it's different from others you've had, I feel that some of your other settings have wowed me more than this one, including the last halo you had it in.
Maybe the issue for you is that this ring just doesn't pack the punch that you've had on your hand before. Good quality melee or not. It's a more subtle style, maybe more Victorian, not as modern.
You might just not like it as much. Anyway, objectively, that's how I feel. I LOVE your stone, though! It's killer!!!

Thank you! So today I stopped by my jeweler and looked at her inventory among other options. But. I wasn’t ready to part ways with this setting. Nor to commit to customizing. So she laughed and told me to just wait it out Bc clearly, I would be bored in a few months anyway and by then she’d have more settings in stock.

 

[Yang Kin]

In my lifetime, I have fired three clients. He had the distinction of being the first.

Wink

Out of the topic here, but would like to hear about the other 2 clients if you don't mind. :p

 

[rainydaze]

Yes, I can. I picked the smallest eternity out of a case much to the jewelers surprise, but it was the prettiest by FAR. I held it up and immediately said I could see a million tiny arrows, again much to his surprise. Turned out, the melee in this eternity (.5ctw if I recall correctly) were ISEE2 cuts. It shimmers like crazy, tons of brilliance or fire or both, it always performs for me one way or another.

I also reset my mediocre princess cut into a halo by Eli Jewels and the melee were so spectacular that they served to really highlight the less-than-stellar performance of my main stone, rather than help it along. After that reset, I ended up with a new diamond.

I think the melee in your current setting offer more of an overall design effect, and maybe less of a light show effect. You've had a lot of beautiful and interesting resets, but as far as major wow-factor goes you can add me to the list that found that in your last halo. I do think some of that had to do with the melee in that particular halo setting.

I will say, I have encountered so many people, friends, and salespeople who are of the 'bigger is better' mindset for eternities and earrings. I always discerned cut quality (performance) even before PS and understanding what was behind that. Which meant, for my budget, I was selecting smaller. People were very confused. So to your underlying question, I suspect not many people would notice the melee for its performance factor, they may just notice that you have a diamond encrusted setting and that gives *them* the wow-factor.

 

[WinkHPD]

Out of the topic here, but would like to hear about the other 2 clients if you don't mind. :p

Perhaps some day, both are many years ago and there is some humor in them, at least from my side, but I was a much more volatile young former Marine back then. Perhaps today I would find a way to convert those customers to clients. Besides they are completely off topic and it would be impolite of me to take as much time as those stories would take. Thank you for asking though. I will keep the thought in mind.

Wink

P.S. I absolutely loved the story Garry told. He is one of the friendliest people I know, the guy he threw out must have been REALLY obnoxious.

 

[nala]

Yes, I can. I picked the smallest eternity out of a case much to the jewelers surprise, but it was the prettiest by FAR. I held it up and immediately said I could see a million tiny arrows, again much to his surprise. Turned out, the melee in this eternity (.5ctw if I recall correctly) were ISEE2 cuts. It shimmers like crazy, tons of brilliance or fire or both, it always performs for me one way or another.

I also reset my mediocre princess cut into a halo by Eli Jewels and the melee were so spectacular that they served to really highlight the less-than-stellar performance of my main stone, rather than help it along. After that reset, I ended up with a new diamond.

I think the melee in your current setting offer more of an overall design effect, and maybe less of a light show effect. You've had a lot of beautiful and interesting resets, but as far as major wow-factor goes you can add me to the list that found that in your last halo. I do think some of that had to do with the melee in that particular halo setting.

I will say, I have encountered so many people, friends, and salespeople who are of the 'bigger is better' mindset for eternities and earrings. I always discerned cut quality (performance) even before PS and understanding what was behind that. Which meant, for my budget, I was selecting smaller. People were very confused. So to your underlying question, I suspect not many people would notice the melee for its performance factor, they may just notice that you have a diamond encrusted setting and that gives *them* the wow-factor.

Ty! I hope that you are right about it not being so obvious bc the last thing I want to do is make it appear that I’m wearing a fake ring. Lol. So hopefully the overall design is distracting enough bc it was for me. Lol.

 

[HappyNewLife]

@happy New Life, you have raised a memory in my brain that I feel compelled to share before I forget it again. For this memory, I thank you!

One year, 1988 I think, I ordered a nice tennis bracelet for a client for Christmas for his wife, who is truly a lovely lady. I called him when it was in. He came in, looked at it and told me he bought one down the street for $1,200 less. I asked him to show it to me. When he did, I took one look and said, "Wow, I have one that sparkles like crazy and you have one you need a road map to find the tiny clear spots in a sea of frozen spit. Are you really going to give that to your lovely wife?"

He got all mad for some reason and I never had to put up with him again.

I did already own the piece though, so I gave it to my wife for Christmas.

Thirty years later and she still loves it and wears it often. I guess I should call the guy up and thank him for doing me a favor.

Wink

That guy must have sold it to my MIL... lol

 

[WinkHPD]

That guy must have sold it to my MIL... lol

LOL!