Chose my setting! "Bella" from Wink! Need help with gallery design, please.

[Lula]

Hello, lovely PS''ers!
I finally chose a setting for my M! It''s the "Bella" design from Wink''s Signature Collection -- with some small modifications (of course, or this wouldn''t be PS!).

Thanks to everyone who posted suggestions and photos on my last thread. Your advice and feedback are invaluable, as always.

A special thank you to QueenMum and Gypsy who really helped me narrow down what I want in the design.

Sometimes there''s just too much to choose from here! original thread

I love the Bella design, but want to make a change or two to the wire work in the gallery, and can use your feedback and photo archives one more time -- please!

First, a photo of the Bella:

 

[Laila619]

Wow, that is gorgeous! Such cool detail! What are you thinking of changing?

 

[Lula]

Second,
Here are the specifics for my version of the Bella:

Unplated white gold
Yellow gold accents -- prongs and gallery
French cut purple or color change sapphires (or other sturdy purple stone) for the gallery
Perhaps yellow sapphires inside the marquise shaped side of the shank

I''m not a fan of the curly shaped wire work in the gallery. I told Wink that I''d like something more deco/geometric for the wire. He said, not a problem, send me some pictures for my bench to work from.

Well, let me tell you, it took hours of looking at rings -- there are a lot of art deco settings with curly wire work in the gallery!

Here are some inspiration photos for your feedback -- bear with me; I have to upload 4 photos one at a time!

Gypsy found this beauty on Leon''s site:

 

[Lula]

Thanks, Laila!

Gypsy''s photo was the inspiration for the French cut stones in the gallery.

Here''s a picture of an art deco table I found (!) that incorporates the round and diamond elements:

 

[Lula]

And here's a photo of a ring that's got that same sort of detail -- but I'm not keen on the craftsmanship -- Wink's bench will improve on that!

I'd alternate the diamond shapes with rounds. The diamond shapes would have the French cut stones inside them.

 

[D&T]

its going to be stunning!

 

[Stephan]

''Heart'' gallery?
http://www.faycullen.com/_pics/800/gc716r1d/3.jpg
http://www.faycullen.com/_pics/800/gc716r1d/6.jpg

 

[Lula]

Thanks, D&T!

Last photo -- well, really it''s a link. I can''t get the photo off Leon''s page!

This is pave, but I love, love, love the design of the profile (the gallery shot)! Do you think it could be done in wire work?

profile of leon reproduction ring

 

[Gypsy]

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-amethyst-pear-ring.73814/ I''m a big fan of simplicity.

 

[Lula]

Hi, Stephan

I looked at Fay Cullen''s site and there were a lot of cool gallery designs there. I actually looked at the ring you posted -- but it''s still to swirly.

I need a little deco!

Here''s one from Fay Cullen''s site that I thought had potential, but where do you fit the stones?

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 8/20/2009 1:50:25 PM
Author: sarap333
Thanks, D&T!

Last photo -- well, really it''s a link. I can''t get the photo off Leon''s page!

This is pave, but I love, love, love the design of the profile (the gallery shot)! Do you think it could be done in wire work?

profile of leon reproduction ring

Yes it can be done with wire work.

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/20/2009 1:51:58 PM
Author: Gypsy
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-amethyst-pear-ring.73814/ I''m a big fan of simplicity.

Very nice, Gypsy! That is elegant -- so no stones in the gallery, you''re thinking, just some YG wire work?

 

[Gypsy]

Double post.

Yes, whatever color metal you want. I like the simplity of the original ring I linked you to. And it should be inexpensive to do as it is very simple and elegant.

 

[Lula]

Thanks for fixing my photo of the Leon, Gypsy.

I love this pattern. I would love it even more in wire work!!!

 

[Lula]

I do like the simplicity of the first Leon. I have to remember how small this gallery is. The photo of the Bella shows a 2 carat. My stone is 1 carat.

If I go with just a french-cut stone, bezel set, with milgrain, like the first Leon photo, I will be able to see more of the stone through the gallery. That''s a plus.

I''m having a hard time imagining it.

I think I''ll see if I can get hubby to photo shop out the gallery of the Bella.

 

[glitterata]

I love the idea of purple stones, but I''m not sure I would also use yellow diamonds. I think they might detract from your lighter yellow center diamond. Unless the point is to make the M look whiter? But in that case I would stay away from purple, which I think will make the M''s yellow tint show up more in contrast.

 

[Lula]

Hi, Glitterata -- I was just looking at photos of the lovely gallery on your e-bay find, set with your I1 Infinity.

I do want to enhance the M's yellow tint. That's why I chose purple - it's the complement of yellow. But I agree with you, that using yellow diamonds would be too much.

I would love a halo of purple stones to surround the M (like the beautiful sapphire halo in the ring in my other thread)but that may be way out of my budget and difficult for Wink to find in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[stone-cold11]

Irradiated pink diamonds?

 

[glitterata]

It''s going to be gorgeous! Too bad you can''t use purple sapphires for the halo, but it''s still going to be gorgeous.

Amethysts are too soft, alas.

(I had the purple-is-the-complement-of-yellow conversation with Wink when I bought my S. I considered purple sapphire side stones, but decided I''d already spent more money than I should have on the diamond itself.)

Thanks for the gallery compliment! I love that gallery too. I have another ring from the same era with nice cutwork in the gallery, beat up from age and not the finest workmanship to begin with. Here''s my thread about it, though I don''t seem to have any good photos of the gallery. (The seller ended up giving me a good partial refund for the chip in the diamond.)

I think your M would look great in this setting, though it''s the wrong size and so worn. It will look even better in your Wink setting, I''m sure.

 

[Stephan]

Date: 8/20/2009 2:40:40 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
Irradiated pink diamonds?

Choose your color (property of EightStar):

 

[Amethyste]

my.... It''s going to be one orgeous ring Sara!!!!!

 

[Lula]

QueenMum -- I'll take one of each!! Yummy. Doesn't Wink have a green Eightstar?

Glitterata, I have always had ebay-find envy for the setting your I1 is in - now I have double-ebay-find envy! Those settings are just beautiful. Too bad about the chip out of the stone, but it sounds like the seller did right by you. Those vintage platinum settings do take a beating over time, but it is amazing how many of them still survive.

I chose unplated white gold for my Bella because of its slight yellow cast. I do want to play up the yellow in the stone -- I love it that you had a complementary colors conversation with Wink! -- and if I can figure out how to get a purple halo (Wink already told me amethysts are too soft -- boohoo) I will do it!

Stone, I found this site about irradiated diamonds -- they have melee sizes! -- link but, wouldn't the purple be more lavender? Also, aren't irradiated diamonds just a little too Jewelry TV?

 

[Lula]

The gallery of Glitterata''s ring -- one of the few Deco settings I saw that didn''t have a lot of the curly, swirly wire work in the gallery.

 

[stone-cold11]

Ya, probably Wink has a way to source them for you. Just throwing out ideas, discuss it with Wink if these irradiated diamonds work. Personally, not sure how it would look like as I have relatively bad fashion sense...

 

[Lula]

Oh, Stone, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to sound harsh!

Actually, I am very intrigued by "irradiated diamonds," since I don''t know much about them, except that people here seem to avoid them on ebay. But as accents, or melees, who knows? They could work. You''re right -- Wink will know.

So thanks for the suggestion -- your opinions are always valued!

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/20/2009 3:29:07 PM
Author: Amethyste
my.... It''s going to be one orgeous ring Sara!!!!!

I just saw your earlier post, Amethyste -- thank you!!

 

[stone-cold11]

Nay, you are not harsh, I am just explaining my pov. To me, purple, pink looks almost the same, lousy color sense I know, and I know there is pink irradiated diamonds, not sure of purple, but from your link there is...

 

[Gypsy]

I''m not getting why purple sapphires won''t work.

 

[Lula]

Hi, Gypsy -- Wink e-mailed me. Purple sapphires will work, "but" -- and it's an expensive "but" -- he'll most likely need to find a parcel of purple sapph and have it cut into melee (similar to what he did for the blue sapphire setting -- picture below).

So I'm waiting to hear back from him about HOW expensive it will be. It's such a great look, I might have to splurge -- especially if I simplify the gallery (No stones down there, just elegant, simple wire work)

Trying not to drool on my computer at the thought...

 

[Lula]

Sorry, forgot to attach the picture of the sapphire surround ring -- I got toooo excited there for a second!