Confused on Diamond Selection

[Texas Leaguer]

Custom orders carry a 500$ non refundable deposit to commence work which I opted for. All in all I guess I could lose it. Have an experience with their actually ring making abilities?

If I am not mistaken, custom design is a very new service for them. I first saw it advertised a week or so ago.

 

[ProPest]

Why are you starting custom work on a diamond you have yet to purchase?

For the setting, I didn't think I'd have such an issue with selection of a diamond.

 

[chrono]

I understand now. With fancies, it is very difficult to buy the right stone, not to mention two 1 carat stones are rarely the same dimensions so we always recommend getting the stone first, then work on the setting.

 

[tyty333]

I would like to comment on the setting you are planning...(BTW...no way would I pay BN 4-6k to do that setting).
Back to the design...there is just too much going on in that setting. I think it needs to be toned down. It's got
3 main things going on
- infinity twist with 2 sided pave and milgrain
- 3 larger round stones leading up to center stone
- 2 sided halo
and you are going to throw in pink diamonds (which I love)

Just my opinion but that setting looks very chopped up. I dont know where to look. It's over the top and not in a good way.
I just hate to see you spend so much money designing a setting that your GF may not like.

Try to get some more female opinions on that setting. Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way.

This is only an opinion...and of course you can choose to ignore if you think your GF would really like it.

 

[ProPest]

I would like to comment on the setting you are planning...(BTW...no way would I pay BN 4-6k to do that setting).
Back to the design...there is just too much going on in that setting. I think it needs to be toned down. It's got
3 main things going on
- infinity twist with 2 sided pave and milgrain
- 3 larger round stones leading up to center stone
- 2 sided halo
and you are going to throw in pink diamonds (which I love)

Just my opinion but that setting looks very chopped up. I dont know where to look. It's over the top and not in a good way.
I just hate to see you spend so much money designing a setting that your GF may not like.

Try to get some more female opinions on that setting. Maybe I'm the only one that feels that way.

This is only an opinion...and of course you can choose to ignore if you think your GF would really like it.

She actually saw the ring at a Kay's store and loved it but with the customization I agree it is a lot to look at. That's one of the reasons I thought of the two different colored diamonds to contrast each other so the center stone would still pop. Is 4-6k too much? That seems to be what I have been quoted in a few occasions during my last year of looking.

Have been thinking of removing the 6 side stones? But may loose the ascetics, no?

 

[ProPest]

Thank you for your patience.

My team reviewed your diamond overnight and verified the diamond is indeed completely eye clean. Without magnification there are no visible inclusions. The team also verified the knot poses no durability issues whatsoever. Diamonds can always be damaged of course but this inclusion doesn't make this diamond more vulnerable.

The team also verified the bow tie is moderate to low. The photo does a decent job of verifying, nothing terribly pronounced. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the worst) they gave the stone a 2 for bow tie.

This diamond is on hold for you for another 48 hours as you consider it. Please let me know if you have additional questions or concerns

Just got this. Make anyone feel better? Or take it with a grain of salt?

 

[EvangelineG]

I agree with tyty33 that with the addition of pink diamonds the ring may end up being too busy. I would definitely consider choosing either the sidestones or the infinity twist, but not trying to incorporate both.

Also I agree with the PPs who have said that Bluenile isn't necessarily the best choice for online custom work. There are many vendors frequently discussed here who have been thoroughly vetted and are known to produce high quality work and have excellent service. I would consider David Klass, Brilliantly Engaged or CvB at Love Affair Diamonds just to name a few.

Perhaps if no work has been started on your custom design and you cancel right away BN will consider refunding your deposit or at least giving you a store credit?

You have a healthy budget, with the help given here, you could end up with something really incredible!

 

[drk14]

Can't really tell much from a photo, other than ruling out major clarity issues and/or unattractive shoulder outlines. Can't confirm without video and ASET, but in my opinion, it looks like the bowtie in this diamond is of the undesirable "static" variety, that the stone seems to have a lot of transparency at the expense of reflectivity, and that most of the virtual facets have long pathlengths (making them blurry in the photo). The bowtie problem can be confirmed or ruled out by video (or by inspecting in person). However, the last two issues have to be inspected in person to know whether the diamond appears attractive to you. Thus (again in my opinion), this stone would be a risky buy, unless you don't care so much about light performance in a diamond.

For me, the email from BN doesn't change any of the opinions that I conveyed previously (see above). Not sure how they are grading the bow tie (2/5). I'm guessing they are judging just the size of the bowtie, and they are right -- among marquise that have bowties, this one is not one of the largest. What matters more, however, is whether the bowtie disappears when you tilt the diamond by a small amount (so that the bow tie region flashes between dark appearance and a bright appearance), or whether there is a static band of darkness that remains present across the belly of the marquise as you tilt the stone back and forth.

Here at PS, most members are very passionate about what is called the "cut" of the diamond (i.e., the precise arrangement of facets that will maximize the scintillation and brightness of light reflected by the diamond), and will recommend diamonds that meet cut and light performance criteria that we know to be pleasing to the discerning eye. Nonetheless, in the real world away from PS, many diamonds are bought and sold (and enjoyed by their recipients) every day, that would nonetheless not meet the strict criteria that are used to judge diamond performance on the PS forum. You can probably find a marquise at BN that you and your GF will like, but that will fall in the latter category. What you have to decide is whether you want to put in the time and effort to find one of those rare well-cut marquise diamonds (with the help of the experienced users here) -- if you do, you will have to forgo BN. But if you'd rather just work with BN, then no hard feelings, and like I said, you and your gf will most likely be quite happy with the diamond anyway.

For most of us here, the mantra "cut is King" is so ingrained that we sometimes assume that making cut quality and light performance the top priority in diamond selection is self-evident for everybody. You and your gf may not feel the same way about the importance of cut, and that's OK.

 

[drk14]

She actually saw the ring at a Kay's store and loved it but with the customization I agree it is a lot to look at. That's one of the reasons I thought of the two different colored diamonds to contrast each other so the center stone would still pop.

She likes vintage looking rings, and really wants a pink stone but I can't afford a decent size one of those. I have shown her rose gold with pink diamonds in it on the sly and she loved it. That is all the information I have on that

Can you post the picture of the other rose gold/pink diamond ring that she loved? Do you have any pictures or links to other vintage-style jewelry that she likes (or better yet, that she wears)?

Is 4-6k too much? That seems to be what I have been quoted in a few occasions during my last year of looking.

$4-6k is not necessarily too much to spend on an amazing setting, but only if it is a one-of-a-kind wearable piece of art created by a skilled artisan who is well known for their artistry and high-quality workmanship. And those are not adjectives that I would use to describe a custom setting by BN based on a modified Neil Lane design... Look through the links below for some examples of settings that would be worth a $4-6k price tag (IMO):

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/post-your-victor-canera-beauties-here.175281/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/post-your-victor-canera-beauties-here.175281/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-visit-pictures.215698/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-visit-pictures.215698/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pretty-please-show-me-your-single-stone-rings.200268/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pretty-please-show-me-your-single-stone-rings.200268/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-cvb-id-jewelry-the-new-cvb-eye-candy-thread.211825/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-cvb-id-jewelry-the-new-cvb-eye-candy-thread.211825/[/URL]

That being said, I think it is too early for you to select a specific designer for a custom project. First, you have to decide whether you are staying with BN, and then my personal recommendation would be for you to spend some more time to learn about vintage jewelry styles and aesthetics (and if possible, suss out more clues about your gf's tastes). Of course, we'll be happy to guide you in this journey.

 

[wildcat03]

A quality 2 Ct is 10K

I'd love to see a quality G/VS2 2 ct for 10K. Links, please?

 

[Ella]

Folks, keep it on topic. Make a new thread if you want to discuss something else please.

 

[ProPest]

She said she loved this ring but didn't like the center stone. Pretty close to my idea


You guys have pretty much convinced me it would be a bad idea to buy the marquise through Bluenile. Back to the drawing board.

DRK, i love the stone in your ring. I need one like that in my life! Point me in the proper direction lol

 

[drk14]

She said she loved this ring but didn't like the center stone. Pretty close to my idea

I think this is a good example of less is more! Possibly you could make the braids bright-cut pave with millegrain (like in your Neil lane inspiration) and do something interesting in the gallery (maybe filigree) to make it more unique. A good jewelry designer will be able to take this inspiration picture as a starting point, and work with you to develop an artistic design that will look great.

DRK, i love the stone in your ring. I need one like that in my life! Point me in the proper direction lol

Mine was a rare find, but hopefully we can get pretty close, now that you're open to other vendors.

You really need videos to properly evaluate marquise diamonds online. To my knowledge, the only two PS-recommended vendors who make available videos for browsing are James Allen (a.k.a. "JA") and Ritani. In addition, Good Old Gold (a.k.a. "GOG") can make videos available by request, but this typically requires an initial deposit (they can also do most of the diamond search legwork for you, by calling in diamonds from their sources in NYC and evaluating them in their store).

You will also need to attract all of the PS marquise experts to your thread, because they may not find it on their own given the somewhat generic thread topic title. Thus, you could either start a new thread with a more descriptive title (e.g., explicitly using the word "marquise" in the title, and maybe "custom vintage ring" as well...), or you could request that the moderators change the title of the current thread. To make a request to the moderators to change the thread title, you can click the "Report Concern!" button at the top right corner of your first post, then select the last option ("The reported message does not fit into any other category") under "Reason", and type in your message to the moderator.

 

[ProPest]

I really appreciate your help. I am going to do a bit more research before I drive anyone else nuts

Thank you again for all the information

 

[drk14]

I really appreciate your help. I am going to do a bit more research before I drive anyone else nuts

Thank you again for all the information

Hope I catch you before you leave... If you check back, I will post some links to websites I wish I'd known about when I started out on my search for setting ideas.

 

[ProPest]

I really appreciate your help. I am going to do a bit more research before I drive anyone else nuts

Thank you again for all the information

Hope I catch you before you leave... If you check back, I will post some links to websites I wish I'd known about when I started out on my search for setting ideas.

Sure thing I would love that.

 

[drk14]

If you truly want a vintage style ring, below are some great websites to browse to get a feel for vintage design aesthetics, and to find inspiration pictures of setting styles that appeal to you:

http://www.langantiques.com/products/type/engagement-rings
https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/rings/engagement-rings/
http://www.faycullen.com/Engagement-Rings/
http://rozentalantiques.com/collections/art-deco
http://www.trumpetandhorn.com/art-deco-engagement-rings
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/default.asp
http://www.bonhams.com/departments/JWL/
https://www.singlestone.com/collections/

Another great source for setting ideas (of all genres and styles) is the SMTB Engagement Ring Folder, currently at 309 pages and counting:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-forum-engagement-ring-folder-eye-candy.5429/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-forum-engagement-ring-folder-eye-candy.5429/[/URL]

Have fun researching!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Others have addressed your question back to me, and yes, I was asking if it was BN because they are NOT known for custom jewelry. I will list some reputable ring makers who could make the kind of setting you are looking at (even if you find inspiration pics on other sites that may not be as well made). These are the ring makers I would personally use (and I have had work done by Victor and Caysie of CVB Inspired Design).

Top tier handforged (usually platinum) ring makers: Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch (many members here have their rings and they are excellent quality and many positive reviews)

Excellent quality cast: CVB Inspired Design (contact through Love Affair Diamonds) and David Klass (Both of these have Facebook pages so you can see more of their work, and they have many items posted here. CVB is who made drk's ring, and it truly is one of the best marquise settings I have ever seen. The last setting you posted is great for a round, but I do not think it is really the right style for a marquise.)

(Thank you for clarifying that she specifically said she'd like to have a marquise. That is good.)

 

[tyty333]

She said she loved this ring but didn't like the center stone. Pretty close to my idea


You guys have pretty much convinced me it would be a bad idea to buy the marquise through Bluenile. Back to the drawing board.

DRK, i love the stone in your ring. I need one like that in my life! Point me in the proper direction lol

Now that is more of a classy, timeless setting. I would add a halo to that setting and call it a day. It would flow better while
still being unique and tasteful.

My choice for that setting would be Cassie at CVB. I would be willing to pay her the 4-6K it might take...although this setting
should not be as expensive.

https://www.facebook.com/cvbinspired?fref=ts

Also, the feedback you got from BN only talked about the knot and the bow-tie. Said nothing about how well the stone
returned light. Is it a bright, lively stone that puts off lots of flashes? Or, is it like looking into a murky water...dull and
lifeless. Really, the cut is very important (especially with marquise). Marquise are not the best at returning light so you
really need a well cut one. The best way to tell how well the stone is cut is by aset images and seeing the stone move
on a video to see if the facets are turning on and off.

At the end of the day the setting is for your GF so you should get what she likes. If you dont know what she wants/likes then
get other female opinions. We have plenty here on PS!

 

[drk14]

My choice for that setting would be Cassie at CVB. I would be willing to pay her the 4-6K it might take...although this setting
should not be as expensive.

Remember that the pink melee will add $2-3k to the cost easily, give or take.

 

[ac117]

This reminds me of what someone did recently...here's the thread below...you'll see his original design had pink diamonds but he worked with David Klass and replaced the pink diamonds with pink sapphires instead in order to keep the setting budget friendly

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-or-equivalent-setting-to-this-one.214038/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-or-equivalent-setting-to-this-one.214038/[/URL]