"Cup" style setting to hide tilt windows, enhance color, etc

[roxta]

I know that "cup" settings are used sometimes for colored diamonds, e.g. a yellow gold cup for yellow diamond or rose gold for pink/peach diamond. I have a silvery grey/blue pear sapphire that I've put off setting for a while. I would say it was cut quite close to the critical angle so there is no window straight on, but the slightest tilt in any direction and one appears (and it genuinely bothers me).

I've tried wrapping the pavilion in aluminium foil to get an idea of what a cup might look like and I think it improves the look significantly. Plus, since the sapphire is grey, the metal showing through blends in well with the color of the stone.

If you have a cup setting, full or partial, I'd love to see the design so I can get some inspiration for my jeweller.

And yes, I'm aware that cups make cleaning a lot more complicated. But I'd rather have something difficult to clean that I wear once in a while if it means the sapphire doesn't spend its life in a box, unset and unloved.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I know that "cup" settings are used sometimes for colored diamonds, e.g. a yellow gold cup for yellow diamond or rose gold for pink/peach diamond. I have a silvery grey/blue pear sapphire that I've put off setting for a while. I would say it was cut quite close to the critical angle so there is no window straight on, but the slightest tilt in any direction and one appears (and it genuinely bothers me).

I've tried wrapping the pavilion in aluminium foil to get an idea of what a cup might look like and I think it improves the look significantly. Plus, since the sapphire is grey, the metal showing through blends in well with the color of the stone.

If you have a cup setting, full or partial, I'd love to see the design so I can get some inspiration for my jeweller.

And yes, I'm aware that cups make cleaning a lot more complicated. But I'd rather have something difficult to clean that I wear once in a while if it means the sapphire doesn't spend its life in a box, unset and unloved.

Thats a beautiful colour
I have a blue topaz and diamond 3 stone i adore but the tilt window bothers me too
i have also played around with tinfoil

I will be watching your thread with interest
Good luck

 

[T L]

Get a cup with a hole in the bottom for cleaning and getting rid of trapped moisture and grime. Tilt windows are a lot less offending than a cloudy, smelly, mucky, dirty stone imho. Good luck on your project.

 

[roxta]

Get a cup with a hole in the bottom for cleaning and getting rid of trapped moisture and grime. Tilt windows are a lot less offending than a cloudy, smelly, mucky, dirty stone imho. Good luck on your project.

Oh absolutely. Difficult to clean is one thing, impossible to clean is another.
I'm actually thinking of a partial cup that has small openings on the side. I like the idea of a star or flower that is moulded into a cup shape, so there would still be gaps between the points/petals for cleaning. But the middle of the pavilion (where the windowing is most obvious) would be covered.

 

[MamaBee]

I have a sapphire with a window that David Klass has right now. He said the cup made my sapphire too dark. He took it off and filled in a little of the donut. He said it helped a little. I just thought I would mention that the cup could make your topaz a different or darker color..

 

[roxta]

I have a sapphire with a window that David Klass has right now. He said the cup made my sapphire too dark. He took it off and filled in a little of the donut. He said it helped a little. I just thought I would mention that the cup could make your topaz a different or darker color..

I'd love to see pictures if you have any.

 

[MamaBee]

I'd love to see pictures if you have any.

@roxta David Klass has it..He never showed it to me..He just told me it made the sapphire dark so he took it off. He’s keeping it with another repair while he does a reset on another ring. I guess he will ship them to me when everything is done.

 

[roxta]

@roxta David Klass has it..He never showed it to me..He just told me it made the sapphire dark so he took it off. He’s keeping it with another repair while he does a reset on another ring. I guess he will ship them to me when everything is done.

Ah ok. Well I can't speak for @Daisys and Diamonds's topaz, but my sapphire is a pale color so if it gets darker with a cup, that's not an issue for me. I did notice it got a bit darker with foil all around it, but that would still be light-medium or medium as far as tone goes.

 

[evergreen]

My sapphire has a light tone and a decent window -- it looks much better set in a heavy, full-depth (though bottom entirely open for cleaning) bezel than it did in its JA video!

Stone: https://www.jamesallen.com/gemstones/blue-sapphire/1.44-carat-Pear-sku-54769
Setting: https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...-set-diamond-tiara-engagement-ring-item-66456

The window would probably be even less apparent if I'd gone with white metal, but it essentially creates a "cup" that addresses the tilt window, the band of the setting addresses the top-down window, and while yes there's windowing it's much improved! This is a fairly unflattering photo, but you can see it's taken at a tilt and the sapphire isn't dark/dead.

 

[roxta]

My sapphire has a light tone and a decent window -- it looks much better set in a heavy, full-depth (though bottom entirely open for cleaning) bezel than it did in its JA video!

Stone: https://www.jamesallen.com/gemstones/blue-sapphire/1.44-carat-Pear-sku-54769
Setting: https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...-set-diamond-tiara-engagement-ring-item-66456

The window would probably be even less apparent if I'd gone with white metal, but it essentially creates a "cup" that addresses the tilt window, the band of the setting addresses the top-down window, and while yes there's windowing it's much improved! This is a fairly unflattering photo, but you can see it's taken at a tilt and the sapphire isn't dark/dead.

It's beautiful. I think the cut and tone of a stone dictates whether it can handle being in a cup or whether it gets blacked out entirely. That's why the foil trick is so handy.

 

[roxta]

I'm thinking of something like this (setting is from Debebians), but without the gaps in the petals, just between them. So most of the centre of the stone, where tilt windows appear, would have metal underneath - but the sides still allow some access for cleaning.

 

[icy_jade]

I have my yellow sapphire in a YG cup. Has a hole at the bottom for cleaning and agree that it’s much harder to clean. Pics here if you are interested:

7 Carat Yellow Sapphire Convertible ring/pendant

Hi! Managed to take some pics of my new convertible ring/pendant so wanted to share. Some background story first... but feel free to scroll down if you are only here for pictures! Here we go... I never set out to get a yellow sapphire as I really really wanted a blue sapphire and honestly...

www.pricescope.com

 

[roxta]

I have my yellow sapphire in a YG cup. Has a hole at the bottom for cleaning and agree that it’s much harder to clean. Pics here if you are interested:

7 Carat Yellow Sapphire Convertible ring/pendant

Hi! Managed to take some pics of my new convertible ring/pendant so wanted to share. Some background story first... but feel free to scroll down if you are only here for pictures! Here we go... I never set out to get a yellow sapphire as I really really wanted a blue sapphire and honestly...

www.pricescope.com

Oh my goodness, it's amazing! Thanks for sharing the thread.

 

[fussykiki]

I know that "cup" settings are used sometimes for colored diamonds, e.g. a yellow gold cup for yellow diamond or rose gold for pink/peach diamond. I have a silvery grey/blue pear sapphire that I've put off setting for a while. I would say it was cut quite close to the critical angle so there is no window straight on, but the slightest tilt in any direction and one appears (and it genuinely bothers me).

I've tried wrapping the pavilion in aluminium foil to get an idea of what a cup might look like and I think it improves the look significantly. Plus, since the sapphire is grey, the metal showing through blends in well with the color of the stone.

If you have a cup setting, full or partial, I'd love to see the design so I can get some inspiration for my jeweller.

And yes, I'm aware that cups make cleaning a lot more complicated. But I'd rather have something difficult to clean that I wear once in a while if it means the sapphire doesn't spend its life in a box, unset and unloved.

Check out my post. My sapphire has a window and was fixed by filling the hole at the bridge of the ring. The window is gone and still allow me to clean it properly.

Is the window in this sapphire acceptable to you?

The ring is breathtaking to me! But as others have said you have to love it.

www.pricescope.com

 

[roxta]

Check out my post. My sapphire has a window and was fixed by filling the hole at the bridge of the ring. The window is gone and still allow me to clean it properly.

Is the window in this sapphire acceptable to you?

The ring is breathtaking to me! But as others have said you have to love it.

www.pricescope.com

Thanks for sharing. Great to hear that a fairly straightforward fix was all that was needed. A lot of people replied to your post saying that the window or tilt windows didn't bother them personally, but I know exactly how you felt. It's impossible to "unsee" it if it does bother you and you have to do something otherwise you won't be able to enjoy the stone. I have considered a setting with a closed bridge as well as a partially open cup. Just need to compile a few design ideas for my jeweller and we'll see which option is best.