Cushion - halo or solitaire

[delight]

I can see where people are coming from here.

But are micropave/halos such a specialism that they can't be done by a skilled jeweller who doesn't do them that often?

Obviously the size of the melee shown to date has suggested that he hasn't quite got the idea of what a typical halo is (as compared with a bezel), but I am hopeful that he is getting there. His aversion to melee being too small is that the rings which have stones as small as half pointers are typically drilled in the far east or in a factory, and don't hold the stones in securely as the way he proposes to set them. We'll see if we can get him to use stones at or under the 1 pointer mark and go from there...

Please everybody and you please no one. Pleasing yourself is the best outcome.

If he can't do it, there are tons of other people who can do up the design you are envisioning.

 

[chrono]

If he is not confident of being able to set melees that small, I am doubtful that he will be able to pull it off to your satisfaction (based on the size of the round melees relative to the EC diamond). It has been done and can be done safely in the US in custom cast and hand forged engagement rings.

 

[Aoife]

I can see where people are coming from here.

But are micropave/halos such a specialism that they can't be done by a skilled jeweller who doesn't do them that often?

Obviously the size of the melee shown to date has suggested that he hasn't quite got the idea of what a typical halo is (as compared with a bezel), but I am hopeful that he is getting there. His aversion to melee being too small is that the rings which have stones as small as half pointers are typically drilled in the far east or in a factory, and don't hold the stones in securely as the way he proposes to set them. We'll see if we can get him to use stones at or under the 1 pointer mark and go from there...

Short answer: Yes, micropave requires a high degree of skill. It doesn't matter if this jeweler does other things well, he clearly doesn't do micropave well, or even have a clear idea of what it is.

Do you really want him experimenting on your fiancee's engagement ring?

 

[soxfan]

go on here and search "victor canera emilya halo." You will see the quality of his work with very small melee (.5-1 pointers.) He is a master of pave work. His work is all hand-forged as well. Steven Kirsch and Leon Mege also do a very beautiful halo. But just go look at some of them before you make a decision!

The fact that your jeweler is not comfortable working in small melee would send me running for the hills...