Custom Design - need some help....

[jarbatz]

Ok, the first set of renderings (aka CAD??) are in. I have attached one here. My first question is whether to go with a low prong set like ktdid''s (see thread)

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-erd-halo.84805/

or go with the bezel, as in this picture sent from Mark at ERD (milgrain to be added). I originally thought I wanted bezel but kinda like the prong (only if its set low though) because it seems to show more of the diamond. The center stone will be a 0.91 cushion cut.



Also, will be getting a matching w band....is 2.5mm too wide for the e ring band if I''m also getting a w band?

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[kcoursolle]

My vote is for the bezel rather than prong. I just love the flow of it and it make the center stone look bigger and more standout in my opinion. Both are lovely though! 2.5mm will be fine and still plenty thin to pair a wedding band with it!!

Lovely CAD by the way, should be a beautiful ring!!!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 5/27/2008 6:24:01 PM
Author: kcoursolle
My vote is for the bezel rather than prong. I just love the flow of it and it make the center stone look bigger and more standout in my opinion. Both are lovely though! 2.5mm will be fine and still plenty thin to pair a wedding band with it!!


Lovely CAD by the way, should be a beautiful ring!!!

Ditto! Love the bezel personally. And 2.5 is plenty skinny!

 

[Ellen]

I prefer bezel as well.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Uh-oh. I have to vote for prong set this time. Take a look at MrsSalvo''s gorgeous new cushion that is in a prong set halo

 

[claireabelle]

Bezel all the way. I find that it really defines my center stone and makes it stand out/appear bigger. It also emphasises the cushion shape which I love.

That ring is going to be gorgeous!

 

[claireabelle]

my ring is 2.5mm and it''s quite delicate. I could probably wear another 2 x 2.5mm bands comfortably! It''s a thin band!

 

[GemView]

I vote for the bezel setting. Not only is it classic and sleek, but there will be no prongs to snag on your favorite sweater or to potentially result in a headache down the line. I recently had to have my 3-week-new ring''s prongs retipped because the diamond wasn''t seated properly when it was set. The jewelry store owner kept asking his bench person to file the prongs when that wasn''t the source of the problem (filing actually made a prong too thin, hence the retipping.) Of course, I''m a bit biased at this point because prior to our purchase of the setting that is partially shown in my avatar, I was debating a bezel setting on a custom ring I ordered. Instead, I fell in love with a four prong setting, which was quite a change from the six prongs I was accustomed to. So in hindsight, after going through what I have and reading up on correct vs. incorrect prong settings HERE and HERE, I am seriously beginning to wonder how many of us would find problems with how our stones are set if we only knew what to look for. Even with my 10x loupe I could barely appreciate the problem, but the jeweler I consulted had a microscope that really made it apparent that setting stones securely isn''t as easy as one might imagine. When I got home, I got out my digital camera and focused it in the macro setting on my prongs. When I zoomed in on the result, some of the same problems outlined in the articles and illustrations linked above, immediately jumped out at me. For example, one sign that a stone has not been set correctly is the fuzz that the prongs collect. In my original six-prong, I thought that a bit of fuzz throughout the day was harmless and unavoidable, but it actually indicates that there are gaps under the prongs and over time that fuzz and everything else that snags, however slightly, will bend the prong up and away from the stone. The jeweler I consulted, who has done some amazing repairs of botched work I had done elsewhere, also mentioned that prongs should be rounded on the top of the gem. He said that point-tipped prongs are more likely to bend back as a result of the edge catching on things (not to mention the fuzz factor). Perhaps that is why every jeweler I''ve asked has said that it is necessary to have four-prong and pavé settings checked every 6 months. So these are things to keep in mind when weighing bezel vs. prong-setting a center stone. But by no means allow this to deter you if what you really want is a prong-set diamond!

I''m weighing in a bit heavy against the prong option only to even out the choices. I had my heart set on a bezel-set ring for over a year, and the comment I kept getting while shopping for bezel settings was that they don''t stock many because they cover up part of the stone and/or don''t flatter it as well in terms of light performance. That is what you are going to hear again and again as a reason to opt for a prong setting. But if you look at the folks who have bezel set stones on PS -- the pictures that is -- it quickly becomes apparent that there is more fear than fact to the idea that bezels are less flattering. If anything, a white metal bezel around a stone makes it look slightly bigger, IMHO. And since light is reflected up and out of a well cut stone, I personally wouldn''t worry about it appearing less sparkly in a bezel setting. There are pros and cons to any setting, but the worse risk I can imagine is that of losing a precious or sentimental gem. I personally came a bit too close for comfort to that possibility, hence my opinion -- for what it is worth.

Whatever you decide, please post pics when your ring is finished. It looks as if it will be GORGEOUS!

 

[jarbatz]

Thanks Claireabelle and Gemview!!! I went with what I originally wanted and had Mark go with the bezel set. Milgrain on the inside halo and the outside halo and along the band as well.

Clairebelle - to answer your question from your thread in SMTR, my cushion is more square. I think its like a 1.03 ratio. And I wanted the band to be 2.5mm but Mark said the widest he could go was 2.2mm, which I''m sure will be fine. I like the really thin bands but since I have a size 7 finger I prefer a little wider band.

Will you have a band with your beauty?

I will definitely post pics when I get it!!!