Custom Solitaire??

[Jossyw]

Hi Pscopers! Thanks in advance for your opinions on this!

I have an OEC .80 stone that I would like to set in a relatively traditional 6-prong solitaire platinum setting for my e-ring. I''ve seen many beautiful 6-prong settings here but none of the incorporate all the elements that I like:

Scoopy, rounded, delicate prongs (like mara’s link - you both have beautiful rings!)
Peg head so that it will sit flush with my channel set eternity band
A very low setting/head
The prongs oriented so that two are at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock (like LLL’s link - love your ring LLL!)
Slight knife-edge but flat sides on the shank
A little heavier/thinker on the bottom of the shank than the top
Slight taper as the shank nears the stone

Given what I’m looking for, do you all think it would be worthwhile to go custom? Or should I just go with something like the stuller solstice? If I go custom, will I be spending a whole lot more money than I need to?

Also, do you think that the elements that I like will look good together and with my channel set eternity band (which has princess cut diamonds in it)? My ring size is 6.25 or 6.5.

Opinions??

Thanks!

 

[jcrow]

hello Jossyw

i would go custom. but then again it''s what i did already. i would say start with the stuller solstice if that''s what you like and have them alter it to your liking. LLL''s, Mara''s & mine i believe are the same stuller solstice head.

 

[Mara]

jcrow, actually i don''t think that LLL''s is a stuller head...or maybe it''s just an uber modified one because it doesn''t have any grooves or indents like ours do in the bottoms (or like teagreens) and also the profile seems different...it looks like an entirely new thing. i also recall that we saw full wax of the piece including the head (i think she posted it in her old thread) which would tell me that it was not a stuller head, it was a true custom ring.

anyway, jossy...i would do something like what teagreen just had done. she had wf take the stuller head and i think a stuller domed shank and she had them put them together while doing some serious modifications to them so that the end result fit her requirements of how the shank should be and how the head should be (she wanted it like ours as well but even a bit more modified) and wanted a band to sit flush etc etc. and in the end it was very affordable because you really aren''t going ''custom'' as in building a piece with a mold from scratch, but rather starting with some basic pieces and using tools to visually modify.

so i''d look into that option first before doing totally custom, to see if what you want is doable with a modified existing piece. not everything is....so then you may have to have a custom element to the piece. anyway good luck!!!

 

[jcrow]

mara- you are so right! i can''t believe i didn''t make that connection with LLL''s ring and the wax!
interesting because i went in to WF asking for LLL''s head and even had pics of it and Leon said it was the Stuller''s one. I do like my final product though- as far as the head style goes- so no worries now.

i agree, going with a stuller''s head to begin with and modifying it will be cheaper and probably easier than starting from scratch. and it makes since because you already like the stuller''s head.

 

[Mara]

haha jcrow i just actually made the connection with the wax recently when i was looking at her pictures of her head again...i was like DUH! wax!!! hehee.

when i asked them about my head, i told them i wanted it like yours and LLL's (i had pictures too, hehe) but they also knew i didn't want to be breaking the bank trying to get a new head on the ring, so going the stuller modification route, esp after seeing your ring and how it could come out, i was fine with going that route. i figured if i ever get a real setting change in the future i can concentrate on a true custom head now. but i was OVER THE MOON pleased with the stuller mods on this head...it came out way better than i had even hoped!! pictures truly don't do it justice as i would imagine is the case with yours as well!!

 

[Kaleigh]

..

 

[Jossyw]

Thank you both! I''ve been emailing with Katie at Whiteflash and will let you now what I decide on.

 

[jcrow]

mara- completely! it''s like a crown sitting pretty!! love it. although i am lusting teagreen''s modifications! wowza!

jossyw- great! let''s us know what you decide!

 

[leeenie]

Date: 7/20/2006 11:19:28 AM
Author:Jossyw

Scoopy, rounded, delicate prongs (like mara’s link - you both have beautiful rings!)
Peg head so that it will sit flush with my channel set eternity band
A very low setting/head
The prongs oriented so that two are at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock (like LLL’s link - love your ring LLL!)
Slight knife-edge but flat sides on the shank
A little heavier/thinker on the bottom of the shank than the top
Slight taper as the shank nears the stone

Given what I’m looking for, do you all think it would be worthwhile to go custom? Or should I just go with something like the stuller solstice? If I go custom, will I be spending a whole lot more money than I need to?

Hi! Mine is a modified stuller head with a modified "half-round" shank from Whiteflash. The head was customized very well so it looks like it was made for my stone, even though it came from a stock head. They should also be able to taper the shank for you; Brian asked if I wanted that and I said no. Not sure how a tapered knife edge would work. Good luck!

 

[Jossyw]

So I just learned that Whiteflash cannot set my diamond since it wasn''t purchased through WF. I don''t know why I thought that they could...

They said that they could create the ring and send it to me to have a jeweler set it as long as I give them the measurements of the stone.

Do you all think that it would still look the way I want it to if I do that? How much more tweaking is done to the prongs and head when the stone is being set into the ring? My impression is that quite a bit more work is done in terms of shaving the prongs further and the like at that point.

I do not have a trusted jeweler near me now since I just moved to San Francisco, but I do have a number of jewelers names that friends and colleagues have given me. Do you think one of them might be capable of making similar modifications to the stuller stock pieces? Perhaps it would be better to just go with one of them instead of having WF involved at all?

Thanks for your input teagreen!

ame, if you''re around, could you maybe comment? I like your ring a lot as well and wondered if you had similar adjustments made to the stock pieces like the others have. Did you have WF set it or did your jeweler do it?

Thanks for your help!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 7/20/2006 5:09:09 PM
Author: Jossyw
So I just learned that Whiteflash cannot set my diamond since it wasn''t purchased through WF. I don''t know why I thought that they could...

really?? i wonder if that''s a new policy. when I inquired about them setting a stone I already owned they said they could. it would have been a complete custom setting though. I thought there were others have puchased stones elsewhere and paid WF a setting fee but were able to buy WF mountings.

I wouldn''t have WF make the setting and send it a local jeweler. too much chance for things to go wrong. I''d look into finding a different setting or going with a different jeweler. Quest Jewelers has made some beautiful settings for pricescopers and their prices are very competitive.

 

[Mara]

Date: 7/20/2006 5:15:00 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 7/20/2006 5:09:09 PM
Author: Jossyw
So I just learned that Whiteflash cannot set my diamond since it wasn''t purchased through WF. I don''t know why I thought that they could...

really?? i wonder if that''s a new policy. when I inquired about them setting a stone I already owned they said they could. it would have been a complete custom setting though. I thought there were others have puchased stones elsewhere and paid WF a setting fee but were able to buy WF mountings.

I wouldn''t have WF make the setting and send it a local jeweler. too much chance for things to go wrong. I''d look into finding a different setting or going with a different jeweler. Quest Jewelers has made some beautiful settings for pricescopers and their prices are very competitive.

hmm i hadn''t heard that either...i''d ask john quixote... he would know for sure if that is the policy...i though that WF had done custom settings for stones not purchased through them, aka an old stone or something. but maybe it has changed.

i also wouldn''t have them create something partway then send it to a jeweler for finishing because yes i think more work is done as the stone is being set into the setting, especially on things like prong tips as they go over the diamond etc, i''d probably go with another company who can assist you AND set your stone. what about something from leon mege? he did a stunning solitaire setting for butterfly17 and i think 2 years ago it was something like $1100. so not too pricey...but maybe it has gone up. anyway, good luck!!

 

[LesleyH]

Jossyw:

I thought I would jump in here because your diamond consultant came to me to discuss the setting and I instructed her to tell you that the diamond should be set locally. We really don''t like to set diamonds that were not purchased from us in case there is damage, and in cases where the setting is simple we prefer not to. Obviously for more complicated rings we need to have the diamond here whether it was sold by us or not. As an aside, diamonds sold by us are automatically insured.

On review of your record I see that the diamond in question is an antique heirloom. As you can imagine, we are even more concerned about setting heirloom diamonds. If you have no other options I am prepared to come to some kind of agreement with you.

LesleyH
www.whiteflash.com

 

[Jossyw]

Thanks for your thoughts, mrssalvo and mara!

And thanks for clarifying that for us, Lesley.

I''m not sure what I''m going to do now but I''ll keep y''all informed.

 

[jcrow]

yes, please do~