Custom spinel eternity ring - disappointed and wondering how to fix it

[woweezowee]

Hi, everyone! About a month ago, I commissioned a jeweler to make an half-eternity ring with some gorgeous spinel I had collected from Yvonne (Raley) over a couple of years. I told the jeweler exactly what I wanted and he delivered: a channel-type setting (metal on the top and bottom of the stones) with alternating rounds and baguettes.

I was thrilled at first, but since I've had the ring and had plenty of time to study it under all different lighting conditions, I've become disappointed in how the spinel performs. Before they were set, the spinel glowed in all lighting situations. Now, they look flat. So here is my question: is this a function of the *design* of the ring? Will this happen to any stone besides diamonds if set the way my ring is designed? Is there a design that would help my stones pop and sparkle like they do loose? I understand that some loss of dispersion is unavoidable due to enclosure in metal, but I want to minimize it. If this is a fixable issue, I'll have the ring re-done. I've wanted the ring for as long as I've had the baguettes (2.5 years) and I'm someone for whom this purchase was a big deal (I've only had one other ring made with CS I bought and I had to save for awhile to afford this), but I don't want to be disappointed in my ring forever. What would you do??

Attached are photos of my spinel pre-setting plus the ring with its most flattering and least flattering appearances.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[voce]

If you don't want to put any more money in, sell it or trade it in.

If you want your spinels to shine, imo you need to put them in a necklace or bracelet, a setting that lets in more light, never an eternity ring. I've never seen colored gems look their best in eternity rings unless the stones were pastel in saturation and benefit from darkening.

 

[AprilBaby]

Personally I think they would have been prettier in rose gold prong setting.

 

[woweezowee]

If you don't want to put any more money in, sell it or trade it in.

If you want your spinels to shine, imo you need to put them in a necklace or bracelet, a setting that lets in more light, never an eternity ring. I've never seen colored gems look their best in eternity rings unless the stones were pastel in saturation and benefit from darkening.

Thanks, voce. This is very helpful!

 

[woweezowee]

Personally I think they would have been prettier in rose gold prong setting.

Personally, the pink stone/rose gold combo is my absolute least favorite, and rose gold is the enemy of my skin tone.

 

[Rfisher]

If you don't want to put any more money in, sell it or trade it in.

If you want your spinels to shine, imo you need to put them in a necklace or bracelet, a setting that lets in more light, never an eternity ring. I've never seen colored gems look their best in eternity rings unless the stones were pastel in saturation and benefit from darkening.

Do you think Yvonne could come up with a bead set eternity with a small channel on either side that would work?
I mean, I don’t think it would look too differently done as an eternity, as to like this?


A super open prong set eternity in theory should work as well - just not a channel running down each side that protects the stones.


Pretty stones @woweezowee

 

[Rfisher]

I’ll use you again, voce because you are really familiar with her stones and settings

Both these rings originally came from Cecile Raley Designs. @leslie1956 you must share hand shots of your beautiful paraiba cab as well!

I would think these stones OP has, should be able to perform sunk in a sidewall with tiny prongs, same as this configuration But straight, not hexagon?

 

[kgizo]

What does the underside of the band look like? I have a spinel eternity from YR and they do not go dark like yours.

 

[woweezowee]

What does the underside of the band look like? I have a spinel eternity from YR and they do not go dark like yours.

I'm so glad you posted your baguettes because I think mine are the same. And your ring is drop dead gorgeous.

The underside has smaller cutouts in the shape of the stones. Perhaps 0.75mm holes under the 2mm rounds and a rectangle in the same ratio.

Now I feel like a dummy. I tried to save money (and did) while I should have gone with an expert. The jeweler did exactly as I asked but someone with more eternity experience could have steered me in the right direction.

 

[lilmosun]

Gorgeous stackers @kgizo

@woweezowee ..how disappointing when something you've dreamed about doesn't come out as expected. I'm not a setting expert but my eyes keep focusing on the setting and not the stones when it should be the other way around. I think there is a utilitarian/functional heaviness about the setting that works against the spinels. It hurts but I think we've all learned from our mistakes and hope it leads you to getting the ring of your dreams.

 

[voce]

What does the underside of the band look like? I have a spinel eternity from YR and they do not go dark like yours.

@woweezowee @Rfisher I think woweezowee's spinels will look better in the Yvonne type settings for sure with a much finer bezel that doesn't stand too tall and cover up the stones from the side with a channel wall. However, 1) woweezowee's spinels are more vividly saturated than kgizo's, imo, and 2) even kgizo's gorgeous ring, imo doesn't showcase the baguettes at their best. The reason for that is because the baguettes are set at angles around the finger, so the color will end up looking uneven in most light situations.

I had a suite of 5 tsavorite baguettes that I wanted to avoid setting in an eternity so they can all look better. At first I wanted a slight curve around the crown, but the reality is that the baguettes would have been very difficult to set, and I'm very happy with the flat top crown ring, which Yvonne made custom for me, in the long run.

 

[minousbijoux]

@woweezowee, how disappointing! I'm actually not sure you could've done anything to prevent this, unless you had gone to a bench with 1) a ton of experience with eternity rings; 2) a deep understanding of colored stones and how they'd behave. I am the last to give advice on setting, particularly bespoke work, because I have not set more than a handful (small at that) of my stones. So take this fwiw.

One of the differences I think I see between the two rings is the ratio of metal to stones. Not only is the metal around the stones (aka the bezels) much thinner in kgizo's ring, I also think the stones might be larger as well, so there is much less metal than stone. Yours on the other hand, seems to showcase a lot more metal, especially the prongs (are they prongs?). I also wonder if the greater contrast of white metal with reddish pink spinel doesn't make the metal stand out more? Anyway, you deserve exactly what you want, so good luck and persevere!

 

[LemonMoonLex]

I won't lie, when I saw your review and your ring, I thought to myself that the stones were beautiful but that the metalwork wasn't *quite* right.

Every jeweler has their specialty and I'm not too sure that eternities are his.

Ultimately I think the two main things that affect the look of your stones is obviously the setting and how it's just a bit bigger/clunkier in metal AND the metal color.

I know some people don't have skin tones that work with warm metals but I absolutely believe that your spinels were screaming for warm colors and would look so much more stunning in 18k yellow or rose gold.

I can envision each of your stones bezel set with miligrain and open frames and each connection being delicate creating something special. That's just my little vision of course!

Ultimately with custom work you are the one who has to convey your ideas & if they aren't properly executed it should have been communicated, redone and fixed before approval.

I understand that a part of the problem was that you didn't realize they went dark/murky in certain lights until it came home to you and that's unfortunate. Whether it's on the customer to understand their stones and decide which setting compliments them best OR if jeweler's have a duty to steer you in a different way if they see fit is arguable.

It sounds like this was a really special and big ring for you & if it causes you any stress I would absolutely save and have the ring redone! Maybe going to someone that has an extensive portfolio of eternity work.
Either way Im sending you dust that this will work itself out!!

 

[kgizo]

Now I feel like a dummy. I tried to save money (and did) while I should have gone with an expert. The jeweler did exactly as I asked but someone with more eternity experience could have steered me in the right direction.

Please don’t feel bad. TBH, looking at the design of yours I would’ve expected the spinels to perform better than mine because bezeling can make stones look darker. Not sure why the spinels look so different in the setting, but your spinels are beautiful and I love the mix of rounds and baguettes so hope it all works out for you.

 

[LD]

I think you need to compare the underside of your ring to the underside of @kgizo's gorgeous band. I would think that the colour of the metal is also causing some of the issue. Do you have any of the stones left? I'm wondering what they look like if you put the in kitchen foil (sorry not sure what it's called in the US - looks like aluminium) underneath the stone - does it reflect back up or make things worse?

 

[partgypsy]

I like bezels but not all stones do well in bezel or channel settings. On the plus side the stones look very safe and protected in that setting. But it looks like they are kind of buried in the piece. I think the stones need to be in a more open setting. Or if a similar setting make sure at the very least the crown of all the stones are above the metalwork so they can catch the light, have the bottom holes more open. You have to decide if it's worth it to reset. Both the cost and setting and unsettling stones always carries some risk. Another option is to find someone like d klass, see if any way to "open up" existing setting to let more light in.

 

[ShinyPink]

Why don't you show it to Yvonne and ask her if she can do - or even suggest - anything to it to make it show off the stones? She might say no, but it doesn't hurt to ask. She might be able to work her magic!

 

[LilAlex]

Really dumb question: if you used to like it and now you don't, have you cleaned really well under the stones after soaking? With a channel setting like that, it's amazing how fast it gets gunky back there.

 

[Jopdrop]

@woweezowee @Rfisher I think woweezowee's spinels will look better in the Yvonne type settings for sure with a much finer bezel that doesn't stand too tall and cover up the stones from the side with a channel wall. However, 1) woweezowee's spinels are more vividly saturated than kgizo's, imo, and 2) even kgizo's gorgeous ring, imo doesn't showcase the baguettes at their best. The reason for that is because the baguettes are set at angles around the finger, so the color will end up looking uneven in most light situations.

I had a suite of 5 tsavorite baguettes that I wanted to avoid setting in an eternity so they can all look better. At first I wanted a slight curve around the crown, but the reality is that the baguettes would have been very difficult to set, and I'm very happy with the flat top crown ring, which Yvonne made custom for me, in the long run.

I saw these when Yvonne was selling, and then again on Loupetroop. I was so tempted both times. I actually think about this set a lot. They look amazing in this setting, it’s so unexpected, and so perfect for them. I’m glad you have done something so beautiful with them.