Dainty spinel ring help please

[Stonerocks]

Hello fellow stone lovers!

I may be new to this forum but my hobby to collect picture agate has started long ago

My main purpose here is to create a dainty anniversary ring for my gf. I know that ladies in this forum love diamond halos. Sad to say my gf does not like one. We have bought a lavender round spinel in a gem show in hk. And now I need your help to show me some direction on where to custom make a dainty gold ring.
The guidelines are as follow:
no diamonds only the spinel to be the centre of attention.
Thin shank
More interesting than a mere solitaire

I have browse through many jewel outlet. And base on the above I can only find solitaire setting. Please let me know what ideas and suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance.

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

Here is a vendor that comes to mind. Located in Chiang Mai

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartofWaterJewels?ref=seller_info

The rings are beautiful and delicate. I love to browse her site.
I have a few of her rings, I love mine
Here are a couple of examples of rings made by HeartofWater (these are not mine, but I do think they are lovely ! )

 

[jstarfireb]

Sally's lotus setting is exactly what I was going to recommend! It's very popular here and fits the description exactly. If you browse her sold section, you can see lots of examples of the lotus ring with faceted stones.

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello ladies, thanks for the recommendation.

This lotus ring seems to fit the bill!!

I do not see anything like this in the mall. I have browse the website and it seems to me that this setting is more suited for a cabochon? It seems very thin and fragile to me, will it bend or break easily?

Is this ring commonly known as "Lotus" or is this Sallys' unique special trade name? $160 is for a sterling silver ring? thanks and apologize for loads of questions!

 

[jstarfireb]

You should contact Sally via Etsy if you want a price quote. It will vary depending on the size of your stone, type of metal, and any tweaks to the design. As far as I know, she's the only one who makes a ring like that. That particular one is for a cabochon, but as I mentioned, there are many versions of it for faceted stones of just about every shape. I have two of them, and while they look delicate, they're not fragile at all. I was originally afraid that the head would snap right off the shank, but I've worn them many times without anything happening to them.

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

Sally is also an artist and if you ask her, she can design something you will like.
But no, the setting is not specifically suited for cabochons, although I think those look
lovely in the Lotus setting

I like my lotus rings because the thin band means I can stack a couple of mine together if I want.
I don't think my ring is fragile, although it looks that way

There is a former thread somewhere here dedicated to lotus rings,
where many people posted pictures of their lotus rings, but of course I cannot find it.
Perhaps someone else can?

Anyway, here are a couple more photos of lotus rings ~ these do not feature cabochon stones.....

 

[Stonerocks]

GREAT references! I have look through the pricescope lotus by the search engine and I do feel that the lotus petals look better when its 'rounded' to fit a cabochon. Do u have other alternative other then a lotus? tkanks

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

Well then, no diamonds, with a dainty gold band ......

That seems a little more limiting to my non-imaginative self...
Don't you think this is a pretty setting ?
It is delicate but doesn't have a halo of diamonds....
There are some pretty accents, but the lavendar spinel would show off nicely, I think...
I think this setting is from jewe2004

 

[jstarfireb]

Since the aesthetic you're going for is dainty and simple yet interesting, I think Sally could probably design something that would be perfect for you. Not trying to push one particular vendor on you, but I just really think she's right up your alley based on how you describe your girlfriend's tastes. It doesn't have to be a lotus, but she could sketch out something completely new and different for you. So even if the lotus isn't what you're looking for, I would still give her a try.

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello shiney, I like the diamonds on the prongs, though its not as dainty as I what I have in mind. I have signed up to etsy and left Sally a message. awaiting for her to revert. I googled for custom-made lotus and stumbled across this. Has anyone have a real sample to show? I am not sure if its as dainty as I wanted it to be.

 

[jstarfireb]

That looks very pretty! I have no idea who makes it, but you could always show the CADs to a jeweler and see if they could make it. CADs always look bulkier than the real thing; I'm sure it would be much daintier in real life.

 

[Stonerocks]

Helle jstar, I am awaiting Sally's reply (wonder what is their timezone in TH) Can someone guide me how much should I be paying for a gold ring? I have not tried going custom. I don't wan to be overpaying if you know what I mean.

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello there, I have basically enquired on these lotuses. Sally has replied first, I am looking at this (see pict) fully silver lotus. She had quoted $240 to make it hold a 7mm Spinel. (sorry, can I discuss price here??) Is that price fair to pay? Is there anyone with a 7mm round lotus in this sally's setting? thanks, its always better to have a real life sample

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello there, I found another version of the 'pratlotus' (see pict) I certainly think that the shank is not sleek or delicate enough. But I like the layering of the petals. What do you think? I have send them a message asking for a quotation (if they work with silver) to re-work the shanks to a much thinner version.

I have received the reply for the yellow gold and diamond 'double lotus'. She quoted around the same price of $250 as Sallys' lotus for plain silver shanks, but she highlighted that she will also be using diamonds and solid 18k yellow gold accent (I think she is referring to the small petals) . Her turnaround time is 1-2 weeks. Does it seems a good deal?

Does it make any difference to choose sterling silver (rhodium plated) or white gold? I believe that the latter is much more expensive. Do you ladies feel any difference? thanks in advance once again.

Sally replied that her turnaround time is 5 weeks, do you get it done actually earlier?

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

Hello there, I found another version of the 'pratlotus' (see pict) I certainly think that the shank is not sleek or delicate enough. But I like the layering of the petals. What do you think? I have send them a message asking for a quotation (if they work with silver) to re-work the shanks to a much thinner version.

I have received the reply for the yellow gold and diamond 'double lotus'. She quoted around the same price of $250 as Sallys' lotus for plain silver shanks, but she highlighted that she will also be using diamonds and solid 18k yellow gold accent (I think she is referring to the small petals) . Her turnaround time is 1-2 weeks. Does it seems a good deal?

Does it make any difference to choose sterling silver (rhodium plated) or white gold? I believe that the latter is much more expensive. Do you ladies feel any difference? thanks in advance once again.

Sally replied that her turnaround time is 5 weeks, do you get it done actually earlier?

I really love the CAD you posted ~ I love the surprise gold petals with the tiny diamonds, and I love the band.

I think the above ring is beautiful, and the price certainly seems good. Who is the vendor? Maybe someone here
has worked with them and can post their experience

As for Sally, she is great and I don't think her prices are too high, but that's just me talking
I usually don't have any time constraints, so I don't think her turnaround time is too terribly long,
but again, that's just me. At least I know she is trusted and my ring will come

 

[Indylady]

I think the vendor of the double lotus CAD that you posted above is Sheila Customize Jewelry--its a blog so I can't link it, but a search should pull it up.

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello ladies! I saw it from a google search under 'custom made silver lotus' and it led me in another forum where I saw it. The person whom replied is indeed Sheila. More question: When you proceed with a custom piece, do you pay upfront or only upon completion? I am actually looking at sterling is it recommended? It seems like most preferred gold? May I know the reason?

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello there, I seriously need some assistance here regarding the metal to choose. with 18k and 14 more tiny diamonds I will need to fork out twice the amount (comparing to a silver , plainer version) Is it worth to go for the gold? I know that silver oxidise over time, but what about plated ones? I would want to keep my cost down, but do not want to give a less than good quality anniversary gift if you understand.

Sally's gold is way off my budget. DanielM seems like a popular choice here, does he make a simple gold ring in 18k (with some diamonds down the shanks) below $550? Other than th U prongs I saw, has he done flower setting?
thanks

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

I think the vendor of the double lotus CAD that you posted above is Sheila Customize Jewelry--its a blog so I can't link it, but a search should pull it up.

Isn't this person a member here, or used to be ?

 

[jstarfireb]

Silver vs. gold is a personal choice. I favor silver instead of white gold simply because it's cheaper. Yes, it tarnishes (but you can also look into argentium silver, a newer tarnish-resistant alloy). But it gives me the same look for much less given how expensive gold is these days. I also prefer white metals over yellow ones in almost any circumstance, but sometimes yellow gold makes a stone look better than white metals. One think you could think about is a silver shank and a gold head to keep the price down. Sally and Daniel M have both done two-tone rings for me that have turned out great. I would also convo Daniel M regarding your other questions. He can do CADs for custom design, but I'm not sure about the price as I haven't done any pieces involving CADs.

 

[Stonerocks]

Hello jstar, I have decided to choose silver. I will be going to Sallys' as there are more "life samples' to see. jstar I found your lotus thread (Fantastic!). I like the stacking idea, as I hope to give her a lotus ring every other anniversary (with a different stone that is significant to us both!).