Excited, until CAD curveball

[geor6cle]

Hi all,

I've had a lot of fun through this crazy shopping process, and learning on pricescope, until now. I picked out a diamond, a 1.60 cushion cut. I am now working on a HW inspired setting.

I got the CAD and its throwing me for a loop, so I'm frustrated. I'd like the halo to look like CharmyPoo's setting and ginzagirl's setting. (pics below). I see the first is more squared off, and the second more rounded corners. My focal point here is the very clean look of the pave in the halo. And I've shown this to my local designer.






My first CAD came and I was struck by all the metal around the halo, particularly outside edge. I discussed it with the designer and reiterated what I was looking (sent photos above).

CAD 1 -


They sent CAD 2 and it seems to me that all that they did to change it was to round the corners of the halo.



I've read about CADs never looking as dainty as finished product. But my concern with this CAD is that my ring will not turn out at all like the finished rings in the pictures I sent as examples. The two examples I have make it seem as though there is no metal holding the micropave in at all, a floating effect, if you will. Will my CAD give my ring this look?

I get the sense that because in person will always look better than the CAD the designers are going, "yeah, yeah, it'll be fine." And not really getting what I'm saying. Or will it be fine?!

Thanks again!

 

[Gypsy]

Who is the vendor? Please read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/[/URL]

Also, the inspiration rings are not CAD and CAST. I know Charmy's is hand forged.

 

[distracts]

I've shown this to my local designer.

Have you seen any finished jewelry by this designer that proves they can execute this design in the way you desire? If not, abandon ship. Different jewelers are good at different things and you shouldn't just throw a dart at one to pick, you should research which is most talented at making the specific design you want.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I've shown this to my local designer.

Have you seen any finished jewelry by this designer that proves they can execute this design in the way you desire? If not, abandon ship. Different jewelers are good at different things and you shouldn't just throw a dart at one to pick, you should research which is most talented at making the specific design you want.

Ditto. Few locals are going to do the level of work that Charmy and others have had done. I am think Maytal Hannah might have made her first ring, but other designers like Victor Canera and Steven Kirsch also do top quality handforged pave rings. I would never take the chance on an unknown because quality in these kinds of settings will vary greatly!

I'd take the diamonds off the base of the doughnut (base under the halo). That will scratch the wedding band. The second halo shape is vastly better than the first, too!

 

[CharmyPoo]

Very few can do the quality of the sample photos you posted. As mentioned above, my ring is made by Maytal Hannah with one of her top benches. The second ring if I recall is an original Harry Winston - one of the most beautiful I have seen.

I have not seen any CAD/CAST ring made to this level of delicateness although ERD is probably one of the closest and JbEG does a fine job as well. I would highly suggest using Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, Leon Mege .. and also Maytal Hannah to replicate the ring. The first three must have done tens if not hundreds of halo rings like this.

 

[justginger]

Very few can do the quality of the sample photos you posted. As mentioned above, my ring is made by Maytal Hannah with one of her top benches. The second ring if I recall is an original Harry Winston - one of the most beautiful I have seen.

I have not seen any CAD/CAST ring made to this level of delicateness although ERD is probably one of the closest and JbEG does a fine job as well. I would highly suggest using Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, Leon Mege .. and also Maytal Hannah to replicate the ring. The first three must have done tens if not hundreds of halo rings like this.

Ditto to all of this. Your jeweler is doing the best he can within that type of manufacture, but CAD/cast can't hold a candle to true handmade art.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

I agree. If you want as little metal as possible and intricate perfect work, you may need to go hand forged. Casting may not get you the look you require.

 

[SB621]

I pretty much agree with everything everyone has stated. Have you seen pave done by your jewelry before? If you don't have the budget to go hand forged then I would contact mark at ERD. I have seen his pave HW halos and I think they are damn near perfect.

 

[geor6cle]

Wow, thank you for all that help. That certainly helps me set expectations. It is a local jewler, so step one will be to go back in and look at finished settings more closely. I looked the couple times I was there, but not as discriminating as I should have been. They have a standard "harry winston replica" CAD, so I will ask to see a finished one and evaluate from there.

The information on hand forged vs and cad and cast helps a lot too, I will search into that more. I had gotten a quote from Victor Canera, but the price was tough to swallow. I will probably check in with ERD as well to at least get something moving if my local jeweler falls short.

diamondseeker2006 - thanks for the input on the diamonds on the doughnut, I will bring that up to the designer. As well as your vote for CAD 2!

I'd love to hear any other suggestions on the current CADs, or how they can be modified, in the event I do move forward with the my local vendor. (after seeing their work!)

Thanks!

 

[yssie]

I think seeing some of your jeweller's finished pieces of that style will answer a lot of your questions.

Prices for handforged pieces are usually significantly higher but many of the more particular consumers on here who prefer a minimal-metal pave look have chosen that route and been very happy with the results. In casting molten metal is poured into a mold that's machined based on your CADs, in handforging the jeweller takes metal plates/wires and shapes them into a ring so each element is denser and less metal can be used for prongs, etc. without compromising structural stability.

Whichever vendor you decide on, the one thing I can't recommend strongly enough is that you have a discussion at the beginning to go over your expectations and their policies, and make sure you come to some agreement that you're comfortable with. I mean stuff like this -
- What are your expectations re. communication, status updates, etc.?
- How involved do you plan to be once manufacturing has begun? Will you want to see and approve waxes, etc.? Are they open to that sort of customer interaction?
- What happens if, once the ring is finished, you don't like it? I think there are many jewellers who will work with you to make sure you take home something you're happy with, but don't *count* on them bending over any further than exactly what you agree on in this discussion (which may be exactly what's stated on their policies page).
- Are there any re-design/remake charges if you request others? This is pretty standard, but you want to find out exactly what they are.
- Does the jeweller have any guarantees/warranties that you might want to take advantage of? Free polishings, melee replacements, etc. - find out what all the conditions are.

 

[ChristineRose]

I am not an expert on this, and it may just be an artifact of the CAD, but if you look closely at the two pictures you will see that the inner ring of beads securing the main stone are double in the second pic and single in the first. It may be that the stones on the band have altered as well, but I can't tell for sure.

I know that there are different ways of placing stones and cutting the beads to secure them and that different techniques have different visual effects and that some leave more or less metal around the stones and that some are more secure than others. Leon Mege has some stuff about it on his website, but it is pretty hard for me to follow. Anyhow, it is worth asking the jeweler about.