I could really use some opinions here. Some potentially useful background info is below (skip to the questions and pics at the bottom if you have a short attention span )
I've got a beautiful .904 carat AGS 0 stone sitting at Whiteflash waiting to be set. I'm not particularly in a hurry as I'm not planning on proposing for awhile however, so I want to make the right decision on the setting. I've shown my girlfriend a million and one settings to find out what she likes and I'd like to keep what I will be purchasing a surprise from here on out (she has no idea I've already bought the stone).
Initially, she kept coming back to the Whiteflash Sleekline Legato as her favorite setting after looking at tons of settings online and in person over the course of a couple of weeks. We both really like how it tapers in towards the head and find the Legato head more interesting than most alternatives.
However, I could tell that she wanted a little something "more" in the setting. Ultimately, after looking at lots more pics of various settings this led to her saying that she thought she'd prefer the Sleekline Legato with some milgrain added. Whiteflash promptly sent over some pics and she said that she thought the milgrain was just the extra touch that she was looking for.
Of course, I had to keep pushing it and showing her more and more settings I found online and I think her new favorite settings might be similar to the BlueNile and Gabriel & Co settings I've added pictures of below. These 2 settings are somewhat similar to the Sleekline Legato but add milgrain all around (vs. just around the pave) as well as engraving. At the end of the day, I think she'd be happy with any of them, but I want to get her what she'll be the happiest with.
I much prefer the head on the Legato over the other 2 rings and BlueNile doesn't sell settings separately anyway. The Gabriel & Co setting is only listed as available in WG and I definitely want to purchase platinum. Whiteflash informed me that they can add both the milgrain and hand engraving to their Legato Sleekline for what I consider a fair price, essentially making the Sleekline Legato look a lot more like the BlueNile and Gabriel & Co settings. I have a few reservations/questions and would like to hear your thoughts however.
Questions:
1. First and foremost, what is your opinion of the simpler Legato + milgrain around the pave vs. the 2 other settings with milgrain around the entire ring + engraving?
2. Is one more timeless/trendy (do I need to worry about her tiring of it more easily)?
3. Wouldn't milgrain all around the edge of the ring create issues when worn with the matching wedding band (also with milgrain)? I will ultimately purchase a matching band when the time comes and it seems like milgrain around the pave only might be better than around the entire sides of the shank (inner and outer edge) when the 2 rings are pressed against each other. Wouldn't this cause the milgrain to wear down fairly quickly?
4. Can milgrain around the entire edge of the ring create any comfort issues?
5. Am I forgetting anything...another option possibly?
Please help me with this decision...thanks so much!
Sleekline Legato with Milgrain (also a couple of pics without milgrain to better show the head and matching band):
BlueNile setting with tapered head, pave, milgrain, engraving:
Gabriel & Co. setting with tapered head, pave, milgrain, engraving:
I've got a beautiful .904 carat AGS 0 stone sitting at Whiteflash waiting to be set. I'm not particularly in a hurry as I'm not planning on proposing for awhile however, so I want to make the right decision on the setting. I've shown my girlfriend a million and one settings to find out what she likes and I'd like to keep what I will be purchasing a surprise from here on out (she has no idea I've already bought the stone).
Initially, she kept coming back to the Whiteflash Sleekline Legato as her favorite setting after looking at tons of settings online and in person over the course of a couple of weeks. We both really like how it tapers in towards the head and find the Legato head more interesting than most alternatives.
However, I could tell that she wanted a little something "more" in the setting. Ultimately, after looking at lots more pics of various settings this led to her saying that she thought she'd prefer the Sleekline Legato with some milgrain added. Whiteflash promptly sent over some pics and she said that she thought the milgrain was just the extra touch that she was looking for.
Of course, I had to keep pushing it and showing her more and more settings I found online and I think her new favorite settings might be similar to the BlueNile and Gabriel & Co settings I've added pictures of below. These 2 settings are somewhat similar to the Sleekline Legato but add milgrain all around (vs. just around the pave) as well as engraving. At the end of the day, I think she'd be happy with any of them, but I want to get her what she'll be the happiest with.
I much prefer the head on the Legato over the other 2 rings and BlueNile doesn't sell settings separately anyway. The Gabriel & Co setting is only listed as available in WG and I definitely want to purchase platinum. Whiteflash informed me that they can add both the milgrain and hand engraving to their Legato Sleekline for what I consider a fair price, essentially making the Sleekline Legato look a lot more like the BlueNile and Gabriel & Co settings. I have a few reservations/questions and would like to hear your thoughts however.
Questions:
1. First and foremost, what is your opinion of the simpler Legato + milgrain around the pave vs. the 2 other settings with milgrain around the entire ring + engraving?
2. Is one more timeless/trendy (do I need to worry about her tiring of it more easily)?
3. Wouldn't milgrain all around the edge of the ring create issues when worn with the matching wedding band (also with milgrain)? I will ultimately purchase a matching band when the time comes and it seems like milgrain around the pave only might be better than around the entire sides of the shank (inner and outer edge) when the 2 rings are pressed against each other. Wouldn't this cause the milgrain to wear down fairly quickly?
4. Can milgrain around the entire edge of the ring create any comfort issues?
5. Am I forgetting anything...another option possibly?
Please help me with this decision...thanks so much!
Sleekline Legato with Milgrain (also a couple of pics without milgrain to better show the head and matching band):
BlueNile setting with tapered head, pave, milgrain, engraving:
Gabriel & Co. setting with tapered head, pave, milgrain, engraving: