Fay Cullen antique halo ring

[BrightSpot]

Hi there!

So, it''s been a long, winding road in the search for an engagement ring.

I just saw this ring on Fay Cullen''s site yesterday & am in love! I love the octagonal bezel & halo with the space between the halo & center stone & the shape & design of the band. Ideally, I would love to have a mounting like this one to remount my 1.23 ct RB into. Do you know if anyone sells a mounting like this?

Or, would I be better off buying the ring from Fay Cullen? I''m a little nervous about the J color & the chip in the girdle. Perhaps that is covered by the bezel, but is that something that could compromise the integrity of the stone? (i.e. could the chip spread?)

Also, does anyone know what kind of wedding band could go with this ring? I really want to be able to wear the e-ring & wedding band together on the same finger.

Thanks for your help!

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 6/7/2005 9:08:52 AM
Author:BrightSpot

Hi there!

So, it''s been a long, winding road in the search for an engagement ring.

I just saw this ring on Fay Cullen''s site yesterday & am in love! I love the octagonal bezel & halo with the space between the halo & center stone & the shape & design of the band. Ideally, I would love to have a mounting like this one to remount my 1.23 ct RB into. Do you know if anyone sells a mounting like this?

Or, would I be better off buying the ring from Fay Cullen? I''m a little nervous about the J color & the chip in the girdle. Perhaps that is covered by the bezel, but is that something that could compromise the integrity of the stone? (i.e. could the chip spread?)

Also, does anyone know what kind of wedding band could go with this ring? I really want to be able to wear the e-ring & wedding band together on the same finger.

Thanks for your help!

You know.. I was looking at this same ring about 4 months ago. I love fay Cullens settings. Here are a few things that I found about it. Fay Cullen sells her settings.. I also had a hard time imagining what band I would be able to put with it. Unfortunately, this was one of the reasons that I decieded not to get this ring, or any like it. I knew that I could go custom, but I also knew how hard it was going to be to find something or make something to match up. I did not want to wear my E-ring and W-ring seperate, so it was quite a dilemma. Maybe others can give you an idea as well.

 

[MINE!!]

Try these links.. they may help.. this is when I was asking about Fay Cullen and the ring that you are looking into.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/fay-cullen.25854/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/advice-on-band-for-engagement-ring.26519/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/chipped-girdle.26524/

 

[Kaleigh]

Hey Brightspot,
Why not give them a call. I bought my SIL''S OEC from Fay Cullen. I dealt with Eduardo and he was very helpful. Ask him about the chip in the girdle and if a wedding band can sit next to this ring. It''s a beautiful ring, and they are great to work with. What happaened to the asscher you were thinking about??

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi Brightspot,
I have a OEC stone that has two chips on the girdle, I recently had it reset and they covered the chips with a prong (they were very close together) anyway, the chips caused some internal damage that lowered the clarity but my stone is still eyeclean. i think chips are common in older stones, but placing them in a bezel setting is great protection from what i've learned

i agree, give them a call and ask about the potential for future damage. It is a gorgeous ring. By the looks of it, that style doesn't look like it will work with a wedding band unless you get something custom made around it. i'm glad you're thinking about it on the front end. i've heard many stories of ladies picking out e-ring w/out thinking about the wedding band and not being able to wear them together.

 

[kimmbe]

Greetings,

2 things -- have you seen Chellebelle's ring? She got a Ritani round halo and had her stone already, so hopefully this means you can send them your stone to set in it. I've heard on here that they won't use customer's center stone at all AND I've also heard, via Chellebelle's and others' posts, that they'll use it if it's greater than a carat and then custom set it for you.

2nd-- I don't know how to post this particular thread, but search for cute330xigrl. She had a custom-made Leon Mege with a space between her RB and the halo. The pic I posted is hers, I believe.



Hope this helps!

Kimberley

 

[valeria101]

Date: 6/7/2005 9:08:52 AM
Author:BrightSpot

I love the octagonal bezel ... Ideally, I would love to have a mounting like this one to remount my 1.23 ct RB into. Do you know if anyone sells a mounting like this?

Also, does anyone know what kind of wedding band could go with this ring?

Trying to take point by point...

- the picture attached tries to guess-timate how a wedding band might fit next to this ring. It may get closer than that on the finger, but exactly how it will look on your ring size is not as easy to guess.

- The shape of the bezel was done to fit the stone - for a round diamond it would be round... or the design of the ring should change. Fay Cullen makes these settings - you could have one done for your stone, if they agree to do this.

- A VVS-sized chip is something so small it could be just some theoretical matter

 

[Mara]

i absolutely love the Fay Cullen settings like that where the lacework on the bottom that Val highlighted is soooo beautiful and antique looking. I also love the side ''ties'' where the shoulders of the shank meet the head, they are so different.

as someone else mentioned, FC does sell settings separately, but when i last checked, the selection was not as wide as the ones already mounted with stones.

one thought is if you cannot get this setting from her, to buy the ring (as you mentioned) and then have the center stone in this ring reset for a pendant or something fun. if your budget can afford it.

oh and make sure you like the look of something like that on the hand. i find that i really like alot of those old art deco halo rings but then on my hand they just don''t look right. so hard to tell!!

 

[BrightSpot]

Wow--thanks so much to everyone for your wonderful advice!

I emailed Fay Cullen to see if they would be able to produce a similar setting for me and to ask about the chip in the girdle of this stone. I''ll let you know what she says.

It does seem that wedding band compatability is quite an issue with a ring like this. I definitely don''t want to wear my e-ring & w-ring separately!

Mine, thanks for the links to your previous threads--so helpful! (and again, I LOVE your new e-ring!

)

I have to say, I''d never thought about an OEC for an e-ring, but I''ve seen so many gorgeous ones lately (kaleigh & mrssalvo!) that they''re starting to appeal to me.

Kaleigh, I looked at the asscher again in person & it was lovely, but somehow not quite "the one."

Mrssalvo, thanks for the reassurance about the chips in the girdle. I guess if the clarity is still vvs2 even with the chip, it''s probably a minor issue. It does indeed seem that the bezel setting could provide great protection.

Kommbe, thanks for the links to Chellebelle & cute330xigrl''s rings--they''re stunners! I really think I like the look of an octagonal bezel better than a round one. (or at least an octagonal halo...)

valeria--wow, you''re amazing! What a catch 22--I love the look of the lacework on the bottom of the ring, but maybe not if it prevents wedding band compatibility! Do you think some sort of curved band might work? Maybe something like this from antiqueengagementrings.com? You''re probably right about the chip being really small...

Mara, I love the lacework & side ties too! (also what looks like 2 bands held together by the tie.) Good point about how the ring looks on the hand. My ring size is 7 (the same as the model''s in the hand shot of the ring) so I think it''s big enough to pull off a substantially sized ring. I really like the way it looks on her hand, and have tried on 1 similarly large looking antique ring, which I liked. (It''s hard to find rings in my size to try on...

) Interesting thought re: resetting my 1.23 ct into this setting. Do you think it would accomodate my stone? (the current stone is a 1.02 ct OEC)

Hopefully Fay will email me back soon!

 

[BrightSpot]

Do you think a curved band like this from antiqueengagementrings.com could work? Or maybe that''s still not enough of a curve to accomodate the halo...

 

[BrightSpot]

Here are Edward of Fay Cullen''s responses to my questions:

"Unfortunately we cannot sell this ring simply as a mounting. AS per our phone conversation the
center stone is a 1.05ct J color VVS clarity(small chip on girdle). The chip is not visible to the naked eye. The chip is not likely to spread and it will be tough to find a matching band for such a unique ring such as this."

Whaddaya tink?

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 6/7/2005 3:03:43 PM
Author: BrightSpot
Here are Edward of Fay Cullen''s responses to my questions:


''Unfortunately we cannot sell this ring simply as a mounting. AS per our phone conversation the

center stone is a 1.05ct J color VVS clarity(small chip on girdle). The chip is not visible to the naked eye. The chip is not likely to spread and it will be tough to find a matching band for such a unique ring such as this.''


Whaddaya tink?

I think that I personally would not be worried about the chip... with reasons that you see here in the post. I would think about contacting some of the Pscope vendors that do custome work.. Get in contact with them, tell them what''s up, send them a pic of the ring. Ask if they can make a band that looks antique but still fits... and see what happens..

 

[mrssalvo]

would you care if your band was curved? I think you have to decide how important a wearing a wedding band on the same hand is to you. When i had my recent setting done, it was designed to allow for the wedding to sit next to it and just below the diamonds in the gallery. If you like this design you could always get something made custom, using your stone, that would allow for the wedding band.

if you LOVE the Fay Cullen ring, I wouldn''t worry about the chip either...

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks again for your thoughts!

So I have a couple of updates. First, I called FC back to ask if they could make this setting for my stone. They checked around & said they could, but it''ll take 8 weeks & they won''t set my stone into it for me. Also, my stone is not certified, so I don''t have exact measurements, which might present a problem. (or a delay & another expense to have it appraised/certed) So this might be workable, if a bit of a hassle & a wait.

I also contacted WF to see if they could make a similar mounting for my stone & how a wedding band could fit flush next to it. I''ll let you know what they say. Do you know of anyone who has had an antique-style ring made by WF? I''m not sure if it would be better to have FC make the setting, as it''s her design, or WF. I''ve seen a lot of stunning rings from WF''s design studio...

I tried to do a little research last night on the way home from the gym.

I stopped by a local jeweler to try on (again) an antique ring. I really just wanted to see an OEC again in person to gauge my interest in the FC ring. I really love this ring--it''s a 1.67 ct OEC w/ a floating bezel set stone, a bit of a halo & a similar lacey undercarriage to the FC ring.

It was quite stunning and looked absolutely huge. (I dreamed about it last night!) I tried on a few bands w/ it & none looked at all right until I tried on a plain, thin, flat platinum band, which slid under the halo & fit flush w/ the shank. So this gives me hope w/ the FC ring...and more dreams of OECs...

 

[BrightSpot]

Oh, mrssalvo, I wouldn''t care if the band were curved. I care more about how the band looks with the e-ring than how it looks alone. (though it seems to me that it would look nicer to have a thin band that would slide under the halo than something that goes around it--the latter might look too visually cluttered...)

 

[mrssalvo]

i agree, a thin straight band to slide underneath would look very nice...

 

[BrightSpot]

Update: I got a quote from Quest manufacturing (who made mrssalvo & diamondlil''s gorgeous rings, among others!) that was less than what FC quoted me to make the setting. Quest will also set my diamond & ship the ring back to me for free! And this will take 2-3 weeks, not 8!

BF says I have to sleep on it b/c I''m so fickle w/ the ring decisions, but so far this sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Here were Rose from Quest''s comments about the w-band. What do you think?

"With this ring, since the side work is so minimal and the center
piece rises up, you really could go with an eternity band, and it would
look great. The space between the two will be very small. However if
you like, we can make something for you that would be flush, I do want to
remind you however that custom fit bands do not look good alone. And
from experience a lot of people want the custom fit band then regret it
later because sometimes they don''t want to wear there engagement ring,
but just the band itself can look real funny. So think about it and
like you said you didn''t want it right away so you have some time to sleep
on the idea."

Do you think I should have them alter the design of the ring to ensure that a non-curved band will fit flush or leave it as it is & either find a thin band to slide under the halo or get a custom made band later?

 

[mrssalvo]

I like the idea of a straight band so you can wear it alone. if you look at my ring, a staight wedding band will not sit flush but I actually like the little gap, it makes it look more antique to me. my grandmother''s antique rings didn''t sit flush and looked fabulous. you could have them make you a thin band w/ or w/out diamonds that would sit close to the ring but not distract from it

 

[BrightSpot]

I agree, mrssalvo, it would be nice to have the option of wearing the w-band alone. Also, I don''t know that I would want an additional row of band or diamonds around the halo on only one side. It might look too busy. I think a bit of a gap probably does make it look more antique.

From the pics you posted, I love the look of your eternity band w/ your e-ring, but I''m sure the new band will be even more gorgeous! (and more vintage looking) I can''t wait to see it!

 

[mrssalvo]

ya know, i put a thin plain band next to my new setting and it really looked very nice. I think a simple band would look great as well. If you go w/ quest, after they finish the ring they will help you decide what would work and what would look best. they could probaby take measurements for both, then you could take you ring local and get an idea of what would work best.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 6/8/2005 2:58:15 PM
Author: BrightSpot

Do you think I should have them alter the design of the ring to ensure that a non-curved band will fit flush ?

Sure do.

Perhaps not gut the undercarriage completely (like the Ritani ring), but make it concave instead of convex; in other words make any connecting elements between band and frame bend away from the band. "Lovey"s ring is designed like this, and this one...
This may not allow an eternity band to sit completely flush to the ring's band, but get very, very close instead of one mile apart as is now.

Sorry for the ugly drawing next to beautiful rings

 

[BrightSpot]

Valeria, Thanks so much for the detailed drawings! They really help me visualize the band placement. (I''m a bit spatially impaired!

)

Do you think Quest could keep the design of the lacework in place (that''s one of the many things that attract me to this ring), but shape it differently or set it at a different angle so that a band could fit flush?

 

[treysar]

My band will be curved to fit around ,y ring, similar to the one bright spot posted, but the curve is a bit more severe. Fay Cullen has a few rings on the site that are shown with band like that.

I will show you pics once we pick the band up. Personally, I do not LOVE the idea of putting a band with a ring like mine, but like you, I always wanted a set, so I got it anyway. Yet another excuse to buy more jewelry some day!!

 

[BrightSpot]

treysar, I was wondering what you''d choose for a w-band to go with your stunning e-ring. I can''t wait to see it!

Never refuse an excuse to buy more jewelry!

 

[BrightSpot]

I was thinking a band like this might look nice with the e-ring. What do you guys think? It''s very narrow (2mm wide and only 1.4mm tall) & I''m hoping it could slide under the halo & fit nearly flush against the e-ring. I sent its picture & specs to Quest & their response was as follows:

"I find the band you''ve chosen to be very interesting. I remember
you saying how much you liked Ms. Salvo''s engagement ring...well this
band you picked out happens to be the same band she picked out as well!

I think that it''s a great band for your ring and it will compliment it
so elegantly. With a band so slim and chic there will be no necessary
adjustments needed. The space between the two bands will be very slim.
You are going to love this set!"

I hope it will indeed fit nicely...

I''m getting excited!

 

[treysar]

Thanks!! FYI, I tried on a small, low profile band like you have pictured and it looked very nice! My concern was that it would wear away at the e-ring setting ,so ask your jewler about that. I actually boguht a plain small band like that and it fits under the halo of the ring. But i am probably just going to wear the plain one on my other hand and *hopefully* will get a few stacking eternity bands to go with it some day!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 6/10/2005 10:26:27 AM
Author: BrightSpot

With a band so slim and chic there will be no necessary adjustments needed. The space between the two bands will be very slim.

Good to know ! The band is very subtle. I am sure it would fit the halo ring to perfection

No one can tell it better than the maker, of course.

 

[BrightSpot]

I hope so! I''m still a little nervous about the band fitting w/o alteration to the ring''s styling, but I guess I''ll trust the folks at Quest...

This is nerve wracking! Fun, but nerve wracking!

 

[BrightSpot]

Treysar, do you have pave on the sides of your ring or under the halo? Is that what would wear away w/ a band like that or would the band just wear away at any part of the mounting it touches? That''s definitely something to ask my jeweler.

I think either a plain band that fit under your halo or the curved band would look stunning.

With all of this talk about halos, are we angels?

 

[MINE!!]

I AM!!!

ha ha ha ha ha