FCD Ring Design

[chrono]

I've been mulling over several designs and none have captured my heart completely. All the designs thus far have been Romanov inspired and I'd like to stay similar in feel.

Stones to be used:
Fancy intense orangish yellow pear 6 x 4 mm
Fancy intense pink oval 4.4 x 3.3 mm
Light green demantoid round 4.0 mm
I do have a pair of very pale pink rounds close around 3 to 4 mm each that can be used if needed.

The original inspiration ring belongs to a PSer and I attempted to modify it to find 3 completely different shaped, sized and coloured stones. What do you think? Yes or plain crazy?

 

[chrono]

I have played around with a tsavorite before but the size was too large. As you can see, the FCDs are strongly coloured enough to stand up to a well coloured gemstone.

 

[minousbijoux]

I love the idea of your FCDs altogether in a ring. My concern is that the saturation level of the demantoid is such that it makes the other two stones look a bit washed out. I'd say the diamonds are a good match saturation-wise, but I think you can do better than the demantoid...sorry.

 

[chrono]

Hmmm....I'll have to make time to go to the bank vault to place all 3 stones next to each other. I thought the colour combo is doable because all 3 are pastel coloured.

 

[JewelFreak]

I think I agree with Minou. The demantoid changes the equation a bit too much. What about using the pink rounds with just the other FCDs? They're all beautifully beautiful. I like your design a lot too. Graceful & different.

--- Laurie

 

[minousbijoux]

I think I agree with Minou. The demantoid changes the equation a bit too much. What about using the pink rounds with just the other FCDs? They're all beautifully beautiful. I like your design a lot too. Graceful & different.

--- Laurie

Laurie: I like beautifully beautiful.

 

[chrono]

Bummer.... The pair of pale pinks are super pale. They look almost like colourless / white diamonds. I definitely need to drop by the vault and photograph all 5 together to see what looks best together.

 

[pinkjewel]

Bummer.... The pair of pale pinks are super pale. They look almost like colourless / white diamonds. I definitely need to drop by the vault and photograph all 5 together to see what looks best together.

Chrono, I agree with you that I think the pale pinks would be too pale with your other FCDs. I also have a pair of light pinks in that size range and I think the soft pink color they have would be drained next to your intense pink and yellow. I've found that I need to put them next to colorless diamonds to get the pink to pop. I'm also going to go against the consensus here and say I like the color combo with the garnet, although it would be nice to see all three together. You might also consider finding a nicely colored mint garnet as another option.

 

[VapidLapid]

I dont know what Romanov means here . Could you show some?

What I see for this is some sculptural quality to the forms and the stones nestled spooning-like in to them. the set off the fcds Im imaging the organic volume of gold has lapis set into it, or enamel...

 

[chrono]

I dont know what Romanov means here . Could you show some?

I prefer to stay away from enamel, especially in a ring. Feast your eyes here:
http://www.romanovrussia.com

 

[JewelFreak]

One of my favorite sites, Chrono. I check it often just to drool. Anything inspired by pieces there is gonna be a dazzler!

--- Laurie

 

[sonyachancs]

I love the idea of your FCDs altogether in a ring. My concern is that the saturation level of the demantoid is such that it makes the other two stones look a bit washed out. I'd say the diamonds are a good match saturation-wise, but I think you can do better than the demantoid...sorry.

I think this too! it looks much better with the tsavorite shade-wise, I think - but it is rather huge!

 

[FrekeChild]

I think a mint green would be better. I don't like the tsav or the demantoid either. They compete too much with the delicate colors of the diamonds.

 

[Starzin]

I love the new demantoid - it's gorjus. However I too would like to see them photographed together.

FWIW I'm attaching an inspiration ring and a bit of a (poor) photoshop I did in the last go-round - but by the time I'd done it you were on to something else. Maybe the little pinks in the flowers of the original? The top of the ring could be joined or not and the demantoid is the wrong colour if you again want to contemplate the tsav.

Not exactly Romanav but flowery at least.

 

[T L]

I have played around with a tsavorite before but the size was too large. As you can see, the FCDs are strongly coloured enough to stand up to a well coloured gemstone.

I would love to see the tsavorite in a halo of pink diamond melee.

 

[chrono]

I don't think I will use a mint garnet. Althought sparkly and brilliant, it doesn't have the same dispersion as a coloured diamond and will end up looking out of place IRL. In addition, it is difficult to get a well saturated mint garnet in such a small size. Most 3 to 4 mm coloured stones tend to not be strongly saturated.

Starzin,
Thank you for the photoshopped designs.

TL,
I am not Ms Moneybags; you are killing my gem budget with your suggestion of a halo of pink FCDs. I've already put aside two pairs of hot pink trillion Mahenge spinels for the tsavorite. I just have not found the right design for it yet.

 

[pregcurious]

What about something like this (but simpler). You would need more stones, but it sounds like you have several loose in your vault.

 

[LD]

I agree with others about the Demantoid (and the Tsav). I'm not keen on them in the design. In fact, I'm not wildly keen on adding anything other than FCDs to the ring. You mentioned very pale pinks but bearing in mind the lavish setting I think it would work. The setting is so unique and ornate that you actually don't want the gems to overpower.

My ONLY hesitation is that I'm wondering whether such a fancy setting is right for your diamonds because it will detract from them? I'd be tempted to use that design but with other gemstones (not FCDs) and then think about having a total FCD designed ring.

 

[T L]

I agree with others about the Demantoid (and the Tsav). I'm not keen on them in the design. In fact, I'm not wildly keen on adding anything other than FCDs to the ring. You mentioned very pale pinks but bearing in mind the lavish setting I think it would work. The setting is so unique and ornate that you actually don't want the gems to overpower.

My ONLY hesitation is that I'm wondering whether such a fancy setting is right for your diamonds because it will detract from them? I'd be tempted to use that design but with other gemstones (not FCDs) and then think about having a total FCD designed ring.

Yes, perhaps a nice delicate pendant with the FCD's hanging from each other.

http://images.fancydiamonds.net/_media/diamonds1/mix-diamond-pendants-28960.7c590.jpg

You could hang a pearl from them as well, since pearls are delicate in color enough not to take away from the FCD's.

 

[pregcurious]

Instead of combining the stone, could you start with one of them and put them in something like this, or even a simpler double halo with contrasting stones? The ring is from James Currens, of J.W. Currens. It features a moonstone in a diamond halo, in a cushion of color change garnets, and was a 2010 AGTA Spectrum Award winner:

 

[velouriaL]

I love this idea and can't wait to see how it proceeds.

I really love preg's suggestion, but perhaps (as I think other have suggested) it might be better with a collection of non-diamond colored gems.

Perhaps collect a couple of white diamonds and arrange them in. I'm imagining maybe a marquis and then a few much smaller accent rounds.

Here's more inspiration from that "mix and match" designer I love:
http://mociun.com/custom-diamond-stone-cluster-rings/
It takes a lot of experimentation to make them look great!

 

[endless_summer]

First off, all of the stones are very drool worthy - I really liked FrekeChild's idea about using a mint green, as I think mint would complement the softer colors of the FCD's, but I understand why you're opting away from that option. Maybe instead of including green at all - how about a smaller colorless round in place of the green? There's no way it would clash with the pink and the yellow, it would have the same dispersion/refractive properties being a diamond, and...perhaps it would make the pink and yellow FCD's colors look even stronger by contrast - Just a thought. You have a great eye, so I don't know if my idea jives with what you envision, but whatever you decide will be beautiful.

 

[chrono]

I'm sure many of you know that I am headstrong in persisting with design and colour ideas so I will try to keep an open mind. I definitely do not want a pendant though because I want to be able to see and admire them in a ring. It seems a shame to spend $$$ on FCDs and the setting to have others be able to enjoy them instead.

I managed to get to the vault to photograph all my FCDs. Lighting isn't the great in the small dark room with only 2 fluorescent tubes but this is all I have. These were taken with the diamonds in their cases, so there is a lot of case reflection and some distortion of colour. That said, since they are all taken under the same light condition, I think we can judge the colour combination fairly.

 

[chrono]

I positioned FCDs in an arrangement that somewhat resembles the setting design. The pink oval is to the left, the pear is angled on the right and the demantoid is a little under the pear.

 

[chrono]

I risked one hand shot to get an accurate colour representation. All 3 stones will show more dispersion outdoors. Any change of opinion?

 

[yssie]

Chrono, you'll have to bear with me as I'm no expert, but I don't like that combination either, for a different reason. I copied that first hand pic you posted into photoshop and blurred out the stones and when I can't see anything but splotches of colour I find that I actually like the colours (tones? hues?) together - it's an unexpected combination but my eyes don't object to the fact that that the green is more strongly saturated. My objection is more that the difference in faceting yields such different "types" of light return - I can't help but focus on it in your pics but I'm wondering if we'd perceive a better 'match' if the green shared the crushed ice type of faceting that the diamonds have that results in that mellow, even colouring in photos vs. the big-chunky-facet-brightness..?

I don't know how easy/hard it is to match faceting *and* colour though. Would finding a match even be possible? Here's a quickie paintjob of the opposite combo - just the parts of the diamonds that have that larger chunkier faceting that matches the green - the colours work IMO, in the pic at least! Though I think ideally I still *would* prefer a slightly less saturated green.



(FTR I don't use "crushed ice" in the derogatory way it's often presented in RT - I happen to love the endless tub of glitter effect in the right stone in the right setting )

 

[FrekeChild]

I'm with Yssie on this. I think the chunkier faceting AND the more saturated color of the garnet draw my eye away from the diamonds, and that just doesn't seem right! I like the pink, yellow and green idea, I just think the three stones would be better served in different pieces. I do like the pink and the yellow together though, since their saturation and faceting go well together.

I love the delicate pink of the two rounds. What do you want to do with those?

 

[T L]

I would like a three stone ring with the demantoid in the center and the two light pink rounds on the side. Pink brings out green and vice versa.

As for the FCD's, you could make a line pendant that looks like this. I still don't see a ring with them.

Sorry, I couldn't tilt the oval correctly in my paint application, but you get the idea.

 

[chrono]

Darn it, I was hoping to get a more positive response but it is what it is. More searching and playing around with stones and design for this one. I do have 2 other designs in mind, utilizing only the 4 FCDs but neither are fully fleshed out yet.

 

[LD]

Sorry Chrono - all I see is the green stone. The others are over-powered by it. Totally - not just a bit.

I like the combo that TL has put together but I understand the need for a ring.

Please stick to FCDs together and not the mix-match version.