shape
carat
color
clarity

For diamond OR gemstone lovers - what percentage of the stone''s price will you spend on the setting

What percentage of the stone''s price would you spend on the setting

  • 10-20%

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • 60-80%

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • 80-100%

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • 100%+!!! I don''t care if I spend more than the stone...the setting makes the ring.

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Total voters
    1
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
OK, I wasn''t going to start any more threads today, but stepcutnut was curious and mentioned this on her thread.

What percentage of your stone''s price would you spend on the stone''s setting? This thread was done years ago on PS but I''m interested to hear the updates and please clarify in comments if you are talking about a diamond or colored stone and whether it is an e-ring or RHR.
 

Maisie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 30, 2006
Messages
12,587
Well hello Tgal. Fancy seeing you here!

I have learned my lesson and now I will only spend 10-20% on the setting. The rest is going on the bling!!
 

kcoursolle

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
10,595
It really depends on the ring for me. For gemstone rings the setting often costs more because metals are expensive whereas garnets, tourmalines, etc. depending on their color and size aren''t necessarily that much.

For an e-ring it also really depends on whether someone is a size person or wants a more ornate look. I was somewhere in the middle. I do agree with the idea of sinking more money into the stone though because you can always buy a fancier setting down the road.
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
I should have probably put some kind of starting point. If you have a 100K stone, you probably don''t need to spend 100K on the setting.

So let''s say 5K stone, or under. That means 5K setting.

I think for a 5K stone, it might be worth it to house it in something worthy. For a $200 stone, I''d probably put it in a setting around it''s value, but not much more. I would not put a 5K stone in a $300 setting.
 

purrfectpear

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
4,079
Diamonds, typically would like to keep setting under $5K.
Fine Gemstones, probably under $2.5K

Cheapy cute gemstones, under $800
 

vespergirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
5,497
For my ering, my plat solitaire setting cost about 10% of the cost of the diamond. I really wanted most of the money to go towards the purchase of the stone. Now that I have a great stone, though, I would spend more on the setting if I decide to reset it in a couple of years. But probably not more than, say, 30% of the cost of the diamond.
 

FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
Gemstones. I''ll spend more than 100% on the setting. Why? Because there aren''t a lot of settings out there for under $100, and that''s around the average price for my gemstones...
 

Brown.Eyed.Girl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
6,893
I''ve definitely spent more than the cost of the stone. But I like pretty stones, even if they''re not desirable colors...and that makes them pretty cheap
1.gif
(means more rings for BEG!)
 

musey

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 30, 2006
Messages
11,242
I''m all about the setting - the center stone completes the ring, not the other way around!
 

cellentani

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 28, 2008
Messages
3,820
I''m all over the map on this one: I have a platinum/diamond setting with a stone that''s probably not even worth $200 (but it actually came that way), a sapphire in a setting that''s worth more than twice as much as the stone, but my 1.3ct round brilliant is in a $700 setting.
33.gif
Actually, I looked at settings for a long time, and the design on the cheapie just clicked. It made my DH sigh with relief, though. Actually, it might be a temporary setting until our 20th anniversary.
31.gif
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
I said 100%. I guess jewelry for me comes along so so infrequently, I''d rather pay more for the setting I really want than settle (at that point, I''ve probably already settled on a cheaper stone than I was hoping for; I don''t think I''ll ever be at the point where I''m comfortable spending more than $5-8k on a stone). I would absolutely consider platinum vs white gold to reduce the price of the setting, but otherwise I wouldn''t shop around for cheaper options if I found the setting I really wanted.
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
i''m all about the center stone; the setting is merely a hold device.

mz
 

Rhea

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
6,408
I don''t own anything that costs mor than $5K. I think it depends too much to actually answer the question. I could see myself buying a pretty pale blue stone for $200 and spending $1,000 easily on the setting. I''m more likely to set a budget for an entire project, go in wanting a certain look, and not be bothered by how it splits out.
 

simplysplendid

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 19, 2006
Messages
1,772
I always struggle with this question. If it is an expensive gemstone where settings that cost much less than the stone can be found, it is an easy task. Often times I find pretty gemstones that are cheap, say $200-$300, but I can never find a suitable setting because the setting costs much more than the gold. Recently, I found a jewelry designer that has a counter in a local departmental store and he is willing to custom set gemstones in silver for about 100 to 200 bucks. I think I will be sending some of my pretties there.
 

meresal

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
5,720
My setting is a little under 30% of the price of my diamond. What can I say... I'm totally a setting girl!!
30.gif


To be honest, I fell in love with the setting, and he got a diamond to fit.
 

Italiahaircolor

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
5,184
I don''t budget really. If it''s the right setting, then no cost is to high or to cheap.
 

elle_chris

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
3,504
I''m llike Addy. I go into a project going for a particular look. How it splits up, isn''t something I consider.
 

Allison D.

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
2,282
I voted I don''t care. To clarify, when I first was looking into custom on my e-ring, one of the designers I phoned told me that I would be pushing it to have him create a setting since my stone was *only worth 6K* and I should consider than spending 2K on a setting probably wasn''t prudent,
23.gif
23.gif
(especially since it wasn''t refundable).

Honestly, I was considerably taken aback. My feeling was "I''m designing this ering to help make the RING important instead of just the stone, and if it makes me happy, why should anyone care what proportion of the cost the setting was?"

That was part of what made me realize that designer wasn''t probably the right choice for me; my goals and his weren''t aligned.

I think that everyone''s individual answer to this question is the "right" answer. It depends on what each person''s priorities are. For me, I wanted a ring that was a bit more off-the-beaten-path than the classic round solitaire. For me, the setting was the way to achieve that.

On my antique RHR, the setting was about 25% of the stone cost; I had been prepared to get close to 50% with the initial setting I had in mind.

For me, it''s more about loving the finished piece; I don''t really care what proportion each part of the cost is to the whole.
 

LostSapphire

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
3,336
If you''d asked me pre-PS, I''d have said all the $$ goes into the stone. The setting is just a ''delivery device''. So I have a 3 ctw RH ring with a really crappy setting that I regret purchasing.

The next project (post-PS) is my sapphire. Spent 1.5% on the setting compared to the centre stone. But that was due to fairly large melee/pears. The sapphire itself was unheated and seemed rather expensive compared to some I''ve seen. So it''s not like it was a $100 stone + setting
31.gif
NO REGRETS with getting a setting that lived up to the centre stone.

LS
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
Gemstone and diamonds: the cost of settings for both never exceed 30% of the stone. Gemstones can be expensive too but the star of the show is still the gem. The purpose of the setting is to help showcase it but not to overpower it.
 

soycoffee

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Messages
140
I voted the lowest amount for the setting. And for me, this was for my engagement ring. I am getting a hand-forged solitaire setting with matching wedding band for around $300 (200 for the setting, 100 for the band, in 18K gold), and the stone was around 3600. I wanted something nice that will last, because I''ve had issues with settings before. But, all in all, I want the most stone for my buck and the setting, though important, really isn''t the focus to me!
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
< 5%...
i go for cheap settings,b/c if i drop 5k on a setting and she changes her mind a couple of months later then there goes 5k down the toilet.we all know how women are changes their mind every minute.both of my wife's solitaire are set in cheap 14k wg.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
you wanna know what''s crazy?
people spent 4K on a custom setting and the melees kept popping out.
20.gif
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
Date: 4/14/2009 1:54:17 AM
Author: Dancing Fire
< 5%...
i go for cheap settings,b/c if i drop 5k on a setting and she changes her mind a couple of months later then there goes 5k down the toilet.we all know how women are changes their mind every minute.both of my wife''s solitaire are set in cheap 14k wg.
DF, isn''t your wife the one who doesn''t wear her rings?
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
Date: 4/14/2009 2:10:23 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 4/14/2009 1:54:17 AM
Author: Dancing Fire
< 5%...
i go for cheap settings,b/c if i drop 5k on a setting and she changes her mind a couple of months later then there goes 5k down the toilet.we all know how women are changes their mind every minute.both of my wife''s solitaire are set in cheap 14k wg.
DF, isn''t your wife the one who doesn''t wear her rings?
she does wear most them, just not her 3.34ct solitaire ring which stays in the safety deposit box most of the time.
20.gif
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
Date: 4/14/2009 2:25:05 AM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 4/14/2009 2:10:23 AM
Author: TravelingGal


Date: 4/14/2009 1:54:17 AM
Author: Dancing Fire
< 5%...
i go for cheap settings,b/c if i drop 5k on a setting and she changes her mind a couple of months later then there goes 5k down the toilet.we all know how women are changes their mind every minute.both of my wife''s solitaire are set in cheap 14k wg.
DF, isn''t your wife the one who doesn''t wear her rings?
she does wear most them, just not her 3.34ct solitaire ring which stays in the safety deposit box most of the time.
20.gif
Maybe she is waiting for a reset?
11.gif
 

Feralpenchant

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
427
I dunno how I should answer this.

The original setting I'm going to get for financial reasons is 600, so that makes it roughly 1/3 of the price of my stone.

BUT the setting I am going to eventually upgrade to (oh yes, it's already planned LOL) is $1550, so thats almost like, what, 80%? I am so bad at math.

BUT in an ideal world, the setting I WANT, but will never have, is definitely 100%++++++++. And I would have NO problem spending that if I could.
12.gif


EDIT: I am only getting a .70ct ish center, so it's not hard to spend >40% on the setting with a stone that small.
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
It depends.

If it's a diamond you are planning to upgrade, and the setting doesn't have a peg/ interchangeable head? Not much, the less the better.
If it's your 'forever diamond'... who cares? It's the total package that matters not the parts. You could easily have bought a 5K stone in a 150 setting a few years ago and now want a gorgeous 5 stone platinum setting for 5K by Leon. Go for it. Heck, spend 10k. What do I care.
If it's a colored stone.... I think you have to be realistic about the wear it's going to get. If you have 15 colored stone RHR and you switch them out constantly and you paid 200 or less for the center stone...meh, I wouldnt' spend too much on the setting, but it isn't hard to get a lovely stone for 200 (if you like 'less desirable' shades than mainstream, which I happen to) and it IS hard to get a decent setting for 200. So I'd say, don't spend much, but get what you want.
If it's a really standout colored stone and you plan on wearing it nearly everyday... go for the perfect 5K setting for the 5K stone. Again, it's a total package thing.
 

arjunajane

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2008
Messages
9,758
I would've formally been one to say, no more than ~25% on the setting vs the stone. I think the proportion
for my ering was way less..
But CS are a whole 'nother ball game - for example the setting for my garnet ring is almost 4 times
the cost of the gem
6.gif

But for me, it was the whole package - I loved the gem, loved the design, and so figured I would love
them together
5.gif


I agree with the others that have said it really just depends and it should be about the end product.
I also agree that the setting should showcase the gem - but often we need to pay for these good proportions etc
to create the showcase, kwim?
I have found in my personal experience that most cheap settings ($500 and less) just do not create the
complementary look I'm after..
 

babysteps

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
597
I voted 100%+ but was thinking of colored gemstones when I picked that one . . . just because some of the stones I really love aren''t at a high price point, but in my head (like Arjunajane mentioned) I have an idea of what I want as the final product and I''m more sensitive to that image vs. a flat dollar limit on a setting - within reason! And sometimes, even reason takes a holiday - I have planned (and saved!) to set my aqua in a LM split shank setting, which is pricey but it''s an incredibly sentimental stone for me, so it''s worth it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top