Getting closer... some opinions please

[bfready]

Ok, I''m getting close to reserving a stone and posting it here for opinions, but for now some general advice is needed. My gf doesn''t want a big stone. For a RB, she says .75 ct is big enough (and trust me, I tried to get her to go bigger). Since my diamond budget is not going toward the weight, I''m getting an AGS0 H&A stone. Clarity is not much of a concern as long as it''s eyeclean. (If any of our friends walk around with a loupe, we have to find a new set of friends.) I''ve been given a lot of leeway on the setting - she likes solitaires, three-stone, or channel set solitaires. I want something very nice in platinum, so I''m sending the stone off to Mark Morrell. Now for my questions:

Diamond: Since the stone will have an ideal cut, I was wondering about color. I don''t think it needs to be any higher than G, but would H look ok? I was thinking that in a platinum mount it would still look good, but thoughts are appreciated.

Setting: I want to go with the Mark Morrell Flame. I''m going with just a solitaire because I think additional stones would detract from a fairly small center stone. I may have Mark set diamonds in the wedding band, but we have time to decide that. My question is whether I should have Mark set the little diamonds around the basket on the Flame or just leave those areas open. He can go either way, and I could probably go either way, so I''ll leave it up to you guys to help me make up my mind.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mrssalvo]

an ideal cut H in a plat. mounting will look fine and plenty white..

as for the setting, I vote no little diamonds in the head, but that''s totally a personal preference thing

 

[Gypsy]

H will be lovely.

I vote for diamonds in the head... but it''s a personal preference thing for me.

 

[Sundial]

I agree that you will be perfectly fine with an H colored diamond. As for the Flame setting I kind of like the idea of having little diamonds in the head since you''ve decided not to do pave on the shank. It just adds a little extra "something" to the design and will nicely compliment any diamonds you decide to put in the wedding band. Keep us posted and make sure you come back with pictures!

 

[jaz464]

I say, diamonds in the head. It will give it a little something extra and make it more special than a regular solotaire setting. And the diamonds are not seen from the top (the most common way to view a ring) so whether your GF would prefer them or not, they are not THAT obvious. But definitely a nice touch.

Off topic slightly but I just went to take another look at the setting. I just don''t get the heart-shaped prong look. I mean, the idea is nice and super cute but to me, it makes the diamond look so uneven and jagged. The sunburst setting looks nicer to me and I think it is because the prongs look smaller in relation to the diamond size. In the example he has of the flame setting, the prongs just take over the diamond. They overpower it. I think prongs need to be safe in size but I don''t want to be thinking about them when I look at my diamond. I want to notice the diamond first. But in the flame pic, the first thing I notice are the prongs.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Mark can make the prong tips more delicate if someone wants them that way. I also do not really want heart prongs.

Oh, and G or H VS is my prefered range, so I think you're on the right track, bf!

 

[bfready]

I guess I don''t really know what you guys mean by heart shaped prongs. Please explain.

 

[boston_jeff]

Viewed from above, Mark''s stock Flame setting has prong tips that look like hearts.

 

[bfready]

Gotcha. I guess I was really looking at the flame pictures that didn''t have any center stone yet. I agree that those kinds of prongs are a little overwheming. So you think I can get Mark to make the prongs look more delicate?

 

[jaz464]

Here is the link. The picture of the rings face up (how you would see it on a hand from above) show the prongs as being heart shaped.

http://www.mwmjewelry.com/

 

[kcoursolle]

An H in that size in platinum will be absolutely fine. MM''s jewelry is really beautiful, I can''t wait to see the final product. Personally...I like the little side diamonds in the head...but either way it won''t make a huge difference in appearance.

 

[litebrite]

I agree with your girlfriend - I also place a premium on clarity and color. I think one of the best parts about a Mark Morrell ring is the liquid shininess of the platinum, so I would keep the band diamond free, but add the diamonds to the head. This way she has a unique look that isn''t overly showy if she''s into that. With a superb cut and quality diamond of the type that you''re getting, you don''t need to worry about having more open space for light return the way I do.

It''s funny that you don''t like the heartprongs, because I think those are the ONLY types of prongs that I like on a RB. Ooh, make sure that your diamond diameter is approx. 6-7.5 mm because that''s what the Flame head calls for.

Such a lucky girl; Mark Morrell''s work is exquisite, I am sure she''ll be thrilled!

 

[bfready]

Thanks. I really appreciate all the feedback and I''ll discuss these things with Mark. Regarding the diameter, he said that the flame can accommodate a .75 ct stone, which, if an ideal cut, is just shy of 6mm.