GOG Cushion Video .... opinions please

[ShannonM]

So the last time I posted I was working with Gary at ERD to find me a cushion. He had a hard time locating what we were looking for so I opened up my search to Jonathan at GOG, and he''s been amazing! He''s been super responsive and the video he shot for us is awesome. If you follow the link below its the first video at the top of the page. I''ve narrowed it down to #2 (the one my boyfriend calls the xbox stone) and #6 and he''s going to shoot a new video with them side by side for me. I''d love anyones opinions please. If nothing else it''s an awesome example of how you can''t pick cushions by the numbers.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/video/

 

[zerj]

Interesting leaving the sound off so we have to guess at the pro''s opinions . I know nothing about cushions and can''t really make the call between 2 and 6 either. my vote from best to worst: 2 and 6,5,4,1,3

 

[ShannonM]

We had very similar thoughts. 2 and 6 are the fav''s 5 was interesting but under spotlighting seemed dead and then 1, 4 and 3 are just not what we''re looking for.

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

I like 2 also. I wished he had pulled the camera back so that we could see all 6 at once. But I am with zerj on order of best to worst.

 

[strmrdr]

2 in diffused 6 in spot lighting.
Some of the others are real nice crushed ice versions.

Betwen 6 and 2 I think I would go with 6 maybe but they are close.

 

[isaku5]

Two and 6 really stand out as the best by a long shot!! Let us know which one you choose.

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 5/15/2008 2:27:31 PM
Author: strmrdr
2 in diffused 6 in spot lighting.
Some of the others are real nice crushed ice versions.

Betwen 6 and 2 I think I would go with 6 maybe but they are close.

I agree with this. 6 seems to blaze better in spot lighting. Maybe you can have them compare just the 2 stones.

#3 was pretty for a crushed ice stone.

 

[smooleys]

Just watched the video, I like 6. Seems to have more bright spots than 2, but both are so much better than the crushed ice ones, in my opinion. I can''t wait to talk GOG about my rb in a couple months...hope he makes me a video!

 

[ShannonM]

Yay he has up the one with sound and a comparison of just those two (#2 and #6). He did that comparison right after he finished the shoot of six figuring that those would be my top two choices. Oh and BTW Jonathan did ask if I''d posted and what you all thought about them. I was a little discouraged that we wouldn''t find anything we were looking for but now we have a tough decision between two awesome stones. Man I love GOG!

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 5/15/2008 7:50:54 PM
Author: ShannonM
Yay he has up the one with sound and a comparison of just those two (#2 and #6). He did that comparison right after he finished the shoot of six figuring that those would be my top two choices. Oh and BTW Jonathan did ask if I'd posted and what you all thought about them. I was a little discouraged that we wouldn't find anything we were looking for but now we have a tough decision between two awesome stones. Man I love GOG!

After seeing the comparison video, I definitely prefer the 2.0ct one better. It seems a little brighter and a little sparklier. Originally though, I thought you were looking for a super chunky stone? If that's the case, did you consider Jon's 3 ct. estate stone? That's pretty too (and at a pretty awesome price)!

 

[ShannonM]

Scarlet - I looked at the video of the estate ring and it''s gorgeous...just a little (ok a lot) out of our prcie range though. BTW I love the way your ring turned out and I hope Leon can create one just as beautiful for me. The pave on your band is so delicate. It looks smoother than Tigers ring to me. What are the differences?

We settled on the 2 ct H and I can''t tell you how excited I am. It''s going to kill me to have the setting made by leon since I''ll have to wait four to six weeks. My bf had the nerve to joke that to make it a surprise he was just going to have the ring shipped to him and hold on to it for a year or two

.

Thank you all so much for all the info direct and indirect!

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 5/15/2008 11:23:02 PM
Author: ShannonM
Scarlet - I looked at the video of the estate ring and it''s gorgeous...just a little (ok a lot) out of our prcie range though. BTW I love the way your ring turned out and I hope Leon can create one just as beautiful for me. The pave on your band is so delicate. It looks smoother than Tigers ring to me. What are the differences?


We settled on the 2 ct H and I can''t tell you how excited I am. It''s going to kill me to have the setting made by leon since I''ll have to wait four to six weeks. My bf had the nerve to joke that to make it a surprise he was just going to have the ring shipped to him and hold on to it for a year or two

.


Thank you all so much for all the info direct and indirect!

Crap! Just wrote a really long response and PS ate it! Oh well.

I LOVE my ring and I hope Leon does a great job on yours as well. As far as pave, Leon has several different options, as you''ll see from his work order. I chose something called "bright cut" which is a more squared shank with an edge of metal around the stones. Here''s a good example.

Tiger''s used "Harry Winston" also known as "mushroom set". The shank is rounded and there is no metal edge so the diamonds look like they are floating.

Diamondnut''s new Leon is done with "v-shaped" pave. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what the difference between those 2 are. I think the v-shaped is set lower into the actual band.

Hope that helps! Also are you planning to do the east/west setting as well? I told my fiance that I''m upset (jokingly) that it came out so well, that for sure there are going to be some duplicates of it made...

. Just kidding; happy to share Leon''s masterpiece!

Do you mind me asking the price and specs (ie. measurements, polish/sym) of the 2ct? I ask only because it seems we had the same criteria and budget and I eventually gave up hopes for a 2ct b/c I was told it wasn''t out there!

 

[ShannonM]

I hate it when PS eats a post. So frustrating. I''m going to have to do some thinking on the pave. Yours looks like the most comfortable by far, which is important to me. I am also planning on the east west setting, you have impeccable taste

. Out of curiosity did you have Leon make any other modifications to the basket. Yours looks distinctly different than Tiger''s, but then it could just be the photo angles too.

Here''s the link Jonathan sent me to the webpage published on my stone. We didn''t'' think it was out there either but Jon''s approach was to call in everything we thought might work and hope to get lucky. And we did because I never would have thought a modified brilliant would give me the look I wanted but low and behold this one does. I think we were both surprised. I wanted chunky but not super old school chunky. At first I thought the cert must be wrong but if you look at the helium report those extra facets are all there. They are just not shaped the way you might think. I don''t think the price shows up anymore but we paid around 11k.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4382/

The price was incredible but there is a "catch". There is an inclusion placed on the girdle so that it could potentially be chipped if it were constantly hit against something. Now I''m not very hard on my jewelery and I''m an accountant so we are just fine with that (besides what is insurance for anyway). Jonathan agreed that between that, the setting and the east west orientation wouldn''t be a problem.

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 5/16/2008 2:48:02 PM
Author: ShannonM
I hate it when PS eats a post. So frustrating. I''m going to have to do some thinking on the pave. Yours looks like the most comfortable by far, which is important to me. I am also planning on the east west setting, you have impeccable taste

. Out of curiosity did you have Leon make any other modifications to the basket. Yours looks distinctly different than Tiger''s, but then it could just be the photo angles too.

Here''s the link Jonathan sent me to the webpage published on my stone. We didn''t'' think it was out there either but Jon''s approach was to call in everything we thought might work and hope to get lucky. And we did because I never would have thought a modified brilliant would give me the look I wanted but low and behold this one does. I think we were both surprised. I wanted chunky but not super old school chunky. At first I thought the cert must be wrong but if you look at the helium report those extra facets are all there. They are just not shaped the way you might think. I don''t think the price shows up anymore but we paid around 11k.
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4382/

The price was incredible but there is a ''catch''. There is an inclusion placed on the girdle so that it could potentially be chipped if it were constantly hit against something. Now I''m not very hard on my jewelery and I''m an accountant so we are just fine with that (besides what is insurance for anyway). Jonathan agreed that between that, the setting and the east west orientation wouldn''t be a problem.

Mine is definitely comfortable...you might have to put out a post about the other types of pave though. I know diamondnut is on here fairly frequently so hopefully she can speak to the "rounded shanks." Ya know, I didn''t ask him to make any other basket modifications but I noticed it was slightly different as well. I think the sides of her "Ws" are slightly more curvy & slope-y, if that makes any sense. It might be the photo angles or the fact that my stone is like literally HALF the size of Tiger''s stone.

Seriously great "catch"...that price for a 2ct stone is CRAZY! And clearly it sparkles like crazy. I wouldn''t worry about the inclusion if Jon has ok''d it.

Can''t wait to see how yours turns out.

 

[kcoursolle]

It sounds like you already made a great decision and picked out a beautiful cushion, but just for fun here is my assessment of the cushions. I had so much fun watching the video! I can''t wait to see how the ring turns out, it''s going to be stunning with leon doing the setting and the two ideas you have are among my all time favorite styles.

1) not great
2) very very nice-my second favorite
3) too busy in my opinion, but a great example of a beautiful crushed ice style cushion
4) bowtie
5) looks small and yucky center, dark looking
6) very very pretty, my favorite-loved the fire under the second light

Both 2 ad 6 were incredible, it would be a hard choice between them. 3 is a great crushed ice style for anyone who likes that type of cushion.