Help! I hate my CAD design for Halo e-ring, ideas?

[La_Bougeotte]

Hi PS!

My jeweller who is a friend of my fiance's sent me these CADs today and I just don't know where to start, I've seen that they can look bulky in rendering especially when they need the extra metal to refine, but I just don't feel this captures my ideas at all. I wanted something really delicate and dainty and this just looks bulky and something you can buy off the shelf at your local chain jeweller. Feeling pretty disappointed, especially looking at all your beautiful rings for several months while I was gathering ideas!

I have a few issues with the ring such as;

-top view of the halo, the halo is too wide, I feel like the halo is swallowing the diamond instead of showcasing it.
-I feel there is too much metal showing in the halo. I did ask for individual prongs but they aren't strong enough at all (I'm fairly rough on my hands)
-side view of the halo is too chunky, thinking about asking for a gradient of 25% to soften the profile to look a little more like Victor Canera's Emilya and not so angular.
-I'm not convinced about the colour of the metals combined with the champagne diamond. Rose gold is out of the question as FI thinks it looks like copper haha please, suggestions welcome!
-the band is too thick, i like the overall shape, but my jeweller convinced me to go thinker, as she can shave it down, but can't add it on if it's too thin which is fair enough.

The diamond we picked out was the most breathtaking 1.04ct eyeclean si1 champagne diamond in a peachy gold that never translates in photos. I normally wear yellow gold hence the band I want in yellow, but I want a really soft yellow not like which is shown in the rendering, I don't know if this is something I need to specify or quite how to ask for it either. I was unsure about using WG for the halo but worried the champagne would blend in and not pop, but I'm just not convinced. The prongs are being made from WG but won't be plated to blend in better with the colour of the diamond.

I guess my dream was of something really delicate like an Emilya or Steven Kirsch's halos, I don't know if I'm being unrealistic but please any suggestions I would be very appreciative!

Thanks guys!!

 

[La_Bougeotte]

Here's some rings I love and have used in my inspiration, also a pic of my fakey just after FI proposed on our holiday in the states in Jan at the grand canyon! It was magical

 

[Scarlett1]

Hi La-Bougeotte,
I am absolutely no expert when it comes to Cad's or anything like that so I will let someone more experienced chime in on that. What I would ask though is if your fiancé's friend is experienced in making halo settings. Have you seen any in person? I would also say, that when the ring is made and you really don't like it, it will be more difficult to deal with as it is a friend so I would think carefully about that. In terms of design, I would set the stone and halo in rose gold and have the shank in either white gold or platinum. The rose gold will compliment the colour of your stone and with the platinum shank it wont be 'in your face' rose gold IYKWIM if your fiancé doesn't like it. If you look at www.diamondsbylauren.com you will see examples of brown stone halo settings so will give you an idea. Also maybe consider a knife edged shank, so although substantial will look thin. Sorry I cant be of more help.
Good luck!!!

 

[ecf8503]

If you don't like it in the CAD's you likely won't like it in person. But that said, you mentioned you are hard on your hands, yet you want a dainty setting, so maybe something has to give. I don't like the halo being flat across - many higher end halos are tilted away from the center stone a bit. Also your jeweler put a tapered shank on it instead of a consistent diameter shank - that thickness may be part of what you are interpreting as bulk. Are you looking for diamonds down the shank like some of the halos you posted pics of? Can you ask him to redo the halo with smaller melee?

 

[redroze]

I'm halo ing a 1.5 round, and also want a dainty halo. Two tips I was given is to angle the halo so the side view shows a bit if the halo, and also prevents the flying saucer look. Also I'm doing half pointers in the halo. Most jeweler use 1 pointers. Post over in rocky talky.

 

[stargurl78]

Honestly, if you want a Victor Canera or Steven Kirsch halo, my best advice is to save up and get a halo made by one of them. There is a good chance you will be disappointed if you expect this kind of look without getting it handmade. Also, it has been proven time and time again around here that it is very rarely a good idea to use a jeweler who is a "friend". What will happen if the ring doesn't turn out as expected? Are you going to have them re-make the ring? How might the relationship be affected?

If finances don't allow for a VC or SK setting or if you're not comfortable spending that much, I would suggest looking into Engagement Rings Direct. They seem to have beautiful results with their CAD pieces.

I'll let the experts respond regarding the specific issues you are requesting input on...

 

[Tourmaline]

That CAD looks nothing at all like what you were asking for, and I think you'll regret it if you go forward with this jeweler.

 

[arkieb1]

Hi,

I think you should watch this video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6jUIwrdrnM

You are after something more like the above linked ring. Email Steven Kirsch, Victor Canera and Engagement Rings Direct for a quote. If Steven or Victor are not substantially more then you should send the stone to them. Your jeweller will not get it right and I see on here unfortunately time and time again people who think they will save money and are loyal to their own jewellers when the reality is they do not have the skills to create what you want. If you end up with a ring you hate then you may spend even more getting it remade or selling it and buying something else anyway.

So the options would be to save to afford a ring made by Steven or Victor or if you are on a budget then ERD does a very decent job as well.

 

[msop04]

That CAD looks nothing at all like what you were asking for, and I think you'll regret it if you go forward with this jeweler.

+1
I agree. The CAD looks absolutely nothing like your inspiration ring (and I love the look of the "fakey" - HA!)... Although the jeweler is a friend of your FH, it doesn't look like he has a clue as to how to execute the style you showed him. I'd have someone else make it -- it's your ring, after all, and you're the one who will be wearing it every day. I'd go with a PS-trusted bench. You don't have to go with a really expensive one to get a much better look than the CAD showed -- ERD would do a great job at a very reasonable price!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I agree that the halo and prongs would be nice in rose gold, and do the rest of the ring in platinum. The rose gold should boost the color of your diamond some.

I agree that it is a mistake to look at VC/SK rings and expect a local jeweler to pull that off. You could more easily just order a mounting from Ritani and have a better idea of how it would turn out. But if you are expecting a Gabriel or Ritani look, then this jeweler may be able to pull that off, but I'd want some adjustments to the halo such as the slight tilt.

 

[soxfan]

Hi,

I think you should watch this video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6jUIwrdrnM

You are after something more like the above linked ring. Email Steven Kirsch, Victor Canera and Engagement Rings Direct for a quote. If Steven or Victor are not substantially more then you should send the stone to them. Your jeweller will not get it right and I see on here unfortunately time and time again people who think they will save money and are loyal to their own jewellers when the reality is they do not have the skills to create what you want. If you end up with a ring you hate then you may spend even more getting it remade or selling it and buying something else anyway.

So the options would be to save to afford a ring made by Steven or Victor or if you are on a budget then ERD does a very decent job as well.

+1. Spend the extra money on Steven or Victor. You will have zero regrets.

 

[La_Bougeotte]

Thanks for the input guys. Money isn't really an issue in getting an SK or Victor, more the fact that we live in Australia and neither of us are keen on a)the time difference to orchestrate what we'd like b)trusting the postal system c)the time it takes to manufacture and post plus having to worry about import taxes etc. He is incredibly loyal to his friends and they are great jewellers (friends have e-rings from them and both the pave and detail are immaculate) I'm just going to keep revising what i want with more pictures so she knows EXACTLY what I want. Pricescope has ruined me

Oh and my fiance has relented to letting me have rose gold which is going to look AMAZING with the champagne. I promise to post here the moment I have it in my hot little hands!

 

[La_Bougeotte]

Hi,

I think you should watch this video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6jUIwrdrnM

Thanks arkieb1, I'll be sure to show my jeweller this. I have taken your heed, but I don't have many options unfortunately.

 

[La_Bougeotte]

Just an update,

In the end I didn't go ahead with the cad production, they had a setting exactly the same as the cad drawing but with diamonds on the shank which I didn't think I wanted. They put it together to show me what it would look like, and it was like falling in love, I knew exactly at that moment that it was right. I don't have my ring yet as my fiance is going to torture me with it a little longer (I'm assuming he's going to wait til our engagement party in a few weeks to give it to me). After all my worries about colour I ended up choosing yellow gold with a white gold halo, white pave diamonds with my champagne diamond centre. it is truly perfect to me!

Any Perth / Western Australian PSers don't hesitate to visit the Nowacki's at Goldsmith Jewellers in Bunbury they go above and beyond!

Thanks for all your help pricescope!

 

[Acinom]

I am so happy for you it all worked out in the end!!
Please post many many pics once you have your beautiful ring on your finger.