Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a setting!

[SeeingSunshine]

My SO has been telling me I need to pick out a ring setting or choose a designer so we can make our engagement "official" ASAP, but I'm just so conflicted! I am a very indecisive person and my taste is VERY eclectic. Really, you should see my ring board on pinterest. Initially I just wanted something very simple, a yellow gold 6 prong or bezel with a thin band. In my first thread (and in "real life") everyone encouraged me to pick something with a bit more detail to make it special. I've come around to that way of thinking, but now I'm lost! There are several rings (sooo many really) here on pricescope that I LOVE, but I have no idea how to mash the ideas together to come up with something for myself or how to choose a designer to make one for me.

My stone is a .7 carat J AVR:


Here are a few rings I have been loving (if anyone doesn't want me posting their pictures, please just let me know!!)

artdecolover71's CvC reset. Gorgeous ring. I love the little french cuts and would love to encorporate some frenchies into my ring.


mochiko42's bezel ring from Heart of Water. Originally thought I wanted this exact ring in 14k gold, but everyone, including mochiko, said it's better for stacking. I love that the gold looks so smooth, almost molten! Sally's bezels always look so perfect!


hidingpearl's art deco ring. This ring brought me around to the idea of a halo. There's something about the proportions of the ring that is just so pleasing. It has good finger coverage, but still manages to look dainty!

What do I do with all of this? I just don't know. Things I seem to like: 14k yellow gold, bezels, thin bands, french cuts, daintiness, (maybe)halos, and (maybe) milgrain. It's so hard to make a choice. Regardless of future upgrade, I will keep this ring forever!

 

[FightGravity]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

I think you are on the right track with CVB - she could do a great job bringing all your ideas to life and helping you figure out what you really want. I'd contact her with the things you like and see what she sketches up for you. I think she requires a (refundable?) deposit to start work.

Edited to add: I had a TERRIBLE time deciding on what I wanted for my engagement ring, so I totally get it. I had the added hiccup of my partner having a tight budget and having a goldsmith friend doing the ring...and her taste/skillset wasn't all the way compatible with the settings I was finding that I loved...but you can go straight to the source for what has been getting you excited!

I also STRONGLY recommend trying on a bunch of settings. I wanted something very different before trying settings on - the ideas in my head were different from what actually looked good on my hand. E.g. I love halos on other people and they are all wrong on me.

 

[lovedogs]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

+1 to the idea of trying on lots of settings in person before deciding for sure on anything. Even if you don't plan to buy from a B&M store and will likely use CvB, it's still worth going into one to try stuff on and be sure you know what style you like. I was SURE I wanted a 3-stone or pear shaped e-ring, but when I tried them on I realized I didn't like them on me--at least not as an engagement ring, because they looked more like an RHR to my eyes at the time.

But I think that talking to CvB is a great idea--I've heard only good things about her from people who have bought from her, and her designs are incredible. I think if you like Sally's designs from HoW you should also contact her. I'm currently working with her on a few projects and she has been an absolute pleasure to deal with. She is patient with answering questions, and her designs are amazing.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!!!

 

[tyty333]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

How is your budget? You have very good (and expensive taste) . Your budget might dictate what you can get done
and who does it. If you pick someone like CVB, I think you can tell her the parts you like about certain settings and see what
she comes up with.

 

[Niel]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

What do you think of this.

http://erstwhilejewelry.com/collections/vintage-engagement-rings/products/1-17-carat-edwardian-engagement-ring

Try and imagine, instead of a second set of marquise shapes, you put a frenchy like the CVB ring above. Now you could have just a bezel like the example, or you could incorporate a halo on the top and bottom of the ring where, now, its just bezel.

(On a serious note though, they charge 10k for that. Criminal.

 

[SeeingSunshine]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Thank you for the replies, everyone!

We will definitely be going to check out a bunch of rings at a B&M store soon. We just have to find a day we both have off of work!

I will also be contacting CvB and Sally to see what they can do. I'm sure they can do a better job coming up with ring ideas than I can!

tyty333: Thank you! I definitely have expensive taste, which can be a pain. SO hasn't given me a specific budget, just told me to pick out whatever I want. I don't even have a clue how much settings usually run. I imagine it depends quite a bit on the designer! We are willing to go all-out on the rings since we will keep them forever, regardless if we decide to upgrade later. (I imagine my expensive taste will be more of a hassle when picking out dresses. I can spot cheap fabric from a mile away, but I also can't justify spending $10,000++ on a custom Paolo Sebastian gown that I will wear for a few hours )

Niel: That's a lovely ring and I think it would look great with the frenchies. I don't think it's for me though. I was actually gifted a very similar (non-precious stone) ring by a friend when I was in high school. I don't love the leaf details with round stones and I find that (in the ring I have, at least) that there isn't enough band showing from the top view for it to seem dainty to me. Lovely idea though. I wonder if the leaves were angled a bit more vertically if I would like it more...

 

[redroze1]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

I'm hearing: delicate halo, frenchies in the shank, and lots of detail.

What about a halo like this, delicate with bright cut pave and milgrain.


With a shank like this, but with frenchies in the diamond part.


You also like a bezel so you could do a fine milgrain bezel around the avr.

 

[Niel]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

This but instead of rounds there's frencies in the profile

http://vramjewelry.com/product/iris-round/

 

[SeeingSunshine]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Niel, I think you may just have nailed it with that last one. A little milgrain here and there and that just might be it!

SO and I went to 3 B&M stores today. Definitely learned a few things!
--Still undecided on halos, most I didn't love but there was one similar to hidingpearl's ring that I actually really liked.
--I don't particularly like cathedral style shoulders, but their are bad from the top view
--There is such a thing as "too thin" when it comes to band size! I never thought I would admit such a thing, but I tried on a ring that was literally 1mm! I think 1.5-2mm is my sweet spot.
--Still hate the thick bands though
--Of the 3 stores, only one of them had a bezel set ring (and only 1 ring at that!)

I've been in contact with CvB and hopefully we come up with something soon!

My hardest decision right now is halo vs no halo!

 

[Niel]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Niel, I think you may just have nailed it with that last one. A little milgrain here and there and that just might be it!

SO and I went to 3 B&M stores today. Definitely learned a few things!
--Still undecided on halos, most I didn't love but there was one similar to hidingpearl's ring that I actually really liked.
--I don't particularly like cathedral style shoulders, but their are bad from the top view
--There is such a thing as "too thin" when it comes to band size! I never thought I would admit such a thing, but I tried on a ring that was literally 1mm! I think 1.5-2mm is my sweet spot.
--Still hate the thick bands though
--Of the 3 stores, only one of them had a bezel set ring (and only 1 ring at that!)

I've been in contact with CvB and hopefully we come up with something soon!

My hardest decision right now is halo vs no halo!

Once i heard a PS (distracts) say, if you're unsure, don't halo
And I think her reasoning made a lot of sense. If you're unsure, I wouldn't do something that is suuuch a popular design now. I'd be afraid if I wasn't absolutely set on it, that I would tire of it after a while. Trendiness can wear on anyone, after all.

 

[arkieb1]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

How about the sides with a thin row of French cuts something like this ring;

http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/the-anne-solitaire/

And the top of it a bezel head like Niel suggested that is either plain or with delicate milgrain around the bezel...

 

[drk14]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Since you're already in touch with CvB, have you seen this design that she did for Acinom? The HoW bezel ring that you posted reminded me of it.


Vendor photo.

But I do like the idea of a millgrained version of something similar to the VRAM ring that Niel posted...

 

[Niel]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Oh man I thought that link had millgrain, here's an example they did with an asscher that bad millgrain and I was obsessed. I love how the millgrian is on the inside vs the top

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

I have an AVR and think a halo is a beautiful frame that accentuates the diamond, but I ended up not doing a halo on mine because I was afraid it would be too huge. I wouldn't even think twice about haloing your stone. It will only enhance the AVR, in my opinion. Please don't go thinner than 1.8mm with your shank or you could have problems. Caysie does do the three wire shank like that last ring Niel posted.

 

[SeeingSunshine]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Once i heard a PS (distracts) say, if you're unsure, don't halo
And I think her reasoning made a lot of sense. If you're unsure, I wouldn't do something that is suuuch a popular design now. I'd be afraid if I wasn't absolutely set on it, that I would tire of it after a while. Trendiness can wear on anyone, after all.

That seems like pretty sound advice Neil! I am definitely still leaning towards no halo.

And that asscher is gorgeous! The milgrain is so very delicate, it really works with the asscher! It reminds me of the super tiny milgrain on Mochiko42's tourmaline in rose gold from Sally. If I do milgrain I think I want it to be a bit more prominent. I really like the style of milgrain that Brian Gavin does, but the website--especially the custom order page-- is kind of off-putting to me for some reason!

I don't know a ton about jewelry making. Do they alternate milgrain styles or do they usually just have their signature type? Hmmm

 

[SeeingSunshine]

Re: Help! I have eclectic taste and I need to pick a settin

Thank you, everyone! I appreciate you taking the time to help me out!

redroze1: Wow, those are lovely! They are a bit too vintage looking for my taste though. I want something that is overall more sleek and modern, but with a dash of vintage flair.

drk14 : I love that trio of rings! They are gorgeous but much more vintage looking and detailed than what I want for this e-ring. I will definitely be working on a similar set in the future though! Eventually I would like to have 3 "wedding sets" to alternate with my wardrobe: the yellow gold set with an AVR that I'm working on now, a white gold or platinum set with an emerald or asscher diamond and a halo, and a super feminine rose gold set with a light pink CS!

diamondseeker2006: Your AVR is gorgeous! The faceting on the AVRs is just hypnotizing
I'm still not in love with the idea of a halo (for my ring) though. I'm not really in the "bigger is better" school of thought, so I'm not concerned with making my stone look larger. Maybe that's why I like the style of halo on hidingpearl's ring--there is a clear distinction between the center stone and the halo.