Help me fill an empty setting with some colour!

[Rhapsody]

After 4 months and several recasts Tacori got my setting right so my diamond has moved from its temporary home in my "unengagement ring" to its permanent home.

And while my ring in sitting on the shelf staring at me waiting for my boyfriend to actually propose I need to keep myselof busy by picking a new stone for the old setting.

I had originally been looking for an orange stone in a non-round or oval shape, which was hard to come across! There was a scissor-cut spess that I loved but decided was just too large at 8mm for me to wear. So my boyfriend has provided me with a few options.

Top left, square cut emerald
Top right, spessartite garnet
Bottom left, watermelon tourmaline
Bottom right, fire opal.

I''m definitely leaning towards the spess or the emerald, but they are both so gorgeous I cant decide.

Heres the picture of the stones propped in the head of the old setting.

 

[Rhapsody]

Heres another shot of the ring with my diamond in it so you can get a better idea of the style of the setting. It''s a cathedral setting with 3 round diamonds channel set on either side.

Thanks for helping me choose and helping me keep my mind off my ring so I''m not too tempted to go crack open that box and look!

 

[belle]

i think the spess looks the most balanced with that setting.
can''t wait to see it finished!

 

[Kismet]

I like the spess and emerald very much. The other two stones look too big for that setting.

 

[portoar]

Love the garnet in that setting . . .

 

[PrecisionGem]

I would go with the garnet. The opal is very soft and will be all scratched up quickly in a ring.

 

[FireGoddess]

My vote is for the spess, absolutely! The distant second would be the emerald.

 

[eks6426]

I like the shape of the emerald, but like the spess better as a stone. Do spess''s come square like the emerald?

 

[Richard M.]

I like the spessartite but the existing prongs may ovewhelm a stone that size when it''s set IMO. You may want to consider some modification or otherwise you''ll be seeing lots of prong and not nearly as much stone!

The emerald is a better fit for the existing head. It''s hard to tell from your images just how the ring is built but soldering in a lighter head for the spessartite probably won''t be a a big and expensive job. There are lots of options. Discuss it with your jeweler.

Richard M.

 

[Rhapsody]

Thanks for your advice everyone!

Richard , thank you for your comments, at first I was going to try and reuse the head to save money, but the setting charge to reuse the head was only 20 bucks cheaper than just buying a new one so it's not worth it to restrain myself. I wont be using the head thats on the ring now, I'll get a new one for which ever stone I pick.

The head thats on there is for a 4.5mm square, so the 7x5 mm emerald cuts (the opal and tourmaline) dont sit on it well, so the picture looks funny. It's hard to tell what it will look like when it's set properly.

IslandDreams, a square spess was my first choice but I haven't been able to find one. I suppose I could have one cut but I have a feeling my boyfriend wont be up for spending that much more money on this ring

I love both the spess and the emerald, I am so indecisive! Which ever stone doesn't make the cut this time will be set sooner or later. The fire opals (and the spess actually) were bought as a matched pair, so I'm thinking earrings for those.

So the spess is clearly the front runner. The colour is so grogeous and I don't have anything else like it.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 2/8/2006 7:04:25 PM
Author: Rhapsody
at first I was going to try and reuse the head to save money, but the setting charge to reuse the head was only 20 bucks cheaper than just buying a new one so it''s not worth it

I figured you''d go the ''new'' route -- it''s best in nearly every case. You don''t want to lose whatever stone you end up choosing.

 

[ChooChoo]

I like the emerald better, actually - it looks like an art deco piece in that setting, and I think the square shape is perfect for it. I don''t even like emeralds usually, but it makes a beautiful match with your setting.

 

[strmrdr]

http://www.ajsgems.com/GSP/GSP-00718.htm



http://www.ajsgems.com/TBG/TBG-00140.htm


http://www.ajsgems.com/SAP/SAP-00789.htm

 

[kaylagee]

strm, wow that tourmaline is gorgeous...

***
Rh, Of your choices, I like the spess garnet best.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I like the garnet the best out of the four choices as well.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

I vote garnet!

 

[movie zombie]

no contest: the spess.

is the tucson show still going on? i had an e-mail exchange with an attendee who was willing to shop for me re spess.....just an idea if you really want something other than oval.

movie zombie

 

[gemprincess]

1. square cut emerald

I do love the spessartite garnet it's stunning but the shape is wrong for that setting imo.

Sorry but those other two stones look wrong.