Help refine a "toi et moi" setting: emerald diamond and oval opal?

[MakingTheGrade]

I pulled the trigger on a 1.52ct emerald cut diamond and would like to set it with a ovalish black opal I also recently bought to design a rather quirky wedding ring. Opal is my partner's birthstone, and we are a somewhat unconventional couple and it's fitting that my ring represent our eccentricity! In general I love unique pieces and am a colored stone girl at heart so the black opal has been something on my "want" list or a LONG time. I chose the diamond I did because I wanted a "Faint brown" K with blue fluro since most tint in diamonds that's seen is yellow, and I am attracted to the unusual.

Of course, while I wait for the stones to arrive, I'm brainstorming settings!

I’m thinking of bezelling the stones in 2 colors of gold. Emerald in unplated white and opal in rose with a satin finish and then have a “criss cross” style ring where one of the “strands” is connected to the emerald and in white gold and the other rose gold to match the opal so it looks a little like 2 separate rings joined together by their “orbits”.

I am by no means a ring designed and my spatial reasoning is horrible so would love help/feedback on whether something like would be viable.

I've attached pics of the emerald diamond and solid black opal as well as my attempt at a sketch with the measurements of the stones on it.

Thoughts?

 

[KristinTech]

I love love love toi et moi designs!

Two things:
You have a new toi et moi coming, correct?

It would drive me BATTY not to ultrasonic that diamond!


In other news.... my opal made it to the major distribution center in our state (45 minutes from here!). So hopefully I get it on Thursday!

 

[Lykame]

I pulled the trigger on a 1.52 emerald cut diamond and would like to set it with a ovalish black opal I also recently bought to design a rather quirky wedding ring. Opal is my partner's birthstone, and we are a somewhat unconventional couple and it's fitting that my ring represent our eccentricity! In general I love unique pieces and am a colored stone girl at heart so the black opal has been something on my "want" list or a LONG time. I chose the diamond I did because I wanted a "Faint brown" K with blue fluro since most tint in diamonds that's seen is yellow, and I am attracted to the unusual.

Of course, while I wait for the stones to arrive, I'm brainstorming settings!

I’m thinking of bezelling the stones in 2 colors of gold. Emerald in unplated white and opal in rose with a satin finish and then have a “criss cross” style ring where one of the “strands” is connected to the emerald and in white gold and the other rose gold to match the opal so it looks a little like 2 separate rings joined together by their “orbits”.

I am by no means a ring designed and my spatial reasoning is horrible so would love help/feedback on whether something like would be viable.

I've attached pics of the emerald diamond and solid black opal as well as my attempt at a sketch with the measurements of the stones on it.

Thoughts?

Beautiful stones and beautiful design! Do you think that your emerald cut should be set along the direction of the criss cross it's on rather than N-S?

Also do you want them touching/crashing into each other (not a bad thing) or with a gap... Comfortably sharing orbit space?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I love love love toi et moi designs!

Two things:
You have a new toi et moi coming, correct?

It would drive me BATTY not to ultrasonic that diamond!


In other news.... my opal made it to the major distribution center in our state (45 minutes from here!). So hopefully I get it on Thursday!

I do!

I love toi et moi designs as it turns out lol.
Although I think this will on look significantly different than the other two since there will be no gap or negative space and due to the criss cross band.

Ah! Can't wait to see your opal! Haha, I hand wash all my rings currently so I don't think I will mind that much not being able to ultrasound. Or somehow i'll just hold the ring so only the diamond part is in the water lol

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Beautiful stones and beautiful design! Do you think that your emerald cut should be set along the direction of the criss cross it's on rather than N-S?

Also do you want them touching/crashing into each other (not a bad thing) or with a gap... Comfortably sharing orbit space?

I tried sketching that out but I couldn't make it work :/
If you could sketch it in a way that looks balanced I'd love to see it!

 

[KristinTech]

And also, I think you will know how you want to set the opal once it makes its way to your hot little hands.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

And also, I think you will know how you want to set the opal once it makes its way to your hot little hands.

I'm confident you're right.
I may have to scrap this whole design when I see the stones!
But working on the design will hopefully distract me while I wait for things to arrive..

 

[david b]

I want to encourage you-it looks to be a most extravagant ring I saw in a long time, I love the idea of having Diamond and Opal/round and square/white and dark/Rose and whitish gold ! Chapeau for the creation!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I want to encourage you-it looks to be a most extravagant ring I saw in a long time, I love the idea of having Diamond and Opal/round and square/white and dark/Rose and whitish gold ! Chapeau for the creation!!

Thanks!
I think one of the dangers of Pricescope for me is that I was always that kid that drew on their jeans or loved thrift store shopping because I like things that are novel and different and one of a kind, and I see so many rings on this site that as time goes on I get less and less satisfied going with styles I’ve seen many times over. Not that those rings aren’t classic or beautiful, but I like the idea that my jewelery wouldn’t easily be confused with any one else’s. Especially a wedding ring. Which means I have to get pretty weird with designing since diamonds engagement rings.

No doubt a ring like this won’t be to everyone (maybe not to anyone’s) taste. But I’m ok with that. Hopefully the SO won’t think it’s an eye sore lol.

 

[Matilda]

im drooling haha!! this is going to absolutely stunning!!! I love toi and moi rings. I don't have much to add just excited for you

As for crossed designed a quick google search for inspiration:

https://gallerease.com/en/artworks/belle-epoque-toi-et-moi-ring__7bf86049b20b

http://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/jewellery/article/true-romance-toi-et-moi-rings/

https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/82ctw-edwardian-toi-et-moi-twist-ring

http://www.antiquejewel.com/en/2ndpage.asp?dtn=17196-0247

https://www.hdunique.com/shop/historical-jewels/rings/toi-et-moi-emerald-and-diamond-ring-1970s/

also gorgeous stones

 

[MakingTheGrade]

im drooling haha!! this is going to absolutely stunning!!! I love toi and moi rings. I don't have much to add just excited for you

As for crossed designed a quick google search for inspiration:

https://gallerease.com/en/artworks/belle-epoque-toi-et-moi-ring__7bf86049b20b

http://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/jewellery/article/true-romance-toi-et-moi-rings/

https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/82ctw-edwardian-toi-et-moi-twist-ring

http://www.antiquejewel.com/en/2ndpage.asp?dtn=17196-0247

https://www.hdunique.com/shop/historical-jewels/rings/toi-et-moi-emerald-and-diamond-ring-1970s/

also gorgeous stones

Ooooo. These are lovely!
Sadly I’m not much into halos or lots of pave which is partially why making a unique ring is tougher for me since I see a lot of really cool and different halos going on lately.

I think it’s be great if toi Et moi designs made a comeback! I love the symbolism, especially as wedding jewelery.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I found this one particularly stunning. But at 750,000$, it worth more than I am :p

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I think depending on how the diamond and opal look together, I might consider doing pave or rope in one of the strands as interesting detail/contrast.

I’m leaning rope since as was mentioned, I won’t be able to ultrasonically clean this ring.

 

[Matilda]

@MakingTheGrade it is most definitely not worth more than you!!!!!!

I agree on pave/halo not my style. Are you okay with the space between stones? Or do you want it to interlock? I think I may have misunderstood as the images I found were to show criss cross design whoops sorry!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

@MakingTheGrade it is most definitely not worth more than you!!!!!!

I agree on pave/halo not my style. Are you okay with the space between stones? Or do you want it to interlock? I think I may have misunderstood as the images I found were to show criss cross design whoops sorry!

Haha I just meant from a current net worth stand point.
I’m ok with space or touching. But I wear a size 4.5 so space may be at a premium lol.

 

[Matilda]

haha yeah well weird suggestion...maybe get a ruler or tape and measure from knuckle to the bone of the finger you pan on wearing it so you can see how much space length wise you have to play around with?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

haha yeah well weird suggestion...maybe get a ruler or tape and measure from knuckle to the bone of the finger you pan on wearing it so you can see how much space length wise you have to play around with?

Haha I’ll probably go all out and try to make a model out of wire later with litter paper “stones” cut to size.

Cause I’m a dork.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Also I have to say, diamonds in many ways is so much friendlier than opal shopping! There are so many options and high quality pictures and videos!

I’ve had my eye out for years looking for my perfect watercolor/impressionist rainbow colored floral patterned black opal. Finally found one that had videos and pictures that seemed to tick all the boxes! Even though the opal is cheaper in price, it cost a lot more in time and effort to find.

Some still from the video:

 

[MakingTheGrade]

So I got bored this morning...

Started with copper wire and paper cut outs :

This is the layout I’m imagining in my head, with the emerald “attached” to the band sloping up to the left and the opal on the other. The sizes are roughly accurate +- width of lead pencil lol. Not including the bezels.


Eh. This one I didn’time so much

 

[MakingTheGrade]

And then I thought. Why not make little wire stones too!

Made it easier to play around with lay out options.

This one might be trickier tonpull off and I think the emerald being at a weird angle might annoy me..but maybe?


This is too vertical for me to find practical to wear:

This is a variation on the “original” but the “cross” angle isn’t quite right..

I don’t think I like how both stones are balanced at the “top” on this one


May try some editing in fancy Microsoft paint later

 

[elliefire99]

This such a cool, unique project!

And the symbolism of toi et moi is so wonderful for a wedding ring

This is a veritable napkin sketch, but in response to your request by for options with the slanted EC....

 

[MakingTheGrade]

This such a cool, unique project!

And the symbolism of toi et moi is so wonderful for a wedding ring

This is a veritable napkin sketch, but in response to your request by for options with the slanted EC....

Beautiful sketches!
I like the orientation though I don’t know how the bezeled opal would look “hanging off” the rope band while the emerald is more centered on the smooth one. I can be ocd in an odd way. I do like the balance though. Hmmmm

 

[Lykame]

Hi

And then I thought. Why not make little wire stones too!

Made it easier to play around with lay out options.

This one might be trickier tonpull off and I think the emerald being at a weird angle might annoy me..but maybe?


This is too vertical for me to find practical to wear:

This is a variation on the “original” but the “cross” angle isn’t quite right..

I don’t think I like how both stones are balanced at the “top” on this one


May try some editing in fancy Microsoft paint later

Great idea to wire it all!

I quite like the first one of this set I've replied to. With the emerald cut going obliquely with the wire, what about the other direction? Having the bottom right corner more inwards and the upper left more outwards looks unusual to me... I was imagining the bottom (closer to you) being south west and the top (further from you) being north east and the wire going the same direction. What does that look like?

I like the original too but for some reason I prefer the paper version of it rather than the wire version and I think it's because of the way the wires lie in relationship to the stones.

Also that opal is amazing. It's going to be very soft? How practical an everyday engagement ring is this going to be?

Regardless, I can tell it's going to be amazing!

ETA: oops, didn't mean to put my response into the quote. Hopefully this fixes that.

 

[elliefire99]

Beautiful sketches!
I like the orientation though I don’t know how the bezeled opal would look “hanging off” the rope band while the emerald is more centered on the smooth one. I can be ocd in an odd way. I do like the balance though. Hmmmm

Yeah... I saw what you meant about how difficult it was to make the angled EC "work" once I started to actually draw... The top one, where the diamond and the opal are stacked and centered on the smooth band I think may help with the "hanging" look, but still def not perfect.

Just sketching for brainstorming! (I want this to work bc it's such a cool project haha)

ETA: Ah! I just saw your awesome wire experiments. You're like 12 steps ahead of me here...

 

[Lykame]

This such a cool, unique project!

And the symbolism of toi et moi is so wonderful for a wedding ring

This is a veritable napkin sketch, but in response to your request by for options with the slanted EC....

@MakingTheGrade, yes, like @elliefire99 has drawn! That's what I mean! Can the rope one come up so that it's coming out of the centre of the emerald cut?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

@MakingTheGrade, yes, like @elliefire99 has drawn! That's what I mean! Can the rope one come up so that it's coming out of the centre of the emerald cut?

If it’s coming out if the emerald then then it’s the emerald and opal on one “orbit” of white gold with decorative rose gold orbit. Instead of each on their own orbit. Does that make sense?

I’m hoping maybe @sledge might chime in just cause I get the sense he might be good at this sort of thing. Or @kevnick80 since he’s also quite a creative ring designer!

 

[Lykame]

If it’s coming out if the emerald then then it’s the emerald and opal on one “orbit” of white gold with decorative rose gold orbit. Instead of each on their own orbit. Does that make sense?

I’m hoping maybe @sledge might chime in just cause I get the sense he might be good at this sort of thing.

To me it looks like the opal is on the orbit of the plain band though? So to me it looks like the twisted band is weirdly placed (although very pretty!). Whereas if the twisted band were coming out of the ends of the emerald cut and the opal stayed where it was and the emerald stayed where it was that would look like two separate orbits. To me anyway?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

To me it looks like the opal is on the orbit of the plain band though? So to me it looks like the twisted band is weirdly placed (although very pretty!). Whereas if the twisted band were coming out of the ends of the emerald cut and the opal stayed where it was and the emerald stayed where it was that would look like two separate orbits. To me anyway?

Ohhh I see what you mean. So I think for that to work the angles of the bands may have to be “off” center of each other in a weird way. Let me try to mock it up

Hey it almost works. I think with bezels it might be too big for my finger at those angles.

 

[elliefire99]

@Lykame, like this?
I think that would require the cross to be asymmetrical, like MTG's first sketch.



ETA: Y'all are ahead of me again

 

[Lykame]

Like this?



Ok and let me disclaimer this, quite embarrassed, basically downloaded an app on my phone and used my finger to do this and it's impossible. Not an artist!