Help with similar setting?

[seekingshiny]

Hello all!!

First time poster, long-time lurker

So my significant other is kind enough to let me choose my ring for our impending engagement! I think at this point I'd like a yellow gold setting because it works better with my skintone and I have my eyes on one at Whiteflash:

http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/petite-champagne-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-954.htm

I haven't yet picked out the center stone but have a feeling that it will be a round in the range of 1 to 1.5 carats, so I feel like the width of this setting will be too thick for the size of my stone. I also liked BGD's Ashley's Assymetry:

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/ashleys-antisymmetry-18k-yellow-gold-5438y18

But again the band looks thick.

I was wondering if the knowledgeable PS'ers would happen to have any similar settings that they recommend? Thanks!!!

 

[Gypsy]

I don't like the head on the Champagne. And that Ashley is wow huge.

I would call BGD and talk to them about a custom setting with a nice 2.5mm shank that is similar to these. They do amazing custom work and Brian is fabulous about taking a design concept out of your head and bringing it to life. He's actually the best person at that that I've ever worked with.

 

[seekingshiny]

Hey Gypsy,

Thanks for your reply and the advice. I did see that he does custom, and I'm glad that he comes highly recommended! I was mainly sticking to stock settings due to cost reasons - any threads or general expectations in terms of the cost of going custom?

 

[distracts]

The width of the WF one is 2.8mm, which I would not consider too thick for a 1-1.5 ct diamond. A 1 ct diamond is about 6.4ish mm, so over twice the width of that ring shank. I don't see the width of the BGD one but it certainly wouldn't be wider than your stone. And the yellow gold will contrast with the white of your diamond and make it pop. Between the two I like the WF one better. I believe Pregcurious has it, with a much smaller diamond, so if you search for her on here you can see pictures of it. But she doesn't like it very much I know - I do think it's the kind of setting you need to be SURE you love, because it is definitely not for everyone.

However I should add that I have a 4mm band and would gladly have gone thicker if I didn't have to fit a wedding band on next to it, and I love thick bands and do not feel they make the center stone look smaller, as so many on here do.

 

[Gypsy]

Hey Gypsy,

Thanks for your reply and the advice. I did see that he does custom, and I'm glad that he comes highly recommended! I was mainly sticking to stock settings due to cost reasons - any threads or general expectations in terms of the cost of going custom?

What's your budget honey?

 

[Gypsy]

http://www.facebook.com/groups/pricescope/ This is a copy of the Michael B Lace design (5000k each piece) by Amcor. Poppyseed has been a DB seller for a while with many happy customers. I personally have not bought from her but this set has tempted me. You can't beat the price and the Lace design is what inspired that Champage setting. If you are on a tight budget and want something like that.. this is the best design and most budget friendly option I know of. 1390/set and it comes in yellow gold. I have no idea if the quality is good or if the ring will stand up to everyday wear. But it is a design that inspired so many others so I thought I would post it for you.

 

[seekingshiny]

I have a budget of about 15-18k total to play with .. I was hoping not to spend too much more than 2k on the setting but might sacrifice some stone size for a setting I'm crazy-in-love with, with the thought that if I loved it that much I'd keep the setting and upgrade the stone later possibly (I know it's usually the other way around with upgrades e.g. keeping the stone and tossing the setting).

Distracts, I will go search out those posts!

 

[seekingshiny]

Gypsy thanks for posting that set! I will run it past my fiance and see what he thinks!

 

[Gypsy]

I have a budget of about 15-18k total to play with .. I was hoping not to spend too much more than 2k on the setting but might sacrifice some stone size for a setting I'm crazy-in-love with, with the thought that if I loved it that much I'd keep the setting and upgrade the stone later possibly (I know it's usually the other way around with upgrades e.g. keeping the stone and tossing the setting).

Distracts, I will go search out those posts!

With that budget I wouldn't go for the Amcor set. I would go to BGD because I would want quality I could depend on with a manufacturing warranty. This is something you will everyday, and I like I said-- I don't know the quality of that set. I only showed it to you because of the design. You can get something lovely for 2700 in YG if you talk to Brian. An extra 700 in the budget will go a LONG way, but it won't make a huge impact on your setting budget. And BGD's quality is fantastic. I've had appraisers tell me their workmanship is nicer than Tiffany on my own pieces by them. And I've had Tiffany people ask me where I get my jewelry because they loved it so much.

 

[Gypsy]

Here's the original Michael B line. There are variations on the shank widths and the designs.

 

[seekingshiny]

I have a budget of about 15-18k total to play with .. I was hoping not to spend too much more than 2k on the setting but might sacrifice some stone size for a setting I'm crazy-in-love with, with the thought that if I loved it that much I'd keep the setting and upgrade the stone later possibly (I know it's usually the other way around with upgrades e.g. keeping the stone and tossing the setting).

Distracts, I will go search out those posts!

With that budget I wouldn't go for the Amcor set. I would go to BGD because I would want quality I could depend on with a manufacturing warranty. This is something you will everyday, and I like I said-- I don't know the quality of that set. I only showed it to you because of the design. You can get something lovely for 2700 in YG if you talk to Brian. An extra 700 in the budget will go a LONG way, but it won't make a huge impact on your setting budget. And BGD's quality is fantastic. I've had appraisers tell me their workmanship is nicer than Tiffany on my own pieces by them. And I've had Tiffany people ask me where I get my jewelry because they loved it so much.

Whoo, makes me feel a ton better! I was expecting more around 5K for custom. Seems like BGD, here I come!

 

[Gypsy]

Not for something like that. If it was pave everywhere and what not, maybe. But what you want isn't pave heavy and you don't want anything too thick either so it's not metal heavy. And that leaves the work and design time.

Ask to work with Lesley (although anyone there is great) and tell her that you want to talk to Brian and have him design something for you with your input and parameters.

I think 2.5 is a nice shank width.

 

[distracts]

I know you weren't asking to find diamonds but... http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-471554.htm
It's a 1.5 ACA, H VS2, about 7.4mm, at just over $15,000. Most of the others I found in the sub-$15,000 range at G/H VS1/2 were 1.3s.

This setting is only a little thinner at 2.5mm... http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/diamond-settings/corazon-scattered-knife-edge-diamond-engagement-ring-1046.htm but if you like the knife-edge look more with the scattered diamonds you could probably go semi-custom and get a different head. That flower-heart thing is not really to my taste. If you still like the champagne setting, it is possible they could go semi-custom and change the head on that too and maybe make it thinner.

Here is one of Pregcurious's threads: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thanks-to-quest-jewelers-for-my-reset.163316/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thanks-to-quest-jewelers-for-my-reset.163316/[/URL]

And I do agree with Gypsy that you could probably get a custom one made for less than $3000, which would still leave plenty of your budget for a 1.2-1.3 ct diamond.

 

[Gypsy]

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.267-g-si1-round-diamond-ags-104055873013 11k for a 7mm 1.267 BGD signature G SI. That comes in under budget even with the custom setting.