shape
carat
color
clarity

I'm back, with a Maytal Hannah engagement ring!

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
Hello everyone!

3 months ago, I posted in RockyTalky asking for a jeweler to help set my new WF ACA diamond into an engagement ring. Today, I'm happy to report that I received the ring this Monday and haven't been able to take my eyes off it since!

This diamond is actually an upgrade from a previous diamond just under 1 ct. My husband asked me what I wanted for our anniversary, and we finally decided on a ring upgrade. I liked the previous diamond from bluenile but would definitely not say no to a halo, or to a WF ACA (thank you Liza at WF for a seamless and great experience)! Plus, the bn solitare claws looked like the end of staples, I've been eyeing the pointy claws here on pricescope for ever. Basically I wanted a Harry Winston The One with better craftsmanship minus the price tag:lol-2:. A handforged round halo it is! I particularly love round diamonds because of their brilliance and shape. It's a personal preference, and I'm a bit influenced by a beloved musician. Anyways...

I'm not too keen on customizing the ring design and just wanted something elegant, dainty, shiny, and comfortable to wear. The setting would complement the center stone instead of being overwhelming and all over the place. I'm also a neat freak, so not crazy about wiring, rotating bands, intricate flowers, etc. They sure look beautiful, but I'd love something that's beautiful and easy to clean (having a magnasonic helps!).

Thank you diamondseeker2006, who introduced Maytal Hannah to me in the LA area. I looked at her website and really enjoyed browsing through her hand sketches and videos. Our email correspondence must've lasted more than 50 threads, this speaks to her patience and timeliness in answering all my questions! I was of course nervous about working with a jeweler I only knew by reputation, but I think Maytal's knowledge and positivity was able to clear any uncertainty and doubts for me. From the way she replied to my questions, no matter how big or small, I felt that I could trust her expertise in designing and forging the ring. My husband and I met her in LA when we dropped off the diamond, and she showed me an oval halo and a round halo with different metals. I seriously was almost blinded by how much they sparkled in the sun, and I had shades on. She also brought metal ring sizers so that I was able to pinpoint the exact size I wanted, which was slightly smaller than 5.

Throughout the time we worked together, she was very accommodating, and eventually got down all my requests perfectly! I wanted a secret diamond inside the band, no micropave along the donut, and a 2mm band. She nailed them all and the band is rounded, so it's really comfortable to wear. The entire ring sparkles so much it's like a fireball! There really is minimum metal and all I see is bling everywhere. The thin halo around the center stone increased finger coverage by a lot. As I said to Maytal, the ring grows on me every minute.

Perhaps the only "down side" is, this new halo ring is so dainty that my van cleef & arpels wedding band looks bulky sitting side by side...:silenced:

I wrote too much in my excitement. Enough said. Photos!!

IMG_7270.jpg

There's no way for me to tell that's a G color diamond!

tempImageA8qa5Y.jpg
IMG_7255.jpg
tempImagez0DwDI.jpg
IMG_7252.jpg
IMG_7230.jpg
tempImage4bCfxe.jpg





Bearpaw series!

The secret diamond shot
tempImageW3LkeQ.jpg


tempImagexDCb9e.jpg

tempImagechAlgP.jpg

IMG_0194.JPG
IMG_0196.JPG


Some indoor shots:

tempImageQl45Mj.jpg

tempImageAkTMWz.jpg
tempImagesx7VEN.jpg


Thanks for reading, and thanks again to everyone who offered me precious suggestions. Much appreciated!

Here's a link to Perfect Circle, in case anyone's interested in some Lo-fi music.
Perfect Circle

~~
You say a circle is a flawless shape
Every part equi-distance from the center
On the arc without a start or a finish
~~
-- Nujabes
 

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
8,507
Congratulations! It's a beautiful ring & looks perfect on you!

It's so sparkly - wear it in good health!
 

mrs-b

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
11,542
Congratulations, @simbelmyne - what a gorgeous ring!

Can you pls share the stats on the diamond and your finger size, so we can get a sense of proportion? Thanks!
 

luckyblackcat

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 24, 2016
Messages
207
Huge congratulations to you! This is a gorgeous, GORGEOUS ring. I love Maytal's work! I've only worked with her for a small project, but I found her so thoughtful, kind, and accommodating. If I lived in the States, I'd do a reset with her in a heartbeat.
 

GeorgieQ

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Messages
667
Your new ring is gorgeous!! I loved looking at all your photos, thanks for sharing! =)2
 

Diamond Girl 21

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
2,206
Congratulations on your beautiful new ring!
 

Beagles

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2017
Messages
188
So gorgeous! Congratulations!
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,198
Really gorgeous! Maytal does excellent work! Love her drawings too!
 

mjea

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
385
Soooo beautiful!! Thank you for sharing the journey!
 

lulu_ma

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
4,082
Gorgeous! And it looks perfect on your hand!
 

LLJsmom

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
12,631
Congratulations! The ring is beautiful on you. So great you got your dream ring without the astronomical HW price. Maytal does beautiful work. Tell us about your ACA. It's a stunning stone.
 

LoveMeDo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 2, 2006
Messages
251
Beautiful ring! What are the stats of your center stone??
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
Congratulations! It's a beautiful ring & looks perfect on you!

It's so sparkly - wear it in good health!
Thank you for your kind words and well wishes! ::)

Huge congratulations to you! This is a gorgeous, GORGEOUS ring. I love Maytal's work! I've only worked with her for a small project, but I found her so thoughtful, kind, and accommodating. If I lived in the States, I'd do a reset with her in a heartbeat.
Thank you! I have a black cat myself and I adore him to eternity.
I definitely agree with your feelings about Maytal, I feel the same way. Hope that you'll be able to work with her in the future or visit her here in SoCal, and she does shipping (I asked her to ship the ring to OC although we're both in SoCal). :lol:

Your new ring is gorgeous!! I loved looking at all your photos, thanks for sharing! =)2
Thank you! I must've taken hundreds of photos, diamonds are difficult to photograph!

Congratulations on your beautiful new ring!
Thank you!!

So gorgeous! Congratulations!
Thanks Beagles!!

Really gorgeous! Maytal does excellent work! Love her drawings too!
Thanks! Yes, her drawings are really pretty and elegant, like the ring!

Soooo beautiful!! Thank you for sharing the journey!
Thank you for reading!

Gorgeous! And it looks perfect on your hand!

Thanks! I can't stop looking at it, hahah:lol-2:
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
Congratulations, @simbelmyne - what a gorgeous ring!

Can you pls share the stats on the diamond and your finger size, so we can get a sense of proportion? Thanks!
Thank you mrs-b! I've loved reading your responses and jewelry collection posts here, learning a lot!

Congratulations! The ring is beautiful on you. So great you got your dream ring without the astronomical HW price. Maytal does beautiful work. Tell us about your ACA. It's a stunning stone.
Thanks LLSsmom, that's exactly my thinking!

Beautiful ring! What are the stats of your center stone??
Thank you!

In the spirit of answering your questions about the center stone, here're some details:
Finger size: between 4.75 and 5

Diamond specs:
Round brilliant
1.57 ct
7.45 - 7.47 x 4.58mm
G color
VS1
Cut grade: AGS Ideal 0

I could see the hearts and arrows with the scope WF sent me, but they are very difficult to capture once mounted in the setting... Perhaps I can do it with better cameras, all I have is an iphone :P2

I feel like not being able to see all 8 arrows at once doesn't really bother me. The diamond is so sparkly as it is...:lol:
 

Kim N

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
6,388
Absolutely gorgeous! The ACA and Maytal's work are a perfect match. Congratulations on your anniversary!
 

Dmndsr4evr11

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 9, 2018
Messages
1,490
Hello everyone!

3 months ago, I posted in RockyTalky asking for a jeweler to help set my new WF ACA diamond into an engagement ring. Today, I'm happy to report that I received the ring this Monday and haven't been able to take my eyes off it since!

This diamond is actually an upgrade from a previous diamond just under 1 ct. My husband asked me what I wanted for our anniversary, and we finally decided on a ring upgrade. I liked the previous diamond from bluenile but would definitely not say no to a halo, or to a WF ACA (thank you Liza at WF for a seamless and great experience)! Plus, the bn solitare claws looked like the end of staples, I've been eyeing the pointy claws here on pricescope for ever. Basically I wanted a Harry Winston The One with better craftsmanship minus the price tag:lol-2:. A handforged round halo it is! I particularly love round diamonds because of their brilliance and shape. It's a personal preference, and I'm a bit influenced by a beloved musician. Anyways...

I'm not too keen on customizing the ring design and just wanted something elegant, dainty, shiny, and comfortable to wear. The setting would complement the center stone instead of being overwhelming and all over the place. I'm also a neat freak, so not crazy about wiring, rotating bands, intricate flowers, etc. They sure look beautiful, but I'd love something that's beautiful and easy to clean (having a magnasonic helps!).

Thank you diamondseeker2006, who introduced Maytal Hannah to me in the LA area. I looked at her website and really enjoyed browsing through her hand sketches and videos. Our email correspondence must've lasted more than 50 threads, this speaks to her patience and timeliness in answering all my questions! I was of course nervous about working with a jeweler I only knew by reputation, but I think Maytal's knowledge and positivity was able to clear any uncertainty and doubts for me. From the way she replied to my questions, no matter how big or small, I felt that I could trust her expertise in designing and forging the ring. My husband and I met her in LA when we dropped off the diamond, and she showed me an oval halo and a round halo with different metals. I seriously was almost blinded by how much they sparkled in the sun, and I had shades on. She also brought metal ring sizers so that I was able to pinpoint the exact size I wanted, which was slightly smaller than 5.

Throughout the time we worked together, she was very accommodating, and eventually got down all my requests perfectly! I wanted a secret diamond inside the band, no micropave along the donut, and a 2mm band. She nailed them all and the band is rounded, so it's really comfortable to wear. The entire ring sparkles so much it's like a fireball! There really is minimum metal and all I see is bling everywhere. The thin halo around the center stone increased finger coverage by a lot. As I said to Maytal, the ring grows on me every minute.

Perhaps the only "down side" is, this new halo ring is so dainty that my van cleef & arpels wedding band looks bulky sitting side by side...:silenced:

I wrote too much in my excitement. Enough said. Photos!!

IMG_7270.jpg

There's no way for me to tell that's a G color diamond!

tempImageA8qa5Y.jpg
IMG_7255.jpg
tempImagez0DwDI.jpg
IMG_7252.jpg
IMG_7230.jpg
tempImage4bCfxe.jpg





Bearpaw series!

The secret diamond shot
tempImageW3LkeQ.jpg


tempImagexDCb9e.jpg

tempImagechAlgP.jpg

IMG_0194.JPG
IMG_0196.JPG


Some indoor shots:

tempImageQl45Mj.jpg

tempImageAkTMWz.jpg
tempImagesx7VEN.jpg


Thanks for reading, and thanks again to everyone who offered me precious suggestions. Much appreciated!

Here's a link to Perfect Circle, in case anyone's interested in some Lo-fi music.
Perfect Circle

~~
You say a circle is a flawless shape
Every part equi-distance from the center
On the arc without a start or a finish
~~
-- Nujabes

That is a beautiful ring! Congrats!
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
Absolutely gorgeous! The ACA and Maytal's work are a perfect match. Congratulations on your anniversary!
Thanks! That's very sweet of you. Actually our anniversary was in November, and I tend to take things really slow... I'm finally wearing the ring in April :lol-2::lol-2:no complaints!

That is a beautiful ring! Congrats!

Thanks you Dmndsr4evr11!!
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
I am SO happy to see you had a great experience working with Maytal! Your new ring is absolutely gorgeous!:love: Doesn't a halo make a huge difference in the size? I really experienced that with mine, too! So happy you were able to get the ACA, too! :appl:
 

Donnass117

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
400
Congratulations on your beautiful ring and anniversary! It looks perfect on your hand, I would have guessed at least 2 carats. Love the bear paw series too :)
 

RunningwithScissors

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 29, 2019
Messages
3,699
Beautiful! Congrats on your anniversary! Enjoy!
 

LinSF

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 21, 2018
Messages
511
Maytal is darling, and your ring is stunning! Congrats on the upgrade!
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
I am SO happy to see you had a great experience working with Maytal! Your new ring is absolutely gorgeous!:love: Doesn't a halo make a huge difference in the size? I really experienced that with mine, too! So happy you were able to get the ACA, too! :appl:

Thanks again ds2006! Yeah I had no idea the wonders a halo can do in terms of finger coverage. My friends were gawking and said the diamond looked huge. Your new ring looks positively majestic, an amazing creation!
 

AprilBaby

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
13,234
W:kiss2:W!
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
Congratulations on your beautiful ring and anniversary! It looks perfect on your hand, I would have guessed at least 2 carats. Love the bear paw series too :)
Thank you!! A halo really adds to the visual impact, while I think a solitaire looks simplistic and elegant. If I had a 2ct of ACA quality, I might go with a solitaire again...
Bear paws are my favorite succulents, I put a lot of work into them in the past year. They are all fat and chubby, and I'm trying to show them off as well! :lol:

Beautiful! Congrats on your anniversary! Enjoy!
Thanks RunningwithScissors! I do feel like a shiny anniversary gift often reminds me of the upsides of marriage. A worthwhile investment by my husband, LOL

Maytal is darling, and your ring is stunning! Congrats on the upgrade!

Thank you! Maytal really is great to work with.::)
 

Patty

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 7, 2003
Messages
4,451
That is so beautiful! It looks delicate but substantial.

Congrats on your anniversary and upgrade!
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
That is so beautiful! It looks delicate but substantial.

Congrats on your anniversary and upgrade!

Thank you! It really is substantial for everyday wear, I have to be more careful :D
 

hearts-arrows_girl

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
1,118
Thank you mrs-b! I've loved reading your responses and jewelry collection posts here, learning a lot!


Thanks LLSsmom, that's exactly my thinking!


Thank you!

In the spirit of answering your questions about the center stone, here're some details:
Finger size: between 4.75 and 5

Diamond specs:
Round brilliant
1.57 ct
7.45 - 7.47 x 4.58mm
G color
VS1
Cut grade: AGS Ideal 0

I could see the hearts and arrows with the scope WF sent me, but they are very difficult to capture once mounted in the setting... Perhaps I can do it with better cameras, all I have is an iphone :P2

I feel like not being able to see all 8 arrows at once doesn't really bother me. The diamond is so sparkly as it is...:lol:

Huge Congratulations! Your new stone and setting are amazing! :kiss2:
 

Jyt1022

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Messages
33
@simbelmyne This looks incredible! I'm actually leaning towards a WF stone and looking for a local jeweler in the Los Angeles area to help me with the ring setting. Curious if you can share the process timeline, range of cost and if you explored any other jewelers for your setting? I don't see a way to directly message you but happy to chat offline
he ring design and just wanted something elegant, dainty, shiny, and comfortable to wear. The setting would complement the center stone instead of being overwhelming and all over the place. I'm also a neat freak, so not crazy about wiring, rotating bands, intricate flowers, etc. They sure look beautiful, but I'd love something that's beautiful and easy to clean (having a magnasonic helps!).
 

simbelmyne

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
43
@simbelmyne This looks incredible! I'm actually leaning towards a WF stone and looking for a local jeweler in the Los Angeles area to help me with the ring setting. Curious if you can share the process timeline, range of cost and if you explored any other jewelers for your setting? I don't see a way to directly message you but happy to chat offline

I'm not very familiar with Pricescope DM either, so I guess I'll post publicly about some info - blurred out, if you want details, maybe we can exchange emails.

I know a lot of vendors source diamonds and forge the jewelry, one of the most successful and popular jewelers here on PS is Victor Canera. I have heard about his work for a couple years and understand that he's one of the best. Originally, I wanted the Emilya by VC.

However, as I had a trade-in diamond to consider, I wanted to go with a vendor with a bigger selection who's more likely to take my previous ring and offer a great upgrade. Many have a great online presence and WhiteFlash is a reputable vendor here on PS. With WF A Cut Above diamonds you get a lifetime upgrade policy. Additionally they have many diamonds in-house, whereas many vendors don't have the diamond at hand and it would take some time to source them to be viewed in person. During my conversations with the WF team, I felt comfortable doing business with them so I picked an ACA and didn't look back.

With the WF ACA, I asked VC's team for a quote, and I was rejected b/c they only worked with their in-house diamonds or perhaps long-term clients. Plus I may be the minority here but the email exchanges I had with a VC team member rubbed me the wrong way. I believe VC charges an additional 1K for outside diamonds, provided he agrees to do your project. So I went with Maytal and am really happy with the outcome. She's very communicative, caring and detail-oriented. With COVID restrictions I think she needed to plan around it for her workshop, the original timeline was 6-8 weeks. I got the ring after about 10 weeks. Her quote I think is also fair and lower than VC's.

Locally in SoCal, David Klass Jewelry is also popular on PS, but I didn't reach out to them, you can check out their instagram.
Hope this helps, and I'm just sharing my personal experience. :P2
 
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