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Info about halos

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soocool

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Finally, after almost 20 years of marriage I have decided that I want an engagement ring. Back when we got married, my husband and I really wanted a house so that is where all our money first went. He wanted to give me something to wear so I said get me a CZ set in 14kt solitaire setting. That is what I have been looking at for the past 20 years. Now I am hunting for a ring that will mesmorize me each time I look at it each and every day.

I have gone to several jewelers near me, plus have been reading posts on PS and salivating over the most gorgeous rings I have ever seen. I have tried on various rings with different shapes and sizes of diamonds to see what I really love. What has really caught my eyes are "Halos".

In getting my on-line PS education about diamonds, I have pretty much decided that I want a RB center stone in the 1.0 carat range. My questions about halos are:

1. What size diamonds should surround the center stone? or is this already included in the setting I would choose?

2. Should the surrounding diamonds be the same color as my center stone? or can it just be 1 away from the color of my center so that it really shows off the ring? I looked at a ring with an L center stone and the surrounding stones were H and that center stone did not make the ring at all. I would like the stone to look as colorless as possible and was considering a center F or G.

3. In a halo is the cut of the center stone as critical as if the center stone was not surrounded by the smaller diamonds? Would I be able to see the full impact of an ideal or excellent cut diamond in the halo?

4. My ring size is a 4.75 and 2 jewelers told me that many settings would have to be custom made since it is under a size 5. Is that true of all settings?

5. Would the halo look best in a platinum or 18kt white gold setting? Which metal is better and would look the best? My wedding band is 14kt yellow gold with five 0.20 diamonds across the top. I probably won''t wear the 2 of them together and I haven''t seen an yellow gold halo setting anyway.

6. Any recommendations on where to find settings for halos on the web or any stores in the southeastern PA area?

I don''t want to break the bank on this one, but I am budgeting up to $10,000.00 for this (hopefully a little less) I have a daughter to put through college next.

Thanks for all your help!
 
Here''s a my opinion on the Halo''s... I got a custom halo made for my fiancee this past summer....

1. I think the size of the diamonds around the center really depend on the look that you''re going for.. One thing you might look into is getting a bezel around the center diamond... this will definitely put the emphases on the center diamond. I went with a .65 center and put 1 pointers around the center stone... 2 pointers on the band.... given the size of your finger I would be hesitant to go bigger then 1 pointers around the center stone...

2. Usually the diamonds around the center stone are of equal color to the center stone however it is also common for them to be 1 shade difference... I went with a E center stone... the surrounding diamonds are F''s and it looks awesome...

3. The cut is still critical considering the center diamond is still the emphasis of the ring.

4. I do not have enough experience to comment on this one..

5. The Halo would look good in either setting... personally I went with white gold due to the cost difference...

6. check out whiteflash they do have a couple if i''m not mistaken... also check out the show me the ring forum on this website... do a search for halo''s and you''ll find plenty of examples...

Here''s the final result of my custom design...This is a Size 5.. The center as mentioned is a .65 carat E VS1 with excellent pol/sym and excellent cut. The surrounding diamonds are F VS2''s

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Date: 1/10/2009 5:43:44 PM
Author: tyty333
Check out Knox jewelers. They have lots of halos to drool over at resonable prices (IMO). Congrats on the 20 years and the new ring!

http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=200
Click to expand...
Thanks tyty333! I just bookmarked the site as I will probably want to print ou some photos. I am in love with halos now. There are so many variations to choose from that I did not anticipate.
 
Date: 1/10/2009 5:08:48 PM
Author: cdndman
Here''s a my opinion on the Halo''s... I got a custom halo made for my fiancee this past summer....

1. I think the size of the diamonds around the center really depend on the look that you''re going for.. One thing you might look into is getting a bezel around the center diamond... this will definitely put the emphases on the center diamond. I went with a .65 center and put 1 pointers around the center stone... 2 pointers on the band.... given the size of your finger I would be hesitant to go bigger then 1 pointers around the center stone...

2. Usually the diamonds around the center stone are of equal color to the center stone however it is also common for them to be 1 shade difference... I went with a E center stone... the surrounding diamonds are F''s and it looks awesome...

3. The cut is still critical considering the center diamond is still the emphasis of the ring.

4. I do not have enough experience to comment on this one..

5. The Halo would look good in either setting... personally I went with white gold due to the cost difference...

6. check out whiteflash they do have a couple if i''m not mistaken... also check out the show me the ring forum on this website... do a search for halo''s and you''ll find plenty of examples...

Here''s the final result of my custom design...This is a Size 5.. The center as mentioned is a .65 carat E VS1 with excellent pol/sym and excellent cut. The surrounding diamonds are F VS2''s
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate all the help I can get. I looked at so many halos I think I am dizzy with envy now! Oh and the ring is absolutely gorgeous!
 
Date: 1/10/2009 2:50:28 PM
Author:soocool
Finally, after almost 20 years of marriage I have decided that I want an engagement ring. Back when we got married, my husband and I really wanted a house so that is where all our money first went. He wanted to give me something to wear so I said get me a CZ set in 14kt solitaire setting. That is what I have been looking at for the past 20 years. Now I am hunting for a ring that will mesmorize me each time I look at it each and every day.

I have gone to several jewelers near me, plus have been reading posts on PS and salivating over the most gorgeous rings I have ever seen. I have tried on various rings with different shapes and sizes of diamonds to see what I really love. What has really caught my eyes are ''Halos''.

In getting my on-line PS education about diamonds, I have pretty much decided that I want a RB center stone in the 1.0 carat range. My questions about halos are:

1. What size diamonds should surround the center stone? or is this already included in the setting I would choose?

2. Should the surrounding diamonds be the same color as my center stone? or can it just be 1 away from the color of my center so that it really shows off the ring? I looked at a ring with an L center stone and the surrounding stones were H and that center stone did not make the ring at all. I would like the stone to look as colorless as possible and was considering a center F or G.

3. In a halo is the cut of the center stone as critical as if the center stone was not surrounded by the smaller diamonds? Would I be able to see the full impact of an ideal or excellent cut diamond in the halo?

4. My ring size is a 4.75 and 2 jewelers told me that many settings would have to be custom made since it is under a size 5. Is that true of all settings?

5. Would the halo look best in a platinum or 18kt white gold setting? Which metal is better and would look the best? My wedding band is 14kt yellow gold with five 0.20 diamonds across the top. I probably won''t wear the 2 of them together and I haven''t seen an yellow gold halo setting anyway.

6. Any recommendations on where to find settings for halos on the web or any stores in the southeastern PA area?

I don''t want to break the bank on this one, but I am budgeting up to $10,000.00 for this (hopefully a little less) I have a daughter to put through college next.

Thanks for all your help!
Click to expand...
1. I think 1 pointers should work very nicely! You don''t want to overwhelm your gorgeous stone!

2. The surrounding diamonds will be so small, I think you can definitely go a color or two down and be fine! The smaller the diamond, the less color you''ll see. And melee is so tiny! Just make sure they''re cut well! Yes, even melee can have arrows! LOL. Cute ones.

3. YES! When you have little blazing sparklers surrounding the main attraction, you want the main attraction to live up to the melee. So you will definitely want it to be cut WELL. A dead stone, I think, would be highlighted by backup singers that drown it out. Make your center diamond the soloist! LAAAALAAAAAAA!

4. I am also your ring size. I had mine custom made. I think you would want your ring to be custom made because that way everything will be in proportion and perfect for your stone. Also, since they''re not force-fitting the ring to conform it to your stone -- I would imagine that the melee will be sturdier and (if done right) not pop out under normal wear.

5. If cost isn''t an issue, DO PLATINUM! The reason why for me -- halos are hard to clean. When I had my diamond in a solitaire, I could scrub that stone to kingdom come and get it clean. My halo, not so much. So I like to put it in cleaners and soak it overnight and etc. So much more melee. White gold might turn yellow with a lot of cleaning, especially with harsher chemicals like ammonia, which is excellent for cleaning sparklies. So I wouldn''t want to worry. I wear my ring in the pool and don''t worry about the chlorine turning the metal yellow. Plus, white gold reacts to certain skin chemicals (depending on your chemistry) and that could turn it yellow. It''s no biggie - you can re-dip it, but having to consider these things would make me nuts. Plus, the feel and weight of platinum is really nice.

6. YES! Go to engagementringsdirect.com! They are awesome, very affordable and wonderful to work with. Whiteflash is also amazing. They have stock settings that might work and be cheaper without going custom.

And remember also -- there is a debate about bezels/airline/prongs. I was told the way to best showcase the diamond and make it clear it is one big diamond surrounded by sparklers and not a "cluster ring" look -- is to bezel it or have a clear but tiny airline. A mirror like finish bezel makes the stone POP and look really bright and huge.
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The other parts can have milgraine, if you wish.

Hope that helps! Can''t wait to see what you get!!!!
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Date: 1/10/2009 2:50:28 PM
Author:soocool

1. What size diamonds should surround the center stone? or is this already included in the setting I would choose?


2. Should the surrounding diamonds be the same color as my center stone? or can it just be 1 away from the color of my center so that it really shows off the ring? I looked at a ring with an L center stone and the surrounding stones were H and that center stone did not make the ring at all. I would like the stone to look as colorless as possible and was considering a center F or G.


3. In a halo is the cut of the center stone as critical as if the center stone was not surrounded by the smaller diamonds? Would I be able to see the full impact of an ideal or excellent cut diamond in the halo?


4. My ring size is a 4.75 and 2 jewelers told me that many settings would have to be custom made since it is under a size 5. Is that true of all settings?


5. Would the halo look best in a platinum or 18kt white gold setting? Which metal is better and would look the best? My wedding band is 14kt yellow gold with five 0.20 diamonds across the top. I probably won't wear the 2 of them together and I haven't seen an yellow gold halo setting anyway.


6. Any recommendations on where to find settings for halos on the web or any stores in the southeastern PA area?


I don't want to break the bank on this one, but I am budgeting up to $10,000.00 for this (hopefully a little less) I have a daughter to put through college next.


Thanks for all your help!
Click to expand...

1) unless you are going completely custom, the size of the diamonds in the halo will already be decided by the designer.

2) 1 or 2 colors off from the center diamond color will be fine. there are gals her with J color stone's in higher color halo's the CUT of the stone is key and will make a lower color face up whiter.

3) In my opinion, yes, the cut is just as important..

4) Yes, most settings will have to be made in your size. Sizing a ring down too much can make the ring oblong shaped and can possibly affect the rings integrity especially if there are diamonds in the band.

5) either metal is fine for a halo

6) I'd suggest checking out
Pearlmans for a ton of settings with halo's. Goodoldgold also has a nice selection to look at.

Congrats on 20 years!!
 
I''d also check out pearlmans Bev. K settings. I refined a search for you below. They have some beautiful settings at "reasonable" prices. It might be cheaper than going custom.

For example THIS ONE is under 1k and it''s really pretty! If its bezel your going for Here is one under 1k again
Oh and THIS one is unique!
I found all of those with the link I provided to you below. I''m working with Jason, and he has even offered to send me a sample setting to see if it''s really what I''m looking for or not. Another great thing about Bev K settings is taht you can make modifications to the settings. For example, if you want rose gold scroll work, or a halo, or sapphires instead of diamonds, etc. They''ll even send you a photoshopped image so you can get a better idea of it!

I wear a size four and if your halo is going to have pave or many side stones at all, it''s best to have it made from scratch. It doesn''t mean it''s "custom" made, but the ring is going to need to be cast in your size if you want the best results and it''s safer for the stones (they''ll have a greater chance of falling out if you compromise the setting by sizing it to small)

With your budget of 10K, you can get a great round a little over a carat, and depending on the setting, you can probably go platinum. I''m getting platinum now, mainly because it''s only a few hundered dollars more than gold at this point. I don''t have to get it plated, it''s stronger (most bev. k setting have pave, and I''ve been told it''s just a little safer for the pave stones to get platinum if you can afford it, but 18K wg should be fine as well).

I hope this helps!

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/search.php?DesignerID=&Category=&Price=&Date=&keywords=halo&PriceLow=&PriceHigh=&DesignerID=48&Category=&Submit.x=42&Submit.y=11
 
Thanks to all for all the wonderful info and help. It surely will make the search easier! I think I will opt for platinum setting and will go with an ideal or excellent cut center (either F or G) and do 1 pointers to surround the stone either G or H (possibly I???). With my vision at 50, I could do with a SI2 at the very least in the center stone.

I want to check out some more jewelers near me on-line or in store to see which settings (brand or design names)they carry so I can see how the actual ring will look on my finger. I initially tried a halo at Mayfair Jewelers in Newtown, PA and fell in love with the look. I also tried a 3 stone Oval that I really liked. I tried on another halo at another jewelers, but didn''t like the color of the center (it was an "L") I''ll probably ask them for cost and then compare that with what it would cost over the internet to see if that saves me a bit of money. If the cost difference is not too great I may stick with a jeweler who is near me just for covenience.

The one thing that I did note when reading the policies on some of the jewelers'' sites that if you purchse the setting from them, they won''t set the stone in the setting unless you buy the stone from them as well. My final question is, is it a problem if someone else sets the stone other than the place you get the setting, or is it best for one person to do the entire ring?

P.S. I had problems getting the Pearlmas site to open, but will try again later.

Thanks again!!!
 
I''m buying from pearlmans and sending them my stone (which is set already) and they are unsetting it and re-setting it. It shouldn''t be a problem. As I mentioned before, if you want to see the ring, pearlmans has sent out sample settings to their buyers before so you can view the ring before you buy it and pull the trigger. Let''s see if I can find you some good stones. I''d go with either G-H-or I for the center stone. In an ideal cut stone, you won''t be able to see any color. I''d also stick with an eye clean SI1 or SI2. Lets see what I can pull up for you.

I''m going to pull up a few, because I don''t know what your looking for in a halo (they can range from 1k, although platinum should be closer to 2k, to 5k and up. So I''ll pick a few stones that look great for your budget and after you find a setting, it will be easier to find the diamond).

THIS or THIS or YUMMY! or THIS or THIS or goodoldgold, that one looks nice as well. Those are just a few. You can get a nice diamond and a great setting. Or, if you want to stick with the 1 carat, G SI1 or SI2...you can always have a Leon made! YUMMY! I''m thinking if you spend 5k on the stone that would leave 5k for Leon...i have NO CLUE what his settings run...but I think that might work...???

Depends on what you want though. I''d go for the bigger diamond, and get a bev. K setting, which are to die for as well..but they arent'' a leon...but beautiful none the less!
 
redrose: thanks for the links! I still can''t load the Pearlman''s website, maybe it''s down for now. My husband said he can''t tell by pictures over the internet how a halo looks so we are going to the jewelers on Friday so he can see it on my hand. I''ll listen to his opinion, but ultimately it is what I love that matters.
 
No problem! I can''t get the website to load today either...weird. It must be down. But you must promise me that you''ll look at the Bev. K settings! I only asked this because they are great rings for a great price and they are beautiful. I know that they would send you an example of the one you liked the best (so that way you could see it on your hand) and then you can get a bigger stone. I figured 3k for the setting (could be more, could be less) and then 7k for the diamond (although if the setting is less...that means a bigger stone!
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)

I get to see my sample setting in a couple of weeks, my husband is making me wait until Feb. to do it all though. I''ll let you know how it turns out for sure (if you haven''t done it by then
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).

I love halos too! This is to help me with shrinkage and give me a modern antique look at the same time. I have to wait 20yrs before I get my upgrade too! LOL! Congrats on 20 yrs! WOW!
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Redrose, I swear I will look at the settings as soon as I can access the site! THANKS AGAIN!!!
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