latest update

[Odilia]

For those of you following my reset saga, I figured I''d start a new thread for an update. I had a long meeting with Pete the other day. He got in 4 new diamonds, non-fluorescent. Ironically, we found the diamond from DH''s aunt does have fluorescence. He didn''t seem to think that''d be a problem with the non-fluorescent sidestones. Hopefully not.

I asked if there was any hope that maybe the FM shank would not deform again - like maybe I should give it another chance, but he did not think so. So he is going to make it a size 6.5 solid shank. (The FM shank was size 5.)

We talked about the ribs covering so much of the last sidestone. His suggestion is to go with prongs there, and eliminate the ribs altogether. What do you think of this? I was surprised, but it seems like maybe it is the best bet? I will post some photos of rings something like that.

Also, I had asked him to try to get a little more refinement of the side detailing like the JadeLeaves'' ring. So then he also suggested adding the little "nubs" that he had not put in. He had always wanted to go with holes where the nubs are on JL''s ring. Then, what probably would have been a 3rd hole got filled in because he needed more strength for the FM shank (all these design compromises I was never informed of ahead of time

), so since we won''t have the FM shank, I asked if that would look better with a hole now, and he said he thinks maybe we should put the nubs in. This also suprised me. So now I am undecided about that. I think, as before, he can always add the nubs later. But I thought I''d ask for opinions, since I must admit, I am so jaded on this whole thing, I have a really hard time even thinking about it. It was hard enough to decide any of this in the first place, and I don''t trust my judgment anymore. I don''t know, and to some extent I don''t care, in a way, but I know I will care later! argh. If I could go back a few years, knowing what I know now, I wish I had never wasted a minute on this project.

Anyway, at least now I have my e-diamond out, so I can go get new prongs for my solitaire & wear it again. I hope I can get nice prongs. I did see a beautiful Vatche solitaire (although in platinum) - not the x-prong, but it was 4 prong. I start to complicate things by thinking, "I wonder if it would look nice w/ my wedding band in YG, and not be too awfully expensive?" But I probably ought to keep it simple & inexpensive & just get new prongs, since I seem to be cursed when it comes to setting my e-diamond. Why bother spending much & making any effort when it is all for naught?

Anyway, first maybe I''ll post a picture of my ring for a refresher, and then post examples to show sort of how it might look with prongs & no ribs.

 

[Odilia]

The picture above shows how much of the last diamond is covered by the ribs. Who knows if maybe this isn''t part of the reason the diamonds seem such different colors, because so much less light is getting to that last diamond? Plus it made it look like the diamonds were sort of oval (a lopsided oval, anyway). Here is an example of a Scott Kay w/ just prongs, no ribs. For my ring, we would not have the shank do a "pinch" as it gets next to the diamond. But this at least is an example.

 

[Odilia]

An example without a "pinch" would be dockman''s beautiful ring for his FI.

 

[Odilia]

So anyway, let me know what you think about eliminating the ribs, and just having prongs w/ a smooth shank, kinda like dockman''s.

On to the "nub" vs. "hole" question:

Here the side profile of my ring. On the CAD drawing, there should have been "holes" after the 2nd diamond as well, but they got filled in to add strength for the FM shank.

 

[Odilia]

Here is a similar ring to JadeLeaves, to see what I meant by "bumps" which I am now calling "nubs". I tried to illustrate in this picture what I meant by having holes where the ''nubs" or "bumps" are. Now he recommends putting the nubs in. What do you think?

 

[Odilia]

Another, of JadeLeaves'' ring. Just to show the detailing.

So anyway, let me know what you think about any of these decisions:
- eliminate ribs & just have prongs
- fill in the "holes" with nubs?

 

[Odilia]

Maybe I should also post other views of my ring vs. the Scott Kay, to give an idea of the ribs vs. prongs.

Scott Kay, top-down (prongs):

 

[Odilia]

My ring. Not the greatest picture, but you see a little how the ribs cover so much.

 

[Odilia]

Another example of mine:

 

[Odilia]

Sorry for all the pics. I was looking for a top-down; finally found one.

 

[Odilia]

argh, that wasn''t the one I wanted. Oh well, I can''t seem to get the right one. Also, another advantage (I think) if we go w/ prongs rather than the ribs, is that the "U" under the smaller sidestone will be more symmetric. More of a true "U", whereas once again, another unanticipated design compromise for the hinged shank was that the U kinda got squashed, such that it''s more like a V on the far side. I think he will be able to clean that up a lot more & make it more of a true "U" if we go w/ the prongs. I will again post a profile to try to show it. If you look at the "rib" area, you see how it''s kind of squashing the smaller stone a bit on the outermost sides. Not the best way to put it, but hopefully you know what I mean. It might look cleaner & open it up more, w/ just prongs.

 

[Odilia]

for comparison, a profile-view of the Scott Kay w/ prongs, no ribs:

 

[lesco]

OFG, I'm not too technical as to know what could work better but reading your post I thought something. Is it possible for Quest to show you a 5 stone ring already produced for another customer ( either pics and or the real deal) and was successful in terms of design?

I would rather start there rather than attempting to visualize all the little nuances. The stuff might sound good in theory but you want a sure thing, especially after all you have been through. I would examine several finished designs and pick one even if I need to compromise on something. My humble opinion. I'm sure you will have more useful ones to come.

 

[Odilia]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:10:14 PM
Author: lesco
OFG, I'm not too technical as to know what could work better but reading your post I thought something. Is it possible for Quest to show you a 5 stone ring already produced for another customer ( either pics and or the real deal) and was successful in terms of design?

I would rather start there than attempting to visualize all the little nuances. The stuff might sound good in theory but you want a sure thing, especially after all you have been through. I would examine several finished designs and pick one even if I need to compromise on something. My humble opinion. I'm sure you will have more useful ones to come.

I'm not sure, but it sounds like you are assuming he is remaking the ring? That is the problem. If I could just remake it altogether, I would totally try for a sure-thing. I am so fed up with this stupid ring, which I would NEVER have gone thru all this custom agony if not for the hinged shank, I would go for even the most basic, basket-style classic ring if I could. But he won't remake it. He is just tweaking the ring that's there. But I agree with you, and that is why I am still sick, because I really don't know how it will turn out.

 

[lesco]

Oh... I''m sorry I thought they were, really! I can''t believe it. Bummer

.
Gosh, I feel so bad about missing that part of the story. No wonder why you feel so aggravated...
I really hope you get some expert opinions soon....

 

[Odilia]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:18:48 PM
Author: lesco
Oh... I'm sorry I thought they were, really! I can't believe it. Bummer

.
Gosh, I feel so bad about missing that part of the story. No wonder why you feel so aggravated...
I really hope you get some expert opinions soon....

No problem on missing that part. Oh yes, absolutely if he would remake it, I would just have him copy some tried & true design. For 2 years I was always so hesitant to go custom for that very reason, because it is so hard to know what things will look like. This is just a salvage operation. Although to be honest, at this point again I am so not confident in my decisions, that I wouldn't even know if picking a tried & true design would work. I don't know anything about all this anymore.

 

[mrssalvo]

my .02. have them open up the nubs and change the bar to the prongs like the scott kay ring.

 

[Odilia]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:41:09 PM
Author: mrssalvo
my .02. have them open up the nubs and change the bar to the prongs like the scott kay ring.

Thanks mrss! I must admit when he suggested changing the bar to prongs & eliminating the bars, I thought, hmmmm, maybe that is best. I don't see any big downside.

Although I'm not totally clear on what you mean by "open up the nubs". On my current ring, they are "open" as in holes, and he is talking about actually filling in the holes & making them nubs like on the JadeLeaves ring. So, are you in favor of nubs as in JL, or holes as they are now? Were you referring to the last would-be hole, that he had filled in, meaning open that one up too? (as they are open on the Scott Kay ring)

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:45:43 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl

Date: 6/13/2008 12:41:09 PM

Author: mrssalvo

my .02. have them open up the nubs and change the bar to the prongs like the scott kay ring.

Thanks mrss! I must admit when he suggested changing the bar to prongs & eliminating the bars, I thought, hmmmm, maybe that is best. I don''t see any big downside.


Although I''m not totally clear on what you mean by ''open up the nubs''. On my current ring, they are ''open'' as in holes, and he is talking about actually filling in the holes & making them nubs like on the JadeLeaves ring. So, are you in favor of nubs as in JL, or holes as they are now? Were you referring to the last would-be hole, that he had filled in, meaning open that one up too?

I like the look of the holes and would leave them, filling them in would add no strength to the ring.
As far as the bands across the top I think it would look better without them but I''m not sure there is going to be enough material left once they are removed to flow that area into the stones.

 

[Demelza]

OFG -- Sorry this is such a nightmare for you. Does Pete agree that the ring has problems? Is he making you pay for the work he''s doing on it now? I guess I''m just surprised he wouldn''t agree to a remake given all the problems you''re having. It seems like that would be the simplest solution for everyone. Wonder if he knows about this thread?

Anyway, I would prefer the prongs to the ribs. I don''t really have an opinion on the nubs vs. holes. I suppose I would prefer the holes from an aesthetic viewpoint, but is he saying to turn them into nubs for some structural reason? For what it''s worth, the side view is just lovely.

 

[mrssalvo]

i like them all open like the scott kay ring. it''s just a personal preference thing though.

 

[lyra]

That''s too bad the ring won''t be remade. I suppose that''s just another issue on its own there.

I would definitely get rid of the ribs. I think having prongs there will make a huge difference. The ribs were covering too much of the diamonds. I have a 5 stone bezel set ring with those ribs on the end, and mine barely even touch the end diamonds (obviously because of semi-bezel support, but whatever).

I don''t really get the nubs/hole thing, so on that I''m neutral. Taking away the ribs will totally change the look to start with. Good luck!!!!!

 

[Odilia]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:53:56 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 6/13/2008 12:45:43 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl

Date: 6/13/2008 12:41:09 PM

Author: mrssalvo

my .02. have them open up the nubs and change the bar to the prongs like the scott kay ring.

Thanks mrss! I must admit when he suggested changing the bar to prongs & eliminating the bars, I thought, hmmmm, maybe that is best. I don''t see any big downside.


Although I''m not totally clear on what you mean by ''open up the nubs''. On my current ring, they are ''open'' as in holes, and he is talking about actually filling in the holes & making them nubs like on the JadeLeaves ring. So, are you in favor of nubs as in JL, or holes as they are now? Were you referring to the last would-be hole, that he had filled in, meaning open that one up too?

I like the look of the holes and would leave them, filling them in would add no strength to the ring.
As far as the bands across the top I think it would look better without them but I''m not sure there is going to be enough material left once they are removed to flow that area into the stones.

Thanks, that helps. I kinda preferred leaving them as holes. As for the bands/ribs, I''m not sure how he plans to do that. Maybe I better ask him.

 

[Odilia]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:55:00 PM
Author: Demelza
OFG -- Sorry this is such a nightmare for you. Does Pete agree that the ring has problems? Is he making you pay for the work he''s doing on it now? I guess I''m just surprised he wouldn''t agree to a remake given all the problems you''re having. It seems like that would be the simplest solution for everyone. Wonder if he knows about this thread?

Thanks, Demelza. Yes, he knows that it has problems. He admitted (now) that the design was too delicate to withstand the opening & closing of the hinged shank. But I guess he didn''t think that was something he should have predicted beforehand. He is not making me pay for the rework. But it almost does seem as if it would be simpler for him to just remake it. He saw some of the earlier threads when I first started having problems.

Date: 6/13/2008 12:55:00 PM
Author: Demelza

Anyway, I would prefer the prongs to the ribs. I don''t really have an opinion on the nubs vs. holes. I suppose I would prefer the holes from an aesthetic viewpoint, but is he saying to turn them into nubs for some structural reason? For what it''s worth, the side view is just lovely.

Thanks. I am glad to be getting opinions on this. I think he was thinking of the nubs for structural reasons, which is odd, because if they were going to help, it would have been good if they could have helped w/ the hinged-shank. But according to Storm, they won''t help. And aesthetically I think I prefer the holes as well. I appreciate the compliment on the side view. Because from some of the comments, & with all the problems I''ve had, I sometimes think I should have just gone w/ a basic basket set ring or something. I sometimes wonder if people just think this ring is downright ugly. And as I said, I can barely think about this anymore; I don''t trust my own judgment AT ALL!

 

[strmrdr]

Personally I love the design of ring, I would have left the ribs off myself but its a matter of personal preference.
Its the execution that leaves a lot to be desired and the fact that it was not suited for a hinged shank.
In my opinion it is obvious that the design was going to have issues with the torque of the hinged shank.

 

[Odilia]

I gotta run, but it occured to me, since several mentioned remake: If we were remaking it, do you mean, as I said earlier, not sure what style I would go for, other than the very basic basket, since it is probably the most classic, tried & true. Is this what those of you who were thinking remake mean, like a different ring altogether, or just remake this one from scratch - I feel like I am writing gibberish right now, as I am in a hurry, but maybe I should just ask, if he were willing to remake it, what would you have him do - remake same style but better, or remake different style?
I will put a pic of what I mean by basic basket setting:

 

[Odilia]

Date: 6/13/2008 1:20:28 PM
Author: strmrdr
Personally I love the design of ring, I would have left the ribs off myself but its a matter of personal preference.

Thanks, strmrdr. The ribs were more subtle in the JadeLeaves'' ring, which I liked better than mine. And I never expected them to cover half the diamond. But now if he can do the prongs nicely, I also would prefer that.

Its the execution that leaves a lot to be desired and the fact that it was not suited for a hinged shank.

Yes, that (not suited for hingedshank) was my biggest frustration with this whole thing. Is there anything else you would change about the "execution" that he might still be able to do, now that it is to have a solid shank? I am glad to hear that the design is nice, because that makes me feel less frustrated to be stuck with it. But anything we can do to improve it now would be appreciated.

 

[strmrdr]

The force applied is trying to bend the bottom bar.

 

[dockman3]

OFG, thanks for the compliment on the ring! Clearly my opinion is to go for the prongs here. I love the openness that lends to the ring, which is why I picked it out in the first place. If he can copy it or come close, great! If not, prongs would definitely let you see more of your diamonds and really let them sparkle.

And just for the record, the shank on my ring does pinch ever so slightly, which you can see from the top down, but it is nowhere near the other example of pinch that you showed. I think the pinch is actually much easier to see with a knife edge shank than my smooth shank.

 

[strmrdr]

It will bend where the arrow is pointing just like your ring did.
So filling them in has no effect.