Looking for a setting...need some help

[samson01]

I'm in the process of trying to find an engagement ring for my girlfriend and would appreciate some help.

We've looked at a variety of rings together and the favourite setting seems to be RB centre stone with tapered baguettes (nothing too short though if that makes sense...not too stubby?) I quite like the pointed claws and 6 prongs around the RB. Do you think this would look okay?

I can't seem to find this anywhere online though. Does anyone have any ideas? Or would I be looking at a custom setting?

Thanks for all your help

 

[Christina...]

Here's a few for you...

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/-14k-White-Gold-Tapered-Baguette-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-17150w14.html

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/charlotte-3-stone-micro-pave-3-sided-enagagement-ring-bpid-295-15.html

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/amanda-tapered-baguette-engaement-ring-bpid-280-15.html

https://www.artofplatinum.com/vault/custom-three-stone-engagement-ring


ETA: I adore claw prongs and I think that a 6 prong with tapered baguettes will look amazing. What size center stone are you considering? Have you established a budget? The settings I posted by Leon Mege are hand forged and custom, therefore more costly. I believe that ERD does both CAD and hand forged with CADs typically being more budget friendly. Stock settings like the one from JA are going to be the least expensive option. So, all options have their benefits and there drawbacks, depending on whats most important to you. Some of us like to split the budget equally, half for the setting, half for the stone. Some of us working with a tighter budget or preferring a larger diamond prefer to put the majority toward the center stone. Everyone is different, it's just a matter of finding a balance that works best for you.

 

[samson01]

Here's a few for you...

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/-14k-White-Gold-Tapered-Baguette-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-17150w14.html

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/charlotte-3-stone-micro-pave-3-sided-enagagement-ring-bpid-295-15.html

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/amanda-tapered-baguette-engaement-ring-bpid-280-15.html

https://www.artofplatinum.com/vault/custom-three-stone-engagement-ring


ETA: I adore claw prongs and I think that a 6 prong with tapered baguettes will look amazing. What size center stone are you considering? Have you established a budget? The settings I posted by Leon Mege are hand forged and custom, therefore more costly. I believe that ERD does both CAD and hand forged with CADs typically being more budget friendly. Stock settings like the one from JA are going to be the least expensive option. So, all options have their benefits and there drawbacks, depending on whats most important to you. Some of us like to split the budget equally, half for the setting, half for the stone. Some of us working with a tighter budget or preferring a larger diamond prefer to put the majority toward the center stone. Everyone is different, it's just a matter of finding a balance that works best for you.

Thanks for your reply. Very helpful.

I am considering 1.3-1.5 carat, depending on how much the setting costs I suppose. Ideally my budget is about $15,000.

Achievable?

 

[justginger]

Here's a few for you...

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/-14k-White-Gold-Tapered-Baguette-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-17150w14.html

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/charlotte-3-stone-micro-pave-3-sided-enagagement-ring-bpid-295-15.html

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/amanda-tapered-baguette-engaement-ring-bpid-280-15.html

https://www.artofplatinum.com/vault/custom-three-stone-engagement-ring


ETA: I adore claw prongs and I think that a 6 prong with tapered baguettes will look amazing. What size center stone are you considering? Have you established a budget? The settings I posted by Leon Mege are hand forged and custom, therefore more costly. I believe that ERD does both CAD and hand forged with CADs typically being more budget friendly. Stock settings like the one from JA are going to be the least expensive option. So, all options have their benefits and there drawbacks, depending on whats most important to you. Some of us like to split the budget equally, half for the setting, half for the stone. Some of us working with a tighter budget or preferring a larger diamond prefer to put the majority toward the center stone. Everyone is different, it's just a matter of finding a balance that works best for you.

Thanks for your reply. Very helpful.

I am considering 1.3-1.5 carat, depending on how much the setting costs I suppose. Ideally my budget is about $15,000.

Achievable?

Definitely. Quick glance at diamonds right now, using the PS diamond search function, show around 1.3-1.4 are below 10k. That setting, unless you get it from Leon will definitely be sub 5k (and even with Leon should be a bit below 5, I think - it's been a while since I've seen his pricing). Your budget is reasonable for sure.

I'd sort out exactly which setting you want, get a final price for it, and then buy the largest, ideal cut, H-I color, eye clean stone you can (disclaimer: my preferences for color and clarity, others have differing opinions. Do you know what stats she prefers?).

 

[Niel]

When I read your description and your budget I instantly thought lean. I love his eye for side stones and his claw prongs are great.
I love that look you're going for too!! baguettes would have been my first choice if I had the money for a large enough stone.

I know his settings are on the higher end but I would get a quote and see, If its sub 5k I've seen stones still in you're priced range in that size

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/I-VVS2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1527130.asp

You could ask BGD too. They'd have to make it custom though the baguettes they have in that type of three stone are stubby.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.315-i-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104059065018

 

[samson01]

I would prefer a better coloured stone, probably a G. From what I've read on here SI1 eyeclean seems to be the way to go with clarity. Or is VS2 worth the upgrade?

I'm not sure if I'm prepared to spend 1/3 budget on the setting....or is this an unreasonable expectation?

The 2 ERD settings that were recommended seem really nice (without the diamonds around the band)...would they be more reasonable?

Sorry for all the questions....

 

[JulieN]

IMO the setting is what makes it. I don't expect a nice one to cost more than say 2500-3000 for the top end.

 

[samson01]

IMO the setting is what makes it. I don't expect a nice one to cost more than say 2500-3000 for the top end.

Yeah, $3000 is a bit more what I had in mind.

 

[JulieN]

This is an example of a basic and inexpensive 6 prong baguette: http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_43&products_id=10046&cType=ER I personally would rather have a 1.3 ct and a high end setting than a 1.5 ct and basic setting.

If you don't want to spend much money, I think a 4 prong basket flows better than a 6 prong Tiffany style.

Compare the side views of these 4 prong baskets: http://www.bluenile.com/baguette-diamond-engagement-ring-setting-platinum_4524
http://www.bluenile.com/tapered-baguette-diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_27482

If you can appreciate the difference there at all, having six prongs will highlight and enlarge it (especially since from the side view you are basically looking at a prong.)

 

[samson01]

This is an example of a basic and inexpensive 6 prong baguette: http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_43&products_id=10046&cType=ER I personally would rather have a 1.3 ct and a high end setting than a 1.5 ct and basic setting.

If you don't want to spend much money, I think a 4 prong basket flows better than a 6 prong Tiffany style.

Hmm...yeah I don't want too cheap a setting but I'm just thinking that $5000 seems like quite a bit. I'll have to send out some emails to get a better idea.

 

[justginger]

I would prefer a better coloured stone, probably a G. From what I've read on here SI1 eyeclean seems to be the way to go with clarity. Or is VS2 worth the upgrade?

I'm not sure if I'm prepared to spend 1/3 budget on the setting....or is this an unreasonable expectation?

The 2 ERD settings that were recommended seem really nice (without the diamonds around the band)...would they be more reasonable?

Sorry for all the questions....

If you are working with a trusted vendor, and they assure you an I1 is eyeclean, it is. I have an eyeclean SI1 and an eyeclean SI2, so don't feel like you have to jump up to the VS range to have the inclusions invisible to the naked eye. It just comes down to soliciting the advice of the vendor...one you KNOW will tell you the truth (and let them know what distance you're talking about when it comes to being eyeclean. 6 inches? 10 inches? Arm length?).

Color is very personal, in terms of preference. I have a difficult time seeing any tint in diamonds over J, so long as they are not being put directly next to a whiter stone. Especially once you pop them into a white metal setting, then they're even less tinted to me. Have you seen a variety of GIA graded stones in person so you can decide what your cutoff is? It's an area you can utilize to save a ton of money, so long as you truly can't see the coloration (or if you can, it doesn't bother you -- my 4.65 is an M-Nish, and the color is lovely). Also keep in mind, if you've been viewing non-ideal RBCs in person the color is likely to be 'stronger' than in ideal cuts. All diamonds are graded from the bottom, and a great cut stone will appear whiter from the top than one with a rubbish cut.

The setting costs are up in the air. Contact Leon, who has the best eye when it comes to proportions of side stones to center stone, and see what he says. I had him make a custom three-sided pave halo in platinum for me about 3 years ago and it was just over $5k. But your design is far less labor and time intensive, though prices surely have risen in that time. I am guessing that his setting linked above will be about $3k, judging by his very loose price guide (which states that it is "only" BMW-level pricing, lol). I think it is worth that price, Leon's rings have this incredible fluidity and cleanliness )not to mention his tiny claw prongs!) that you won't get in a cheaper version.

 

[Niel]

I would prefer a better coloured stone, probably a G. From what I've read on here SI1 eyeclean seems to be the way to go with clarity. Or is VS2 worth the upgrade?

I'm not sure if I'm prepared to spend 1/3 budget on the setting....or is this an unreasonable expectation?

The 2 ERD settings that were recommended seem really nice (without the diamonds around the band)...would they be more reasonable?

Sorry for all the questions....

I agree with justginger, have you seen a J in color? Or even an H, those are considered colorless and at higher ct sizes going down just one color grad is a large price difference. Also i dont think VS2 is worth the upgrade. I wouldnt want to put money toward something I cant see. Eye clean is what I would go for, if that means its an SI2 then all the better.

And we are assuming Leon is going to price that setting at 5k, it may be less. Either way I think the price is worth it, especially sense you have the budget for BOTH a stone in your size range AND a top end setting. it really would make the difference I think

 

[Christina...]

If I absolutely had the budget G VS2 would be my sweet spot, but I wouldn't want to sacrifice weight or a quality setting to get it. Most people can't see the difference between, say, a G and an H once the stones are set, and few when they are upside down and side by side. The savings that comes with the H certainly make it a consideration to me. However I also wouldn't drop too low in color (and with your budget it appears you won't need to) for an engagement ring. Your spending a nice amount of money here and you want to be sure that your getting the best balance of size, color, and clarity. For me personally, an eye clean stone SI1 is the best value. If it's truly eye clean then you won't be able to see the difference between SI1 and VVS1 without a loupe, and lets face it, who's going to carry a loupe around with them asking people to admire how clean their stone is. Well with the exception of PSer's perhaps, I had a VVS1 with a teeny tiny pinpoint on the pavilion and I was tempted to do this, but PS is a whole different category of obsession. So for *me* H SI1 is a great value if obtaining the largest possible ct weight is a goal.

Cut is where you absolutely CAN NOT make compromises. The cut of the stone determines how the diamond will perform. I'm sure that you've seen diamonds that simply look like a white semi transparent piece of glass set as a ring. Unfortunately many women wear these, most happily ignorant about the quality of their stone. Until I found PS I wore diamonds that I thought were beautiful, the truth was that I had no idea what a well cut diamond was supposed to look like. I didn't realize that they could sparkle and dance in ALL lighting environments ALL the time. A well cut diamond looks whiter brighter and larger than it's poorly cut sisters. Again, you don't need to compromise here to meet your budget so don't!

It sounds as though you've decided how to best split your budget and it looks like a nice split. $3k will get you a nice quality setting. I'm not sure about Leons pricing right now either, but I would suspect that you could have this hand forged by him for close to your setting budget. You're on the right track contacting vendors now for pricing. Once you narrow down what you can expect to pay for the setting you will know what your remaining budget is for the stone.

 

[JOENESS]

im sorry to butt in but im looking to buy an e-ring by the end of jan and was wondering do i buy the setting before the diamond or the other way around? also i want the diamond to be 1.5ct round, H color, SI1 eyeclean, EX cut, NONE fluroscence, at the least and was wondering if its ok to get Very Good for the polish and symmetry? im trying to make all this work with a 15k budget as well but i need to stay at the 1.5ct weight and was wondering what my best choices were. considering she wants a cushion halo with melee, im not quite sure how im gonna make all this happen. i want to make her happy cause this ring is forever but at the same time i absolutely cannot afford a nickel more. i feel like im already stretching but i want to make this work. please any help will be greatly appreciated

 

[Niel]

im sorry to butt in but im looking to buy an e-ring by the end of jan and was wondering do i buy the setting before the diamond or the other way around? also i want the diamond to be 1.5ct round, H color, SI1 eyeclean, EX cut, NONE fluroscence, at the least and was wondering if its ok to get Very Good for the polish and symmetry? im trying to make all this work with a 15k budget as well but i need to stay at the 1.5ct weight and was wondering what my best choices were. considering she wants a cushion halo with melee, im not quite sure how im gonna make all this happen. i want to make her happy cause this ring is forever but at the same time i absolutely cannot afford a nickel more. i feel like im already stretching but i want to make this work. please any help will be greatly appreciated

I would start your own thread
PS'er will be happy to answer all those questions for you and help you with your search

 

[JOENESS]

im sorry. good luck!