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Looking for Setting Similar to Hearts On Fire Seduction Solitaire ...

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T

tjs

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
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23
First of all, I'd like to thank all the contributors to this site. I haven't even purchased a ring yet, but I feel already that PS has saved me thousands just through searching the years of old forum threads. :)

Ok so I am shopping for an engagement ring. My girlfriend and I have had some talks about rings, and she decided she'd like me to pick it out and surprise her. But at least she gave me some hints. She is looking for a smaller diamond (~0.5-0.6 carat), solitaire, platinum setting with no flair. And she really loves the style of the Hearts on Fire Seduction Solitaire shown as attachment. She doesn't care that it is HOF, but instead just likes the style. Aside from these bounds, I have free reign.

I am looking to keep the ring total under $2500. Using the price tools here, I found some decent 0.5-0.6ct, Hearts and Arrows cut, diamonds between $1300-$1600 (to be discussed at a later time). I was able to look at a retailer sheet at Bernie Robbins and it seems that the Seduction Solitaire platinum setting retails at about $1400. I expect I can get it a bit cheaper, but I was looking for alternatives.

So,

1. For those that have gone setting shopping, see anything similar to the picture below that may be a better deal? Currently, I've only found the Vatche X-Prong which seems to be around the same price, and the settings used on the Tiffany Lucida which is even more. (Both of these being rough guesses from a google search)
2. I have a hard time searching for this ring style. How would you describe it? Cathedral? X-prong?

Thanks for your help!

tjsseduc.jpg
 
Hmmm...the Vatche was the first thing that I thought of too. How about this one?

It''s from WF, $550 in 18k white gold w/platinum head, or $795 in platinum.

gi_CWHSolitaire_fmegan.jpg
 
can you not buy your own stone and have it set into the HOF solitaire? I''ve not seen anything really close and even a custom job probably won''t get it exactly the same.
 
That one''s pretty nice!
Is there a name for this general style?
And I''m guessing ~$800 seems about the standard price for a platinum right?

I think I am going to try to see what price Bernie Robbins can give me for the actual seduction solitaire setting as well just to get a better comparison. They said they can do less than the MSRP of $1400, but didn''t say how much less.
 
Date: 8/29/2007 9:26:11 AM
Author: mrssalvo
can you not buy your own stone and have it set into the HOF solitaire? I''ve not seen anything really close and even a custom job probably won''t get it exactly the same.
Click to expand...

If I can''t find anything close, and the final price of the HOF solitaire isn''t TOO much more than other platinums, I may just do that.

In that case, I would buy the stone online, have it set locally right? How much can I expect to spend additional to the cost of the setting to get it set locally? (Or would it be better to go the other way around, as in, buy the setting locally, and then send the setting off to the online vendor to have THEIR stone set in it, if that is even possible)
 
Date: 8/29/2007 9:27:51 AM
Author: tjs
That one''s pretty nice!
Is there a name for this general style?
And I''m guessing ~$800 seems about the standard price for a platinum right?

I think I am going to try to see what price Bernie Robbins can give me for the actual seduction solitaire setting as well just to get a better comparison. They said they can do less than the MSRP of $1400, but didn''t say how much less.
Click to expand...
Yes, it''s called the Sleek Lines Solitaire. I think $800 for a good-quality non-designer setting in platinum feels reasonable, but I''m not really sure.

I don''t know if this is an option, but I bought my setting at a trunk show that my jeweler had and saved a good amount of money. My setting was usually $3,400, and I got it for $3,000 with no sales tax. If that''s an option and you can wait for a show, that may help you get exactly what you want.
 
Date: 8/29/2007 9:31:39 AM
Author: tjs

In that case, I would buy the stone online, have it set locally right? How much can I expect to spend additional to the cost of the setting to get it set locally? (Or would it be better to go the other way around, as in, buy the setting locally, and then send the setting off to the online vendor to have THEIR stone set in it, if that is even possible)
Click to expand...

In cases where designer settings come into play, i recommend having the folks who make the setting set the stone. But you''ll need to make sure they will take responsibilty for the stone while it''s being set. if not, have the setting sent to the vendor you buy the diamond from...
 
Is there normally a significant charge for setting an outside stone if buying just the setting at a place?
Any estimated prices for the setting labor cost? ($100, $200, higher?)
 
$1/point was pretty standard when I looked into it. That''s about $100 for a 1 ct.
 
How about the Legato sleek lines solitaire? It is not exactly like the HoF setting, but it is a unique and beautiful design. Also, does she really want platinum instead of white gold? This one is $695 in white gold and $1050 in platinum, which is not too bad. But you could spend more on the diamond if the setting wasn''t so high.

WFlegato.jpg
 
Date: 8/29/2007 9:46:40 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
How about the Legato sleek lines solitaire? It is not exactly like the HoF setting, but it is a unique and beautiful design. Also, does she really want platinum instead of white gold? This one is $695 in white gold and $1050 in platinum, which is not too bad. But you could spend more on the diamond if the setting wasn''t so high.
Click to expand...

Another nice selection. Both seem very close to get away with. As for the question on platinum: She claims she really really prefers platinum, and doesn''t really like white gold. I claim I can''t see the difference between the two when side by side. Annndd, she claims otherwise. So it sounds like she''d really like platinum (despite what several jewelers and people on here have to say).
 
it she wants plat. get her plat. I prefer it over WG for an e-ring too. plat. is heavier and although it will develop a patina over time, I like the look. you can always have it polished again to look like new. WG can develop a yellow look to it depending on her body chemistry and she''ll have to have it rhodium plated to keep it shiny white. there really isn''t a right or wrong answer, but it''s going to be her ring, why not get her what she wants?
 
agreed. just now deciding on all these recommendations for style you all mentioned (thanks again!)

i''ll let you all know what i select.
 
Just as an update, the platinum HOF Seduction Solitaire setting for a ~0.5ct stone is $1375 firm. This is confirmed by 2 jewelers in the area. Since that what she wants, I''m going to go with that.
Now I''ve also received information from her friends that she may actually want a princess cut instead. A princess-cut stone in a HOF seduction solitaire? Hmmm. The two same jewelers said they could do that but I wonder how it''ll look. So now I just need to confirm that it is actually princess cut. Fortunately this will drop the price allowing for a larger stone on the same budget. :)
And as for the setting, I was told by the HOF jeweler that they would do the setting free of charge. And I was told by JamesAllen that they would also do it (free of charge if no mods are needed). I''ll probably send it back to JamesAllen to set if I buy the stone there because they take financial responsibility and also give an insurance appraisal with the setting. (Does this make sense?)

So thats the status for now.
 
Confirmed she wants a Princess cut now. The main thing is she doesn''t want the diamond to stick out of the band too much so that it has a low setting (hence the HOF seduction solitaire).

So do you think setting a princess cut into the HOF seduction solitaire an ok thing to do? If not, it sounds like she''s not SET on the HOF seduction, just the low setting style.
 
Ask about HOF settings for their Dream diamond. It''s a square cut stone and a setting for a Dream, may accomodate a princess. Remember, you will need a setting that will protect the fragile corners of the princess, so that may make a difference in your choice of settings.
 
I think it is a good decision to go with the setting you know she likes. And definitely go with platinum if she really prefers it. But the thing you need to know about princess stones is that they look smaller than a round of the same weight, so you have to go larger weight to get the same look as a round. Go as large as you can now.
 
Forgot to say, to make princess shopping easy, just look for the AGS0 princess stones. Both WF and Good Old Gold carry them. Also, Wink from Winfield's might have some Infinity AGS0 princess stones.
 
I'd go for an AGS0 princess in the Whiteflash Legato Sleek Line solitaire. That's exactly what I would have ordered if I didn't go custom! I'm also big on low settings, and I've heard that the Legato settings are pretty low-profile.

Also, HOF makes a Seduction solitaire for their Dream diamond:
http://www.heartsonfire.com/JC_search.aspx?item=Seduc1R&type=8

And this one is nice if it could be customized to fit a princess:
http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=262&rn=1076&action=show_detail
 
For that setting. I would also consider an X factor. A cut cornered princess from Whiteflash.
2.gif
 
Date: 9/1/2007 12:18:59 PM
Author: Gypsy
For that setting. I would also consider an X factor. A cut cornered princess from Whiteflash.
2.gif
Click to expand...
That''s a great idea! An x-factor would fit any of the HOF Dream settings.
 
Thanks again for all the great advice everyone!
I don''t mean to drag this thread out, but I have just a few follow up questions:

1. Princess do clearly look smaller than rounds when at the same carat. What would you recommend stepping up to if I was originally looking at around a 0.5 carat? I understand I should go as big as possible now, but I don''t know at what point I should set a limit (0.6? 0.65?) so that I don''t sacrifice cut in my budget.

2. Searching for well-cut rounds seemed so easy with all the gradings and the HCA tool to evaluate potentially well cut candidates. Now that I am hunting for a princess, it seems that much of that has gone out the window and I have a whole other world of old-thread searching :). Any tools out there yet for evaluating well-cut princesses? I know the AGS0 are great (several past threads on this), but I don''t want to limit my selection, or choice of vendors, if I don''t have to.

3. When looking for settings, it didn''t seem that there were ones specifically for princesses. So how can I best know if the setting will protect the fragile corners of a princess? The X-Factor seems like a great idea for the HOF Seduction I am interested in, but again I don''t want to limit myself to just the X-Factor if I can go larger, better-cut, etc. within my budget.

You guys are great!
 
Date: 9/2/2007 10:37:00 AM
Author: tjs
Thanks again for all the great advice everyone!

I don''t mean to drag this thread out, but I have just a few follow up questions:

1. Princess do clearly look smaller than rounds when at the same carat. What would you recommend stepping up to if I was originally looking at around a 0.5 carat? I understand I should go as big as possible now, but I don''t know at what point I should set a limit (0.6? 0.65?) so that I don''t sacrifice cut in my budget.

2. Searching for well-cut rounds seemed so easy with all the gradings and the HCA tool to evaluate potentially well cut candidates. Now that I am hunting for a princess, it seems that much of that has gone out the window and I have a whole other world of old-thread searching :). Any tools out there yet for evaluating well-cut princesses? I know the AGS0 are great (several past threads on this), but I don''t want to limit my selection, or choice of vendors, if I don''t have to.

3. When looking for settings, it didn''t seem that there were ones specifically for princesses. So how can I best know if the setting will protect the fragile corners of a princess? The X-Factor seems like a great idea for the HOF Seduction I am interested in, but again I don''t want to limit myself to just the X-Factor if I can go larger, better-cut, etc. within my budget.

You guys are great!
Click to expand...

1) I''d go as large as you can, sacrificing color and clarity down to about I/SI2 or so, but don''t compromise on cut. 0.75-0.8 is a good size for a princess IMHO. Also, putting an 0.5 in a bezel halo is a nice way to make it look bigger, but this of course changes your entire setting dramatically. I''m talking about something like this:
http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=201&rn=1041&action=show_detail
Obviously, ignore this if you want a solitaire!

2) I don''t think there''s really much harm in limiting yourself to AGS0 princesses. Lots of online vendors carry them...WF, GOG, ERD, SuperbCert, and more. But I would also consider some "specialty" princess cuts...not only the X-factor, but take a look at some of the cut-cornered stones Good Old Gold has. There''s a new one out called the Princess of Hearts that looks really nice (and has hearts and arrows if you like that kinda thing). Jubliee cuts are supposed to be coming back soon. GOG also has a proprietary cut-cornered square and sometimes gets Flanders and Lucere cuts. They may be a tad more expensive than a regular princess or an X-factor, but if you can budget them in, they''re really nice.

3) Ask for V-prongs in the head of your setting. Those are the kind of prongs that go around the corners of the stone to protect them, as opposed to just sitting at the apex of the corner, if you know what I mean. And either way, insure that puppy! Princess corners can break no matter how they''re set. I opted for regular prongs, and at first I didn''t buy insurance, but the wise people around here convinced me to get it insured.
 
So heres some more updates:

I talked to the jeweler at the HOF retail shop (Bernie Robbins). They said the HOF Seduction Solitaire shouldn''t be set in anything other than the ''Dream'' (or similar stones like the X-Factor I assume). I suppose it kind of makes sense because the prongs on the Seduction solitaire seem to wrap around the cut corners of the HOF dream perfectly. Popping a princess in there would leave the corners exposed.

So it looks like I am torn between two options:

1. Going with the WF Legato Sleek Lines Solitaire in Platinum and a 0.6ct AGS0 princess diamond
or
2. Buying a WF X-Factor stone and try to get that fit into the HOF seduction solitaire.

Price of each would be approx the same. Option 1 would most-certainly be easier since it can all be done at Whiteflash, and I only need to independantly appraise it once. Whiteflash said they may be able to do a custom ring to look similar to the Seduction solitaire, but that may be risky. I''ll let you all know of more updates.
 
I''d get the X factor and set it into the HOF setting. Personally.
 
Date: 9/7/2007 2:05:28 PM
Author: Gypsy
I'd get the X factor and set it into the HOF setting. Personally.
Click to expand...

Do you think I still have to go larger on the X-Factor to have the same size appearance of a 0.5ct round? It seems that the best in stock that WF has, in my price range (< $1500) is around 0.56ct. And the stock seems smaller for these X-factors (of course). Do you recommend the X-factor so I can still use the HOF setting? Or because you like the X-factor diamond?

EDIT/UPDATE:
After talking to a WF rep a moment ago, it was highly recommended that I have WhiteFlash do a custom ring to look similar to the HOF seduction, rather than sending the seduction into the them to have a X-factor diamond set. I was told even though the x-factor takes the same shape as the dream, its difficult to guarantee it will fit the setting well. So I am going to see what a custom-ring would cost where it would mostly stay the same, except the prongs would be modified to better fit a princess or x-factor.
 
I love that HOF setting, but since you are going with something other than one of their dream diamonds I would be inclined to take WF''s recommendation on having a similiar ring custom made to fit your particular stone.
 
Date: 9/7/2007 4:26:41 PM
Author: Sundial
I love that HOF setting, but since you are going with something other than one of their dream diamonds I would be inclined to take WF''s recommendation on having a similiar ring custom made to fit your particular stone.
Click to expand...
Ditto. WF can probably make you a nice one! And like, Gypsy, I''d choose the x-factor...no corners to worry about!
 
Date: 9/7/2007 6:07:45 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Date: 9/7/2007 4:26:41 PM

Author: Sundial

I love that HOF setting, but since you are going with something other than one of their dream diamonds I would be inclined to take WF''s recommendation on having a similiar ring custom made to fit your particular stone.
Click to expand...

Ditto. WF can probably make you a nice one! And like, Gypsy, I''d choose the x-factor...no corners to worry about!
Click to expand...

Just another update. I got a custom ring quote from WF that would be inspired by the HOF seduction solitaire. Platinum setting would run ~$1550, almost $200 more than the HOF setting. So I think I am going to go with the Legato Sleek lines solitare setting with a princess AGS0 diamond (she really prefers princess).

Now all that is left is determine which weight princess would match a 0.5 ct round. :)

Again thanks for all that help everyone!
 
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