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"Lowest" gemstone cut?

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SouthernGent

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2018
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In my quest to design (i.e. have designed FOR me) an everyday mens ring, I'm thinking that if I want the ring to sit as low on m my finger as possible I need to be thinking about what type cut would best allow for that. So, what cuts typically are shortest from top to bottom and would be most suitable for my intended purpose?
 
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I would guess a cab would be as flat as you can get with the size you are looking for.


Afterwards, a big determining factor is actually going to be the gem type (i.e. garnet, spinel etc), as the refractive index of the compound determins the critical angle for total internal reflection. The lowest tier of facets needs to be cut so that it is steeper than this critical angle (so that light does not leak out of the bottom of the gem).

I imagine something like blue zircon will be a good bet. But it will experiance abrasion at the facet junctions, so there will be a tradeoff here with durability.

I am actually curious though about your end goal? Very few of us are lucky enough to have a jewler who can source a stone with great colour, of a type and size of our choosing, which is cut in a specific way. Inherently there is usually a tradeoff between the above factors, so usually we have to let go of one of these desideratum. I am wondering if you intend to give this list of 'desired specs' to your jewler? Have you chatted with them about what you'd like to achieve and how they can help you? They may have some specific ideas of their own to contribute.
 
qubit, I have only corresponded via email and messaging with a coupl of jewelers, but haven't yet decided on exactly who I'm going to go with.
A cab cut is definitely out of the question.
The stones I am currently most interested in are blue topaz, blue zircon, and tourmaline.
 
This is an unsolvable problem for signet style rings with relatively large stones, so many fine old ones have shallow faceted stones set with metal backing. Then, windowed cuts have been more tolerated than the necessary depth regardless... (I concur)

John Dyer has a few particularly flat cut styles.

2c
 
Could a Tension Setting be an option?
 
Tension settings are usually thick and deep. I also believe that only diamond, ruby and sapphire are recommended for tension setting due to their hardness and durability. A bypass (faux tension) has no such limitation.
 
received_327379837856360.jpeg OK, I talked to a jeweler friend of mine today and he found me this stock setting that I think I can live with. If I don't go with a stock setting, we will have to do a CAD design plus a casting fee, which would be a total of $450 before we even started talking about the price of gold.
He said this setting would need a 10x8 emerald cut stone, so the search is now on!
 
Check out Boone Rings for some potential options in non-precious metals, including Tensions settings, if you haven't already :))
 
SouthernGent said:
received_327379837856360.jpeg OK, I talked to a jeweler friend of mine today and he found me this stock setting that I think I can live with. If I don't go with a stock setting, we will have to do a CAD design plus a casting fee, which would be a total of $450 before we even started talking about the price of gold.
He said this setting would need a 10x8 emerald cut stone, so the search is now on!
Click to expand...

Started to look for you and realized I don't know your budget. How much do you want to spend?
 
suzanne2 said:
Started to look for you and realized I don't know your budget. How much do you want to spend?
Click to expand...
Suzanne, Thanks - I believe my max budget for the mounting alone is going to be around $1,500.
 
Sorry, I meant budget for the stone...
 
You may want to look on the Mastercut Gems website. Even if you don't immediately see what you want , Dana may have something unlisted that would work for you.
 
princessandthepear said:
You may want to look on the Mastercut Gems website. Even if you don't immediately see what you want , Dana may have something unlisted that would work for you.
Click to expand...
I will I will check it out. Thanks
 
I am so excited about your project! I am a big fan of garnets as well. Tourmaline comes in a wide spectrum of colors. Are you thinking more in the blue to green color range?
 
MissyBeaucoup said:
I am so excited about your project! I am a big fan of garnets as well. Tourmaline comes in a wide spectrum of colors. Are you thinking more in the blue to green color range?
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I want mine to be as blue as possible.
 
That sounds wonderful. Have you considered tanzanite? I got a pale blue one from Jeff Davies at jefferydavies.com that was very reasonable. You might find a bigger selection now from Steve Moriarty at moregems.com.

Spinel also might be a possibility, though it tends to be dark. KosnarGemCo on Etsy has a beautiful deep blue spinel for $800., though it probably would look darker than his photos when set. Brett mentions that this deep, steely color would be good for a man’s ring. I have a lighter pink spinel and it also has a steely flash to it that is very different from sapphire.

Garnets barely come in blue, so perhaps zircon (or even aquamarine) is a better choice if you like lighter shades of blue. Tourmaline tends to be blue-green but can be really beautiful. I guess it partly depends on how big a stone you want for the right proportions. Happy hunting!
 
I would ask the jeweler to set that zircon with the slightly paler zoning vertical and call it a feature. We’re crazy about the cat’s eye effect but zoning is considered a flaw in the marketplace. If it’s pleasing to you, you can find a bargain. I’m seeing more symmetricallly color-zoned sapphires lately, especially from Australia.
 
I'll be looking for either a rectangular or oval stone to set in an east-west fashion.
 
That’s going to be great! I can’t wait to see the photos. Let us know when you’ve found a winner!
 
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