My new beauty - 4.01 J VS1 in Erika Winters' Margot

[yennyfire]

Wow Yssie! What an incredible ring! Both the stone and the setting are perfection! Those tiny claw prongs are stellar!! So glad you came back to share it with us! Enjoy wearing her for many years to come!

 

[yssie]

Boom Thank you love!

I'm over the moon with this ring - I'm so glad I took several months to be sure of my choices along the way! I've rushed into projects in the past and I've made some mistakes - to feel wholly satisfied with the outcome of this project, and to be confident I'll continue to love both stone and setting many months from now, really is such a wonderful feeling!!

I'm thrilled to read that you and DH went ahead with an ACA!!! I know you're very familiar with the difficulties of finding larger stones with specific proportions - your incredible RB looks like the best ACA has to offer - it's truly one of a kind and couldn't have gone home with a lovelier person

Thank you Hayley!!!

Skhii - Thank you!!

I'm very glad I went with the high-polish finish - somehow the starkness of glossy liquid metal just seemed to better suit this straighter, more architectural design, to my eyes! I do love that she was able to put her signature finish on the shields Those elements have the added benefit of being slightly recessed, so they're well-protected - I'm hopeful the finish will last a long time!! I'm confident I'd have destroyed it quickly on the shank proper - I'm apparently rather rough on finishes

Y'know, several months ago Erika made a Grace solitaire in unplated WG that had me swooning I generally like stark white metals for earrings because I like the size boost a plethora of white prongs gives white diamonds... and to be perfectly honest the only reason I chose PT for the ring was because I wanted it to match my earrings! I'd love an Imogen in unplated WG to stack

lknvrb, Alex - Thank you!

missy thank you so much!! Erika doesn't seem to work with modern RBs often, and I'd wondered if the setting would complement my stone as well as it does OECs... I couldn't be happier

Truly, I love everything about it - I can stare at it indefinitely and my eyes find nothing they'd consider changing. This is quite a paradigm shift for me

Thank you bright ice!! My studs remain everything I've dreamt of, two years later - I very much hope I'll feel the same way about this ring! Looking at it now, at least, I can't imagine ever wanting to change it

Thank you Kbell, Rosie, Austina!!!

 

[yssie]

Diamondz1 - Thank you!! It definitely has been a long journey but I'm very glad I let it take its time - I'm so very happy with the result

rainydaze Oh, I could barely believe it myself!! After chasing this other stone from one manufacturer to another, one show to another, literally around the world... to call BN about this one and have them confirm availability within a couple of hours was such a relief!! I didn't know anything about cut when I had them call it in, only that the proportions were exactly what I'd wanted - that it's as beautifully cut as it is, well, the sign basically grew legs and walked over to me

Reason #1 I haven't contemplated an upgrade in a full year - I fear my odds of finding a second stone that satisfies all my persnicketing are right about rock bottom! Well, and, y'know, the whole cost thing

Asscherhalo - Thank you! Most definitely!!

Bonfire Thank you It's such a pleasure to review a good experience - I'm thrilled to be able to share this piece here on PS! This project was entirely stress-free, from start to finish - Erika is a gem! I very much hope to have the opportunity to work with her again

Thank you Bling!! I adore it to tiny little bits

PierreBear - Thank you!!

I think you're absolutely right in that it's all in the details! The components of this setting aren't individually particularly complicated or unusual, but the way they're put together - proportions that scale uniquely by stone size and finger size, flawless execution, details neither overwrought nor underwhelming - utter perfection

Thank you so much Michelle, simpsonade!!!

Acinom - Thank you! I've always admired your aesthetic and you have so many beautiful pieces - this, coming from you, means quite a bit

I this stone. I would love to see our precision-cutting vendors expand their offerings to more unusual proportions - beauty takes many forms and for those of us who prefer proportions outside the MRB H&A norms most vendors abide, well, pickings sure are slim! And some, at least, would be happy to pay a premium for such specialty stones... well, maybe one day!

Thank you yenny - it's so nice to see you again!! I opened the box and was stunned by how different the same stone looked in a new home... I very, very much hope to wear this beauty for many more years

 

[nkc]

A few more pics from earlier today




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Beautiful Ring. I love BN and their excellent customer service. Is this one of their signature diamonds?

 

[yssie]

Thank you nkc!

This stone is not a BN signature stone, no. BN was tremendously helpful securing it from virtual inventory, shipping it, and setting it into a temporary solitaire for me - I've always had good experiences with their customer service and I was very happy to find that hasn't changed

 

[LawmaLlama]

I never dreamed you'd switch from a trellis to a solitaire (your 3 stone inspired me to go from an EC to my 3 stone AVR for my upgrade). Gosh that solitaire is ginormous and gorgeous! And with the earrings it is just a trifecta of perfection.

 

[ringbling17]

Your ring is absolutely beautiful!!!

 

[nkc]

Thank you nkc!

This stone is not a BN signature stone, no. BN was tremendously helpful securing it from virtual inventory, shipping it, and setting it into a temporary solitaire for me - I've always had good experiences with their customer service and I was very happy to find that hasn't changed

Excellent! It is good to know that I can find excellent BN stones that are not 'BN signature'. Thank you for sharing this info. I also have always had good experiences with BN customer service and also like the fact that there's no sales pitch (very important to me). Congratulations again on the beautiful ring

 

[m-2-b]

Thanks for indulging us with more pics, Yssie! The crispness and details of your photos are truly amazing to see!I can't imagine how blingtastic they are IRL!

So I believe my upgrade journey may finally be over as well! Once you find the perfect setting for the perfect diamond, you don't need to look any further! My VC ACA Emilya checks all of those boxes for me, just like your EW Margot does for you!!! Now I can concentrate on more VCA pieces for the future, lol!

BTW, did you get WF to customize your eternity w/ lower colored melee to match your J colored set?

 

[kgizo]

Really beautiful! Thanks for all the photos, love seeing the details from all angles.

 

[Mayk]

Yssie... I rarely post these days. Toooo busy and trying to cut back on the additiction but I must show up and tell you how stunning your new ring is! Your taste is fabulous I've loved so many of the pieces you have had but this one is truly the cat's meow! Outstanding in every way. Wear it in good health!

 

[GearGirly]

I can't even with that stone and the beautiful setting! I just love love love it all! Congratulations on this incredibly stunning ring! Amazing even by pricescope standards!

 

[yssie]

Lawma - I'm flattered to have been ring-spiration! thank you!!

It's certainly been a long journey! I'd always thought of myself as a "One Ring" person, but melding want of a large centerstone with desire for a 'line of diamonds' look resulted in an ever-increasing sidestone gradient that never quite scratched either itch... Accepting that I'm really a "Two Ring" person has been very freeing!! I can envision myself being very happy with this solitaire for a long time

Thank you Kayla!!

nkc - You definitely can! Much of BN's virtual inventory is shared by many vendors - prices and information available up-front can vary pretty drastically, depending on the type of stone you're looking for. Virtual inventory is always a bit of a gamble no matter where you shop - vendors rely on manufacturers for information, availability updates, etc. Larger outfits and vendors with whom manufacturers have long-standing relationships will get priority when a stone is requested by two sources, so even "availability" is a fluid concept!

I feel very lucky to have run into this stone - exactly what I was looking for at exactly the right price just as I was ready to give up and move on... happy happenstance!

m2b Well, look at us, leaving the roiling upgrade scene to settle into blissful familiarity with our Happily Ever After stones

I have to say, after the initial shock of "whoa there, that's not m2b's solitaire!"... I'm honestly not at all surprised to see that you chose to halo her - in the most perfect halo there is, of course both your stunning rings suit you - what I know or your tastes! - so perfectly

Re. WF - they did! It'll be 3ctw of 20pt I/Js in a modified Annette U-prong. The stones meet all ACA melee criteria (cut quality, clarity minimum, no fluorescence) but can't be called ACA melee because it's by definition F/G. I've seen the stones in-person - they're lovely, and I'm SO much happier with the lower-colour to match my other pieces! I approved the CADs a couple of days ago so it shouldn't be too much longer

it sounds like you have VCA plans... Colour me very curious about what your up to...

Kgizo - Thank you!!

Mayk - Thank you, and thank you for stopping by!!

Goodness knows I can sympathise with wanting to stave off temptation by avoiding it altogether - PS is most definitely an enabling influence! I, for example, have several photos of your EW bands adventures saved for my own reference...

This ring feels like all the right decisions came together in all the right ways - I couldn't be happier

GearGirly - Thank you so much!!!

 

[Tekate]

That ring.. whew.... gosh it's perfect.!!! congratulations.. love it.

 

[ringbling17]

I keep coming back to look at your photos!
You are really tempting me to keep the ACA 3.54 J VS2 that I returned to WF! I was planning on exchanging it for a 3.32 I VS2 but the look of your ring is so fantastic and I am olive skinned like
you! So I think the J looks great!
I was wondering, did you make modifications to the shank bc it seems slightly thicker than the other Margot's that I have seen on here.
Also, how long did it take to have the setting made?
I absolutely love the 8 prongs!

 

[yssie]

Thank you again Kate!!!

 

[yssie]

kayla - Thank you love!

I just went through your recent threads to find out more about your ACA - I definitely think you're making the right choice (for you!!) by exchanging! These are big stones... lots of material to concentrate colour, and if the tint bothers you I think short of fully enclosing the gallery the most mind-clean choice is to bump colour - and over the years here if there's one thing I've learnt its that if something isn't mind-clean I'll never be wholly happy with it!! I notice the tint in my stones but the I/J/K range is actually my preference - which I know isn't how people usually feel!

Erika finished my ring in... looks like right around 5weeks. She'd quoted ~8weeks for a custom design including CAD creation - I didn't ask about non-custom lead time, just assumed it was around the same!

This Margot was fully non-custom! As I said in another response - a radical departure from my norm It's ~1.8mm wide palm-side and ~1.4mm wide up the shoulders - I'll get exact measurements with the calipers when I'm back home in a couple of days. I actually think a lot of the difference stems just from scaling the design for stone size and finger size - since my stone is a bit larger, and is also likely deeper girdle-culet than OECs of the same weight, the shoulders (the thinnest and most delicate parts) start higher from the shank than they would with a smaller/bottom-lighter stone. At the same time though, the stone covers enough of the width of my finger that there isn't much horizontal "shoulder" space to play with - the beading has to end, the three melee have to fit, and the taper has to be over by the point where inflection into shank begins! Which means that most of the taper and "shoulder detail" is actually level with the side of the basket, vs. traversing the shank...

A couple pics - photos of the RG beauty are from JbG's public photo site, hopefully Grace won't mind me using them here! 2ct OEC, size 6 on the left and my 4ct MRB, size 4.5 on the right. The amount of plain metal shank visible past the shoulder wrap etching is the same in both rings, but more of the shoulder area is horizontal in the RG piece and you can see a lot more of the shoulder detail face-up. Different, but arresting, both

 

[ringbling17]

Thanks yssie!
Your post was very very detailed and informative! You're right, the J color is always going to bother me I think!
I saw WF just posted another ACA J today. It's 3.7+ and measures close to 10 mm, I think around 9.96 mm or so. Of course the wheels are turning but it will still be a J of course and therefore, probably not the right diamond for me!
Thank you again!

 

[royalstarrynight]

You did it again!! It's beautiful! Sometimes it's lovely to not tied to a singular ring but multiples depending on what you want.

Wear this baby in good health! Lovely to see your detail shots of Erika's amazing work. I find her EW adorable as well

 

[KBerly]

another "Gah!" This is by far the most stunning solitaire I've ever laid my eyes on. Then the pic with the studs, divine. Enjoy these beauties!!

 

[tyty333]

Wow! Now that IS perfection!

Congrats on your beautiful new ring Yssie!

 

[Tourmaline]

So, so lovely! Bravo!!

 

[Loreal]

So beautiful!

 

[december-fire]

Yssie, your ring is breathtaking! The diamond and setting are both gorgeous! I love the eight, delicate prongs.

Your whole collection is stunning! Thank you for sharing with us.

 

[jeweln]

Just spectacular
Yessie Can you please share why do you prefer a higher table and longer mains than the precision cuts ? does it bring out the fire ?

 

[Christina...]

Yssie! I logged in for the first time in over a year just to tell you how beautiful your new ring is. Funny, I've been thinking about you this week....is your email the same?

 

[mrs-b]

So beautiful on so many levels. That stone is gorgeous - and I always think VS1 is like an extra little touch of luxury.

And that basket - yowza! Just beautiful, Yssie. Congratulations on completing your gorgeous set.

 

[Fulvia]

Yssie - what can one say? She is PERFECT. The stuff of PS dreams. The Margot is absolutely TDF

 

[hathalove]

This is absolutely beautiful. A dream!

 

[Matata]

Perfection Yssie. And the alleged perpetrator of the SD card demise is pretty darn cute.