Need advice - gotta love this dilemma!

[dizbug]

Hi all,

I got engaged back in April and decided to go with a SP 5 stone band (pic below). I LOVE it, but honestly would have gone for probably a 1.25-1.5 ct round with pear sidestones or maybe just a solitaire if we had had some more cash at the time. BUT I wanted a really nice quality stone, not something I would want to upgrade later. Anyway, the fiance has had a run of incredible business luck and now asks if I would like a "typical" e-ring in addition to the band I have now

. HIS suggestion believe it or not!!! Of course I would love to take him up on the offer, but I don''t know what to do now that I have a band with such large individual stones (about 28 points each.) I really do NOT want the band to overwhelm a solitaire/3 stone... So what would YOU do??? I''m dying to see what kinds of ideas you all have. Thanks in advance for any replies!!!

 

[WTNLVR]

You could transfer that band to the right hand and get a new e-ring and band- funds permitting.Just a thought. Otherwise, you could probably find a solitaire setting that will fit with that ring- which is beautiful by the way!

 

[Demelza]

Here are a couple of thoughts:

1. Get a traditional engagement ring and wear the SP band on your right hand.

2. If you don''t mind parting with your band, you could see if SP would be willing to allow you to get a couple of smaller bands that might work well with your new ring.

3. You could get a HUGE diamond so that it could handle being next to the stones in your band

(hehe, just kidding).

Whatever you do, post lots of pictures!!!!!

 

[lawmax]

Are you kidding? Your band is lovely but not so huge. Get a great engagement ring and enjoy both!

Will you look for one that will sit flush with the band?

 

[Maxine]

...or at .28 each, you could use two of them as sidestones in a 3 stone ring....and use 2 for small earrings......and the last for a small pendant....

 

[michela002]

Why don''t you consider getting your big-bang solitaire ring as your wedding ring? A friend of mine did that - she got a diamond band for her e-ring (because they had no money then) and the solitaire as her wedding ring.

And I think you could totally find a style solitaire or other more "traditional" e-ring combo that would look beautiful with that band!

 

[valeria101]

The band is allot of diamond on one finger

... but how about the other hand ? Or trading this ring in as un upgrade so that it does become ''part'' of the final piece anyway.

Realy, a larger ring on the other hand can''t hurt.

Also, I can''t know if you like those at all, but some rings with large diamonds are also band style- with five stones decreasing from a large center to the sides and then the outer stones. Atmost, I have seen such rings at 5 cts total or so looking amazing

I would definitely not mind a five stone ring with the center over one carat ...

This one comes with square stones, but the general idea is there:

Link to source

 

[Jennifer5973]

I have .20 stones in my setting and eternity band...Here is what my setting looked like with a 1.52 ct Ideal cut RB.

Honestly, the side stones were too much for the 1.52 for me...they overwhelmed the center stone. Soon after, I upgraded to a 3 ct RB in the same setting, and it''s fine now.

I''d either get a 2+ ct rock on a simple plat band OR take one of the other great suggestions here around exchanging the band or using the stones as sidestones/earrings/other.

This is just my .02 but you can see what a 1.5 ct looks like next to .20 stones--and yours are .28.

 

[Jennifer5973]

I just saw Ana's post--2 of the band's stones flanking a larger RB would be incredible.... but then you'd need a new wedding band too!

(the 5th stone could be a bezel-set pendant-yum!)

 

[anika]

Nice dilemma. Some options:
1. Don''t know if this is possible but would Signed Pieces let you trade the 5 stone band in for a smaller wedding band and a mounting for a solitaire? Then buy the solitaire separately. This way you can focus all your $ on the centre stone?
2. In saying that your 5 stone band is very pretty, maybe you could wear it on your right hand and get a new e-ring. It is perfect for a right hand ring.
3. Combine the stones in your band with a solitaire to make one big ring. You''d need a really good designer to come up with something that looks right.

What I personally wouldn''t choose is wearing the band with a traditional e-ring. I think the 0.28 pters will overwhelm the centre stone.

Just my thoughts,

Anika

 

[clementine]

Maybe the best thing to do is go to a "maul" store and try on some different sized center stones with and without your band before you decide what to do.

I personally wear my upgrade ring - a 1.64 center with small side stones alone without any band on my left hand, and love it.

Good luck - and what a WONDERFUL problem to have!

 

[Patty]

I love your 5 stone band and I'd hate to see you trade it in or get rid of it. But you must do whatever makes YOU happy!

What about an e-ring with one center stone and two .28c stones on each side of it? That with your 5 stone would be a matched set and look good together. You know, like the picture that Jennifer posted of her 1.5 but with only two of the smaller stones on each side.

I know that the center diamond would have to be pretty large to make it work. Just how good was his business luck?

 

[Sundial]

Personally I think the size of the diamonds in your five stone ring will overhelm any but the most enormous solitaire. I love your five stone ring though, so if it were me I would keep it as it is and wear it as a right hand ring and get a simple soitaire and band for your left hand. A fun problem!!!

 

[mrssalvo]

I like the idea of keeping it as a right hand ring and getting a new set for you left time. with stones that large i think you will have a hard time not overwhelming your center stone unless you can get a honker

if you''re not attached I would trade for something smaller or recycle the stones with some of the great ideas already mentioned. what a sweet offer from you fiance

 

[MissAva]

Wow, that is a very sweet offer from your soon-to be- hubby. I would say keep the five stone as it is. He proposed with it, you seemed happy with it, and it will makes a lovely and very sentimental five stone RHR. I would have said keep it as a wedding band but I belive the other ladies are right and it would overwhelm that majority of stones we see here. You idea of the perfect rings sounds lovely. I hope you get it!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 8/28/2005 11:18:07 AM
Author: Sundial
Personally I think the size of the diamonds in your five stone ring will overhelm any but the most enormous solitaire.

There is a five stone ring on Vatche's website with 1 carat center and 0.5 total spread over four sidestones already give it a band-like look. It shows the relative size of stones and how they fit together rather well - find it here.

But... pictures like that only show proportions, really, not actual size.

In the picture below, the propotion of sides to center have been kept the same and the whole designe 'scaled' for 1carat and 1.5cts centers. The size of the stones in the current 5 stone band match the larger sides in the 1.5cts version (4mm or so).

Hope this helps telling whether the current band fits 1.5cts or not

 

[Maxine]

Wow....I like it!!!!!!

Great option................

 

[ame]

I agree with the idea of trading this band in towards smaller bands OR using 2 of the stones in a 3 stone ring and the others in earrings/pendant.

 

[butterfly 17]

Here is what I would do.
I would keep the 5 stone ring, wear it as a right hand ring or wear it when I don''t want to wear the engagement ring. There may be times when you just don''t want to wear it or can''t, like at work or something.

Then I would get a traditional solitaire, whatever size floats your boat and a thin eternity wedding band or plain wedding band to go with the solitaire.

I definitely would keep the 5 stone ring and not change it. Remember, you said that the whole reason you chose it is because you didn''t want to "settle" for a stone you would want to upgrade later, so it makes no sense now to "trade" in this 5 stone ring.

Just keep it and treasure it forever!!!

And convince him that you need a whole new other set.

 

[Kaleigh]

Yes I agree, keep the 5 stone band. I would wear it as a RHR . Then get a nice solitaire and thinner band.

 

[sarita]

Hi There. Indeed not a bad dilemma to have. I agree with many of the others here - the band is beautiful and I would opt not to give it up but I do think it would overwhelm most centerstones if worn next to them as the w-band. It would make a great RHR though, or a stand-alone wedding band as Butterfly mentioned for those times when you can''t/don''t want to wear the E-ring. I like the images Valeria posted too, but I still see the hugeness of the band stones posing a problem if you went with that option with all but the honkiest of centerstones unless the design of the ring was perfected to a T. Plus your band is great on it''s own.

 

[dizbug]

Thanks SO much for all the advice ladies!!! I considered dismantling the ring or trading it in, but it just makes my heart sink every time I think about it. So, I will definitely be keeping it, and I think maybe switching it to my R hand. The thought of switcing it to my R hand also sits kinda funny with me - it''s almost like it''s being demoted or something... But I''m sure with a nice solitaire or 3 stone on my left, I would get used to the band on my right hand pretty quickly!

Right now I''m leaning towards doing that, and getting a new set for the left because I agree that a 1.25-1.5 stone would be overwhelmed by the band - I really want the stone to pop, you know? I would also love to be able to switch out the new set and wear my band on the left sometimes, but my fingers are a full size difference, so I don''t know if that would be possible. Decisions, decisions!!! At least I know that no matter what I have a fantastic, sweet, and generous fiance, AND I GET TO KEEP DIAMOND SHOPPING!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We''ll see if the fiance still wants to go through with the deal after he sees the obsession resurface!!! Thanks again for all your help, and I promise to keep you updated. Don''t you just love pricescope?!?!

 

[lumpkin]

Wow, that is so elegant. I am sure I''m in the minority, but I would not change it or put it on the right hand. I''d get a simple, tiffany style engagement ring with a big round or pear diamond. I would probably favor a pear because I think it would be very complementary to the band. Or I might get a beautiful, high quality sappire, which would be set off by the round diamonds in the band. I love that band. It''s timeless and elegant and just makes a beautiful wedding band.