Need Advice on a Cathedral Setting

[lstrgtrrz]

I previously posted a photo of a cathedral setting that my gf had really liked when we saw it on a display at a B&M jewelry store. Several people commented that the ring appeared to have too much "negative space" under the diamond, as well as that the stone was set too high. Although I am still considering the other setting, I decided to continue looking around and found this cathedral setting from Ritani. For some reason, I cannot post an image of the setting here, but the link to it is:

https://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/solitaire-diamond-cathedral-engagement-ring-in-platinum/5662


The Ritani setting and the setting my gf picked out are about the same height (9 mm). Putting aside the issue of how high is too high (my gf really wants the stone to sit high), do you think the Ritani setting eliminates the "negative space" and is a better designed ring? For what it is worth, the photo of the original ring that I posted is:

 

[tyty333]

Can you explain what you mean (or what other people mean by negative space)?

 

[lstrgtrrz]

Can you explain what you mean (or what other people mean by negative space)?

I am not sure exactly what they meant by it, although I assumed it was a term of art meaning empty space. But, I may have misunderstood.

 

[kmarla]

Vatche makes a beautiful rendition of that setting called Royal Crown.

http://www.dvatche.com/index.php?page=collection&catID=2,15&startRow=18&id=46&alt=1

I interpret negative space as empty space. With your original setting there is too big of a gap between the bottom of the diamond and the bottom of the setting, resulting in a very high setting.

 

[tyty333]

Vatche makes a beautiful rendition of that setting called Royal Crown.

http://www.dvatche.com/index.php?page=collection&catID=2,15&startRow=18&id=46&alt=1

I interpret negative space as empty space. With your original setting there is too big of a gap between the bottom of the diamond and the bottom of the setting, resulting in a very high setting.

Agree...I also think the link to the one you posted has the same feel. How big is the diamond you will be using?

 

[lstrgtrrz]

Vatche makes a beautiful rendition of that setting called Royal Crown.

http://www.dvatche.com/index.php?page=collection&catID=2,15&startRow=18&id=46&alt=1

I interpret negative space as empty space. With your original setting there is too big of a gap between the bottom of the diamond and the bottom of the setting, resulting in a very high setting.

Agree...I also think the link to the one you posted has the same feel. How big is the diamond you will be using?

The issue with the Vatche setting is that it is double the price of the setting that I am looking at (gf definitely wants platinum) and therefore out of mu budget. Also I don't think that the Vatche setting is as high as the one I am considering and all of the settings that my gf has picked out as ones she likes have been around 9 mm from the finger to the top of the stone.

I will be putting a 1.06 ct stone in the setting.

 

[kmarla]

The Ritani setting is beautiful also and more importantly it works with your budget!
Good luck!

 

[lstrgtrrz]

Thanks! I was hoping that the "X" detail under the stone sort of filled some of the negative space people were referring to. Since the Height is very important to my gf, I am kind of limited to settings that really raise the stone up.

 

[junebug17]

I really like the Ritani setting too, it's very pretty! And in budget - I think it's a good choice.

 

[lstrgtrrz]

I really like the Ritani setting too, it's very pretty! And in budget - I think it's a good choice.

Thanks, I hope I found a decent setting. And I am very excited about the stone I found, which I posted in another thread. I just received the Sarin report today, and it is an AGS0, so I am very hopeful that it will really sparkle!

 

[drk14]

For those helping, here's some background info from OP's previous threads.

First Thread ("Setting Help Needed"):
OP's gf originally wanted ("absolutely loved") this HOF setting:

Relevant quote:

If it helps, the thing that she likes about the HOF setting is the fact that the prongs appear to be a single piece with the ring itself. I hope I am describing it accurately, but it is almost as if the prongs "flow" from the ring. I am having a hard time finding that aspect in another setting.

Second Thread ("Another Setting Question"):
OP's gf found the following setting at a B&M store, and liked it even better than the HOF setting:


Unfortunately, the setting was no longer available, because the manufacturer had gone out of business.

Relevant quote:

The height of the setting (which was measured to be 9 mm) is what my gf said she loved about this setting. She has tried on on does not like the lower profile cathedral settings.

Presumably, gf also likes this setting because of the way the prongs are integrated with the shank.

The "negative space" issue was in reference to the amount of empty space in the profile view (in relation to how much of the diamond is visible). Niel had expressed the conventional wisdom that too much empty space compared to visible diamond is generally not preferred aesthetically, but clarified that this general opinion did not matter because OP's gf evidently loved the above setting style, which features significant negative space in the profile view.

Several PSers expressed concern with the large HOF, but a dissent was voiced by user unsettled:

My diamond is a 1.5 carat and sits about 8 mm off my finger. I have tapered baguettes so I would consider it cathedral. But I wear it all the time and I can't recall ever knocking it on anything. And I have small kids.

I hope the summary above helps you get more productive advice.

 

[lstrgtrrz]

I hope the summary above helps you get more productive advice.

Thank you, drk14, that was a great and very helpful summary of what brought me to this point! I appreciate it.

I guess I was concerned based on the comments from the other thread that maybe something was "wrong" with a setting that had the top of the stone sit 9 mm high. The fact that the manufacturer of the previous setting was out of business did not increase my confidence about it being a good setting. When I discovered that Ritani is still making a similarly high setting, it made me a little more comfortable that a setting that is that high is not necessarily a bad thing and that some other people are looking for the same thing.

 

[MarionC]

The Ritani handles the "negative space" in a nice, aesthetic way.
The original setting photo looks proportionately awkward as though the diamond is too small for the setting.

 

[lstrgtrrz]

The Ritani handles the "negative space" in a nice, aesthetic way.
The original setting photo looks proportionately awkward as though the diamond is too small for the setting.

Thank you, I thought the same thing, but I wanted to get the opinion, of others who have more experience with these things. I appreciate it!