Need Help....Should I upgrade?

[Patsmom]

Hi everybody, I am a new member but have been checking out everybodies beautiful rings for quite some time now.......maybe that is why I now need your help. I am trying to decide whether I should change my setting not because I hate it, because I dont, but just that it is almost 19 years old and there are beautiful options out there.

My e-ring was custom made 19 years ago and features a 1.29 oval center, I, VVSI, surrounded by three diamonds on each side each weighing .25/each made to look like a trillion on each side. This ring was in 14K yellow gold, but I recently had it dripped, and I love the way it looks now in white gold, but the maintenance is costly. My wedding band is a 5 stone, 1.00 ct, H, VVSI band.

I am looking for suggestions on what to do here. My thoughts are to use the existing stones and making an eternity band and maybe just having a plain tiffany setting, or keeping the band and perhaps just resetting the diamond in a higher head and leaving things alone, or perhaps changing things all together. I am kind of sentimental and thus want to keep all the stones, and a part of me wants to keep almost everything because my husband designed and picked out everything 19 years ago even though he told me to do what I want as far as upgrading the stone, which I am not going to do, or even resetting it......that was very sweet of him, although the one setting that I love is the halo setting, which my hubby hates.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and comments.

 

[Scintillating]

I like the eternity band, and you have beautiful oval.
I think it''s over-powered by the three rounds.
I think I''d reset it into something that would let it be the star of the show.

Scintillating...

 

[Patsmom]

Here is another pic

 

[Mara]

i agree with scint...that's a lovely oval so let it shine on it's own. if you love the 3 stone look then put small traps or trillions next to it. but nothing too big..they should not be the height as the oval IMO. also you could get a more delicate setting which would showcase the stones more as well.

 

[littlelysser]

I agree as well. That oval is lovely...I''d let it stand a bit more in its own!

 

[Ellen]

Here''s a thread on ovals, and mrss posted a thread within this one that might be helpful also on giving you ideas (pics). Your stone is lovely!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-finding-setting-for-oval.31040/=

 

[Cehrabehra]

honestly? I would NOT change a thing! That is unique and beautiful and gorgeous and perfect and I can''t say enough about it! do you really want to get something like everyone else when you already have such a gorgeous special ring with so many years of meaning?

If you really want a new ring, make a RHR and do something really different, whatever you want, stacked bands, big solitaire in another shape, huge blood red ruby, whatever. But your current ring looks *perfect* together and on your hand and I definitely would NOT change a thing.

 

[Cehrabehra]

oh gosh after hearing your husband designed that oh HELL NO would I take it apart! It''s gorgeous!! I''d get a honken ruby and put a halo around that or an asscher or whatever, but I definitely wouldn''t change what you have for a million bucks.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2006 12:51:21 PM
Author: Scintillating
I like the eternity band, and you have beautiful oval.
I think it''s over-powered by the three rounds.
I think I''d reset it into something that would let it be the star of the show.

Scintillating...

I don''t think they''re overpowered at all - I thought they were gorgeous and I love how they''re a family like that! I think the oval is the star, and has many round fans

 

[FireGoddess]

Absolutely - those rounds in the setting are competing with the center oval. I''d take ''em out and use ''em in an eternity band (is the wedding band full eternity?) and set that oval on its own or in a really delicate halo (if you want an even more substantial effect for your oval).

 

[Kaleigh]

Your oval is gorgeous. How about putting half moons with it?? I think the rounds do take away from it. I am doing an oval ring with half moons, it''s an elegant look. Your eternity band is lovely.

 

[dtnyc]

Well I am bias because my e-ring has 3 stones on each side in the same configuration as yours. I think that it''s such a unique, but classic setting and I think your ring is really beautiful.

Also I think to what one salesman told me- you never want to upgrade, you just want to ADD to your collection.

Have you considered getting a full eternity band? How about an oval eternity band- that could be really cool!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2006 3:03:51 PM
Author: dtnyc
Well I am bias because my e-ring has 3 stones on each side in the same configuration as yours. I think that it's such a unique, but classic setting and I think your ring is really beautiful.

Also I think to what one salesman told me- you never want to upgrade, you just want to ADD to your collection.

Have you considered getting a full eternity band? How about an oval eternity band- that could be really cool!

I am SO with you dtnyc!! It's funny that the suggestions are generally what women want for themselves or have done with their own rings LOL! I feel like I see a lot of the same thing here on PS and I'd never encourage someone with an almost 20 year history in a ring designed by her husband to take it apart!! But I could encourage her to just make a whole new ring

Also, I would NOT put a halo on that stone, simply because the husband doesn't like it and it would be hurtful IMO to take apart his design and do something he didn't like. Yeah, I know it's her finger, but still... besides I still think the setting with the wedding band are *perfect* together as is. I wouldn't suggest following the latest fads!

Boy, I feel unreasonably passionate about this set for some reason.... They've been tearing down gorgeous 1920's and older houses here lately and putting in cheap row houses and I live in a 1920's house and have had offers to buy my property and it grips fear in my heart that anyone would tear down this house and build something new and without history or unique charm when they can build those new row houses on bare land or even around the existing houses... wow, I am so projecting onto the op's wedding set LOL Forgive my crazies (but don't change it!!! lol

)

 

[diamondfan]

Have fun!

I would reset the oval with tapered baguettes or half moons, and I would use the 6 side stones to make another eternity band, half way around. then you get two rings in one!!!

 

[mrssalvo]

due to the sentimental attachment to the ring I''d want to leave it as is and just get a whole new ring. are you sure you wouldn''t miss always having your original wedding set? I still have mine although I no longer have the stone but if hubby did what yours did I''d have a lot harder time taking it apart. Any way to keep it and then get another ring with a halo for yourself?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 9/20/2006 9:45:36 PM
Author: mrssalvo
due to the sentimental attachment to the ring I''d want to leave it as is and just get a whole new ring. are you sure you wouldn''t miss always having your original wedding set? I still have mine although I no longer have the stone but if hubby did what yours did I''d have a lot harder time taking it apart. Any way to keep it and then get another ring with a halo for yourself?

I''ll have to agree with Mrssalvo and Cehra. Your rings are very beautiful and the fact that your husband designed them makes them all the more special. I''d get a whole new ring. You can either have an alternate wedding set with the new one having a halo, or get the new ring for the right hand. Or you could wear your current e-ring on your right hand. There are a lot of rings that are from 20 years ago that I wouldn''t want to wear now, but yours is classic and certainly worth preserving.

 

[Patsmom]

Thanks everybody for your comments and suggestions. I really do love my setting, but was getting the itch to try something new. I think I am going to go to the local jeweler and see what they think about setting the oval higher so that it does not blend in like it currently does and keep my setting otherwise as it is.

I would love to create a RHR but for my birthday last month I got a Tacori 1.50 ct eternity band that I wear on that hand, and unfortunately I do not have any other fingers to wear a new ring, and I love my new eternity band soooo much that I cannot see putting it my jewelery box to wear another.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I have to agree with those that said to leave it as is. I am very sentimental, and while I did get a new set for my anniversary, I still have the original diamond that my husband proposed with...I could never trade that in! I had such a hard time resetting my stone from a plain thinsolitaire setting, but the ring was ruined during an unsoldering project so I had no choice. I think that resetting it into a higher head may just be the look that you need, but I think that your set is gorgeous.

 

[dtnyc]

Patsmom- although I am not wild about the craftsmanship of my ring, I do like the design and think that the 3 stones on each side is pretty neat- mine is set w/ the center stone higher, then the 2 side stones are set a tad higher than the single stones that are on the outside. Here is the best profile pic I have of my ring. I do wish that the whole ring sat a little lower to my finger, but I like that the stones are on different "tiers." Popping that lovely oval up a bit will make it stand out from the crowd and probably make it look a little larger as well.

 

[dtnyc]

Trying to post a pic of an oval eternity band I have been drooling over for a while now.

don''t forget you can always stack eternity bands together- and wear another one on the other side of your e-ring.

 

[anchor31]

My favorite oval setting here is ephemery''s. She has a 1.5ct oval with two .15ct RB sides in a white gold basket setting, it''s lovely! Pics here. I''m sure your 1.29ct oval with two of your .25ct RBs would be just as beautiful!

 

[upgrading mama]

very lovely set, and congrats on making it 19 yrs!

If anything, I would maybe get smaller rounds for the side stones on the ering, and let the oval stand out more...

you could use the original sidestones and maybe make a circle pendant, if you like those, or another wedidng band??

Love your oval!



OHHH!!! WHat if you take all of the side stones you have and just line them straight down the band, prong set, and set your stone a little higher?? Then you would have exactly all the same stones!

 

[drk]

I think the design''s pretty neat, though I agree the sidestones overpower the oval a bit. I do like it the way it is currently though, and I''m a sentimental person so I''d have a really hard time changing something my DH had designed for me.

If I really didn''t like the setting and needed a change, but wanted to keep all the original stones, I''d be tempted to make it into a three-stone ring with one round on each side of the oval, and then use the four leftover rounds in some sort of pendant +/- earrings.

Didn''t WF make hugs and kisses pendants at some point? (http://www.whiteflash.com/Fine-jewelry/Diamond_Studs/Hugs-and-Kisses_927.htm)
There''s things like the Tiffany Bubbles pendant that could work with four diamonds...

Lots of options!

Good luck with the decision-making.

 

[reader]

That setting would look good with a darker colored center stone IMHO...and why is it that men seem to hate halos? My fiance also despises them..but had to admit that mine isn''t ''too terrible'' LOL.

I love all of your stones, and its nice to see the setting held up so well after 19 years of wear.

 

[headlight]

I think your whole set is GORGEOUS -- has such an heirloom appeal -- I absolutely love it!

 

[gailrmv]

I agree - but I do like it as it is.

Date: 9/20/2006 1:58:03 PM
Author: littlelysser
I agree as well. That oval is lovely...I''d let it stand a bit more in its own!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/21/2006 9:40:45 PM
Author: reader

I love all of your stones, and its nice to see the setting held up so well after 19 years of wear.

yet another reason to leave it be LOL You just know if you start messing with it the problems will begin (murphy''s law lol)

 

[jenniegirlm]

I agree with the some of the pS''ers... I love your rings! What a classic set!

 

[pyramid]

I like your ring the way it is, I think it is unusual looking having the bigger side stones and looks good.

One thought I have is you could have the side stones reset in the same shape and height but made as a ring guard leaving the oval on a solitaire, you could then have another ring guard made up in a different style.

 

[Patsmom]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. As you can see, opinions go in both directions which is the same way that I am feeling. I do love my ring, but I sometimes wonder what it would look like with just a Tiffay style setting and the wedding band. I think I am going to visit a local jeweler and have them use ther CAD system so that I can get an idea what things will look like. I certainly do not want to take the setting apart only to hate the new look. I am going in to Boston this week and will update you guys further when I return.