need help with position of prongs

[liz]

I''m looking at a couple of different Tiffany style four-prong settings. One has the prongs in a + position, while the other has them in an x position. Does anyone have the +-prong setting, and if so, do you have pictures of the ring set with a center stone? I haven''t been able to find any examples in local stores. Also, how will the two positions affect the look of the stone?

 

[liz]

Here's a pic of the setting in the + postion I'm describing. The prongs are in the 12, 3, 6 and 9 postions like the 6-prong. I just don't know what it'll look like once it's been set. Any thoughts?

 

[Mara]

I've seen these set before but unfortunately no examples come to mind at this moment. It's an interesting look, but not classic. I think it looks kind of cool actually because two of the prongs (3 and 9) are right in line with the band of the ring, so it is less noticeable that there are prongs there. However the 12 and 6 prongs almost seem more noticeable because its different than other rings you will see. So it really depends on what you are going for. Are you trying to get unobtrusive 4 prong heads? Or just go for a different style?

If I think of any examples I will let you know. The one thing that pops into my head is that I might have seen one setting that is by Scott Kay that has that setup. You might surf their site (dont know the url) to see if you find anything.

Good luck!

 

[liz]

Actually, these are Juan's rings. His six-prong is very traditional in that it looks very much like the original Tiffany. But you're right, the four-prong is a bit different. I'll check out SK. Thanks!

 

[Mara]

Hi Liz--Was surfing around looking at old stones and rings on eBay today and found this one by accident. While it may not be the exact style you were looking for, the prongs are set in the 12/3/6/9 as you were looking for. Take a peek, the diamond looks really cool!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2606610985&category=12596

 

[liz]

Yes, that's it! Wow, that's actually a very pretty setting. I like the way the prongs look too--very unobtrusive. Thanks for posting that, Mara.

I'm also looking at some pave styles. Juan has a beautiful pave ring that I love. I also love this Scott Kay design. I'll post Juan's first and then the SK.

 

[liz]

Here's the Scott Kay.

 

[Mara]

Since you like the pave..which we also looked at, here is a picture of a Michael B setting (the Princess one) that I adored. But it was a little out of our price range at $2700. I found it online for $2200, but our jeweler talked us into getting prong set rounds instead of pave..saying it was safer for the stones (e.g. pave eternity style worn daily has a higher risk of stones falling out or becoming damaged).

I'll post two pics..one of an up close shot of the ring, and one of it on my hand with the matching wedding ring..I loved this set!!!

The closeup shot below makes the round stone look princess cut, because it is a 4 prong setting. But the shot on my hand shows the same setting, but the diamond looks much more round. I think its still 4 prong. But its interesting. The stone in the 2nd picture is a 1.10 round, the setting makes the diamond look larger. The band is thin as well..2mm. The wed band is more like 1mm.

Also, this shot is an interesting look because the closeup shot makes it look very spiky..my friend calls it the 'mountain bike tire' ring. But on the hand it looks much more like the 2nd shot..with just tons of sparkle and baby diamonds.

 

[Mara]

On my hand..with the wedding band. You could do two of the wed bands if you like the triple look. One on top..then the e-ring, then bottom band. Looks cool.

 

[liz]

Yep, I've seen the Michael B too, and I love it. (Your diamond is gorgeous, BTW.) I live in the L.A. area and actually went to his studio to check it out. I really liked the Petite Princess, which is probably closer to the width of your band. I wonder about eternity bands though. Are you at all concerned about having it resized later on?

 

[Mara]

Thanks, but that's not my diamond or setting!

We ended up getting something slightly different, it's not done yet so I don't have pictures.

Our e-ring will be basically a non-shared prong-set eternity ring, with .03c stones set all the way around the band. Then plunk down our 1.23 carat center stone in the middle of all that. Thankfully, the size of the band will still be thin: 2.5mm. I was a little concerned about the eternity style not being able to be resized easily, but the chances of that happening are pretty slim. My finger size is somewhat flexible.

The style that we chose is a replica of our jeweler's wife's setting, I loved it. We are having it re-created in platinum. I have no idea what it will look like when done, as her gold version will probably look very different from mine. Her ring is stunning.

 

[fire&ice]

I had my original engagement ring set in the North south east west position. It really made the stone pop out & appear larger. I have since reset it in a very modern setting w/ the orginal prongs. It is in the safety deposit box; so, I can not photograph it. The only problem with the setting is that a band does not fit flush against the prongs unless you carve out nitch.