Need help with setting

[rdbradow]

Hello all. I am a newbie here but would love some help with my dilemma. My loving husband surprised me last month with a new stone for my wedding band. He bumped me from a .63 to a 1.36. It is a stunning stone. I have had it set in my old band (which I still love). However, I don''t feel this setting is doing my new stone justice. I met with a jeweler yesterday who recommended that I have him create a semi bezel head that he would place on my ring (it is currently in a 6-prong). Here is my concern...would a bezel setting cut down on the sparkle. This is a stunning stone and I want to show it off. Is it true that only the light that enters from the top is what we see anyway? Should I just start searching for a new band?
Thanks for the help! - Renee

 

[Magnum]

"Is it true that only the light that enters from the top is what we see anyway?"

In an ideal cut stone with excellent light return, that statement is pretty much true. Even in Ideal H&A, though, there is sometimes a little bit of leakage around the edges where light could enter the bottom and come out the top, but it is pretty minimal and actually can add to the contrast of the stone. You shouldn't have any problem setting an ideal (or even a very good) cut stone in a bezel or semi bezel setting without any decrease in performance. If the crown and pavilion angles are less than ideal, however, than there's a chance that the stone suffers from increased light leakage which is why sometimes people buy stones that look great loose, but then once they're set, the stone looks dull. If the angles do suggest increased light leakage through the top, then it's better to have as open a setting a possible, and that way the light that does come in through the bottom of the stone has the potential to turn into fire coming out of the top. If you happen to know the pavilion/crown angles (or percentages) someone may be able to give you a better idea whether or not an open setting is needed to better showcase the diamond. Congratulations on your new stone.