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Need Input: Custom ring design

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LuckiestGuyonEarth

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
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29
Hey Everyone!

I have been lurking for the past few weeks and gathered quite a bit of knowledge, however I am definitely still a noob so I am seeking advice from those with actual experience.
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I would like to design a custom ring for my GF''s engagement ring, I have done a few sketches of different designs, I have some drawing ability but nothing special. I will post up sketches later to get further input on opinions.

Anyways, I have multiple questions. Any input is greatly appreciated, sorry this will be long.

1. In general how much more expensive is a custom band/setting vs. a mass produced(lets assume custom 1ct Pave design vs. off the shelf 1ct pave)?
2. Who do you recommend dealing with, seems like WhiteFlash does some custom work I have seen. I do like the Art of Platinum stuff I have seen as well.

3. What is your input on size? My GF has a 6.5 ring size which I found is approx 17mm in diameter. I originally planned to do a 2ct round brilliant as the main stone which is generally close to 8mm, however I have lately considered going up in size. I personally like a larger individual stone, but obviously there are ways of making it appear larger like with a melee surround or a bezel setting seems to help as well.

I guess the actual question is, what are your opinions on those types of "tricks" I know she likes the melee border settings, but part of me feels like that is "cheating"(I know I have issues). I would just like her to have a unique ring but have it appear decently large in proportion to her finger(my own goal). A 3ct diamond vs a 2 ct can be had for a few more grand from what I have seen, so do I do that or do I do a melee. Size wise it seems a melee would get me the most "size" because you likely get an additional 2-3mm of overall diameter vs a 1mm increase with an ideal cut 3ct. Obviously the appearance of 11mm vs 9mm will make a difference from a top view and in relation to her finger. What do you PS''ers think?

4. Will band size also create a size illusion? I would assume a skinnier band would make the main diamond seem larger, but I don''t think I want anything skinnier than 3mm just due to my own personal preferences, and if I did a bezel style obviously that would be prob at least 6mm wide.

Thanks for reading, sorry its long but I greatly appreciate the help!

I am sure I will have more questions but I''ll wait till later for those.
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Ben
 
The thinner bands make the diamond appear larger, and most people here go with 2 to 2.5 mm. If you look at the Leon Mege artofplatinum.com site, that is mostly what you will see. I, personally, do not think a melee halo is needed with a stone over 2 carats. I would prefer the diamond solitaire myself.

I think we''d have to see your design idea to tell you who would be best to make it, but I would generally recommend either Leon Mege or Maytal Hannah depending on the design.
 
Custom is a lot more expensive IMO. You are having a piece created one off and so all the work goes into just that and not 10 identical.

From things I have had done, I would reckon at least twice the price of a similar stock piece for something not that ornate.
 
Custom would not be twice the price of a designer setting, though. I''d say custom is similar to the price of designer settings.
 
Thanks for the feedback so far!

So budget for a decently higher cost for the setting of my design, will do. In that case maybe not go with the largest stone, depending on what I find out is the cost of doing my design once it is chosen.

I have done a couple funky designs but I will likely choose a more traditional but unique design, most of the ones I have done so far have just been variations on currently available styles. I''ll post a couple pics later if I get a chance, this is very early in the process though I am trying to get all the elements she likes.

Thanks again for the help so far! Keep it coming. :)

Ben
 
I would love to see some of your ideas/sketches! It will also help us push you in the right direction as far as custom or not custom....

Just to add though... Yes custom is usually more expensive, but not if you are comparing to Beaudry or Barin... My custom Leon was less than the Beaudry''s I liked, and I think my Leon may be the most expensive I have heard of yet...
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Just an FYI!
 
Date: 3/24/2008 5:47:05 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Custom would not be twice the price of a designer setting, though. I''d say custom is similar to the price of designer settings.
Click to expand...

Ditto. There are some Michael B''s that are really pricey as well, and custom would be less in some cases.

Looking forward to seeing your designs.

As for diamond size. I''d just split the difference and go with a 2.4-2.7 carat stone. Honestly, I would. At three carats you''re going to hit a big price jump.
 
My finger is 6.5 and I would find a 2 ct to be quite substantial. Are you in an area of the country where such size rings are commonplace? I know it is heresy on PS, but I think my optimum size is in the 2-2.5 ct range, with 3 being too large for my current taste, crowd, etc.

I think its awesome you want to custom design the ring from your sketches and that you want to get a ring that meets your "standards" (in addition to her preferences). But but but. Make sure you concentrate on the clues given to you by your girlfriend about HER preferences. This is to be HER ring, after all. You shouldn''t use bezel-setting, melee halos, and other "tricks" to increase the ring size UNLESS you (and her) also like the appearance of the resulting ring. And people have strong opinions about such things.

As to which custom designer to use (Whiteflash or Leon Mege), search for each on these boards and read about people''s experiences with them. And most importantly, look at the rings that each has made. They excel in somewhat different areas, and there are projects that I would go with Whiteflash for and projects that I would go with Leon for. What look you are aiming for (and how much nitty gritty control you want) will affect your choice of vendor.
 
for a custom engagment ring, I would hands down recommend Leon Mege or Maytal, as diamondseeker suggested.

i personally wouldn''t not put a halo around a 2+ carat round stone. So, if you are wanting a 3 carat i''d go no halo. they look too much like cocktail rings most of the time. if you get a smaller round though I think halo''s are lovely.
 
Hi - just a thought about budget/stone/setting - I would really try to narrow down the size of the stone that your budget will comfortably allow and then explore setting options . . . I think you will find a really large differential between a 2 ct and 3ct stone of comparable quality Ex. - I searched WF for 2-3 ct. stones using G/VS2 (random choice) - a 2 ct. falls around $22-26K, a 2.5 ct - about $34K, a 2.75ish - around $40K, up to $56-59K for a 3 ct - still G/VS2. It seems you would have make big concessions on cut/color/clarity to go from a 2 ct. to a 3 ct. for only a couple of thousand. If this is to be a surprise, what about choosing a simpler setting initially and the two of you custom-designing a setting for an anniversary? (unless you know exactly what she wants) I''m with the above thoughts on size/halos - I''ve got a 6.25 ring size and a 2 ct. is really nice coverage - although I have seen some lovely halos I don''t think I would halo a 2+ ct. stone, it would be really large.
 
Date: 3/24/2008 7:06:24 PM
Author: mrssalvo
for a custom engagment ring, I would hands down recommend Leon Mege or Maytal, as diamondseeker suggested.


i personally wouldn''t not put a halo around a 2+ carat round stone. So, if you are wanting a 3 carat i''d go no halo. they look too much like cocktail rings most of the time. if you get a smaller round though I think halo''s are lovely.
Click to expand...
Thritto these lovely ladies. I too, feel that even a 2 ct. with a halo starts looking too silly. Anything larger and well, what''s the point? To me, a halo is for a lovely smaller stone where the wearer wants more finger coverage. But for a 2+ct. center stone, it seems silly to me because I think at that size and up, one should get the best cut stone they can afford and that stone should stand on it''s own, without needing a lot of size or bling embellishments. I agree that it starts to look really show-offy and cocktail ring-like, which to me is sort of gaudy, for lack of a better word.

If you were buying me a ring, I''d want the best quality stone you could afford, with a simpler setting. To me, a larger stone should be the star, not get stuck inside a halo. That would be a waste of a nice stone, IMO.

And there is a huge difference between 2-3 ct. stones of fine quality so you wouldn''t be able to make that big a jump for only a few thousand.
 
I''m in the one man camp I guess, that says if you like a halo, then go for it, no mater the size of the stone. Get what YOU/SHE likes!

just another FYI... There are all different size halos, I personally like them teeny tiny on larger stones, but on smaller stone I thik they can go slightly larger.
 
Thanks for all the input!

Yea, just to be clear this is obviously for her and all about her since she will have it forever I want it to be perfect for her. I have shown her my designs and told her to save pics/cut out designs or elements she likes. I want it to be partly a surprise so I may not show her the exact final design but my plan after it is all done is to do a final large drawing for her and give it to her afterwards.
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I am kind of torn because I very much like simple and clean looks, but also want something as unique as she is(obviously why it is hard to do haha).

I will post up the designs, unfortunately they are all on lined paper at the moment, but you get ideas. I put the more unique ones on paper because obviously the simpler ones can easily be bought off the shelf.

Maybe I am being too cheap or missing something, although I did search and read positive reports about Abazias that is generally where I was looking for reference and then planned to get the stone independently appraised. I am generally looking at 2+ carat weight, VS2-SI2(if I go with lower grades I will stipulate eye clean for sure). H,I,J color. I used to only consider up to I but with some J''s I have seen on here obviously there are some good ones to be had, plus the setting and ring will be platinum. The same thing goes for the SI2 clarities, I used to not consider them until some on here I have seen are really nice. I understand most of those are EGL certs, but like I said I think if it is eye clean or better and holds up under scrutiny it will be just fine for us.

Does that sound like decent logic?

I am slightly flexible on budget because I have ideas about criteria I want, but definitely am not going to go north of 20k(hell I feel lucky to be able to even do that at my age), and would prefer quite a bit less. Ultimately the design chosen will play a role so I am not hard set.

Well considering that new info what do you all think. Thanks a lot for the help, this place is great.

Ben
 
I would advise you that seeking a top quality stone is much easier if you deal with a vendor such as Good Old Gold or WhiteFlash because they have so much information on the stones they actually have in-house. I'll look and see if I can find any examples.

I use this search, by the way:

https://www.pricescope.com/sift.aspx
 
diamondseeker-Thanks for the links! I do love how they have all the analysis right there for you to see. Those are all very very nice. I wish I had tons of stones at my disposal to do all those tests on myself! Def a little out of my price range for just the stone itself but I''ll have to look around and definitely do some more searching.

Thanks again. Once I get my camera charged I''ll snap some pics of my designs only 4 right now but I am trying to get input from my GF.

If anyone else wants to weigh in with opinions/experience please feel free I appreciate it all.

Ben
 
Here''s a few more:
They''re all under 2cts but leave you money for your custom setting (and IMO are still an awesome size (I''d be thrilled if I could have one!), plus you don''t pay for the price jump of going over 2 cts)

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4026/
$15770

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-737784.htm
$17095

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2372/
$13085

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1139194.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131
$11830
(This last one you''d need to find out if it''s eye clean)
 
You''ve gotten some great advice from some old timers here...I realize that you want her to have something unique, but honestly, I''d let her choose what SHE wants because she''s the one who has to wear the ring. Sometimes guys come on here and they want something unique and different because they want something as unique as their woman is to them - and that''s a lovely sentiment! But in the long run, there is a reason why "classic and timeless" styles stand the test of time...because they are elegant, classy and are not born out of a trend and therefore they look amazing for generations to come. So if I could recommend anything, I''d let her shop for settings and see what she really gravitates towards...Many times people try to "frankenstein" a ring together, putting elements of one ring together with elements of another design so they can have all the elements that they seem to like, and often it doesn''t really work out because there''s a reason those elements aren''t already offered (let''s face it, rarely is anything truly new and different at this point in time!). So why not focus on what she really wants...or buy her the stone, propose with the stone and let her choose the setting with you perhaps?

As for simple styles, yes, if you focus your money on buying the best quality stone you can afford, IMO, you wont want/need the extra bells and whistles because your stone will stand on it''s own merit and you wont want to gunk it up with a lot of extras. There''s a reason so many women here have solitaires, and why so many re-do their rings to a solitaire setting...And to that end, maybe you and your GF would like the Michael Bondanza solitaire? It''s on another thread somewhere here...I think Facet Fire has her stone set in that setting. It''s a very unique solitaire setting, modern yet classic and elegant.
 
Here is what I don''t get how is this possible?

http://www.abazias.com/database/NewDiamondInfo.asp?stock=43733791&src=builder

They have a 2.58Ct, J color, VS2, Excellent Polish, Excellent Symmetry for essentially 10,400. I would prefer an I color, but you get the point, it is significantly cheaper(an understatement). Is it all in the geometry that they don''t list? I''ll have to look up the angles and such again that are ideal but shouldn''t that be what the "Ideal" cut rating means? Again maybe EGL is "crap" but they have to have some similar standards I would think.

I mean maybe I need to view all the EGL ratings with an offset, like, an I is really J color on GIA, or VS2 is SI1, etc... I guess the only real way to find out is to have it looked at professionally by a third party.

Sorry if this has all been covered but obviously there is a reason it is cheaper that I am not seeing, I want to look at these to see if I as an Amatuer can tell the difference.

Ben
 
Date: 3/23/2008 10:32:51 AM
Author: Çã†hër§
hi there! I currently have a bezel set ER and I love this particular style! A couple of months ago, heyeliza showed us her gorgeous Sholdt ER, it is simple, modern and stunning. I am going to try to attach a picture of it *cross your fingers* it is one of my favorite rings on here. Have you tried on any semi bezel or bezel set ER's yet? Keep us updated on your quest!


sholdtaliastype.jpg
elizasholdt1227.jpg
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This is the solitaire setting that I thought you might like. Unique, and verrrry nice!

ETA: Actually no, they do not appear to use the same criteria when grading stones from different labs which is why GIA and AGS are known to be most strict. And EGL from Israel can be off by several grades. EGL USA is less "off" but personally I wouldn't buy a new stone with anything other than a GIA or AGS cert.

ETA2: Dont forget that she needs a wedding band too! So you could do a fabulous ering solitaire, with a blingier wband, like a pave or eternity band...
 
thanks SurfGirl, that is great advice and very true. I agree I do like the simple and clean look of a solitaire with pave band. If I could even do a simple variation, such as using two types of pave in the band like micro and regular or just smaller round diamonds to make it unique(or more unique) that would be great, if she likes it. I don''t want to force anything. If she wants plain and simple(definitely not bad in this case) then that is fine with me she will know I don''t have to design it if it isn''t necessary.

On that note(your comment) I am weary to even post my rough sketches(let me repeat ROUGH, haha). I am going to post them all, the first two I have decided after thinking would be cool for maybe a different time, not a wear all the time ring. The second two are variation on classical setups. You can judge for yourselves.

Ben
 
Great example SurfGirl! I appreciate the effort in finding those. Yes I know she does need a band as well, I have thought about that I would do two pave style bands I think, she wants lots of bling, lol.

Well, here it goes...be gentle.

First one is just a version after seeing the Tiffany Jean Schlumberger design, I thought the setting was awesome and liked the rope type wrap around with diamonds. I didn''t make my wrap tight enough, on this however I actually did just a plain platinum ring besides the wrap, seemed cleaner to me.

bmcdesign1.jpg
 
This second one was kind of inspired by a ring I saw a year or so ago but I can''t remember who makes it. I think the curls are too spaced out, but I like the organic nature of it. Again, I think they may be TOO different to be engagement rings.

bmcdesign2.jpg
 
These next two I drew last night on my plane ride back from Hawaii(YAY). This is the Bezel variation, after seeing hte Tiffany Etoile design. I wanted to change it with different possible combinations and arrangements of diamonds and pave styles. The error i made was having diamonds wrap the whole bezel because it will obviously need a gap, which would lend better to having a single center channel of diamonds with pave outer.

bmcdesign3.jpg
 
This one was partially inspired by a Hawaiian ring I saw while on spring break. Again it would be a classic solitaire with the band having alternating diamond rows and pave in kind of a rope pattern. I thought this could then lend itself to have a unique setting as well, which you will see in the zoomed out pic next.

bmcdesign4.jpg
 
zoomed out view of paper with possible designs and detail work. I would try and keep the Hawaii one with not really as pronounced "strands", make them as flush as possible with each other, which I think would be cleaner. Although part of me thinks it is too busy and would detract from the main stone, however it would be unique and have lots of "sparkly diamonds", which is what my GF requested. Trust me she is not dumb like that makes her sound.
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So what do you think? Input welcome, please be constructive, haha.

Thanks again.

Ben

bmcdesign5.jpg
 
Hi luckiestguy (cute screen name btw)
here is facetfire''s thread with the ring that Surfgirl mentioned https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/our-new-old-2-3-carat-oec-e-ring.49501/- its one of my favourites on PS and think its a decent suggestion. Although I do realize you''re after a pave shank aswell - I think Bondanza would be a nice choice for a custom setting for you, or as mentioned Leon or Maytal are always great choices.
I will have to echo the sentiment here that adding a different twist/touch to an ering is a great idea, but usually a classic design with just a touch of individuality looks nicer. Here is a great example of what I mean of a ring currently shown in SMTR https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/she-said-yes.81178/
Perhaps you can try for something similiar, a classic pave shank with diamonds in the crown for extra bling, and an individual touch. For some nice ideas on how to add bling into the head of the ring, you can see Ritani or Mark Morrel.
To me (imho) the designs you have posted would lend themselves better to a RHR..but then again, you know better what your girl would like.!
Good luck and please continue to ask questions as u need!
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I'm glad you posted your designs, they are all really great in their own way! I tend to be one of those girls who likes what is different, unique and something that no one else has... That being said, I can attest to the fact that acomplishing all of these things while still saying somewhat classic is challenging. I also understand when your gf says that she wants lots of sparkly diamonds, bc so did I!!! I think given that you are so creative a custom ring is your best option, that way you can put your personal touches on the ring, and she will def appreciate that.
I really like the first sketch you posted... I do feel like I have seen some things similar to it, but not exactly. SO maybe you could find something sililar and have it altered by adding the .25 side diamonds. There was actually a beautiful ring posted recently by Bem that was a twisted split shank design by Leon Mege. It is stunning!
I agree with arjunajane that the snake ring is more of a rhr, but I think it's a great one to file away for a later gift.
The bezel ring you designed was really nice also, but there are rings out there like that so custom probably wouldn't be necessary. The bezel Sholdt ring that Surfgirl posted is by far one of my favorite solitaires, and I someday hope to put a colored stone into that setting.... But I know that I would not personally want it for my Ering bc I love extra "sparkly diamonds"!!
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As for the rope ring... I really like that! I think that so long as the band wasn't too thick (3mm would be the max I think, 2.5 may be better, and I tend to like thicker) you could accomplish the design beautifully without it overpowering the main stone, espicially bc you want a big stone.

ETA~ Here are a few Leon's that caught my eye for you...
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=357

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=241

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=416


Please feel free to bounce any ideas off of me/us... I love these projects where a guy really wants to go the extra mile and make the ring so personal!
 
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