newbie colored ering $2000 budget

[gemmygemma]

Hi! I am have been lurking for a while and finally think I am ready to post. I am looking for an ering for my girlfriend. She was the one who found PS and has been looking at it for a lone time but has never posted either. Now that we're finally ready, she has promised me she'll stay off PS for a while so that I can use it to start getting down to business! She has educated me and shown me all her likes and dislikes, but as you can see, there are many options within that. As long as I

We have decided that $2,000 is about right for the budget. It's certainly not the "three month's salary" or whatever, but we both think that it's the right amount to spend.

The main thing we don't really know about is price. I know that some things are way out of range, but I'm not really sure how to get the most for our money, or even where to look. I know that I've walked into jewelers (not like mall stores) and seen things that seemed comparable to what we'd like to get within our price range, but that were not quite right, so it definitely seems doable.

some elements she likes (some are mutually exclusive, so obviously not all elements will be in one ring)
-anything "special" or "unusual" or "unique," in terms of stone and setting
-yellow, rose (more copper colored than pink), and green gold.
-simple, sleek bezel settings
-deco settings
-asschers
-marquis cuts bezel set the normal way (not side to side). She knows this is not popular, but she likes it. She also likes pears sometimes.
-Other cuts are okay, too, if everything else makes sense
-low settings
-sturdy durable settings that won't get caught on things
-split shank
-claw prongs
-fairly pale colored gems, especially for bezel settings
-gems that have "glow" or "sparkle." I know she likes "bling" and definitely "life" from the stone itself.
-gems that have something special, like a bright neon color, or color change, or cast rainbows or other flashes.
-She'll probably like some diamonds in the setting, but this might be accomplished through the wedding band
-she doesn't mind if the wedding ring and the ering don't fit perfectly together
-she would possibly be into a cabochon if was high quality and had other interesting things going on like a star sapphire or if it were a catseye color change alexandrite and if the setting had diamond for sparkle
-obviously I'm looking for a sapphire, spinel, chrysoberyl, or alexandrite. It doesn't have to be really popular fine quality as we do have a budget, but it does have to be interesting and beautiful. For example, a stone sapphire that had some green and some yellow and some blue colored areas could be fine, as long as it were beautiful, as would a pretty silver-grey-blue spinel, but a dull one with extinction would be bad.
-in terms of size, she says has a big finger (size 7), and she says it wants to look roughly like a 1 carat diamond on a smaller finger, so more like a 1.25-1.50 carat diamond? So roughly less than 7 mm? I know this would be different for a marquise. I basically know that she doesn't want it to look microscopic, but she doesn't want it to look like a fake costume ring, and she'd rather sacrifice size in terms of the budget, so I think she'd be willing to go for a smaller stone.


Things she does not like
-"chunkiness" I don't really know how to define this, but a bunch of rings we looked it, she was just like, "eww it's so chunky!" This is especially true of mass produced pave and antique reproduction settings. I think she likes pave and antiques, but she's really picky about them.
-"jankiness" - she uses this to describe designs that she things clumsily incorporate modern and antique elements. For example, she does not like a lot of ritani because she thinks their "smoothness" and pave don't go together. From looking at pricescope, she likes Leon Mege and etienne perret, but not ritani, if that makes sense.
-high settings
-badly cut stones like with windows or facets are lopsided.
-scroll work, leaves, filigree unless it's really well done
-settings that get dirty easily or are hard to clean
-mixed metal colors
-she's not crazy about ovals, but if everything else were right, I think she'd go for one.

So, basically, I'd take any feedback to start narrowing this down!

 

[GliderPoss]

Welcome!

You have certainly come to the right place for friendly advice - wish I had known about PS many years ago! Hopefully some of the experts will chime in.

Your budget sounds reasonable to me but just be aware that many large, rare or perfect gemstones can costs 10''s of thousands of dollars so try to go into this search with an open mind...

First I suggest you look carefully at the list of trusted vendors at the top of this thread, then perhaps create a "top 10 list" of stones that you want. Remember many of these vendors are able to cut specific stones to fit your criteria so try to narrow it down as much as possible! Perhaps separate your budget into how much you want to spend on the stone and how much on the setting? Again this will help in your serach.

I often enjoy looking at this website as it has a terrific large gallery of lovely unusual bespoke designs - this may help her decide on what elements she like best.

Lastly I suggest doing plenty of reading on this website - there are a plethora of experts on here who are only too happy to help suggest what is durable and sensible for this ring. Use the search feature to see examples and read other''s stories of their gemstone rings. I wish you best of luck and can''t wait to see the results!

 

[Liane]

Well, you''ve done a lot of good starting research and what you want sounds entirely reasonable within your budget, so what I''d suggest is that you start by looking at pictures of different stones (or, better, a wide selection of real stones if that''s possible in your area) within her categories and see which one speaks to you the most. Until you''ve at least figured out whether you want a cabochon or a faceted gem, or a particular type/color/shape of stone, it''s hard to give any more specific recommendations.

It sounds like you''re looking for something in about the 7mm (+/- 1mm to give yourself some flexibility) if a round or asscher, and proportional to that if another shape.

Given that you describe her as being "really picky" about pave/antique-style settings and also preferring durable, easily cleaned jewelry, it sounds like a slim bezel might be the best way to go (but bear in mind that I''m ridiculously pro-bezel and may be biased here).

A low bezel will be a little bit tricky to pair with a wedding band, but it can be done. One option is to have interlocking rings (there''ve been a couple of gorgeous examples posted in SMTR recently). This can create an intricate, woven look while keeping the individual pieces sleek and simple. Alternately, you could have a slightly raised bezel that''s notched on one side to accommodate a wedding band (my avatar shows my wedding set, which is an example of this variation). Or you could curve the wedding band so that it fits with the bezel.

In any event, and especially if you end up with a bezeled ring, you should probably get the wedding band and e-ring made together as a set. This allows more flexibility in design choices and lets you see how the entire set is going to look when worn at the same time or as separate pieces.

 

[chrono]

First thing first, you’ll need to break your budget down into two: one for the setting and one for the stone so you’ll know how much you can spend on each section, which will dictate what you will end up with. At this point, you need to narrow down a lot of elements. From the sound of it, she’ll want some decorative melees in the setting and might prefer something custom as that is the only way to get a delicate and fluid feel that she likes. If she goes with a solitaire, then more of your budget is able to go towards the e-ring stone. Unfortunately, custom with diamond melees is going to eat up almost your entire $2K allotment. E.P.’s bezels are not inexpensive either. Have you both looked at James Meyer’s bezel settings? They have a lovely antique feel, low set and are very affordable; I believe a few designs to be around $1K.

Once you have figured out how much you have for the stone, it’s time to pick the colour. Based on the budget, colour and the 7 mm size, we can then help you decide which gem variety is best suited. Unfortunately, ovals are the most common shape as it preserves the most out of the rough material. You are rarely going to find pears and marquise cuts. Asschers have to be custom cut and isn’t suited for most gem colours and types. Rounds and cushions are very doable in terms of gem outline. If you want something with glow or sparkle, the colour (glow or eye popping colour) and the cut (sparkle) both must be good (but not necessarily precision cut). Again, something with good colour is going to be more expensive than a dull gray stone.

 

[Indylady]

I''d start off by finding your stone, and then working on the design elements. If you had a particular setting in mind, then I could imagine that you might work backwards. But, since you''re open to a lot of design elements, I would choose a stone and then design a setting to fit it. Fortunately, and unfortunately, your list of likes is fairly large and sometimes conflicting. Its definitely a good idea to be easy going and roll with the punches, but its hard to make a recommendation based on an extensive list. I know exactly where you''re coming from; I''m in the midst of an e-ring search as well, but haven''t started a proper thread about it because I still don''t know what I want.

I think that you and your girlfriend should start an "inspiration folder" of your favorite rings and gemstones. Pictures speak volumes about exactly the type of feel that you''re trying to emulate, and will be easier for everyone involved to understand what you''re talking about it. Ask her to read threads on pave, bezels, etc. on PS; each of the elements you''ve favored some with benefits and drawbacks. Pave can fall out, bezels may be damaged if you''re changing out a stone (from my understanding you have to sacrifice either the stone or the bezel).

Now, I''m going to throw one of my favorite ideas out there: A colored stone in a Leon solitare. His base prices start around $1600, and you could find a sapphire, spinel, or chrysoberyl for about $400.

 

[iLander]

I think basically you''re saying you want something unusual, that you haven''t seen before, that you will see and fall in love with. I think that''s what everybody actually wants.

Start with the stone, then have a jeweler work with you, sketching stuff out. You may want to consider using the grooms birthstone, that''s what the victorians did before diamond marketing kicked. Google Julia Kay Taylor, she builds a lot of cool jewelry. I''m sure she can design in whatever diamond melee (tiny diamonds) that you want.

There are a lot of AMAZING stones out there, and other PSer''s will give you their suggestions, but I like these guys:

Gene at http://www.precisiongem.com/ has some really cool contemporary stones, even in ruby. Pink tourmaline, spinel and his rare stones are on sale right now.

For "sparkle" cut, especially in rounds, try Barry, http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_h.asp?idCategory=139

Rick at http://www.artcutgems.com/ is a cutter and a jeweler, and he has some of the unusual colors you mentioned.

But remember, this is not a quick process, everyone has to work you into their schedule, but with all these resources, a jewelry store seems kind of bland, now doesn''t it? A ring that reflects your personality is a true heirloom.

 

[iLander]

Oh, I forgot this cutter, Andrew seems very nice and some of his cuts are really unusual. He also has a line of "regular" stuff too. I wish he had a selection of smaller stones in the artistic cuts . . .

http://www.gemfix.com/gem_intrusion_1.html

There are some amazing options out there. People tend to pick colors that look good on them, even when they buy cars, so you might start by looking inside your closet!

 

[SB621]

I would contact Barry at ACSTONES.com to see what he has for spinels, chrysoberyl, or alexandrite. I don''t think he often has sapphires. As far as cutting, sparkle and budget I think he is up your alley. Then you can spend the majority of your budget on the setting. I would second Chrono and suggest a James Meyer setting as i think that would meet your girlfriends requirments. However- i would ask her what she thinks of his settings.

Goodluck!

 

[gemmygemma]

Wow! Thanks so much for all your great advice.

HotPozzum - The HK website was had a great gallery. We sat and looked at it for a long time and we saw a lot of unusual and interesting designs.

Liane - I think you are right about going with a simple, elegant bezel, but she actually *doesn''t* mind if there is a gap between the e-ring and the w-ring. Sorry if I was confusing earlier. But I think that thinking about the w-ring too at this stage is important and something we hadn''t really thought about. Turns out I was imagining a plain gold band with some diamonds and she was thinking eternity band or else one built to match. Hmm...

Chrono - Breaking down the budget is a good idea. I guess it''s just hard to know at this point. I was thinking $1000 on each, but it seems more like $1200 - $1400 on the setting (including side and accent stones) and $800 - $600 on the main stone?

IndyLady - First, do you know if the $1,600 leon settings include any sidestones? I think an inspiration folder is a good idea. I know she was clicking through and showing me a million things, but it''s hard to thing without getting more organized about it. So much is contingent. Like, she really likes star sapphires, but if we went with a star sapphire, she''d want one kind of setting (delicate claw prongs with a lot of pave, and it would be good in this case to be an oval) and if we went for a faceted stone, she''d probably want a bezel setting. It really impacts the budget allotment, too, what kind of decisions we make. I think an inspiration folder can give us, like, plan A, plan B, plan C, which may be totally different but we can roughly price them out and then decide among them and then start making the smaller decisions. We had this same problem when we bought a house. We knew how much we wanted to spend, but we had a lot different ways we could go. If were going to live slightly in the suburbs, it had to be near a freeway and it had to be a midcetury modern house. If we were going to live downtown, it could be a condo, but had to have a deck and garage, preferably in an older/edwardian building. I guess it''s a good next step to come up with specific visions and pick among them.

iLander - Thanks for the list of where to look for gems and jewelery. Seems like good places to start adding to that inspiration folder.

SarahBear - thanks for seconding James Meyer. We looked at his stuff and we liked his website. Do you know if Caleb Meyer is at a similar pricepoint? Is Julia Kay Taylor?

Inspiration/Vendor List (am I leaving anything out?):

Setting:
Julia Kay Taylor
Leon Mege (simple settings only)
HKJewelers
James Meyer

Stone:
ACStones
Precision Gem
ArtCut Gem
GemFix

So, a couple of questions:
1 - What do you think about the idea, as I described to IndyLady, of making several several options, different though they may be, and pricing them out roughly, then making a decision about which one to go with?
2 - She''s been on a star sapphire kick today, but we haven''t seen any online that are really nice. Do you have any idea of where to source them? How much a really nice one would cost?
3 - She also likes alexandrites a lot, but the ones that have the good color change are way out of our budget. What do you think of having a very small alexandrite accent stone? Will the color change be visible at that size? Will it add a lot to the budget? More so than a diamond accent stone? Where to find these? What kinds of main stones would look good with a tiny alexandrite?

 

[Kismet]

The Gem Trader put up a nice violet star sapphire today. Fairly reasonable price too.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

If I were looking for a colored stone, these are the vendors I would look at:
http://www.acstones.com/
http://www.artcutgems.com/
http://www.precisiongem.com/
http://www.winkjones.com/store/index.php
odysseygems, gemburionline and vvs1gem on ebay.

Also, have you considered color change garnet? You are likely to find it for a much better price than alexandrite.

 

[SB621]

JKT''s pricing depends on the amount of material she uses plus time spent on benchwork. I would contact her for a quote once you have an idea of what you want to see what her pricing would be. In this case i would think it would be very similar to James Allen.

I would also second the violet star sapphire on TGT. I thought it looked lovely and would make a great ering. Plus the price is fantastic.

 

[Indylady]

$1600 is an approximate cost for a solitare setting without sidestones or pave. Leon uses a star system to help give customers an idea of cost; if I recall correctly, the setting I was quoted for was rated about one star. Here''s a link to some of his completed pieces to help give you an idea about his pricing. He only gives one quote before requiring a deposit (after which he''ll give you more quotes, for "free", based on design changes, and the deposit counts towards the total cost of the piece).

So, a couple of questions:
1 - What do you think about the idea, as I described to IndyLady, of making several several options, different though they may be, and pricing them out roughly, then making a decision about which one to go with?

Its definitely a great idea to get a few solid, concrete ideas to be able to show vendors. BUT, be wary of asking for many quotes. Most vendors are kind and open to answering questions, but most vendors are busy as well and asking for multiple quotes will certainly strain the relationship between you and the vendor. I would settle on one, maybe two designs before asking vendors for quotes. I am definitely not discouraging you from asking vendors questions. However, you have such an extensive list of ideas that I''m concerned you''ll drive vendors away.

How will you know approximately how much the design you like will cost, and whether that will be in your budget? Research, finding listings on vendors such as Brian Gavin Diamonds, Whiteflash, Quest, Leon, JKT, Heart of Water and more. It won''t give you an exact cost, but it will help give you an estimate.

2 - She''s been on a star sapphire kick today, but we haven''t seen any online that are really nice. Do you have any idea of where to source them? How much a really nice one would cost?

I''ve been looking for one of these. I really haven''t found an exceptional one yet; check out Richard Wise, DJ Rare Gems, the Gem Trader, and Jyotish Gems. You might also look into Swala Gem Traders and Pala Gems (you''ll need a vendor to get the quotes though). I really like the Gem Trader; I''d send out an email to each of these vendors with the specifics on what you''re looking for if you don''t find anything you like on their sites. Here''s a link to DJ Rare Gems'' star sapphires link . You must ask them about treatments though as they don''t specify. I think fine ones are quite expensive.

Since having a star means she''d also want pave, I''d look into Lord of the Gems Rings on Ebay. I''ve used them many times, and I think their quality is great for the price. Actually, I think their quality is great altogether. I think its the only way you''re going to be able to afford pave, let alone lots of pave, and a center stone, for $2,000. You might consider LOGR even if you''re not using a cabochon because it will let you keep your costs down if you choose to spend the majority of your budget on the center stone.

3 - She also likes alexandrites a lot, but the ones that have the good color change are way out of our budget. What do you think of having a very small alexandrite accent stone? Will the color change be visible at that size? Will it add a lot to the budget? More so than a diamond accent stone? Where to find these? What kinds of main stones would look good with a tiny alexandrite?

I think its a bad idea; I guess it depends on how small we''re talking, but I think the color change won''t be as easily apparent and I think it would make the ring look "busy". The only idea I can imagine where a smaller alex. might be nice is a bypass ring. I''ll attach a picture to show you what I''m talking about. I''d just save the alex. for a later piece of jewelery.

If I were you, I''d go for a pretty silver-grey-blue precision cut spinel by Barry and have it set by Leon in a simple platinum solitare with claw prongs; Leon also works in 18k yellow gold. I''m very much biased, because that is what I would want. I think it would be classic, elegant, unique, and beautiful. Feel free to post your inspiration pictures, and ask any questions that you might have!

 

[Indylady]

Liz C is another vendor you might want to check out.

 

[velouriaL]

If you were to go the cabochon + pave route, I think it would be possible to do a stock setting with pave and still come in under budget. You may need a good benchman to modify the basket for you, and even so, it might take some work to find a stone that works with a standard setting. I don''t know if this is "unique" enough. but I think an e-ring with a star sapphire is pretty unique (and awesome!) as is. But still, it seems doable. Here''s one, for example,Pave Shank from GOG. Whiteflash doesn''t seem to be working right now, but they probably have some options. You have to be careful, though, as some of these prices assume that you are buying a diamond center to go along with it.

I think that a little alex would be a cute accent stone for one of JM''s "offset" style rings, or something along those lines. I''m not sure how one would perform in terms of color change at that size, though, as I have not seen one IRL. In theory, though, I think it would look nice with a very light center, a lilac sapphire or a vanadium chrysoberyl. You''d just have to make sure it complements the center through all color changes, which might be a challenge.

 

[velouriaL]

Also, it''s way bigger (and way out of your budget), but at the end of this this thread is one of the most unique e-rings I''ve ever seen, a *gorgeous* nonstandard star sapphire in a JM setting. Right up your alley!

 

[iLander]

Be careful of star sapphires. Unless you use one of the trusted vendors mentioned here on PS, you may get rooked. There is a new type of treatment that creates a star in very cheap, lousy stones. I can''t remember the exact process, but there are a lot of "faked" star sapphires on ebay now that are very poor quality, disguised as good stones. If I remember right, the star or the color fades over time.

Am I remembering right? Do any other PSer''s know what I''m talking about?

I agree with IndyLady: you need to narrow things down before you approach a vendor. Don''t ask for quotes on more than 2 or 3 options, or you''ll make them crazy.

They''re human, and busy humans at that.

 

[chrono]

I second Kismet’s suggestion of the star sapphire from the GemTrader that was recently listed. As for the alexandrite, the smaller the stone is, the more difficult it can be to see the colour change, even if it is a good colour changer. However, at this point, you are going in so many different directions that it is difficult to guide you as we do not want to overly influence your decision. I like the idea of looking around a lot both online and IRL, keeping a folder of sorts, and then deciding which ones you both like the most. From there, it will be a lot easier for us to make the correct recommendation.

 

[iLander]

I agree with Kismet and Chrono: that star sapphire on the Gem Trader is one of the best I''ve ever seen and it''s from a quality dealer. I''ve never seen that degree of transparency with such a defined star.

It''s a tribute to you (and the honor of PS users) that it isn''''t already sold, most PSer''s here would have already jumped on it, since it''s a new item, updated just last night.

I think if you totally don''t want it, you should say so, so somebody else can purchase it without guilt. I would buy it, but i''m looking for bigger stones right now.

I think their Winza Ruby/Sapphire is interesting, Gene mentioned this new find on another thread and he''s right; it is like a calico cat. So unusual!

 

[PinkTower]

The Gem Trader Star Sapphire is lovely. Also, he states that the star is seen even in low light? That intrigues me, as I have a star, but it is not seen indoors. I would call him up and ask for more information on that. If it works out, that would make a beautiful ring, perhaps with a delicate half pointer halo that slightly tilted away from the center stone.

 

[E B]

Date: 6/8/2010 9:16:03 PM
Author: Kismet
The Gem Trader put up a nice violet star sapphire today. Fairly reasonable price too.

It''s beautiful! I love the color.

 

[Liane]

That Gem Trader sapphire is nice, especially for the price.

re: Caleb Meyer -- I don''t know what his prices are for custom work. He used to have a retail location near my neighborhood, though, and the prices there were IMO really inflated. Apparently I''m not the only one who thought so, since it closed a couple of years ago and that storefront is now a cupcake shop.

JKT is generally at a lower price point than James Meyer, but JM is also reasonably priced.

re: alexandrite accent stones -- I''m with IndyLady in thinking that would be too busy in most settings. You''re likely to have enough trouble just finding the perfect center stone without worrying about a rare and tricky accent stone. You''d have to find the right alexandrite, find a design that showed it off without distracting from the center stone, and find color combinations that looked nice regardless of which personality the alexandrite was showing.

IMO it''s too much hassle and you''re already kind of all over the place with your options, so I''d put that aside.

re: color-change garnets -- I have yet to see one of these in a color I''d recommend for an e-ring. For the most part, these go from one bleh color to another bleh color. If you get ONE pretty color that''s better than usual. Interesting novelties, but IMO generally not more than that. Also, I haven''t seen many of these that cross the 1-carat line, and I''m kinda doubting that a 7mm color-change garnet with good colors would come within budget.

re: flush fit between e-ring and wedding band with a bezel -- yeah, I caught that in the original post. I''m not a fan of wearing a straight band with a low bezel; to me it''s just nails on a chalkboard to have the band rubbing up against one friction point on the bezel. But this is 100% personal idiosyncrasy and your fiance probably doesn''t share my crazy, so feel free to disregard me on this.

 

[gemmygemma]

Hey- just reading this and lots of good stuff!
Don''t have much time to write, but wanted to say that I think the gem trader star is awesome, but I''m not quite ready to pull the trigger, so if someone wants to buy it, they should DEFINITELY go for it! No guilt!

 

[MeRikey!]

nevermind

 

[velouriaL]

I''m kinda obsessed with that star sapphire now. I keep coming back to it. I''m not going to buy it, either, so someone else (or Gemmy) totally can and should go for it. I just wanted to endorse their decision.

 

[iLander]

I would own that star right now, if it wasn''t so small. I''ve found that I just can''t appreciate a smaller stone and the detail level on a star really requires close attention.

I think you can do an alexandrite or color change stone as a "surprise" gem. Those are the tiny stones that you see tucked into the side of the head (is that the right word for the part that holds the stone?). And I think, with diamonds (or white sapphire) between the main stone and the alexandrites, they would work as side stones. Or a five stone wedding band with 2 of the 5 as your color change. I think it would be unique and kinda cool.

Here is a pair of matching cats eye Alexandrite for a puny $330! Dana is reputable, so no problem there. You may want to ask him to hold them for a couple of days while you''re thinking about it.

http://www.mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=5743

You should do what makes you happy, and the search is often the best part of a ring.

Then you will have a long story that you can bore your grandkids with LOL