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Newbie needs opinions on engagement ring styles

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bigjim

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
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Hi everyone!

I have spent the last few days looking around this site gathering information on what will be the largest jewelry purchase I have ever made!

A little background about me...I am a high school chemistry teacher, and my lovely lady is also a high school teacher, but we teach at different schools. I don''t have a huge budget, but I think I can get something nice for between $4,000 and $5,000. My lovely lady knows I have been saving up for quite some time, but is starting to get antsy. I keep giving her the typical guy response of rolling my eyes and coughing every time she mentions engagement rings. Little does she know I have been taking notes....

I know more what she doesn''t want rather than what she does want, so that is where you can help me. She had made it very clear that she will be thrilled with whatever I choose and she doesn''t want to be more involved in the process than what she told me she would rather not have.

She definitely does not want a round shape for the center. She was engaged before and had a round solitaire, so my guess is that''s why she doesn''t want another round. She also wants side stones, not a solitaire, probably for the same reason. She said she wouldn''t mind wearing only one ring for both the engagement and wedding, although I would kind of like to get something where if she changed her mind and did want to get a wedding band, it wouldn''t be too terribly hard....and she changes her mind very often!

She also has hinted that she would like a designer setting, but it doesn''t have to be. She is kind of into "names", if you know what I mean. Thank goodness she doesn''t want a Tiffany or Cartier ring!
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After a lot of looking I realize that doesn''t leave much money left for the center if I spend a lot on the setting, but she really isn''t a size gal (believe it or not!) and is into the whole package. She also had average size fingers and told me to get a size 5.5. Oh, and she has to have platinum.

So....after some looking, I found one I really like, and I think she will like, but I am open to any and all suggestions. This picture is from Pearlman''s Jewelers website. The ring is by Ritani and has a .5 carat assher for the center. I think with the stones around it the center won''t look too small on her hand.

My sister suggested maybe a 3 stone ring where I could get a little bit bigger center. That might be nice too.

I really appreciate any guidance you can give me. As you can see I am kind of clueless to all this!

ritani_ascher.jpg
 
Hey Jim,
I think it is a beautiful ring. What I love about it is that it will be VERY sparkly and catch a lot of light. A lot of people are very into the eternity band (diamonds all the way around) right now, and maybe you could surprise her with a matching wedding band? That would be gorgeous I think. Have you been to look in stores? Diamonds tend to look a lot different online, and jewelers'' sites tend to make their stones look much bigger than they are. A good idea might be to post asking for people with similar rings (1.2 carat square with a halo) to post hand shots, that way you can get an idea what they would look like on her hand. Hope this helps!
 
The setting is very pretty. But is that what she mean when she says she want sidestones? or was she thinking more substantial sidestones as in a 3 stones ring? Because those are very different looks.
 
Hi Jim, I absolutely love everything about that ring! The assher, the halo, the eternity band, just everything! I don''t think you can go wrong! Good luck!
 
Hey thanks for the replies!

Coll...the center stone is only 1/2 ct. I looked through the under 1 ct thread and saw a few with the halos, as you call them, so that''s why I thought that one would be nice. I saw this one in person but with a round center. Since she definitely doesn''t want a round, I thought either the asscher would be nice or, I saw on another thread, someone had a princess shape in the center.

Qtiekiki....that''s the trouble...she''s not that specific. She picked out her last engagement ring with her fiance and she said this time she doesn''t want to be as involved in the process. I''m trying to be subtle in finding out what she wants because I really want it to be a surprise. I had her sister ask her if side stones meant a 3 stone ring and her response was something to the effect that either a 3 stone ring or sidestones. I agree, they are two completely different looks, thus part of my problem!

So I guess the question is, is whether a 3 stone ring will give me more bang for my buck?
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Hi, Jim...

That''s a beautiful ring, for sure....and it looks like a wedding band would fit flush with it which is nice. (I LOVE asschers!
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).

Lot''s of people here have pave, halo rings and love them, but there have been discussions about their durability for everyday wear. Some have had trouble with melee diamonds occasionally popping out. You might want to consider this, or talk to Bill Pearlman about it...

Also, that is not a "three stone ring". I found these "non-round threestone rings that are within (barely) your budget. On the left: cushions; on the right: princesses:

Good luck, and have fun!
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Love the Ritani halos!! As far as bang for the buck, you can't do better than a halo. Even a half carat center will have some real bang with a halo. A 3-stone is nice, but even with say a three-quarter carat center and quarter carat side stones, you won't get the same bling than you would with the halo, IMO.

I completely understand being into names (I am also to some degree I think), but Ritani is a little pricey. For the same $4,000 to $5,000 if you have a ritani-like custom ring made, you'll get even more bang.

I'm sure you've seen the halo thread already, but if not, check it out. There are many halo settings posted by PS members who have had them custom made by various jewelers. I'm not saying don't buy a Ritani. They are great. I'm just saying to weigh all your options before you make a decision on a "name."
 
Hi BigJim,

I think the ritani ring is perfect. It''s beautiful! You said she wants platinum and she''s a fan of names, so this fits the bill.
 
What do you think of this? It''s not a name brand, but you get a bit more bang for your buck!

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You can probably get a bigger center stone with a 3 stones ring depending on how big you want the sidestones, but I think a smaller stone in a halo will appear larger. IMO, 3 stones look like more bling because there are 3 stones, but halo does give the illusion of a bigger center stone.
 
With a really nicely cut center stone surrounded by the halo in the Ritani design, you would get a lot of sparkle for the money. It seems you have picked out something you believe your fiance would love and I think it''s often a good idea to go with your gut.

Best of luck with your engagement!!
 
I really like the idea of that Ritani. I think it seems to fit every need you have. Personally, I am not a fan of three stone rings for engagement rings (I prefer a center stone to stand out), so the Ritani is absolutely perfect, from my perspective. So, you don''t have any idea about whether or not she like three stone rings as engagement rings? What about color? Is she against other gemstones as sidestones?
 
BigJim - have you decided whether you are definitely going to go the designer route or not? The first thought I had was that if you end up going with a name brand, you may not be able to afford a 3 stone style depending on how much of your budget is eaten up by the designer setting.

I think the Ritani halo with a center asscher would be divine, but so would a 3 stone ring. Neither require a honking huge center stone, but both will have quite a lot of visual impact!
 
Hey thanks again everyone! Hmmm....this is going to be harder than I thought!

I''m bouncing a lot of ideas off of her twin sister, since she is, well, her sister! Her sis loves the Ritani setting, however when she showed the e-mail I sent her to their mother, the mom was less than impressed.
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Their mom said I should go for the 3 stone ring in order to get a bigger center stone. I showed the Ritani setting to a couple of my coworkers and they really liked it because no one around here has a ring like it. I am totally torn.

I have not decided for sure to go with a designer setting but I have decided against the custom route. I just don''t have the patience to deal with the process. I''d rather get something already made. Sorry if it sounds like I''m wimping out..

Oh, and I asked the sister about gemstones....big no-no. Doesn''t want them in her engagement ring.

I did a little more searching online today (got to love teacher institute days!) and found a couple of settings from Gottlieb that I like. I don''t know much about them but I don''t think they are considered a "high end" designer...which is okay, I think. I need to talk to the sister again to see how much my lady really wants a name like Ritani.

If she is okay with a not-so-pricey designer, then one of these settings might work. I called a local jeweler to see if they can order them for me to look at. (Oh, and I am going through a local jeweler for all this.)

In this one, maybe an asscher cut for the center? It reminds me of the Ritani halo but doesn''t look at "clean" from the picture on the web site.

gottlieb_halo.jpg
 
Here''s another one I liked. I think the side stones are half moons. I''m not sure what kind of center to get...may an oval or a cushion?

Any additional thoughts?

gottlieb_halfmoons.jpg
 
I like the setting with the half-moons much more. A cushion would look wonderful!
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I think the 2 side stones are a better bet for the long haul. Very pretty!
 
Quest Jewelers sells that Gottlieb halo setting. In fact I got to see it with my own two eyes last month. If I recall correctly it was made in white gold though and that was what made the setting rather inexpensive. I''ll be going back to see them this Sat. for my own custom halo project hehe so if you want me to eyeball anything else let me know.

Actually as far as going custom, its not as expensive as some designer brands...just food for thought.

I vote halos....but hey I''m a sucker for halos.
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I like the setting with the half moon sidestones. I don''t think halo are for everyone. I don''t personally like halo on smaller diamonds because you see more bling but I think it can take focus away from the center stone, but I love them with colored gemstones. Just personal preferences.

How close is your lady''s taste to her sister and mom? If they are similar, then I would go with what they say. If you are not sure, then you should go with your gut and get the Ritani because I am sure she will be happy with whatever you give her.
 
Hmmm I love all the ideas. Definitely love the half moon design, I think a cushion or an oval will look great in there. I think you might get more bang for a buck with an oval. I like the ideas of sapphire sidestones (if you think she would like something like that). Personally I LOVE sapphires, and rubies and emeralds. YUM. How about sapphire half moons on the last setting YUM!
 
Date: 1/12/2006 2:24:34 PM
Author: widget
Hi, Jim...


That''s a beautiful ring, for sure....and it looks like a wedding band would fit flush with it which is nice. (I LOVE asschers!
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).


Lot''s of people here have pave, halo rings and love them, but there have been discussions about their durability for everyday wear. Some have had trouble with melee diamonds occasionally popping out. You might want to consider this, or talk to Bill Pearlman about it...




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Click to expand...

It is true about the potential with pave. I have discussed this very issue with Bill. Ritani rings are extremely well made. As far as I know, our Pricescopers with Ritani rings have not run into pave problems. i was considering one for a long time. I love the ring you posted and a wedding band will sit flush which I like.
 
I love the half-moons also...an oval would look stunning in that!!! You really would get alot of bang for the buck that way!
 
Here''s mydreamsrings oval with half moons...link

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For a fancy cut, it may be tricky to find a ready made halo setting that fits the shape of the stone - there are some shortcuts (such as 'fitting' a square stone in a setting meant for rounds - like the one posted), but it usually shows.

I don't know how much of a 'name' Ritani is - there are lots of jewelry designer labels, but once the new bridal mags drop their adds... what's in the name?

'Ready made' and high quality can mean a number of things. Even with a designer ring chances are they would just make one on order once you have chosen the model, unless one of the presentation models in stock at the jeweler you have passed by happen to be just the thing.

Three-stone rings don't strike me as a cheaper version - the settings are quite expensive once the cost of side-stones has been factored in.


About pave... could it be only on the band, like THIS ?





If they have the setting for other shapes all for the better. The 1k setting would leave room for a 1 carat oval or pear center stone (thinking G-SI1 and ~ 3.5-4k). Ovals and pears tend to be quite a bit larger for the weight than square cuts. Which doesn't make squares less popular, but... why not.

Just IMO






 
You're leaning towards a cushion or an oval...but I thought she liked non-rounds? If she wants a non-round, I'd stick with a princess, asscher, or emerald cut. Even cushions might be too round for her.

That being said, look at this ring! 3-stone asscher in platinum!
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3-stone asscher, plat
($4,995)

In the "ring details", it says 18k white gold but in the picture page (that leads to the asscher ring in detail), it says platinum. It's probably platinum.
 
BigJim:

I LOVE the look of both the Ritani aascher halo that you selected and the one posted by Matatora - - they''re both very classic and elegant, and will maximize the look of the center stone you select.

3-stone rings aren''t always recognized as engagement rings, since many times they''re purchased as a ''past, present future'' ring (generally for anniversaries).

The Ritani halo setting you posted looks like it would allow a wedding band to sit flush, and the entire effect would be lovely.

Best of luck to you and your girl ... let us know what you decide!


 
Date: 1/12/2006 9:34:19 PM
Author: EBree

That being said, look at this ring! 3-stone asscher in platinum!

3-stone asscher, plat
($4,995)
Click to expand...


That is a lovely ring by itself, only the representative photo must be 5 carats rather than .5
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The size of the oval was taken after a relatively spready 1 carat (this)
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Keeping proportions, literally the ring may look something like this (size-wise, at least). Hope no one monds the attempt. The oversized example at DBL made me wonder what the ring would look like without going around town to find out. This is faster.





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Hi BigJim!

I really like the setting with thehalf moons! You don't see half moons very often. They are yummy!
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I think any diamond shape that was on the square or oval side would look wonderful. I think a Square Hearts & Arrows would look awesome! Also on my list of favorites would be a modern cushion, Lu'cere, Asscher, or Old Mine Cushion.
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Best wishes to you and may you and your lovely lady be blessed with much happiness!

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ETA: The halo ring retting is pretty, however, one thing I didn't consider when I got my first ring setting that had many tiny diamonds, was how durable is it? Is your lovely lady active? If she is, she might loose a few of those little tiny diamonds like I did. Just something to think about for long term and for maintenance.
 
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