Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urgent*

[m_diamonds]

hello, I am a newbie. I have never posted, but am always reading and trying to learn more from everyone here. I have admired and drooled over all your beautiful pieces. Particularly 5 stone trellis rings. I am having one made. The vendor I am dealing with has selected these stones for me.

They are all SI g color. triple excellent GIA certified stones. I have run them through your HCA tool, but only 3 come out around 2.0 (1.4, 1.8 & 2.4) the other 2 score 5.9 & 6.1 . Would this mean these two stones would look really blah compared to the rest? I had mentioned my concern about low scores on the HCA to the vendor, they had said I wouldn't notice the difference especially with stones this small. Is this true? Please help (soon)? I need to put a deposit down ASAP.

Thank you In advance.


http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=3195604349



http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2196424850



http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=7203887466



http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2218226521



http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2217226679

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

anyone?

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I would not accept those low HCA scores. No way, not now that I know better. You're paying for it either way. Why settle for less. And I do think it makes a difference. If you have nothing to go on other than a GIA certificate, you can pick your own stones on Blue Nile. (For non-super ideal cuts, I find BN prices very competitive.) or which ever online vendor you like. YOu know how to use the HCA. Just start there and eliminate all the stones that fall out, and then choose among those that fall within these safe measurement guidelines. Nothing but numbers to crunch if you have no other data.

table 54-58
depth 60-62.3
crown angle 34-35
pavilion angle 40.6-40.9

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

hi LLJsmom thank you so much for responding.
ok got it. I will reject the low scoring stones. Can I please ask your opinion on the other three (the ones that score 1.4, 1.8 & 2.4)? based on the HCA scores and the GIA reports are those three stones ok/good to purchase?

I am not purchasing online. I am having the ring custom made by a local jeweller. They did my engagement ring hence why I trust them with their craftsmanship. I was not involved with my engagement ring stone purchase thankfully my husband selected a beautiful triple zero AGS stone. This time around I have full control so I just want the best I can get with our budget and not get a dud(s). So any help from the friendly experts at pricescope would be greatly appreciated. I'm so stressed out and this isn't turning into the fun journey I had hoped.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

hi LLJsmom thank you so much for responding.
ok got it. I will reject the low scoring stones. Can I please ask your opinion on the other three (the ones that score 1.4, 1.8 & 2.4)? based on the HCA scores and the GIA reports are those three stones ok/good to purchase?

I am not purchasing online. I am having the ring custom made by a local jeweller. They did my engagement ring hence why I trust them with their craftsmanship. I was not involved with my engagement ring stone purchase thankfully my husband selected a beautiful triple zero AGS stone. This time around I have full control so I just want the best I can get with our budget and not get a dud(s). So any help from the friendly experts at pricescope would be greatly appreciated. I'm so stressed out and this isn't turning into the fun journey I had hoped.

HCA scores from 0 - 2 are ones you would consider. Anything above 2 I would reject.

I know you aren't buying the completed ring on line. Can you buy the stones yourself (thus you can buy online) and bring them to the jeweler to set? Are you REQUIRED to purchase the stones he has? If this is a personal project, don't let him rush you. Take your time and choose only the stones you like.

Are you working with a strict budget? If you aren't, there are other vendors like Whiteflash (WF) and Brian Gavin Diamonds (BGD) where you can choose stones that provide ASET images that tell you how the diamonds perform. Both vendors have better upgrade policies than BN (if you care). Just buy your own stones and bring them to the vendor. DONE. Both WF A Cut Above (ACA) and Expert Selection stones have been carefully preselected for top light performance. ACA's are super ideal, which you may not need and are priced a bit higher. But they will be blindingly sparkly. BGD's stones are also pre-selected for top light performance.

Just an example: Check out these stones. This is just an example of what I found at WF. I don't know what all your parameters are, how color sensitive you are, etc. My search criteria. F-G, VS1-SI2, .38-.42. All 5 gorgeous stones. Buy these bad boys and take them to your jeweler. But if you go this far, I would just have WF make it for you. But nevermind you are working with your local jeweler. Honestly, I would not be comfortable working with someone who is telling you to settle for less. Or I would just tell him, this is what I want, and I want to supply my own stones. If he's not ok with that, you might want to rethink.

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3449668.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3213724.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3213725.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3497434.htm

http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3497432.htm

You can do the search yourself based on your personal preferences for color and clarity. WF will tell you whether they are eye clean. You can call WF and they are able to personally inspect all the stones that you choose before you commit.

You can go on BGD website and do the exact same thing.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

hello, I am a newbie. I have never posted, but am always reading and trying to learn more from everyone here. I have admired and drooled over all your beautiful pieces. Particularly 5 stone trellis rings. I am having one made. The vendor I am dealing with has selected these stones for me.

They are all SI g color. triple excellent GIA certified stones. I have run them through your HCA tool, but only 3 come out around 2.0 (1.4, 1.8 & 2.4) the other 2 score 5.9 & 6.1 . Would this mean these two stones would look really blah compared to the rest? I had mentioned my concern about low scores on the HCA to the vendor, they had said I wouldn't notice the difference especially with stones this small. Is this true? Please help (soon)? I need to put a deposit down ASAP.

Thank you In advance.


http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=3195604349
LOOKS OK.


http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2196424850
NO.


http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=7203887466
NO.


http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2218226521
NO.


http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?pagename=GST%2FDispatcher&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&c=Page&cid=1355954554547&reportno=2217226679
looks ok, but a little deep. I would not choose anything deeper than 61.4. That is when you apply the other PS criteria of the ranges.

AGAIN, my responses above for the looks ok are if you have nothing else to go on.

The three in the middle are DEFINITE rejects.

 

[unsettled]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I am not going to comment on the individual stones because I am not all that educated. But I will tell you, you WILL notice a difference in stones "that small". My husband just bought me diamond studs. Bless his heart. I would NEVER tell him but he didn't get the best stones he could have for the money he spent. I can certainly tell a difference between the Whiteflash 10 point stones in my diamond band and the .40 stones of my earrings. So I would definitely reach out to a vendor like Whiteflash to find out what they would charge for a comparable piece.

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

hi LLJsmom again,
yes I have a budget that is strict. I already had to convince the hubs to let me increase it so I could get something of higher quality than the B&M stores. The other problem is that we are in Canada otherwise I would have bought from WF or BG, but with exchange being so horrible the total cost is beyond my means. The budget I have is about $6700 CANADIAN
the vendor we selected worked with our budget and promised SI G color triple excellent stones (which they are), but after doing research and learning more from this site I realize there is more to consider (example HCA). I am not at all as educated or knowledgable as you or other posters so i came here for help.
so i guess my option now is to tell him i like 1-2 of those stones and request others to choose from that fall within the parmameters you listed. OR to just scrape it all
sorry to answer your question yes this my personal project and I am not in a rush i just want a spectacular ring, but not go too far above our budget.

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

hi unsettled. thank you for commenting and saying that. i felt that in my gut that YES i think it would make a differnence. this becoming more stressful and out of reach for my budget.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

Ok, so try BN, which ships to Canada too.

$6700 CAD means $4700 USD.

Their prices are more reasonable.

And you don't have to scrap it. Are you fixed on the size of the stones. Can you go down a little? What is the size of the ring?

I just completed a five stone myself and got 30 pointers, which seriously have so much bling factor that it is more blingy to my eye than my e-ring. That's another story.

I just did a search on BN for 40 pointers, G, SI1-VS1, using the parameters discussed and allowing up to medium fluor. It gave me 30 diamonds to choose from. It ranged from $700-$1200 per stone. Lots of room to play with. Even if you average $900/stone x 5 = $4500. That gives you plenty of room for your setting.

If you allow for strong fluor, you get even lower prices. If you don't want to risk fluor (I personally would.) then reduce the size of your stone to 35 pointers. It still have a TON of presence. The range is $650-$800 at 35 points.

Just do the research. It's easy on BN. YOu can specify almost everything. Did you try it already?

You didn't answer the question of whether you can buy your own stones and have the jeweler create the setting.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I would not accept those low HCA scores. No way, not now that I know better. You're paying for it either way. Why settle for less. And I do think it makes a difference. If you have nothing to go on other than a GIA certificate, you can pick your own stones on Blue Nile. (For non-super ideal cuts, I find BN prices very competitive.) or which ever online vendor you like. YOu know how to use the HCA. Just start there and eliminate all the stones that fall out, and then choose among those that fall within these safe measurement guidelines. Nothing but numbers to crunch if you have no other data.

table 54-58
depth 60-62.3
crown angle 34-35
pavilion angle 40.6-40.9

I agree. Keep your numbers within those parameters and you will have stones that score under 2.0 on the HCA. In addition, I would aim for table sizes to be say from 55-57. I wouldn't combine 54's and 58's, for example.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

30 pointers on 4.5 hand. It's pretty substantial as is.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

Also, what size is your finger? Because I think five 40 point stones is going to be pretty wide in a trellis setting. Stones that size usually work better set very low so they can wrap around the curve of the finger.

I LOVE LLJsmom's new ring! I honestly think .33 or so would be very nice unless we are talking about a larger finger size.

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I would not accept those low HCA scores. No way, not now that I know better. You're paying for it either way. Why settle for less. And I do think it makes a difference. If you have nothing to go on other than a GIA certificate, you can pick your own stones on Blue Nile. (For non-super ideal cuts, I find BN prices very competitive.) or which ever online vendor you like. YOu know how to use the HCA. Just start there and eliminate all the stones that fall out, and then choose among those that fall within these safe measurement guidelines. Nothing but numbers to crunch if you have no other data.

table 54-58
depth 60-62.3
crown angle 34-35
pavilion angle 40.6-40.9

I agree. Keep your numbers within those parameters and you will have stones that score under 2.0 on the HCA. In addition, I would aim for table sizes to be say from 55-57. I wouldn't combine 54's and 58's, for example.

hi diamondseeker2006, I am sorry maybe I am misunderstanding so should I just be sticking to 55-57 vs. 54-58 or just stay within 3 points difference between the stones?

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

30 pointers on 4.5 hand. It's pretty substantial as is.

I agree. they are substantial. the reason I am so set on .40s is because I already received a ring (basket set) with diamonds in that size. HOWEVER this was before we really knew anything about diamonds. that ring as beautiful as it is I know does not have exceptional quality diamonds. After I found pricescope and your 5 stone ring thread I so fell in love with the trellis; so I saved and saved and hope to one day have a beautiful trellis too; I thought now would be the time so along w/ the dream setting I thought I could go up in stone size.

my finger is a size 4 (I know quite small for such large stones; I have asked for the stones to be set lower and for the ring to wrap/curve with my finger vs. the blocky/sqaure-ish shape I've seen of other rings I did not like)

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

Ok, so try BN, which ships to Canada too.

$6700 CAD means $4700 USD.

Their prices are more reasonable.

And you don't have to scrap it. Are you fixed on the size of the stones. Can you go down a little? What is the size of the ring?

I just completed a five stone myself and got 30 pointers, which seriously have so much bling factor that it is more blingy to my eye than my e-ring. That's another story.

I just did a search on BN for 40 pointers, G, SI1-VS1, using the parameters discussed and allowing up to medium fluor. It gave me 30 diamonds to choose from. It ranged from $700-$1200 per stone. Lots of room to play with. Even if you average $900/stone x 5 = $4500. That gives you plenty of room for your setting.

If you allow for strong fluor, you get even lower prices. If you don't want to risk fluor (I personally would.) then reduce the size of your stone to 35 pointers. It still have a TON of presence. The range is $650-$800 at 35 points.

Just do the research. It's easy on BN. YOu can specify almost everything. Did you try it already?

You didn't answer the question of whether you can buy your own stones and have the jeweler create the setting.

oops sorry I didn't see this reply. I have not asked if I could buy my own stones and have him just create the setting. I do not think they do that. I think you have to buy everything there (setting/stones) I can double check.
no I have not tried Blue Nile (BN?). I have got quotes from WF & BG though. a little too high. I forgot to mention my $6800 CAN included both the stone and setting. is this doable?
as well I don't mind flour...
PS hehe I read and loved your post with your new 5 stone and to be honest all your post of your jewellery

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

Ok, so try BN, which ships to Canada too.

$6700 CAD means $4700 USD.

Their prices are more reasonable.

And you don't have to scrap it. Are you fixed on the size of the stones. Can you go down a little? What is the size of the ring?

I just completed a five stone myself and got 30 pointers, which seriously have so much bling factor that it is more blingy to my eye than my e-ring. That's another story.

I just did a search on BN for 40 pointers, G, SI1-VS1, using the parameters discussed and allowing up to medium fluor. It gave me 30 diamonds to choose from. It ranged from $700-$1200 per stone. Lots of room to play with. Even if you average $900/stone x 5 = $4500. That gives you plenty of room for your setting.

If you allow for strong fluor, you get even lower prices. If you don't want to risk fluor (I personally would.) then reduce the size of your stone to 35 pointers. It still have a TON of presence. The range is $650-$800 at 35 points.

Just do the research. It's easy on BN. YOu can specify almost everything. Did you try it already?

You didn't answer the question of whether you can buy your own stones and have the jeweler create the setting.

oops sorry I didn't see this reply. I have not asked if I could buy my own stones and have him just create the setting. I do not think they do that. I think you have to buy everything there (setting/stones) I can double check.
no I have not tried Blue Nile (BN?). I have got quotes from WF & BG though. a little too high. I forgot to mention my $6800 CAN included both the stone and setting. is this doable?
as well I don't mind flour...
PS hehe I read and loved your post with your new 5 stone and to be honest all your post of your jewellery

If you want it to be doable, you have to make it doable yourself. YOU make it work. Don't just go along with whatever the jeweler tells you to do. 40 pointers are very substantial. The cut would make a big difference on how beautiful and sparkly your ring will be. So for that much money, I would not settle.

If you are set on 40 pointers, (are you? I cannot tell.) and you want excellently cut stones, you will need to hunt on BN to find the stones that fall within the specs and parameters. And try to get the absolute best stones for your money. What kind of setting do you want? 18K or platinum? 18k will save you money. If your current jeweler will not allow you to choose your own stone, then have him keep pulling stone options until you find some that meet your requirements, as provided above. Don't let these people bully or pressure into something you don't feel completely comfortable with. It's your money, and YOU are the one that is going to live with it if you are not entirely happy with it. If he gets impatient with you, just find a different jeweler. Does DAvid Klass work with international customers? His work is very nice from what I've seen on PS, and his prices are quite reasonable from what PSers have said.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I was meaning that the table size should be fairly consistent in a 5 stone ring because you could likely see the difference in a 54 table and a 58 table.

If your jeweler wants to source the stones himself, tell him you want every stone to fall within these parameters. Then bring the new GIA reports back to us so we can check them for you.

table 55-57
depth 60-62.3
crown angle 34-35.0
pavilion angle 40.6-40.9

With a size 4 finger, you won't be able to do a trellis without it sticking out. A trellis sets the stones too high. One like LLJsmom has or either a classic Tiffany low basket setting would be what could work.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I was meaning that the table size should be fairly consistent in a 5 stone ring because you could likely see the difference in a 54 table and a 58 table.

If your jeweler wants to source the stones himself, tell him you want every stone to fall within these parameters. Then bring the new GIA reports back to us so we can check them for you.

table 55-57
depth 60-62.3
crown angle 34-35.0
pavilion angle 40.6-40.9

With a size 4 finger, you won't be able to do a trellis without it sticking out. A trellis sets the stones too high. One like LLJsmom has or either a classic Tiffany low basket setting would be what could work.

DS, I see what you mean when you say the trellis will be too big for 40 points on a size 4 finger. It would have to sit really high in order for her fingers to close?

 

[cluelessupgrade]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

Unfortunately, I'm a newbie myself and not able to advise you, but I wanted to caution you on the process. I just posted a thread about my attempt to upgrade my 3-stone engagement ring to a 5-stone engagement ring. We've spent over $15K and I'm very unhappy with the result and planning to go back to a 3-stone using my new center stone. I love the 5-stone when it is done well, but I now realize the key is that the diamonds actually "wrap" around the curve of your finger, as someone mentioned above. The diamonds in my new ring go straight across and make it so wide that I can't put my fingers together without being stabbed by the end prongs on either side. It's very frustrating and disappointing to have had a custom ring designed and be unhappy with the result. It's also embarrassing that I didn't take time to do my homework (though it seems like you are, which will help avoid any problems) and instead, I just blindly trusted my local jeweler to make sure it would look good, which was a BIG mistake. I hope yours turns out as beautiful as you hope and deserve!

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

I was meaning that the table size should be fairly consistent in a 5 stone ring because you could likely see the difference in a 54 table and a 58 table.

If your jeweler wants to source the stones himself, tell him you want every stone to fall within these parameters. Then bring the new GIA reports back to us so we can check them for you.

table 55-57
depth 60-62.3
crown angle 34-35.0
pavilion angle 40.6-40.9

With a size 4 finger, you won't be able to do a trellis without it sticking out. A trellis sets the stones too high. One like LLJsmom has or either a classic Tiffany low basket setting would be what could work.

thanks DS I will talk to them today and see what they respond with. I will specify I would like those parameters. thank you and everyone for their help. you are such a great community educating and helping people get the best for their money and quality. I will definitely do this. (bring new GIA reports back here). LLJsmom had looked at the reports and said 2 of the stones were ok, but one was a little deep. Should I tell them I like one or two of the stones and source 3 or 4 more for me?

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

Unfortunately, I'm a newbie myself and not able to advise you, but I wanted to caution you on the process. I just posted a thread about my attempt to upgrade my 3-stone engagement ring to a 5-stone engagement ring. We've spent over $15K and I'm very unhappy with the result and planning to go back to a 3-stone using my new center stone. I love the 5-stone when it is done well, but I now realize the key is that the diamonds actually "wrap" around the curve of your finger, as someone mentioned above. The diamonds in my new ring go straight across and make it so wide that I can't put my fingers together without being stabbed by the end prongs on either side. It's very frustrating and disappointing to have had a custom ring designed and be unhappy with the result. It's also embarrassing that I didn't take time to do my homework (though it seems like you are, which will help avoid any problems) and instead, I just blindly trusted my local jeweler to make sure it would look good, which was a BIG mistake. I hope yours turns out as beautiful as you hope and deserve!

oh no. I am so so so sorry you spent so much to only not be happy with the final piece. thank you so much (really thank you) for sharing this; after hearing this I am going to ensure I ask for what I want. I too was just trusting everything I was told (with a gut feeling that "it would make a difference even with stones this size regarding HCA scores." I really really want this to be my dream ring because like I mentioned I did buy a 5 stone ring before without any research and just dropped all that money without really knowing what I was buying. It is pretty, but not "it" and I know I could have done better; this is why I want to make sure this time especially with it being custom I can get EXACTLY what I want; I would just hate and kick myself forever for making another BIG mistake.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

Are you sure you want to work with a jeweler that wants to charge you extra for doing something you can do better and more cheaply yourself? Why can't you just pick and buy your own stones and have him set it or bring it to another jeweler to set it? It will be cheaper so it allows you to stay closer to budget, and you can make sure your stones are beautiful and meet your requirements.

And you will have to work very closely with the jeweler to design the trellis so that you can close your fingers. Will you mind how wide it is if you are wearing this on a daily basis?

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

Are you sure you want to work with a jeweler that wants to charge you extra for doing something you can do better and more cheaply yourself? Why can't you just pick and buy your own stones and have him set it or bring it to another jeweler to set it? It will be cheaper so it allows you to stay closer to budget, and you can make sure your stones are beautiful and meet your requirements.

And you will have to work very closely with the jeweler to design the trellis so that you can close your fingers. Will you mind how wide it is if you are wearing this on a daily basis?

well the reason we chose this jeweler was he was the one when getting quotes locally seemed to be the reasonable and offered GIA certs. everyone else was just offering non cert stones for higher amounts for the project. As well, we are familiar with his work.
I never really thought of the option of buying my own stones because 1. I do not know much about picking stones (getting a lot better now) so I thought having a jeweller who knows more than me would be better 2. I thought the costs would be a lot more this route; when I looked on white flash/BG the costs of the stones alone was more than my budget for the whole ring (stones/setting). 3. I thought having the jeweller source and make the ring would be a better option. not sure anymore- I will contact him today and see what his reply will be. you said the 2 were ok from the lot I had. do you think I should keep both and ask him to find 3 more or keep just the one from the list (the better scorer on hca)?

I see that you mentioned BN. I played around and looked on the site -searching for diamonds within the parameters and my preferences it would be about 900-1100/stone Canadian (including tax/duty/shipping). So roughly 5600+ for the stones and then rest of my budget for setting. Defiantly something to think about. Can I ask then... do you recommend BN? will the stone still be beautiful? I know a lot of pricescopers seem to like WF & BG more; would BN be comparable?

as for the trellis design and how wide it is. I think I wouldn't mind the width; but honestly I have not tried one on. I have tried a ring that was 2 cts total but that 5 stone was a common claw setting. that one didn't bother me at all. I was hoping by going custom I could design a trellis that wrapped around my finger and be set lower so it wouldn't bother me.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

Are you sure you want to work with a jeweler that wants to charge you extra for doing something you can do better and more cheaply yourself? Why can't you just pick and buy your own stones and have him set it or bring it to another jeweler to set it? It will be cheaper so it allows you to stay closer to budget, and you can make sure your stones are beautiful and meet your requirements.

And you will have to work very closely with the jeweler to design the trellis so that you can close your fingers. Will you mind how wide it is if you are wearing this on a daily basis?

well the reason we chose this jeweler was he was the one when getting quotes locally seemed to be the reasonable and offered GIA certs. everyone else was just offering non cert stones for higher amounts for the project. As well, we are familiar with his work.
I never really thought of the option of buying my own stones because 1. I do not know much about picking stones (getting a lot better now) so I thought having a jeweller who knows more than me would be better 2. I thought the costs would be a lot more this route; when I looked on white flash/BG the costs of the stones alone was more than my budget for the whole ring (stones/setting). 3. I thought having the jeweller source and make the ring would be a better option. not sure anymore- I will contact him today and see what his reply will be. you said the 2 were ok from the lot I had. do you think I should keep both and ask him to find 3 more or keep just the one from the list (the better scorer on hca)?

I see that you mentioned BN. I played around and looked on the site -searching for diamonds within the parameters and my preferences it would be about 900-1100/stone Canadian (including tax/duty/shipping). So roughly 5600+ for the stones and then rest of my budget for setting. Defiantly something to think about. Can I ask then... do you recommend BN? will the stone still be beautiful? I know a lot of pricescopers seem to like WF & BG more; would BN be comparable?

as for the trellis design and how wide it is. I think I wouldn't mind the width; but honestly I have not tried one on. I have tried a ring that was 2 cts total but that 5 stone was a common claw setting. that one didn't bother me at all. I was hoping by going custom I could design a trellis that wrapped around my finger and be set lower so it wouldn't bother me.

1. I would find the 4 stones myself and keep only one from the list.
2. WF ACAs and BGD stones are pretty much super ideals. BN does not cut their own stones and is a drop shipper. Thus on BN you need to do the research, use the HCA tool and choose only the stones that fall within the criteria Diamondseeker gave you. If you do, your chances of finding beautiful stones are very high. Still, to a very discriminating eye and people that appreciate super ideals, WF and BGD stones are usually more beautiful, more sparkly than BN. But for many, BN is good enough and they don't want to pay the extra, and some cannot tell the difference. It depends on the person. So you get what you pay for. With BN, there is no GUARANTEE that you will love the stone you choose after the vetting process, but chances are high. You still can return the stone if you don't like it. With WF and BGD, if you choose their ACA or Expert Selection or the BGD in-house stone, they have already been inspected and selected by WF and BGD to be of the highest cut quality and for sure will be beautiful. (They cut their own stones according to their proprietary cut requirements.) Depending on whether you want to chance not liking the stone, you can decide to go with BN or WF/BGD. YOu pay more for certainty. If I was working with a budget and have the information I have now, I am one to take a risk on going through the vetting process, even without the ASETs and try BN. I've returned a BN stone that I didn't like. No big deal to me. If you are looking on BN, you may want to stick with VS2 if you care about inclusions. BG/WF can check and tell you if eye clean, but not BN, unless you choose their Signature Ideal stones. Not sure if they can check. I think they can, but you need to call them. I think their Signature Ideals are in-house for them, but they cost more. If you're going to pay more with the signature ideals, I would rather go with WF or BGD.

So it depends on how "beautiful" you want it to be. Have you seen super ideals? You almost need to see them first before you can say whether you can tell the difference. And if you can tell the difference, do you want to pay more for it?

Lastly, try to find some ring on ps or somewhere and determine if a trellis will really work, be comfortable. Start another thread and ask people with trellis set 5 stone rings, given YOUR tiny fingers. 40 pointers trellis set on a size 4 finger. Will you have a problem with a protruding look? Maybe you are ok with it. Maybe not. Trellis sets require more space, so the lower set it is, the more it will run into the side of your finger and you side fingers may not be able to close, or hit right at an angle on the prong of the far side stones. Will the be comfortable? It's not like a full trellis eternity where the whole side just needs to get used to a protrusion.

 

[JDDN]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

Are you sure you want to work with a jeweler that wants to charge you extra for doing something you can do better and more cheaply yourself? Why can't you just pick and buy your own stones and have him set it or bring it to another jeweler to set it? It will be cheaper so it allows you to stay closer to budget, and you can make sure your stones are beautiful and meet your requirements.

And you will have to work very closely with the jeweler to design the trellis so that you can close your fingers. Will you mind how wide it is if you are wearing this on a daily basis?

well the reason we chose this jeweler was he was the one when getting quotes locally seemed to be the reasonable and offered GIA certs. everyone else was just offering non cert stones for higher amounts for the project. As well, we are familiar with his work.
I never really thought of the option of buying my own stones because 1. I do not know much about picking stones (getting a lot better now) so I thought having a jeweller who knows more than me would be better 2. I thought the costs would be a lot more this route; when I looked on white flash/BG the costs of the stones alone was more than my budget for the whole ring (stones/setting). 3. I thought having the jeweller source and make the ring would be a better option. not sure anymore- I will contact him today and see what his reply will be. you said the 2 were ok from the lot I had. do you think I should keep both and ask him to find 3 more or keep just the one from the list (the better scorer on hca)?

I see that you mentioned BN. I played around and looked on the site -searching for diamonds within the parameters and my preferences it would be about 900-1100/stone Canadian (including tax/duty/shipping). So roughly 5600+ for the stones and then rest of my budget for setting. Defiantly something to think about. Can I ask then... do you recommend BN? will the stone still be beautiful? I know a lot of pricescopers seem to like WF & BG more; would BN be comparable?

as for the trellis design and how wide it is. I think I wouldn't mind the width; but honestly I have not tried one on. I have tried a ring that was 2 cts total but that 5 stone was a common claw setting. that one didn't bother me at all. I was hoping by going custom I could design a trellis that wrapped around my finger and be set lower so it wouldn't bother me.

Hi there! I honestly feel you may be rushing this process a bit and that you haven't done all your homework to make sound decisions yet. Please know I'm saying that with absolute kindness and respect. You can learn from our mistakes!!

You say you don't think you would mind the width, but you haven't even tried one on. That is a big assumption to base a custom ring on. It's a waaaay more expensive endeavor to have to re-do a custom piece. Again....trust me. You need to try a 5 stone trellis on or at least find a vendor who will allow you to swap the setting if you don't like it. A trellis that wraps around your finger may not even be comfortable if it isn't done right. Unless you have a lot of disposable income, hoping it won't bother you is way too risky. I'm not sure what your situation is, but it may be worth while to save up a bit more money and do this project in a few months when you can do it with a vendor or jeweler you trust will get it perfect. It's so easy to get excited and want it now, now, now. Also, have you seen 5 stone trellis examples from this jeweler? I would only want a jeweler/bench to make my custom piece if they are very experienced in that design. You don't want this to be their 2nd one.

It may be easier for you to buy your own stones if you can't afford to have say WF or BGD do the whole thing for you (and if the jeweler is being difficult or charging you extra). And don't feel bad if you can't because you can still get a gorgeous ring with sparkly stone from BN. Actually does BN have a 5 stone trellis?? Because they will accept a return within 30 days. I don't know what the taxes are like but IDJ is another option of someone who can source stones (probably cheaper than WF or BGD but I can't say 100%) with no hassle within your parameters and I'm sure they can do a very nice 5 stone trellis. I would do some more homework before putting down any deposit. This is your ring, your money, your process. Don't be rushed or guilted. You are doing your due diligence to ensure you get what you want.

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

Are you sure you want to work with a jeweler that wants to charge you extra for doing something you can do better and more cheaply yourself? Why can't you just pick and buy your own stones and have him set it or bring it to another jeweler to set it? It will be cheaper so it allows you to stay closer to budget, and you can make sure your stones are beautiful and meet your requirements.

And you will have to work very closely with the jeweler to design the trellis so that you can close your fingers. Will you mind how wide it is if you are wearing this on a daily basis?

well the reason we chose this jeweler was he was the one when getting quotes locally seemed to be the reasonable and offered GIA certs. everyone else was just offering non cert stones for higher amounts for the project. As well, we are familiar with his work.
I never really thought of the option of buying my own stones because 1. I do not know much about picking stones (getting a lot better now) so I thought having a jeweller who knows more than me would be better 2. I thought the costs would be a lot more this route; when I looked on white flash/BG the costs of the stones alone was more than my budget for the whole ring (stones/setting). 3. I thought having the jeweller source and make the ring would be a better option. not sure anymore- I will contact him today and see what his reply will be. you said the 2 were ok from the lot I had. do you think I should keep both and ask him to find 3 more or keep just the one from the list (the better scorer on hca)?

I see that you mentioned BN. I played around and looked on the site -searching for diamonds within the parameters and my preferences it would be about 900-1100/stone Canadian (including tax/duty/shipping). So roughly 5600+ for the stones and then rest of my budget for setting. Defiantly something to think about. Can I ask then... do you recommend BN? will the stone still be beautiful? I know a lot of pricescopers seem to like WF & BG more; would BN be comparable?

as for the trellis design and how wide it is. I think I wouldn't mind the width; but honestly I have not tried one on. I have tried a ring that was 2 cts total but that 5 stone was a common claw setting. that one didn't bother me at all. I was hoping by going custom I could design a trellis that wrapped around my finger and be set lower so it wouldn't bother me.

1. I would find the 4 stones myself and keep only one from the list.
2. WF ACAs and BGD stones are pretty much super ideals. BN does not cut their own stones and is a drop shipper. Thus on BN you need to do the research, use the HCA tool and choose only the stones that fall within the criteria Diamondseeker gave you. If you do, your chances of finding beautiful stones are very high. Still, to a very discriminating eye and people that appreciate super ideals, WF and BGD stones are usually more beautiful, more sparkly than BN. But for many, BN is good enough and they don't want to pay the extra, and some cannot tell the difference. It depends on the person. So you get what you pay for. With BN, there is no GUARANTEE that you will love the stone you choose after the vetting process, but chances are high. You still can return the stone if you don't like it. With WF and BGD, if you choose their ACA or Expert Selection or the BGD in-house stone, they have already been inspected and selected by WF and BGD to be of the highest cut quality and for sure will be beautiful. (They cut their own stones according to their proprietary cut requirements.) Depending on whether you want to chance not liking the stone, you can decide to go with BN or WF/BGD. YOu pay more for certainty. If I was working with a budget and have the information I have now, I am one to take a risk on going through the vetting process, even without the ASETs and try BN. I've returned a BN stone that I didn't like. No big deal to me. If you are looking on BN, you may want to stick with VS2 if you care about inclusions. BG/WF can check and tell you if eye clean, but not BN, unless you choose their Signature Ideal stones. Not sure if they can check. I think they can, but you need to call them. I think their Signature Ideals are in-house for them, but they cost more. If you're going to pay more with the signature ideals, I would rather go with WF or BGD.

So it depends on how "beautiful" you want it to be. Have you seen super ideals? You almost need to see them first before you can say whether you can tell the difference. And if you can tell the difference, do you want to pay more for it?

Lastly, try to find some ring on ps or somewhere and determine if a trellis will really work, be comfortable. Start another thread and ask people with trellis set 5 stone rings, given YOUR tiny fingers. 40 pointers trellis set on a size 4 finger. Will you have a problem with a protruding look? Maybe you are ok with it. Maybe not. Trellis sets require more space, so the lower set it is, the more it will run into the side of your finger and you side fingers may not be able to close, or hit right at an angle on the prong of the far side stones. Will the be comfortable? It's not like a full trellis eternity where the whole side just needs to get used to a protrusion.

thanks for all your help and replies again. I do not believe I have seen super ideals. Like I mentioned I have a AGS tripe zero center stone on my erring (would that be close to super ideals?). So I cant for certain say I can tell a difference. I believe I would fall into the category of people that wouldn't be able to tell a huge difference and would not want or be able to pay the difference for super ideals.

as well, ok maybe I will try to find a trellis ring to try on and see if the size/setting style will bother me or be uncomfortable

 

[m_diamonds]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

LLJ

thank you so much for your help and responses. I will and am going to tell my jeweller I do not like the other 4 stones and I would like the parameters everyone suggested. When I slightly mentioned the HCA previously he said that would cost a premium to find and look for those parameters. but I see it can be done (heck 2 of the stones he pull fell within a HCA of less than 2.0). You are 100% right for this much money I should not settle and get exactly what I want.

Yes I am set on stones that large and currently the ring will be in 19K white gold.

Are you sure you want to work with a jeweler that wants to charge you extra for doing something you can do better and more cheaply yourself? Why can't you just pick and buy your own stones and have him set it or bring it to another jeweler to set it? It will be cheaper so it allows you to stay closer to budget, and you can make sure your stones are beautiful and meet your requirements.

And you will have to work very closely with the jeweler to design the trellis so that you can close your fingers. Will you mind how wide it is if you are wearing this on a daily basis?

well the reason we chose this jeweler was he was the one when getting quotes locally seemed to be the reasonable and offered GIA certs. everyone else was just offering non cert stones for higher amounts for the project. As well, we are familiar with his work.
I never really thought of the option of buying my own stones because 1. I do not know much about picking stones (getting a lot better now) so I thought having a jeweller who knows more than me would be better 2. I thought the costs would be a lot more this route; when I looked on white flash/BG the costs of the stones alone was more than my budget for the whole ring (stones/setting). 3. I thought having the jeweller source and make the ring would be a better option. not sure anymore- I will contact him today and see what his reply will be. you said the 2 were ok from the lot I had. do you think I should keep both and ask him to find 3 more or keep just the one from the list (the better scorer on hca)?

I see that you mentioned BN. I played around and looked on the site -searching for diamonds within the parameters and my preferences it would be about 900-1100/stone Canadian (including tax/duty/shipping). So roughly 5600+ for the stones and then rest of my budget for setting. Defiantly something to think about. Can I ask then... do you recommend BN? will the stone still be beautiful? I know a lot of pricescopers seem to like WF & BG more; would BN be comparable?

as for the trellis design and how wide it is. I think I wouldn't mind the width; but honestly I have not tried one on. I have tried a ring that was 2 cts total but that 5 stone was a common claw setting. that one didn't bother me at all. I was hoping by going custom I could design a trellis that wrapped around my finger and be set lower so it wouldn't bother me.

Hi there! I honestly feel you may be rushing this process a bit and that you haven't done all your homework to make sound decisions yet. Please know I'm saying that with absolute kindness and respect. You can learn from our mistakes!!

You say you don't think you would mind the width, but you haven't even tried one on. That is a big assumption to base a custom ring on. It's a waaaay more expensive endeavor to have to re-do a custom piece. Again....trust me. You need to try a 5 stone trellis on or at least find a vendor who will allow you to swap the setting if you don't like it. A trellis that wraps around your finger may not even be comfortable if it isn't done right. Unless you have a lot of disposable income, hoping it won't bother you is way too risky. I'm not sure what your situation is, but it may be worth while to save up a bit more money and do this project in a few months when you can do it with a vendor or jeweler you trust will get it perfect. It's so easy to get excited and want it now, now, now. Also, have you seen 5 stone trellis examples from this jeweler? I would only want a jeweler/bench to make my custom piece if they are very experienced in that design. You don't want this to be their 2nd one.

It may be easier for you to buy your own stones if you can't afford to have say WF or BGD do the whole thing for you (and if the jeweler is being difficult or charging you extra). And don't feel bad if you can't because you can still get a gorgeous ring with sparkly stone from BN. Actually does BN have a 5 stone trellis?? Because they will accept a return within 30 days. I don't know what the taxes are like but IDJ is another option of someone who can source stones (probably cheaper than WF or BGD but I can't say 100%) with no hassle within your parameters and I'm sure they can do a very nice 5 stone trellis. I would do some more homework before putting down any deposit. This is your ring, your money, your process. Don't be rushed or guilted. You are doing your due diligence to ensure you get what you want.

hi JDNN
thank you for your kind works and honesty. maybe I am rushing it and getting too excited (more so stressed and like maybe I shouldn't get this ring anymore at this very moment).
no I don't have disposable income I had to save for a while and really "beg" my husband to be on board with this project. As for the jeweller they said they do trellis rings all the time and are very familiar (I myself have not seen one of their trellis rings in person, but I do believe they would do a great job and if it was 100% they would ensure we were happy- they made my engagement ring). I received a quote from IDJ it was still a bit high for my budget with the exchange rate/duty/etc. I defiantly will not be rushed into this I will tell the jeweller I am not happy with the 4 stones and request different ones. if it becomes too much of a hassle and headache I will just cancel this ring with them and start over. I will not put down any deposit until I am sure the stones I will receive will be what I want.

 

[LLJsmom]

Re: Newbie.Please help me w/ these 5 stones for my ring *urg

The more I think about your situation, the more firmly I feel that you should go with a vendor with a proven record of the five stone trellis, for your size finger with your size stone, 40 pointers. It will be worth it to ensure you get what you want. If you work with WF or BGD, they will tell you if 40 points is too big for a size 4 trellis. They have them in stock. I think the biggest issue is not with finding th right stones. Anyone can do that. It's making the ring correctly. You can always swap out an ugly stone. Since you are going custom locally, you are sinking a lot of money into a piece that will be difficult to re-do. Just take a break and step back to make sure you see everything clearly.

With WF OR BGD, You will for certain have beautiful stones. Maybe you can save money by going with Expert Selection stones with WF. You can also save by going down on clarity since WF can help you find si2s that are eye clean if that is ok with you. I just really like he WF option because it kills so many birds with one stone. Beautiful stones and a setting that should for sure work. Bc no matter how much you want to save by using your local vendor. It's all moot if the ring doesn't fit well and is not superbly comfortable.