newbie sapphire engagement help

[megowl]

I have recently found myself deep in the tumultuous process of selecting my engagement ring. I want a blue sapphire and silver band and I found a setting and stone I could be happy with that''s under-budget from TNSC combo
However, browsing some other places I''ve found things a little closer to my "dream ring". I am looking for a ''criss-cross'' design in the setting and am flexible on stone shape. I like this if I could get the stone a tiny bit lower in the setting. Ideally I want something minimal and low-profile while still getting some kind of a crossover design in the band, with the only gem being the center sapphire. I am very new to this whole gem and jewelry world and am a little timid about a complete custom-design process. Has anyone come across anything that meets a few of my criteria? Should I go with TNSC or boldly seek out a good custom designer? Thanks in advance for your time, you guys all seem so nice and super-knowledgeable.

 

[vinkalmann]

You should definitely try to get your perfect ring especially if you're not in a giant hurry to get it. Think of it this way, you can spend some time looking and if you can't find it, you can always go back to TNSC.

As a side note, TNSC can make custom rings that aren't shown on their site, those are just ready made templates that can be altered at the request of the buyer. It might be worth sending them the picture of your perfect ring and the change you wanted to make, the worst they can say is no.

There are other artists that people on the board can recommend. They can draft you a ring in CAD and then work with you to get you exactly what you're looking for.

Good luck! Making your ring is FUN!

PS: So you know what I mean by CAD pictures, if you look at StepCutGirl's ring here:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/martini-cads-are-in.142502/

You will see that you get a fully rendered picture of the ring before you commit to having it made.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Hi megowl-You have lots of options Natural Sapphire Company is great, my DH had my ering custom made there on a pretty tight budget. I''m not sure what your budget is, but there are some etsy sellers who do great work on rings like this, also whiteflash and brian Gavin Diamonds do great custom work. Do you wnat diamonds in the band or just plain metal? Also, how many rows of "criss cross" are you interested in having?

Knox also has gorgeous and well made settings FYI and they may be able to customize it to set the stone a little lower.

I would find a sapphire you love first and then pick the setting as 1. the stone will take up most of your budget, 2. it''s hard to find a great sapphire you love

 

[Indylady]

So, are you in the market for a setting, or a sapphire, or both?

Based on my personal experience with the Natural Sapphire Company, I would not buy from the NSC. Feel free to do a search on Pricescope and come up with your own opinion.

What is your budget, and what kind of sapphire are you looking for?

 

[megowl]

I am in the market for a setting and stone, one sapphire 1CT or less with a silver band. Ideally I want a three row crossover look with the rows being very thin and the stone set as close as possible to the band. I am seeing that many of the custom makers require you to do the whole thing with them (i.e. buy your stone and have them design your setting with them, with all of their own materials) which is what Knox does, which I''m a little bit weary of as I''ve heard nothing but, as you''ve said, a good sapphire is hard to find. I would love to support an artist from etsy, but I''m not even sure where to begin to search for someone. I will peruse the boards a little bit to see what I can find. I definitely should just come up with a solid deign and description of what I want and send it to a few different places, again I am in no hurry which is a relief, it''s nice to know that I''ll eventually end up with something I love, even if I end up going with the design from NSC. Now I just have to decide...treated, or untreated??

 

[megowl]

I lied, Knox lets you use your own center stone I think, whew.

 

[vinkalmann]

Date: 5/11/2010 3:43:11 PM
Author: megowl
I lied, Knox lets you use your own center stone I think, whew.

That''s good, I was checking out the stones on their site and it''s a little bit hard to know what you''re getting since there isn''t veru much information provided. With some more stats, ie what if any treatments they have had, it''s hard to make a knowledgeable decision.

It''s good your not in a rush, being hurried leads to snap decisions that are easy to regret. Keep poking around on the board here, there''s quite a few custom artists that people are really happy with.

 

[SB621]

BGD and WF both will custom design a ring for you and you don''t have to buy the stone through them. In my experience most PS vendors don''t require that. From Etsy I would recommend Julia Kay Taylor, Salley Hearts of Water, and Laurie Sarah.