Opinions on this oval, please?

[Haven]

I took your advice from this thread and contacted Mark Turnowski at ERD to help with my friend''s oval project.

Can you give me some feedback on this stone and setting?

Quick project recap:
- Oval halo engagement ring
- $9,000 total budget
- The lady is definitely a size girl, so she wants as big as she can get with their budget.

Mr. Turnowski has been really wonderful to work with. He''s so quick to respond, and he found this stone for us.

$5,275
1.40 ct
8.10 x 6.44 x 4.06
1.26 L/W ratio
SI1
VG Polish
G symmetry
No fluor

He added these comments about the stone:
- The inclusion is off to the side of the table
- Slight bowtie not exceeding 10% which is about as good as it gets

What do you think? Is this THE oval? Should we keep looking?

The bride-to-be does not know that her BF and I are looking together, so it isn''t an option to have her review the stone before he buys.

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[Haven]

I finally figured out how to make the file smaller, so here's a picture. Is that a bowtie that I see, the dark area? What do you think? I'm oval-challenged, I need help!
(This stone is H color, I don't know why I didn't include that above.)

Also, I believe Mr. Turnowski has this setting in mind for the ring. Who on here has this setting? I know somebody does!

 

[ScorpioNYC]

I think it''s a drop too round- I''d look for a higher l/w ratio. For what size finger? originally I wanted a "roval", but I realized for my setting (3 stone) something thinner was better. For a solitare it might be ok though, but I would still look for a l/w from 1.3 to 1.4. What is the depth? I disliked the ovals Mark showed me.

 

[Haven]

Thank you for the feedback, Scorpio. You mentioned that you didn''t like the stones Mr. Turnowski brought in for you in my other thread, too. May I ask what, specifically, you didn''t like about the stones? I ask because my knowledge of ovals is extremely limited, as I''m a cushion gal, myself. I can use all the advice I can get.

Thanks again!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Hard to tell from the pic, but I'm not crazy about that oval. What's the total depth? The bow tie area is very pronounced in that pic. I also prefer a 1.3-1.4ish ratio.

What's the color grade?

Have you tried GOG? I think Jon has a great eye for ovals.

 

[Lorelei]

Haven, any chance of getting some closer pics? It looks unexciting in the pic provided to be honest...

 

[dani13]

Hi Haven-

Hard to tell from that pic....I would like to see more close ups too to get a better feel for the stone, if you can get them....What does Mark say about it? He will be honest with you

Which setting does he prefer for the stone? The link isnt working!

 

[Haven]

Thank you all for your feedback!

Okay, to answer some questions:

- Dani--The link to the setting works for me, so I''m not sure what to change about it. Sorry! He has the "Michelle" setting in mind, from the Mark T collection, I believe. It looks a lot like the HW halo, to me. (Stock # 3552)

- Color is H

- Mark said these things about the stone:
- The inclusion is off to the side of the table
- Slight bowtie not exceeding 10% which is about as good as it gets

Should I ask him about the bowtie? The middle does look dark to me, but from his comments it sounds like it''s as good as it gets. Is it rude to call Jonathan at GOG, too, and see what he can find?

I really appreciate everyone''s feedback, it''s stressful to help someone buy a stone in a cut that I know nothing about.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 3/26/2009 10:31:43 AM
Author: Haven
Thank you all for your feedback!

Okay, to answer some questions:

- Dani--The link to the setting works for me, so I''m not sure what to change about it. Sorry! He has the ''Michelle'' setting in mind, from the Mark T collection, I believe. It looks a lot like the HW halo, to me. (Stock # 3552)

- Color is H

- Mark said these things about the stone:
- The inclusion is off to the side of the table
- Slight bowtie not exceeding 10% which is about as good as it gets

Should I ask him about the bowtie? The middle does look dark to me, but from his comments it sounds like it''s as good as it gets. Is it rude to call Jonathan at GOG, too, and see what he can find?

I really appreciate everyone''s feedback, it''s stressful to help someone buy a stone in a cut that I know nothing about.

No. Just tell Mark thanks, you''re going to explore other options right now.

 

[Gypsy]

Ditto Ellen. I wasn''t too excited about it, either. Wish Mark would improve his photo set up.

 

[ScorpioNYC]

I thought the stones he showed me were too yellow, too deep and often had too obvious inclusions and bowties. My oval has a slight bowtie you only notice in BAD lighting (the pics i posted of it are terrible). We felt ovals showed much more color than rounds, so we told mark only D/E/F stones and he would show us Gs and Hs. I think the ideal depth for ovals is 57 - 63%, and didn''t want to go outside of those parameters. We must have looked at around 20 ovals (AND cushions) before making a decision, so please feel free to ask any questions!

Date: 3/25/2009 10:53:07 PM
Author: Haven
Thank you for the feedback, Scorpio. You mentioned that you didn''t like the stones Mr. Turnowski brought in for you in my other thread, too. May I ask what, specifically, you didn''t like about the stones? I ask because my knowledge of ovals is extremely limited, as I''m a cushion gal, myself. I can use all the advice I can get.

Thanks again!

 

[LD]

In all honesty, the oval is too round and if size is everything for your friend then I don't think this will fit the bill. The bowtie is also much more pronounced than I would care for. There are some lovely Ovals posted in a thread recently and that might help you get a feel for the difference in shapes. If you look at the one I posted (definitely the runt of the bunch in the thread) it's a very long skinny oval. Let me see if I can find it and I'll be right back.

ETA Found it https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ovals.109900/

 

[Kaleigh]

Haven,
I would definitely call Jonathon at GOG and see what he can come up with He found my oval, he did a great job. I am not loving the oval from Mark, but that pic isn''t the best... so hard to say.

Good luck!! You are doing such a great job for your friend!!!

 

[Haven]

Okay, I took your advice and contacted GOG. Sarah ended up replying to my email, and she told me that we''d have to pay shipping costs to ship in some ovals since they don''t stock them.

Is it worth it to do this? Or should I ask Mark to keep an eye out for good ovals, and wait until he comes across one that passes the PS test?

I don''t want to eat into my friend''s budget shipping stones in if there is a high chance we won''t find a great one, and it sounds like it''s really difficult to find a good oval.

Kaleigh--is this how it worked when you found your oval with Jon? (Your stone is the inspiration for this ring, by the way. I should have told you that sooner!)

What would you do?

 

[ScorpioNYC]

That seems silly and you''d have to trek to long island to see them. If you want, pm me and I will tell you where I got my stone. Also figure out what kind of oval you want- with ovals you need paramaters. It was easy for us to narrow because I was looking for an odd size (2.2 cts - 2.7 or so). We limited colors to D/E/F, l/w to 1.3- 1.4, no visible inclusions, depth to below 63%.....Mark ignored what we wanted. I think he''s a nice guy, but it''s part of his pitch.
Are you near NYC? You can make appointments to view stones then to get an idea of what you want.

Date: 3/27/2009 12:05:31 PM
Author: Haven
Okay, I took your advice and contacted GOG. Sarah ended up replying to my email, and she told me that we''d have to pay shipping costs to ship in some ovals since they don''t stock them.


Is it worth it to do this? Or should I ask Mark to keep an eye out for good ovals, and wait until he comes across one that passes the PS test?


I don''t want to eat into my friend''s budget shipping stones in if there is a high chance we won''t find a great one, and it sounds like it''s really difficult to find a good oval.


Kaleigh--is this how it worked when you found your oval with Jon? (Your stone is the inspiration for this ring, by the way. I should have told you that sooner!)


What would you do?

 

[Ellen]

Scorpio, we don''t have PM''s.


Haven, not sure what to telll ya. I''ll make sure Kaleigh sees this.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 3/27/2009 12:05:31 PM
Author: Haven
Okay, I took your advice and contacted GOG. Sarah ended up replying to my email, and she told me that we''d have to pay shipping costs to ship in some ovals since they don''t stock them.

Is it worth it to do this? Or should I ask Mark to keep an eye out for good ovals, and wait until he comes across one that passes the PS test?

I don''t want to eat into my friend''s budget shipping stones in if there is a high chance we won''t find a great one, and it sounds like it''s really difficult to find a good oval.

Kaleigh--is this how it worked when you found your oval with Jon? (Your stone is the inspiration for this ring, by the way. I should have told you that sooner!)

What would you do?

No I didn''t have to pay any shipping costs, but this was back in 2007.. I don''t know how much the shipping costs would be, but if I were you and it''s not too much, I would do it. Jonathon brought in 4 for me. But I think someone else was looking for an oval as I was. Anyway, he''s got a great eye, knows how picky we are. I made it clear I did NOT want any kind of a bow tie. He delivered.
I hope that helps Haven.... Let me know what the shipping costs are.

 

[ScorpioNYC]

Maybe try James Allen or a site that has pictures of the stones online? It is hard to get an idea though only going off of one photo. Just don''t settle; ovals are hard to find but a great one is worth it!

 

[Haven]

Thank you so much for your feedback, Scorpio, Ellen, Kaleigh, et al!

I asked Mark to find some other stones without the bowtie problem, and he came back with only a 1 ct oval. SO, I went to my local jeweler, who has the setting that was the inspiration for this ring in the first place. They currently have a gorgeous oval which in this setting, it''s a 1.29 ct H SI1. It does not have a bowtie, and it''s eyeclean. We''re going to see if Mark can find anything else, but we''re keeping this one from my local jeweler in the running.

OH, and I have another question. The bride-to-be actually prefers an oval that is more rounded, but the consensus here seems to be that a more elongated oval is more desirable. Is this a matter of personal preference, or performance?

THANKS AGAIN!

 

[ScorpioNYC]

Length/width for ovals is generally a personal preference. I preferred chunkier ovals at first, but given that I wanted a 3 stone setting and have size 4 hands, a thinner oval gave me more finger coverage and was the right width for my finger. If I went for a solitare, I might have chosen a rounder stone.

Date: 3/30/2009 8:07:06 PM
Author: Haven
Thank you so much for your feedback, Scorpio, Ellen, Kaleigh, et al!


I asked Mark to find some other stones without the bowtie problem, and he came back with only a 1 ct oval. SO, I went to my local jeweler, who has the setting that was the inspiration for this ring in the first place. They currently have a gorgeous oval which in this setting, it''s a 1.29 ct H SI1. It does not have a bowtie, and it''s eyeclean. We''re going to see if Mark can find anything else, but we''re keeping this one from my local jeweler in the running.


OH, and I have another question. The bride-to-be actually prefers an oval that is more rounded, but the consensus here seems to be that a more elongated oval is more desirable. Is this a matter of personal preference, or performance?


THANKS AGAIN!

 

[ajourklaus]

Ovals are very hard to judge without having them in front yourself.
I don''t like most ovals because of the "bow tie" in the middle. Most ovals have a nice sparkle on the round portion and die in the center. That dead center looks like a bow tie.
If you find an oval with a peppy fire in the center part you might look at a winner.

 

[Haven]

Date: 3/31/2009 6:03:26 PM
Author: ajourklaus
Ovals are very hard to judge without having them in front yourself.

I don''t like most ovals because of the ''bow tie'' in the middle. Most ovals have a nice sparkle on the round portion and die in the center. That dead center looks like a bow tie.

If you find an oval with a peppy fire in the center part you might look at a winner.

Yikes, ajour! I''ve seen a lot of ovals in person since we started this quest, but I''ve yet to see one that was dead in the center. Sounds awful. I''m glad we have better stones than that in Chicago.

Scorpio--Thanks for the input about the roundness. My friend is definitely in love with the more rounded ovals, so we''ll go with one of those for sure.

 

[Gypsy]

Haven, I

you.