Pendant Project! :)

[omieluv]

Once upon a time, my grandmother(mother's mother) decided to take diamonds from several "family" rings and create a cocktail ring for herself. Though my grandmother loved the final result, the setting is ugly & my mother hates it. My mother inherrited the setting when my grandmother died a few years ago and now she is ready to do something with it. The center stone is from her grandmother's original engagement ring and holds sentimental value. She wanted to give it to me, but for some reason, I just did not feel "right" about accepting this diamond so soon, especially since she adored her grandmother so much. I told her she should create a pendant to keep a piece of her grandmother close to her heart. I even added that if she ever got tired of wearing it, I would definitely be a taker, which seemed to seal the deal!

Today, I introduced my mom to the WhiteFlash site and showed her what they can do (she is very impressed). She was partial to the bezel settings until I showed her the Bellerina setting (http://www.whiteflash.com/Fine-jewelry/Pendants/The--Bellerina---SETTING-ONLY_1114.htm#), which she fell in love with! I am so happy she likes this one, because I like it too. Originally, I tried to sway her to the halo pendant, because the stone is vintage, but she wanted something more "dainty" and is now leaning toward the Bellerina.

I am not completely sure about the stone's statistics, as I have not gotten the chance to view the appraisal. I compared the stone to my mom's engagement ring center stone and it does look warm, but I do not know what the color is on her engagement ring stone is anyway (I asked, she said she would have to check on the appraisal). I do know that my great grandmother's stone is around .63-.75 carats, so I think that the Bellerina would be a nice setting for it. My concern is how a warmer stone will look in a white gold or even platinum setting. I am sure WF can make it in yellow gold? Any opinions? I should probably persuade my mother to take a look at the appraisal, so we know exactly how warm this stone is.

Also, I was looking for some advice/tips as to how to ship the stone to WF to ensure it arrives safely...So advice from people who have set their stones to WF to be set in new settings would be wonderful. Also, should my mother have her local jewler remove the stone from its original setting to have it shipped, or should she ship the entire ring as is? The ring is insured, so I am wondering if removing the center stone and shipping would void the insurance...

Thanks!

 

[Skippy123]

I think that it would make it look whiter and yg would make it look yellower. I may be wrong but that is what I think. The Bellarina is beautiful!!! Best Wishes!

I bet if you talked to WF they could tell you best. I mailed my diamond US Certified/Insured Mail throught the Post Office.

 

[omieluv]

Skippy - that makes sense & I think she is probably leaning toward platinum anyway. Thanks!

Anyone else have any advice as to how I should get the ring over to WF? I have sent them an e-mail, but would like to hear from people who have actually done this. My mother is not excited about mailing her diamond...

 

[kcoursolle]

I imagine WF could easily make the pendant in YG for you, but best to ask them to make sure. I think you could really go either way, I''ve seen many J/K stones in white metals that look just fine. If it''s more like an M, then YG might be better. WF can give you an approximate estimate of the color, but you''d have to take it to an appraiser to know for sure.

For sending it there, I think USPS registered insured mail is the only way to go. It''s slow, but it''s cheap and very reliable. they keep it in a locked truck at all times.

 

[omieluv]

Date: 7/12/2007 6:57:12 PM
Author: kcoursolle
I imagine WF could easily make the pendant in YG for you, but best to ask them to make sure. I think you could really go either way, I''ve seen many J/K stones in white metals that look just fine. If it''s more like an M, then YG might be better. WF can give you an approximate estimate of the color, but you''d have to take it to an appraiser to know for sure.

For sending it there, I think USPS registered insured mail is the only way to go. It''s slow, but it''s cheap and very reliable. they keep it in a locked truck at all times.

Thanks! My mother has had the diamond appraised and insured, quite recently actually. So, to find the color, she just needs to check the appraisal. She is not fixed on yellow gold, we just want to get the setting that will look best with the diamond.

 

[chrono]

Anything up to J/K is great for a white metal. I would ship valuable gemstones via USPS registered insured. It is under lock and signed all the way until it arrives at its destination. Very slow but your best option. The postage will cost you somewhere between $12 to $15.

 

[belle]

what a nice idea you came up with! i think the bellerina is a great choice

mine is a .65 i/si2 but i would not have any hesitation putting a ''j'' colored diamond in it either. i think the wg looks really nice because it emphsizes the size of the stone, since the color of the metal is the same hue as the diamond. yg would be a different look. it really just depends on the look you are going for.
the safest way to ship your diamond is by usps. actually, i think that is the only way wf will accept shipments. as far as who to have remove the stone, i''m not really sure what would be best. my first thought is wf but i would speak with them to get their thoughts.

please keep us posted!

 

[omieluv]

Belle - I just found pictures of your WF pendant & it turned out so nice! I showed my mother and now she is 100% sold on having it set in the Bellerina. She really is not a fan of yellow gold, so she is wrestling with going either wg or plat. I am not sure which would be better for her, but I think it should be ok in wg, since it will not be getting knocked around. She is looking to start this project in September and is very excited she has something to look forward to! Thanks for the information.

Chrono - We will check out the appraisal to figure out what the color of this stone is. I am no expert, so I cannot tell what it is just by looking at it, but I did pick up some warmth. I am corresponding with WF regarding some of the details, though I do appreciate you letting me know about USPS, as WF and I have not gotten that far yet. They want me to take a few pictures of the current setting to see if we should have the diamond removed locally or whether to have WF do it.

kcoursolle - Thanks for the info on the color! If the stone is indeed on the warm side, perhaps I can talk my mother into going with yellow gold...