Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this setting

[Christina...]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

http://www.jamesallen.com/designer-jewelry/meno-collection-by-danhov/ring/item_294-7556.asp

Have you considered a setting like this? The diamond wedding band would slip between the split shank, so she would have her three rings. It's not too wide, and still puts me in mind of the tiara, princess idea that you would like to follow through with. The diamonds are also a bit larger so you dont need to worry the stones being lost in the setting. I absolutely adore this setting and have been dying to see someone with it.

I know that you love the original setting that you posted WF, but have you considered instead of increasing the width of the band to accomadate the larger melee, decreasing the split shanks with? I'm certainly no expert but I would think that if you narrowed the width of the splits and added larger melee that the outcome of the total width would be the same or similar....You could ask your jeweler what his thoughts are.

Also, I hear from another poster that there may good news and the original setting may not be out of budget? Any thoughts on possibly ordering the setting, and taking a RL look? Maybe the small melee works with the ring?

 

[slg47]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

do not like the original BN setting...it looks bulky to me. i like the BGD one that Gypsy posted, if you want to stick with the 'swirl' design. I think that ring is thin enough to wear 2 bands with it.

personally if you are going to wear 2 diamond bands with the engagement ring I think the best look is a solitaire BUT if you know she doesn't want a solitaire then I would try to design the ring and bands together so they will 'fit'

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

http://cgi.ebay.com/SIMON-G-70CT-G-VS-PLATINUM-ENGAGEMENT-RING-/220775053220?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_with_Accents&hash=item336737f7a4 This is a lovely set. If you can get something like this by Simon G, I think you'd have a winner.

I don't like that BN set.

VERY similar to the original setting you liked, but without the width and with an integrated head. http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/scott-kay-jewelry/rings/99U1/

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/great-additions-jewelry/rings/24I1/ Pretty.

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/gumuchian-fils-jewelry/rings/87J1/ Beautiful, but probably too wide.

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-specials/bridal-closeout/rings/074CO1/ This set is a great deal, and I've been eyeing it for a while. It looks perfect for you in design.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=87_92&products_id=9123 LOOK WHAT I FOUND! Hah!

 

[melave]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

wow!! Nice find Gypsy!! That looks great and different. Definitely not a common design here in Aus. Just looking around on the aussie sites i don't think we have caught up yet with the more delicate designs.

Josh i am in Australia as well. Where abouts are you getting your ring made? and have you got a rough quote yet?

If i hadn't gotten discount on jewellery because of the company i work for, i would have bought from overseas. Add the 10% gst and convert the dollars and it definitely works out cheaper.

The last one that Gypsy posted looks absolutely stunning.

or maybe something like this with a round centre? it doesn't look wide and you should be able to put bands above and below. you can always email them and ask how wide
http://www.ninasjewellery.com.au/products/rings/diamond-engagement-rings/020440/

or maybe this though it still looks pretty wide
http://www.goldenet.com.au/side-stones-ring-engagement-14k-white-gold-0.70-carat_E577.html

 

[pancake]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

Josh, this is not about the design issue, but as a fellow Australian who has bought quite a bit of diamond jewellery in the last 18 months (including my wedding set), there is no way that having something custom made locally will be more economical than going with one of the US-based vendors. Prices for high quality custom work here run 30-50%+ higher than anything you could get from any of the vendors already mentioned here, even factoring in tax and shipping.

 

[joshtaylor87]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

http://cgi.ebay.com/SIMON-G-70CT-G-...nd_Solitaire_with_Accents&hash=item336737f7a4 This is a lovely set. If you can get something like this by Simon G, I think you'd have a winner.

GUYS WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Thanks very much Gypsy for your persistence. I have fallen in Love with this setting, I might make some slight adjustments like making the bands/shank a little squarer rather than rounded and might make the shank split a bit further up rather than right down the bottom. But all in all I really like this setting and think my future fiance will love it too
What do you guys think about increasing the width of the bands/split shanks a little to accommodate 0.01ct diamonds rather than the 0.005ct diamonds that are in this existing setting? I'm just a little worried that 0.005ct (1mm) diamonds may be really small and sort of blend into the platinum bands and not sparkle much so will kinda just look like a plain band. I think i'll be a little more confident with 0.01ct diamonds (1.3mm). Though do you think if I increase the width of the split shanks it will take away from the "dainty" look.

I've spoken to the jeweler who I intend on using and they've said that because of the twists in this setting they will have to cast it rather then hand make it as if they hand make it there will be visible solder lines/marks/joins where one shank meets on top of the other (where they cross over each other). I've heard a few negative things about casting such as the ring can be a bit porous and weaker then if the ring was hand made. I hope modern technology has alleviated some of these issues and casting isn't a bad option to go for I've just fallen in love with another ring again and don't want this to be the limiting factor that makes me have to go back to the drawing board. I'm sure casting can't be that bad if a lot of jewelery these days is made this way.

Thanks very much to everyone who's posted their opinions and suggestions. I really do appreciate your thoughts and guidance. I hope now I'm on the right track to the perfect ring I set out for at the beginning of this thread. Fingers crossed the custom route goes smoothly and it all turns out perfect.

Pancake & Softly Softly: Thanks for sharing your knowledge of the Australian market. However the jeweler I'm looking to go with is an online jeweler much the same as White Flash, Blue Nile, James Allen etc. I have received quotes from them for my original Blue Nile selection (which was on par with buying the setting from Blue Nile and paying the 10% GST) the Aussie jeweler was about 5% dearer. And the new quote i've received for this new setting I think is quite good. Only slightly more expensive than the quote for the BN setting they quoted. Although that one they were going to hand make, this new setting they said they will need to cast. So I think their pricing is quite good. As for their quality, there have been a few good reviews on here that i've read. Haven't seen anything bad written about them. It looks like i'm probably going to see first hand, fingers crossed it all goes well.

 

[slg47]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

can your jeweler source the original Simon G setting?

I would not change from 1/2 pointers to 1 pointers...in my opinion it would totally get rid of the 'dainty' look and make it bulky.

 

[stargurl78]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

I agree with slg47 - I would leave the diamonds at the size shown in this setting, going larger might give the ring a bulkier look.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

YAY!

That's the good news.

Now to the not so good news. Anyone telling you that they can't handmake that ring without visible marks is not a bench you should be using. Not that there is anything wrong with casting... not at all, but that comment is a red flag about the abilities of the bench to finish jewelry properly.

All custom is not equal, at all. Going with the lowest price -- especially for any piece that has pave-- is going to lead to headaches down the road.

As for the size of the melee I used to have 1 pointers in my halo, now i have 1/2 pointers. They are all perfect cut and high color melee (the quality of the melee is HUGE with pave) and set by hand and they are STUNNING. Outshine the 1 pointers I had. I mean that.

It's not the size of the melee AT ALL. It's very much the quality of it and now it is set. And ANY JEWELER that is trying to talk you out of 1/2 pointers is not confident in their pave skills with melee that size. That's why they tell you it will sparkle more. NOT TRUE. What is true is that 1 pointers are easier to set as they are bigger.

I am getting red flags on your jeweler. Did you call Gary Halloway in Australia?

Have you priced out that setting from Engagement Rings Direct? Call Mark and tell him Gypsy and the PS ladies on RT sent you. See what he quotes you.

Also if you CAN get the original Simon G, I would. It is the best way to go all around.

 

[joshtaylor87]

Re: Please help a guy (me) out with your opinion on this set

Thanks for the advise guys, it wasn't the jeweler who recommended going with one pointers, they were happy to use 0.5pt diamonds. It was my assumption that 1 pointers would "sparkle" more then 0.5 pointers. The jeweler uses Hearts & Arrows cut melee with F/VS colour/clarity. I have done a lot of research online and have found threads on pricescope and australian forums with nothing but praise for the jeweler. I will put it out there incase anyone knows any different.

The jeweler I'm looking at using is Jogia Diamonds http://www.jogiadiamonds.com.au I've put a deposit on the diamond mentioned in the beginning of this thread which I received email notification from Jogia today that it arrived in store from overseas today. They will do the further analysis they offer as standard such as 40x magnification photo, ideal scope photo, OGI firetrace report (not quite sure what this is or how to read it properly) along with HD videos of the diamond in both spotlighting and diffused lighting.

Below are a few threads I've found relating to Jogia Diamonds...

This guy called Symo (who is a registered user here at pricescope) ended up going with Jogia after the feedback he received from this thread he created here in Australia http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1286248
This is a thread he created here on his experience with Jogia https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/jogia-diamonds-mini-nova-73-d-vs2-princess.130802/

Also another user here on pricescope got her ring from Jogia, here is her thread https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/laras-ring.110999/

These are just a couple of examples I've found which gives me a little confidence in Jogia Diamonds. And their pricing is a little better I've found than buying from the online US guys and paying an extra 10% GST Tax on arrival into Australia.

And no I haven't contacted Gary Holloway

Another thing attracting me to Jogia over one of the US online jewelers is that I can purchase the ring on 6-12 months interest free and pay it off. See I have my budget set but I wasn't planning on purchasing a ring until late this year early next year. But with the price of diamonds going up and up and the uncertainty of the Australian dollar (it's quite high at the moment, just my luck it will crash by the end of the year). So I'm looking to take advantage of the interest free and lock a ring in now at the current rates. I will stash the ring away for 6 months or so until i've got it completely paid off as I don't believe in going into debt to buy an engagement ring. I believe that would be starting everything off on the wrong foot. But my theory is I've had a budget all along, so long as I don't go over my budget because it's now "interest free" and i've technically got 6-12 months to pay it off. I was going to have my budget saved in 4-5 months anyway so why not take advantage of interest free and lock in todays rates by purchasing now but still waiting those 4-5 months before I propose. By that time I will have it paid off (if I don't get the ring now, I would have my budget saved by then and would be purchasing the ring). So essentially still the same timing, still debt free at time of proposal. It's just i've actually purchased 4-5 months prior saving myself the risk of diamond pricing going up any further and the aussie dollar crashing. That's my theory anyway. I don't know how I'll go waiting 4-5 months knowing I've got a ring stashed away, I hope I can overcome the temptation to pull it out sooner before I've paid it off