Please help me choose trapezoids for my new EC!

[Emeraldsaremyfavorite]

And by the way, the stone does not look like an L at all! I was showing my husband and he said wow, what a giant perfect EC, probably get high color

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hello!
I think I'm in the minority here but I actually LOVE the larger traps! I think that the whole looks makes more sense than the smaller ones. I chuckled about the traps being the back up singers though.. funny!!

 

[dk168]

I have fat chubby fingers, thin bands look wrong on them. Hence I prefer chunky bands and big traps.
DK

 

[AprilBaby]

I’m another large pair vote. It flows nicely to me.

 

[Blingalingaling]

This is a tough decision! Thank you, all, for helping me!!!

@KKJohnson - your Marquise is magnificent! I've read your post from start to finish, including where you were working with CADS and getting suggestions on how to alter them! I remember that you also were choosing between traps and shields of different sizes and colors! And your ring, with the cup, and the beautiful white trapezoids you chose, is just a masterpiece! I hope you enjoy wearing it every day! Your center stone is HUGE and the proportion of your traps in relation to the Marquise is perfect! If I choose the smaller stones, it's good to know that you think they'll be fine! Thank you!!!

Hi, @Acinom! I like your suggestion to measure my finger and ask the jeweler which would look best! I'll do that! She says she works with CADs, so I'll be able to share with you the progress! Years ago, she made a wax for a ring she made me, but she said that they're very fragile, break easily and that wax is more expensive.

Hi,@Lorelei, @Tekate, @unsettled, and @Octo2005!!! ! At first, because I really love the shape of the EC, I was thinking that I'd keep this ring very simple, all about the center stone, I'd set it almost as a solitaire...and then the jeweler brought in the traps, which threw me for a loop! But I am thinking that maybe going with the smaller traps would be a good way to add interest and yet keep the EC, as @Octo2005 says (sooo funny!!!), the "star of the show and let the traps be the back-up singers"!!!

Hi, @marymm - and @Rubies-R-Me! I agree that the larger traps flow with the center stone perfectly. The way they're cut works so well with the EC, that it almost looks like there is a continuation of the facets, including their width. And it is definitely a more blingy look. That's why I'm in a quandary!! But the smaller trapezoids are nice, too, and they are just a little bit lighter looking.
To answer your question, Marymm, about the nuances of the way it'll be set: this will be a double claw prong setting, fairly low to the finger and the trapezoids will come up almost to the center stone, but be slightly lower and very close. They'll be slightly angled down, but pretty much swooping out and to the sides (does that make sense??!!) and the band will probably be about 2.3mm or a little less at the top but slightly thicker at the bottom for balance. And, since we are working with CADs, we will get to tweak the details as we go. I'm in no hurry, I just want it to be right. I'll post the CADs once I get them!
Sorry it took me so long to answer you today! My iPhone needed a new battery so I was at Apple getting a new one! Now I can text to my heart's desire!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Hi, @dk168! That's a beautiful bezel setting! I like that, too! I have a friend who has a Marquise set that way, with side stones in yellow gold and it's stunning!
I have long thin fingers and big hands! Don't know how that happened to me, since I'm only 5'1"! Lol! So small rings look dwarfed on me! No one has it easy! It's all about knowing what looks best on you and going with that!

 

[Blingalingaling]

I’m another large pair vote. It flows nicely to me.

Thank you, AprilBaby! I've read so many of your posts and it means a lot to me to hear your preference! I'll keep you posted!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Hello!
I think I'm in the minority here but I actually LOVE the larger traps! I think that the whole looks makes more sense than the smaller ones. I chuckled about the traps being the back up singers though.. funny!!

Ok, I'm sure that one day, you and I will recognize each other's rings in a restaurant or a supermarket someday and have good laugh!!!

 

[yennyfire]

Another vote for larger. I think the proportions work better. Your stone is magnificent and I can’t wait to see the finished ring!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Hi! It’s a large and beautiful stone and for me, I would let the EC shine by itself. Have you seen Melania Trunp’s EC? It’s so gorgeous and elegant and you can see it in the official White House photo. To me, that is pure casual elegance, not in your face bling.

Of the two above you have chosen, I would go with the smaller side traps to keep the focus on the EC. The large traps make it look like you want an in-your-face ring and if that is what you want, then the larger traps will do just that. Plus, with the large traps, it makes it more about the “setting” and not about your beautiful EC.

I would let your EC be the star and let it shine.

Just my two cents. Gorgeous EC and congrats!

Thank you so much, @Miki Moto, for your kind compliments and thoughtful post! I agree with you about the EC being the focus. That was my goal originally and I think I should probably stay true to that vision!
Yes, I have seen Melania Trump's ring - it is the epitome of elegance! I agree with you!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Another vote for larger. I think the proportions work better. Your stone is magnificent and I can’t wait to see the finished ring!

Hi, @yennyfire! Thank you for your opinion! I can't wait to share the CADs with you and see what you think!

 

[Blingalingaling]

I loved reading this! Thank you I too am in contact with Shulamit, and she’s been great, we just have not found the right stone yet. Amazing that you decided on an L, I can’t wait to see it in different lighting. I have not wanted to go below an I but I may need to in order to get the size I want and stay in budget. Go with your gut on the trapezoids, the larger ones make your stone look more square, the smaller ones elongate it a little bit. Please take more pictures in different lighting conditions, I would love to learn from you what you think of the L color !

Hi, again, @Emeraldsaremyfavorite! I'd be happy to take photos of my stone in different lightings for you. It's great that you're working with Shulamit! She's so patient and she will focus on finding what you're looking for. You can take your time and don't settle.
My advice is to be open to lots of possibilities and look at as many stones as you can. You'll know if one of them is exciting to you or not. Trust yourself because you know what you're looking for and you will find it!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Here is my Jeff White's Aqua to be set in the setting I posted earlier, and my Left Hand middle finger as about 11.5 in size.
Hence I can have larger traps for better finger coverage.
Jeff has already cut a pair of Morganite traps for me, they are still with him.



DK

DK168, your stones are going to make an AWESOME RING!!! Wow! I love the pink trapezoids!!! And your aqua center is to die for! I can't wait to see your ring when it's finished!!! Please post as you get photos! I'm going to follow along with your progress and thank you, again, for sharing this with me!!!

 

[Blingalingaling]

The smaller ones make your diamond look bigger and the overall look is more sophisticated imho - the other ones look larger just for larger sake. I think that would be uncomfortable to wear and I think the sides stones make the ring look a bit gauche

Hi, @Niel! Thank you for your thoughts about the traps! Yes, and I was concerned that the larger traps might obscure the true rectangular shape of the EC. I think you can still see the outline of the stone If the smaller stones sit next to it. Do you think? Do you like this particular set of small trapezoids?

 

[Emeraldsaremyfavorite]

Oh I just can’t wait to follow your journey! Curious, why did you sell your 4ct EC? Did you want to go up and size? How was the big color drop for your pear to your new EC? I absolutely adored my last one which was 3ct, an I in color and VS2, it was beautiful I just wanted to go larger in size. And that’s why I am being so picky now to wait for the right one to come along. I know not many on here are in favor of custom cutting but I have talked to Jon and Brian Gavin and they both seem to have such amazing cutting abilities and so many guarantees in place these days. But please do let me know what you think of the L color, I would love to know if I can be more flexible with that. Again, beautiful stone, you are a lucky lady!

And check out Amal Clooney’s stunner!!

Another point...If you are completely confused on what size trapezoids to get, you can always set the ring in the larger ones and then have them cut down fairly cheaply... at a later date if you decide.
Not a huge break the bank situation.

 

[KirstLWA]

I voted larger! I like the balance visually.

Good luck with your decision. It's going to be amazing either way.

 

[dk168]

DK168, your stones are going to make an AWESOME RING!!! Wow! I love the pink trapezoids!!! And your aqua center is to die for! I can't wait to see your ring when it's finished!!! Please post as you get photos! I'm going to follow along with your progress and thank you, again, for sharing this with me!!!

Thank you! However please don't hold your breath as I am on an bling freeze for a while.

DK

 

[tyty333]

I voted large...the proportions work better in my eyes. With a center stone like that either will look lovely though!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I prefer the smaller traps, but once I knew your ring size, I definitely would go with the smaller ones with a 6+ ct center. I actually have photos of a 6 ct emerald cut with small traps, smaller than these, which I adored. The pictures aren't great, but they were taken on my hand and my friend's hand, size 5.5-6 fingers, larger than yours, and there's no way I would have added bigger traps for my finger size. Besides making the ring too big for your finger, bigger traps take away from the center stone, IMO.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here are a couple more shots of the ring. I absolutely loved the setting and that's why I have all the pics!



And just for fun, showing it's size with a 2.3 and 3.6 ct round!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Hi, @diamondseeker2006
Wow! These photos are great! That is a gorgeous setting! I can see why you'd want to save the memory in photos! The ring looks beautiful on your hand, too!
Thank you for sharing these! Even the center stone looks similar in size and shape to my stone! This is probably the closest "cousin" to it that I've seen!!! This will definitely help me with my decision! I see what you mean about the finger size and the coverage. And thank you for the comparison shot, too, that's very helpful!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It's amazing when that happens...that someone has a picture so close to what someone is considering! I am so happy if it helps you!

 

[cokitty]

I think I've narrowed down my choices for side stones on my three-stone ring for my new Emerald Cut diamond! I decided to go with trapezoids instead of baguettes. They'll be set in platinum in a traditional three stone setting. I'd really appreciate your thoughts and opinions on which trapezoids to use! The photos are not great and the stones are just placed in the boxes (not exactly evenly spaced). I know it's nearly impossible to see the cut of the stones, but what I'm really trying to decide about is the proportion of the center stone to the traps. Both sets closely match the color of the EC and they both are bright and well cut.
What do you think? Do you like the larger set or the smaller ones??
Thanks for your help!!!

I am a big fan of this style of ring. I think it depends on the scale of the center stone to your finger size. What size is the finger you will wear the ring on vs the dimensions of the stone. I went with a larger scale for my teensy tiny ruby ring and a smaller proportion for the tanzanite. I love both, but when in doubt go big.

 

[Blingalingaling]

I am a big fan of this style of ring. I think it depends on the scale of the center stone to your finger size. What size is the finger you will wear the ring on vs the dimensions of the stone. I went with a larger scale for my teensy tiny ruby ring and a smaller proportion for the tanzanite. I love both, but when in doubt go big.

Hi, @cokitty! Your rings are both gorgeous and I see what you mean about the proportions being the same, just on a different scale.
My finger size is 4.75 but I'll need to have beads or a spring or something put inside to keep the ring from spinning on me. My finger is quite a bit smaller in diameter than my knuckle, especially on my left hand ring finger. I like your statement "when in doubt, go big!". So funny, so true!
Who made your beautiful settings for your beautiful stones? They are both very elegant and obviously well-crafted!
Thank you for sharing your photos! It really does help to see stunning examples!

 

[Blingalingaling]

Oh I just can’t wait to follow your journey! Curious, why did you sell your 4ct EC? Did you want to go up and size? How was the big color drop for your pear to your new EC? I absolutely adored my last one which was 3ct, an I in color and VS2, it was beautiful I just wanted to go larger in size. And that’s why I am being so picky now to wait for the right one to come along. I know not many on here are in favor of custom cutting but I have talked to Jon and Brian Gavin and they both seem to have such amazing cutting abilities and so many guarantees in place these days. But please do let me know what you think of the L color, I would love to know if I can be more flexible with that. Again, beautiful stone, you are a lucky lady!

And check out Amal Clooney’s stunner!!

Another point...If you are completely confused on what size trapezoids to get, you can always set the ring in the larger ones and then have them cut down fairly cheaply... at a later date if you decide.
Not a huge break the bank situation.

Hi, @Emeraldsaremyfavorite! I had settled on the 4 ct EC I had (so I'm advising you NOT TO SETTLE!) and the more I knew about what to look for, what makes a "good stepcut" (I think you kind of just know after seeing lots of them and reading Pricescope for a looong time...lol!) the more I realized that my stone wasn't performing the way I wanted it to and it was bothering me. For example, it had obstruction across the middle, a white feather under the table, and no amount of cleaning made it sparkle the way I'd seen better cut EC's sparkle. I wasn't expecting brilliance, like an RB, but I don't think it was a well-cut EC. I have a friend who has an I-color Asscher that sparkles beautifully so I know it wasn't the color that was the issue.
So, I traded it back to the jeweler we'd purchased it from for the pear shaped D SI2 that I have now, which is very white and bright with no visible inclusions.
Yes, I wanted to go bigger for this EC, around 5 carats, so I looked at a broader range of color.
This stone was the only one I looked at that was L color, but it showed less tint than some K color stones I saw and was more lively than the J I told you about. Maybe it's the cut of this EC. When I hold it next to my D, I can see the tint but it's very pleasant looking, not a turn off at all. Also, the facets are so crisp and wide with a distinct personality. I admit that I was wowed by the size, as it was much bigger than anything else I was considering and it was within my price range!! So, it was a no-brainer for me. I could never afford a stone that size in colorless. It's a sacrifice I'm happy to make because I love this stone for what it is and I'm not going to try and make it something it's not.

Regarding the traps, the larger ones are more expensive than the smaller ones, of course(!) but they're one color and one clarity grade lower than the smaller ones, which are H and VS2. If I buy the smaller ones, they're considerably less money, yet higher graded. So, I have to decide which way to go, taking this into consideration as well! (Both sets work well with the EC, color-wise. They're not GIA graded, so I'm using my eye and taking the color grade with a grain of salt. The EC is GIA graded L color).

I think you should be choosy about what you get next and you're right to wait for the right one. It's a risk to order a custom cut, but if the cutters you mentioned will put guarantees in place that they'll share the risk with you, and you trust them, then that might be a good way for you to go. I think you should try to see as many possibilities as you can and decide where you can compromise (if you'd have to-maybe you won't have to!) to get what you want at a price you can afford. And if going custom is the way you decide to go, then it'll be very exciting to see a beautiful, groundbreaking result!
I'd like to follow your journey, as well, so we can learn from each other!!

 

[cokitty]

Hi, @cokitty! Your rings are both gorgeous and I see what you mean about the proportions being the same, just on a different scale.
My finger size is 4.75 but I'll need to have beads or a spring or something put inside to keep the ring from spinning on me. My finger is quite a bit smaller in diameter than my knuckle, especially on my left hand ring finger. I like your statement "when in doubt, go big!". So funny, so true!
Who made your beautiful settings for your beautiful stones? They are both very elegant and obviously well-crafted!
Thank you for sharing your photos! It really does help to see stunning examples!

Blingalingaling- Thank you. I worked with Steven Kirsch on both rings.
If you are not sure who is setting the ring for you it might be worth letting the bench weigh in on this decision. They can tell you how the scale of the sidetones will impact the angles and over all look of the piece.

 

[Blingalingaling]

Hi, @cokitty! Oh, no wonder I loved your settings so much!!! Steven Kirsch made my pear halo setting (the one in my avatar!)!!! He is WONDERFUL, so creative, patient and he does AMAZING WORK, (as you know, first hand!) He really is the best there is out there, in my opinion!!! Your rings are absolutely stunning!!!
You make a good point that the bench would be able to tell me which ones would look the best in the setting. I wanted to ask here on the boards, as well, to get opinions of people like us who know what we like when we see it!
Since you have colored center stones which contrast with the trapezoids, do you think that you'd do the same scale if all the stones were the same color?

 

[KKJohnson]

I keep thinking about this thread and it has given me ideas for future anniversary upgrades

 

[lambskin]

smaller. bigger stones compete with the center rather than compliment.

 

[Blingalingaling]

Thank you, all, for your very thoughtful and kind replies and to many of you who voted!
I thought I'd post a few photos of the stone (in the temporary stone holder) so you can see the L-color (@Emeraldsaremyfavorite) in various lighting inside my house in front of a north facing window, under LED lighting, in a dark room with light streaming through the window and the last two are outdoors in direct sunlight. I'm sorry, I know I've gone a little crazy with the photographs, lol! Thank you, again, for indulging me!!