Possible to salvage this setting?

[Sparkle_ruckle]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting in "Rockytalky" and calling out for some help. Pardon me if it seems like a rather trivial issue altogether and thank you in advance for your kind suggestions!

I received my engagement ring years ago but looking at its imperfections today still drive me crazy. Back then, finances were a little tighter so husband and I made a compromise on the ring setting by sending it to a local jeweler at a budget. But I could never quite get over its flaws till this very day. For me, the biggest issue with the ring was how the scrolls were so poorly soldered (it's handmade and somehow, the jeweler couldn't get it to look very refined) that there were holes between the scrolls and the shank. Secondly, the scrolls appeared very lopsided and unequal. Other little bothersome details also included how the shank was actually thicker than what I hope for and I'm wondering if smaller melee diamonds would help somehow.

Anyway, fast forward a year later, the jeweler had done her best to repair the "holes" but the lopsided scrolls still bother me a lot. I could have gotten an entire remake but I feel very sentimental about the ring - after all, it's the original engagement ring I was proposed to with. So I am exploring all possible options, before concluding on a remake as my final resort. I want to be able to pass on a quality piece to my children, yet I'm torn between perfection and keeping a significant item intact and original.

So, do you think the lopsided look is due to the scrolls being truly imbalanced or is it because the prongs are poorly-made and decentralized? Therefore, would remaking a prong head help? I'm completely confused myself because the scrolls seemed balanced from some angles, but totally off in others. I even tried measuring the length of the scrolls and the position of the prong head, but I can't really judge. Here are some photos of it.

The scrolls look fine from this side (I don't have a better photo of "this side" but I hope this one is clear enough):


But looks terribly imbalanced from this other side though:


As mentioned, the shank also seems too thick to me from the top and it makes the stone look smaller. I sounded out my jeweler on shaving off more gold and tapering it some more, but she was reluctant and felt that the ring would be damaged in the process. What do you think? I can try to live with this but I'd like to hear your imput:

 

[chrono]

There is so much to correct that you are better off getting it remade completely. The time and labour to correct everything you pointed out might exceed the cost of a new setting.

 

[Sparkle_ruckle]

Thanks Chrono for your prompt reply! What if I wanted to resolve the lopsided issue only? Do you think anything can be done to help?

 

[chrono]

The easiest way to fix that is a remake, unfortunately. When you tweak the basket, you also affect other parts of the ring and now those parts will appear lopsided instead.

 

[kb1gra]

It really doesn't look unbearably lopsided to me.

I know these things bother you - but I think you also might have allowed how much it annoys you to magnify your feelings about what needs to be changed. As much as you're being sentimental about it - you're also trying to change every major design detail of the ring.

If you're talking about taking melee out of the shank, shank thinning, etc - you're talking about a complete remake.

 

[motownmama]

I don't mean any disrespect, but personally I would keep it as is, and put any funds into a band, or something else. Do you wear it with any sort of wedding band? I looks absolutely gorgeous on your hand. The flaws look minor to me. Again - I DO respect that it bothers you, but how much will a remake cost???? I have a handmade 7-stone from my 40th bday, and later I saw flaws that really bugged me for awhile. But - I decided to stick with it, for sentimental reasons, and I can honestly say the flaws don't bother me at all anymore. I'm not sure any of my comments are helpful. Good luck whatever you decide to do. Only YOU know what will make you happy here.

 

[Sparkle_ruckle]

Hi Kb1gra, thanks for the imput too! Ops maybe I wrote a bit too much, but really, my main questions were simply: does it look lopsided? Why does it look lopsided on one side and not the other side? Can it be fixed? - most matter-of-factly

I also had different input from 2 jewelers. Because I realize, from experience, the jeweler who made this ring seems to be on the more conservative side, so I wanted to verify with Pricescopers/experts

On a remote note, in the past, this particular jeweler had issues resizing one of my ring with simple bark-like texture and claimed it can't be done. But eventually another jeweler told me it's just a simple re-carving and did it really well for me. Hence I thought I should clarify if what she said about this "lopsided" ring was true too. I wasn't going to remove the melee definitely... just wanted to taper the top a little only, although this jeweler says it will ruin the melee.

Thanks again for the recommendation!

 

[Sparkle_ruckle]

Hi Motownmama, thanks for the feedback and discerning eye too! I do wear it with a simple rose-gold wedding band with bark-like texture. Will consider getting something one day as an add-on definitely. There can never be too many jewels I've asked about the remake too and it is pretty affordable, surprisingly, though it does cost about 1.5 times more than the original ring. But they are happy to buy back my gold so it helps.

Your 7-stone band sounds great too! Any photos? Ops sorry I'm not completely sure of the rules here so please let me know if this isn't the place to ask for links for show and tell.

 

[VRBeauty]

I do see what you mean about the lop-sidedness, especially near the head, but...

That's a very intricate design for a local jeweler to have carried off! I'm actually kind of impressed.

I suspect Chrono is right in that fixing it would entail a total re-making. Nonetheless you might try contacting some of the vendors popular on PS with your question to see whether they might be able to help you... I'm thinking David Klass and Stephen Kirsch. I don't know whether they do repairs, but it's worth a try.

ETA I suspect your jeweler's concern about tapering the shoulders is that it might require re-doing the scrolls as well, since you don't want them to be wider than the corresponding area on the shoulder.

 

[motownmama]

Good ideas. When I wanted to redo my 3-stone I contacted David, and he was very quick and accommodating; however, I ended up going back to Brain Gavin. Stephen's pieces always look amazing too.

I'd email these same pics to David.

His email is: [email protected] (don't leave out the "1" - some poor soul gets a ton of Dvid's emails; I know bc I did it the first time)!

 

[pearaffair]

My e-ring has imperfections. Rather than getting a new setting, I see it as a challenge for myself to accept things that are not perfect. Difficult for my type A self!

 

[Sparkle_ruckle]

Hi VRBeauty, Motownmama and Pearaffair,

I have been meaning to reply to your helpful comments (thank you!), but it took me some time to find my original post on Page 13 of this forum (!) haha. The new Rockytalky posts come in so quick and numerous that the old ones get moved back fast too Well...it just tells you how useful and popular Pricescope is for good advice.

Anyhow, I finally found my post and also visited David Klass's Pinterest and Facebook upon your recommendations. While I haven't quite decided to remake an exact design for the ring (you ladies are right about difficult balance of sentimentality/acceptance and perfectionism), I really do love his workmanship and designs. Am giving him v serious thought now for my other projects!

Many thanks again for all the advice and comments, and big thanks to all Pricescopers who read my post too!

 

[Gypsy]

Didn't you get that from Whiteflash?

 

[Sparkle_ruckle]

Hi Gypsy...nope it's made by a local jeweller

 

[Gypsy]

Hi Gypsy...nope it's made by a local jeweller

Okay. Got my heart diamonds in that style settings confused.

Scratch the setting. Focus on a new setting or another piece of jewelry.

 

[Yimmers]

It's clearly lopsided. The scrolls under the diamond are lopsided. The diamond in between the two scrolls in the second picture is not centered either. The bottom is super thick. Personally, this would be enough to bug the hell out of me and get a new setting.

Just to give you perspective, I originally wanted a setting similar to the Cartier 1985 solitaire. I told DH this. He went with a local jeweler who soldered a basket with some cathedral sides. It was nothing like the delicate nature of the Cartier 1985 solitaire. It was also set so high that most of the diamond was hidden by the thick horizontal band on the basket and there was this several mm gap of empty space under the bottom of the diamond. I went back to the jeweler to discuss it, and it was clear he wasn't a skilled enough bench to make the changes that I wanted. I finally fessed up to DH, who wanted me to be happy and said I could reset it. I ended up with the Brian Gavin Novela and loved it...until I lost the ring somewhere in my house.

So, yes, in short, there is some sentimental value. But I was very unhappy with the setting, which, in all honesty, was a perfectly acceptable setting. I just didn't like how it looked. You should be happy with your setting, and if it bugs you now, it will continue to bug you.

I still have the original setting, and could put a CS into it. So, I'd suggest doing that - set your diamond into a new setting that you love and save up for a pretty colored stone and set it in the setting for a RHR.

 

[Sphene]

Its a bit off but not enough to warrant a remake - keep it and wear it when you are doing everyday jobs - get a new ring to wear for best with the money you will waste getting this one put right - its a very pretty ring and what you see as imperfections I see as character - own the imperfections they make the ring unique to you

 

[partgypsy]

Everyone is different. I can be easy going about some things and other things I'm not. If I am wearing an engagement ring, I want it to be something that is a joy and a pleasure to wear, not something that is nagging me with things that annoy me, whether it is esthetic, symmetry or comfort issues.
I don't know if the original jewelry can satisfactorily address your issues without possibly introducing other problems, so I argue for a reset. It is possible another jeweler can "fix" it, and there have been some suggestions here already (David Klass). I vote for saving up for a reset.