Questions about a Custom Round Halo ER

[scottylmt]

Hi all! I am brand new to these boards and am excited to be posting. I've been a lurker for about two weeks... EVERY day lol.

Obviously I am planning on getting engaged in the near future Found the perfect woman.. now need the perfect ring!

OK... so actually, we FOUND the perfect ring. There are a couple of drawbacks, however...

Here is a link...

<a href="http://www.helzberg.com/product/1+1-2ct+tw+diamond+engagement+ring+1772573.do?sortby=ourPicks">

I hope that worked. If it didn't, here is the url for copy/paste...

http://www.helzberg.com/product/1+1-2ct+tw+diamond+engagement+ring+1772573.do?sortby=ourPicks



OK, so here are the problems... the ring in store is NOT certified by ANY agency. It comes as a pre-packaged piece for $5200, and can not be split up. The center stone is absolutely wonderfully cut (I have examined HUNDREDS of diamonds with excellent cut on Jamesallen, and have done multiple side by sides in person at local stores) I know all about not to buy at a brick and mortar store, especially pre-packaged engagement rings, but I was BLOWN AWAY by the cut of this stone. The radiance and fire it puts out are truly brilliant.

It is "rated" (by the store lol) at si2. It's completely eye clean, and even under 10x it is hard for ME to see the flaws (mainly feathering and white stuff) Again, it is totally eye clean and puts out great light performance.

Color is my issue. I can see a faint yellow tint (barely) They say it is H-I, so I'm thinking more J-K realistically because there's no cert. My gf can't see the yellow at all, even when I tried to MAKE her about five times (I really don't want to get something, then later have her discover it and feel less about it)

I am torn.

It appears she really likes that particular ring. And I was blown away by the quality because it is an "off the shelf" ring. I am just scared it will get into regular lighting at her work and the yellow will come out more, and she will see it and never be able to undo it! Also I'm worried her co-workers or family will be anal like me and be able to see some yellow.

It would be easy to get a diamond off good old gold (sadly they have an awesome one right now, exactly .63!) and put it into the setting... but are you ready for this? To order the setting with no stone, they want $4999!!! Only TWO HUNDRED bucks less than with the .63 carat center stone! It's an awesome setting, but give me a break...

I have a quote request into Leon Mege, and spoke with him briefly over the phone today. I am wondering, should I send one to Brian Gavin as well? Also, is there anybody else you would recommend?

ALL of the diamonds are set in PRONG settings, rather than pave or channel... does anybody know strengths/weaknesses to this?

If you read all of this, thank you VERY MUCH. I have been doing 6plus hours of research about diamonds daily for over two weeks now, and am super stressed about making everything perfect about the ring. I still have a ton of questions, but will leave it at this for now...


thanks again...

Scott

 

[Gypsy]

Okay so.

A halo by Leon, Steven or Victor... will cost you about 4-6k.

So... what is your budget? For the setting.


For a round stone we can find you stock halos that will be considerably less than those prices of nice quality. Like a halo by Beverly K for example.

And are you sure you lady wants that setting if it means giving up a much larger center stone.

 

[scottylmt]

Ok so I forgot a couple things lol...

The store is having a sale coming up, in which I would save $600. That would make the ring $4600, for what is above.

Also, my original budget was higher... around $7000. Do you think that it would be possible to get a custom ring, nearly identical to the one in the link, with an awesome .63 center stone for under that price? Or should I just buy the one out of the store, and put the extra money into an even better honeymoon or another gift for her??? SHE seems happy with the ring, but I'm thinking if I had something CUSTOM made, with even awesome cut melee stones, it might blow her mind!???

Thanks again

 

[Gypsy]

Ok so I forgot a couple things lol...

The store is having a sale coming up, in which I would save $600. That would make the ring $4600, for what is above.

Also, my original budget was higher... around $7000. Do you think that it would be possible to get a custom ring, nearly identical to the one in the link, with an awesome .63 center stone for under that price? Or should I just buy the one out of the store, and put the extra money into an even better honeymoon or another gift for her??? SHE seems happy with the ring, but I'm thinking if I had something CUSTOM made, with even awesome cut melee stones, it might blow her mind!???

Thanks again

Yes. BGD could do it for you. Give them a call. THe design suits CAD fabrication and hand forged (Leon, etc.) isn't something you need and it would blow your budget.

 

[scottylmt]

Gypsy I have seen your posts dating very far back, and have learned much from reading them. Am I correct in assuming that CAD would be some type of machine-computer method of manufacturing the ring? How close to exact would he be able to get it to the original? Thank you

 

[scottylmt]

And do you recommend against buying the store off the shelf ring?

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy I have seen your posts dating very far back, and have learned much from reading them. Am I correct in assuming that CAD would be some type of machine-computer method of manufacturing the ring? How close to exact would he be able to get it to the original? Thank you

I've been here for a while and enjoy shooting my mouth off, it is true.

CAD means Computer Assisted Design.

They render the ring on the computer so that you can see it in 3 dimensions and to exact scale. Then they send you the images and you can approve them, or make changes until you make sure things look the way you wanted them too. Once you have approved things then the computer carves a wax mold and then the wax is used for casting the ring. And then the ring is finished by hand.

I do think those scoop outs on the shank where the stones would set would capture a lot of dirt, grease, hand lotion and gunk. So... maybe a little design tweaking to eliminate that issue is something you would consider.


YES, I have seen lots of Helzberg stuff and own several BGD pieces and can stay unequivocally that BGD's quality will be much better.

 

[scottylmt]

Very interesting, that's something I never would have thought of. I am definitely going to contact BGD and discuss this further.

Thank you and I will keep updates coming

Also any other opinions are still sought/welcomed... I can never get enough advice!

 

[Enerchi]

Similar setting to your Herzberg one but from IDJ - another PS vendor who has worked with MANY posters here:
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=14767&cType=ER

Setting for $2150, then you have $2500 left in your budget to find a nice diamond... Are you in NYC by any chance? Or just give Yekutiel a call.

 

[Gypsy]

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.628-g-vs1-round-diamond-ags-104052377021

 

[Gypsy]

Similar setting to your Herzberg one but from IDJ - another PS vendor who has worked with MANY posters here:
http://idjewelryonline.com/product_info.php?cPath=42_132&products_id=14767&cType=ER

Setting for $2150, then you have $2500 left in your budget to find a nice diamond... Are you in NYC by any chance? Or just give Yekutiel a call.

Which means a bigger stone.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.748-g-si1-round-diamond-ags-104055878087

 

[scottylmt]

I am actually in Omaha, NE.

I really like that ring. Who is Yukatiel (sp?)

I forgot to mention that the thing she likes so much is that the halo stones on the helzeberg one are so large (10 pt?) Its the large halo/keystone ratio that made her love it so much. Would that last vendor (gonna have to research the name) work with me on MODIFYING it to her specifics? Thanks so much for the awesome suggestion!

Gypsy, I will certainly do a bigger keystone if I get the ring cheaper than I planned, but then also the halo stones need to be larger as well to keep the ratio exact as well. My woman was VERY specific about the ratio lol, but I gotta say I agree with her!

Btw any other rings out there with large halo stones ppl would like to recommend from trusted sources? This is great!

Thanks so much!

 

[slg47]

the setting Enerchi posted is from Gabriel and co. (some other vendors carry them also). I don't think it can be modified with larger stones in the halo because it is not a custom setting but you could always ask Yekutiel at ID Jewelry.

do you think your GF would prefer the exact ring she saw or one that you custom created?

 

[Amys Bling]

the setting Enerchi posted is from Gabriel and co. (some other vendors carry them also). I don't think it can be modified with larger stones in the halo because it is not a custom setting but you could always ask Yekutiel at ID Jewelry.

do you think your GF would prefer the exact ring she saw or one that you custom created?

ditto about changing the stone sizes... It's not a custom piece and the price is good because of that...

 

[Laila619]

I am actually in Omaha, NE.

I really like that ring. Who is Yukatiel (sp?)

I forgot to mention that the thing she likes so much is that the halo stones on the helzeberg one are so large (10 pt?) Its the large halo/keystone ratio that made her love it so much. Would that last vendor (gonna have to research the name) work with me on MODIFYING it to her specifics? Thanks so much for the awesome suggestion!

Gypsy, I will certainly do a bigger keystone if I get the ring cheaper than I planned, but then also the halo stones need to be larger as well to keep the ratio exact as well. My woman was VERY specific about the ratio lol, but I gotta say I agree with her!

Btw any other rings out there with large halo stones ppl would like to recommend from trusted sources? This is great!

Thanks so much!

Honestly, I'd just get her the Helzberg ring. It sounds like she truly loves it and wants *that* one.

 

[rubybeth]

the setting Enerchi posted is from Gabriel and co. (some other vendors carry them also). I don't think it can be modified with larger stones in the halo because it is not a custom setting but you could always ask Yekutiel at ID Jewelry.

do you think your GF would prefer the exact ring she saw or one that you custom created?

Yes, I think you need to ask your girlfriend if she wants *that ring* or if she would be okay with possibly getting a larger, nicer center stone in a very similar setting. Edited to add: with the diamonds on the side of that ring, it will make wearing a wedding band tricky, because the diamonds will rub and eat away either the wedding band, or she'd need a spacer (tiny plain band) between a diamond band and the engagement ring. If she likes detail on the side, engraving might be preferable, like this: http://bridal.gabrielny.com/style/ER7568W83JJ

I believe Good Old Gold also carries Gabriel & Co. settings and if the setting is around $2k, you could get something like this: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9279/ 0.89ct I VS2 with the Lifetime Guarantee (upgrade option) and if the setting is $3k, you could get something like this: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8284/ 0.75ct H VS2.

I also just noticed the average clarity of the Helzberg ring is I1. I think you can do much better getting a similar setting elsewhere.

 

[scottylmt]

That's the question I'm dying over! I feel kind of ashamed as a man just buying one out of the case like that... especially when I know I can get one with better stats for a similar price.

And she did make one comment about it being a lot of money for such a small center stone... so I don't want to feel cheap.

Last night we were discussing it, and I said that I'd rather spend like 7 or 8 grand because she's worth it.. She said 7 or 8 is a lot of money for a ring, and she said that she's worth it BECAUSE she's the type that doesn't want that. She SAYS she would rather put more money into a down payment for a house, but deep down doesn't every woman really want an expensive ring?

 

[scottylmt]

Thank you for that point about the wedding ring being eaten. That ring you suggested is gorgeous, and she likes that one as well.

With her, she says the overall look of the ring is the most important part, esp the setting design. The ring above is gorgeous, but the halo stone to center stone ratio is so different than what she liked originally.

I honestly can't tell what to do. She'd be happy with any of the rings, but me being me nothings ever good enough and I want to go over her expectations. I find myself wanting to make a custom ring, and stressout over every single halo stone, picking only the best cut ones, so the whole thing blows her mind! Then she'd take it to work and her co workers would be envious of the quality, even if they have "bigger" stones. Im going crazy over this lol.

Ive dated tons of women, and she blows them all away in all areas. I just want her ring to match that.

 

[SweetAsscher]

Thank you for that point about the wedding ring being eaten. That ring you suggested is gorgeous, and she likes that one as well.

With her, she says the overall look of the ring is the most important part, esp the setting design. The ring above is gorgeous, but the halo stone to center stone ratio is so different than what she liked originally.

I honestly can't tell what to do. She'd be happy with any of the rings, but me being me nothings ever good enough and I want to go over her expectations. I find myself wanting to make a custom ring, and stressout over every single halo stone, picking only the best cut ones, so the whole thing blows her mind! Then she'd take it to work and her co workers would be envious of the quality, even if they have "bigger" stones. Im going crazy over this lol.

Ive dated tons of women, and she blows them all away in all areas. I just want her ring to match that.

You're obviously tying a lot of your pride and emotion to this ring, so I think you should just get the best quality you can for your budget. If custom is going to make you happy then go for it!! Or you may even find a setting you fall in love with too. Then you can always say you designed it specially for her and you put in all this effort to find the perfect diamond just for her. I bet you she will love it even more than the helzberg ring.

 

[Gypsy]

That's the question I'm dying over! I feel kind of ashamed as a man just buying one out of the case like that... especially when I know I can get one with better stats for a similar price.

And she did make one comment about it being a lot of money for such a small center stone... so I don't want to feel cheap.

Last night we were discussing it, and I said that I'd rather spend like 7 or 8 grand because she's worth it.. She said 7 or 8 is a lot of money for a ring, and she said that she's worth it BECAUSE she's the type that doesn't want that. She SAYS she would rather put more money into a down payment for a house, but deep down doesn't every woman really want an expensive ring?

I think you should just ask her. Which one would make you happier? I just want you to be happy. Would you prefer the exact one you loved, or do you want something inspired by that one and custom.

If she wants the one at Helzberg-- then it's the right ring for her. And that's all that matters.

I don't think those are ten pointers. I think they are closer to 3-5 pointers.

 

[scottylmt]

She knows exactly how much effort im putting into this. She is such a great person she tells me to just get the Helzeberg ring, undoubtedly because she wants me to not have to stress over it. But to me that makes me want to go custom even more!

That last setting, the one that recommended engraving (sorry can't scroll up for your name!) I am actually falling in love with that! I showed her and she was like "wow!"

So I have an email to Leon about doing the top like the Helzeberg, and the bottom like that one. I'm halfway through typing to BGD for the same thing too. I might have to extend my budget, but if it can be done, it would be unreal!

Do you think what I described can be done by either of those two?

Thanks everybody you've already helped me so much...

 

[webdiva]

Scott - you may want to contact Marie at Good Old Gold and show her this ring (she handles all the settings). They have a ton of vendors, and discount off the MSRP. That may save you some time and anxiety by having someone knowledgeable to settings find you a similar one. BTW, GOG also does custom settings but I have no idea of the price.

 

[scottylmt]

Good advice gypsy. As soon as the quotes come back I will total things up. Im just afraid she will go with cheaper because its the smart thing to do, thinking ahead of the house down payment and honeymoon.

Even if she wants that, I would at least get her diamond earrings or SOMETHING else. Cuz that's under my budget!

Thx for the opinion about what points those are. I needed to know that.

 

[webdiva]

Just another note since I just read your last message.

Please think about staying within your budget. It's easy to get carried away by the glamor of a custom setting by Leon, etc - especially after reading Pricescope so much - but you're looking at $4-5k for a custom setting from a top jeweler. You can get something beautiful in your budget or close to it. It'll blow away the Helzberg setting. She obviously loves you for who you are, so please don't spend more than she asked you. She wants a beautiful ring, she doesn't care how much it costs and obviously is thinking of your future. Take a deep breath. Take your time. No worries. We're here to help.

 

[Phdecorate]

I'm new here too....but I have been married before. I think if she is the kind of person that would love the custom ring but doesn't want you to feel like she has to have it to be happy then get that made for her. But if she really would be happiest with the exact ring that she has picked out, get her the ring in the store. Just think of what would ultimately make her the happiest and most excited and go with that.
And keep in mind, you are researching with info from the PS experts.....your criteria has probably gone up!!

 

[rubybeth]

Thank you for that point about the wedding ring being eaten. That ring you suggested is gorgeous, and she likes that one as well.

With her, she says the overall look of the ring is the most important part, esp the setting design. The ring above is gorgeous, but the halo stone to center stone ratio is so different than what she liked originally.

I honestly can't tell what to do. She'd be happy with any of the rings, but me being me nothings ever good enough and I want to go over her expectations. I find myself wanting to make a custom ring, and stressout over every single halo stone, picking only the best cut ones, so the whole thing blows her mind! Then she'd take it to work and her co workers would be envious of the quality, even if they have "bigger" stones. Im going crazy over this lol.

I think it was me who posted the ring with the engraving (this one: http://bridal.gabrielny.com/style/ER7568W83JJ from Gabriel & Co. which a few of the Pricescope vendors carry, like Good Old Gold who we've seen have done look-alike rings before with great results). Has she tried on wedding bands with the rings she's seen in stores? There are some engagement ring settings I love, but I dislike how they look with a band, so that's one consideration.

Honestly, I think Leon Mege or similar is going to blow the budget. Even CAD with Brian Gavin or Whiteflash might be cost prohibitive. You'd probably be better with a stock setting and then being able to select the best center stone possible. Your girlfriend could look at all the settings on the Gabriel & Co. site, check out www.eternitydiamonds.com and www.idjewelryonline.com for their options, let her know the budget for the setting ($2-3k) and then get a lovely center stone that you select yourself (this can be the 'surprise/look how much I love you' part because you can make her think you're getting her a .63 like in the Helzberg setting but you can get something larger/nicer for the same or just a bit more money).

ETA: D. Vatché is another line of settings that people on PS have had good luck with, your girlfriend may just want peek at some of their settings: http://www.dvatche.com/ (like this one, the Alexa 171, is pretty amazing for a 'stock' setting: http://www.exceldiamonds.com/-Engagement-Rings-5/Designs-by-Vatche-Engagement-Ring-171-Alexa-Collection-97999.html)

 

[scottylmt]

Yes it was you, Ruby Beth. That ring you showed has become my favorite. I have the quote requests out already so I'm obviously going to wait and see what they come back with... but if worse comes to worse, I'm going to buy the one you found.

Which brings me to my next important three questions.....

1) Can anybody here attest to the cut quality of Gabriel Co's melee stones? The sparkle factor will be VERY important with a keystone under a carat.

2) What size center stone is pictured in the link RubyBeth posted above? It just says center stone not included.. but no real info.

3) Will that Gabriel ring sparkle as well as the helzberg one, given that the halo stones are smaller?


Thank you ladies SO much, this is already getting easier.

 

[rubybeth]

Yes it was you, Ruby Beth. That ring you showed has become my favorite. I have the quote requests out already so I'm obviously going to wait and see what they come back with... but if worse comes to worse, I'm going to buy the one you found.

Which brings me to my next important three questions.....

1) Can anybody here attest to the cut quality of Gabriel Co's melee stones? The sparkle factor will be VERY important with a keystone under a carat.

2) What size center stone is pictured in the link RubyBeth posted above? It just says center stone not included.. but no real info.

3) Will that Gabriel ring sparkle as well as the helzberg one, given that the halo stones are smaller?

Thank you ladies SO much, this is already getting easier.

I am guessing that Good Old Gold could answer all of your questions above. Marie, Lynda, or Sarah can answer questions on settings: http://www.goodoldgold.com/ContactUs/ I've found them to be prompt and very helpful.

As for sparkle, I would venture a guess that the Gabriel & Co. setting would blow the Helzberg setting out of the water. Honestly, I'd dare you to take it into Helzberg and compare. We had a similar thread around the holidays where someone wanted a Helzberg look-alike, and it turned out really well: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bride-to-be-in-love-with-a-helzberg-diamond-masterpiece.168698/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bride-to-be-in-love-with-a-helzberg-diamond-masterpiece.168698/[/URL] and look at the last page for the results.

 

[scottylmt]

Wow that was a great story. That Mikey guy reminds me of myself. I hope things go so well for my gf's ring! Ok so I will contact GOG as well while I wait for the quotes from the other two.

Its reassuring to read that originally the setting he chose wouldn't fit his diamond size, then they were able to MAKE it fit. Im excited to see what they would be able to do for us!

 

[rubybeth]

One other setting option I noticed while poking around, that may or may not be similar enough:

http://www.eternitydiamonds.com/eng...ng/Halo-Engagement-Ring-With-Crescent-515.htm (and Eternity Diamonds will set your stone for a minimal charge and people on PS have been happy with their quality)

The one thing with the Gabriel & Co. setting that I originally posted is that a straight band won't fit with it (you can see the curved band that matches it on the original listing). Not sure if that's important to your girlfriend or not, but something to ponder. I'm guessing GOG can help you find exactly what you want.