Ratio on this emerald cut? Custom engagement ring inspiration

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Hey, dudes!

My squeeze and I recently started our hunt for an engagement ring, and I found one that I absolutely adore. The only hitch: it’s a vintage (1950s) 10ct IF Bvlgari number, and neither of us are the descendants of robber barons. So yeah, ain’t gonna happen. We are now looking for the next best thing.

I realize EC + graduated straight baguettes is not exactly a novel configuration, and I’ve found many similar rings that are actually within our budget — they just haven’t made my heart go pitter-patter the way this Bulgari has. They just seem...less striking? Usually very different proportions, not as linear (?), often with chubbier stones, bezel instead of bar set baguettes, bezel/claw/ball prongs on the EC instead of tab, etc. So custom ring, ahoy!

We are planning to build the ring around a 3.5-3.75ct center stone, so of course it won’t be identical to its inspiration, but I really want to maintain the proportions of the Bvlgari as best we can. Which leads me (finally) to my question: What would you say the ratio on this EC is? 1.5ish? 1.6ish? Higher? If we try to recreate the “feeling” of this ring but at less than half the carat weight, should our EC be the same ratio? Squatter? More elongated? I have quite spindly size 4 fingers, so I’m not terribly concerned about coverage even with a smaller and very elongated stone.

I’d also be thrilled to hear any recs for custom jewelers who excel at this sort of style!

If there’s anything else you think I should take into consideration, I’m all ears. I do worry that the reason I don’t see 3.5-4ct rings with the same ~vibe~ as this one is that it’s simply not possible without a UFO-sized rock.

The inspo:

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[Karl_K]

Hold a ruler up to the screen and measure length and width divide l/w for an approximate number.
I can tell you its going to be a real bear if not very close to impossible finding one with that long a l/w ratio today.
There was was one listed in NY a while back but the cut sucked.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Hold a ruler up to the screen and measure length and width divide l/w for an approximate number.
I can tell you its going to be a real bear if not very close to impossible finding one with that long a l/w ratio today.
There was was one listed in NY a while back but the cut sucked.

Thanks, Karl. I’ve already done that and wound up with a ratio of about 1.66-1.76 depending on the photo. I was hoping I was wrong . I can barely find a well cut 1.5, for the love of god! Out of curiosity, do you have any thoughts on why more elongated ECs are so hard to come by now? It does seem like most people I know prefer a stout 1.3-1.35 EC, and I’m not sure if that’s a supply thing or a demand thing, or something else altogether!

 

[Karl_K]

I could guess and be close but I pinged a friend of mine who will know more. Hopeully they will have time to educate us all.

 

[diagem]

I could guess and be close but I pinged a friend of mine who will know more. Hopeully they will have time to educate us all.

Hi Karl, thanks for the heads up.., interesting question with quite a simple answer.

Generally, very long models cater to a specific niche group. Long rough shapes are not plentiful to start with, and most will accommodate other fancy shapes like long pears/MQ, {m}ovals and maybe other novelty cuts simply because of their irregular but long rough forms.

In order to yield such a long emerald cut as at subject, one must find a very long natural well formed octahedron to begin with. Based on my experience, in an assorted lot of elongated crystal octahedrons, maybe 10 percent will be around 1:1.50 ratio, most will be cut to baguettes which are in high demand and bring in a higher production yield. This is the main reason why finding such well-cut and very long emerald cuts is a rare event.

Hope this gives a better picture...

Have a good weekend,

 

[HollyC]

@Mary Queen of Scotch , Sam from icerock diamonds on Instagram posted this not long ago. He also has done a ring similar to your inspiration (which is amazing).

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Hope this helps.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

@Mary Queen of Scotch , Sam from icerock diamonds on Instagram posted this not long ago. He also has done a ring similar to your inspiration (which is amazing).

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Hope this helps.

Oh my god! Thank you so much, Holly! This looks perfect. Just DM’d them and they said it’s still available. Waiting for more details (and pricing). I scrolled through their IG and found the ring you were talking about. It truly is the spitting image of the Bvlgari!

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Hi Karl, thanks for the heads up.., interesting question with quite a simple answer.

Generally, very long models cater to a specific niche group. Long rough shapes are not plentiful to start with, and most will accommodate other fancy shapes like long pears/MQ, {m}ovals and maybe other novelty cuts simply because of their irregular but long rough forms.

In order to yield such a long emerald cut as at subject, one must find a very long natural well formed octahedron to begin with. Based on my experience, in an assorted lot of elongated crystal octahedrons, maybe 10 percent will be around 1:1.50 ratio, most will be cut to baguettes which are in high demand and bring in a higher production yield. This is the main reason why finding such well-cut and very long emerald cuts is a rare event.

Hope this gives a better picture...

Have a good weekend,

Thank you for your very informative reply! And thank you Karl for pinging.

I know this section of the site is a lab-free zone, so apologies if I shouldn’t ask this here, but do you think lab grown rough might lend itself better to this kind of length? I don’t know much, but from what I understand lab rough is grown in a shallower slab type shape.

Thanks again! So grateful to have found this forum.

 

[HollyC]

Oh my god! Thank you so much, Holly! This looks perfect. Just DM’d them and they said it’s still available. Waiting for more details (and pricing). I scrolled through their IG and found the ring you were talking about. It truly is the spitting image of the Bvlgari!

My pleasure . Look forward to seeing your updates.

 

[diagem]

Thank you for your very informative reply! And thank you Karl for pinging.

I know this section of the site is a lab-free zone, so apologies if I shouldn’t ask this here, but do you think lab grown rough might lend itself better to this kind of length? I don’t know much, but from what I understand lab rough is grown in a shallower slab type shape.

Thanks again! So grateful to have found this forum.

Unfortunately most diamond growers are still dependent on old age practices (at least intellectually)…, diamond growers haven't understood they are here to start a revolution in the jewelry world...

Until then unfortunately we will stay in a round brilliant dominated world both in naturals and LGD's.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Sam from icerock diamonds on Instagram posted this not long ago. He also has done a ring similar to your inspiration (which is amazing).

Upon further investigation, I think the ring Sam posted and my inspiration ring are actually one and the same! I noticed he tagged Miami as the location for that post (also mentioned Miami in the caption), and the original Bulgari ring is up for sale from Vivid Diamonds (based in Miami). I was browsing 1stDibs yesterday and stumbled across Vivid’s listing for it (this damn ring won’t leave me be!). A cool $1,050,000...

I can tell you its going to be a real bear if not very close to impossible finding one with that long a l/w ratio today.

This is the main reason why finding such well-cut and very long emerald cuts is a rare event.

Since starting this thread, I’ve managed to track down a few ECs (both natural and MMD) with ratios between 1.65-1.8:1. All were outside of the carat range I had in mind (some <2.5ct, some >4ct), most with rather undesirable color/clarity grades, and the cuts, to borrow Karl’s word, sucked. Cue the fainting couch. While I hate that you were right, I’m grateful that you saved me from chasing a chimera for much longer!

I think I’m going to scrap the idea, as I’d rather have a stunning 1.5:1 in any old setting than a spready, lifeless 1.75:1 set in miniaturized poor man’s Bulgari. I ran across a pretty ring with a 1.5:1 EC and graduated baguettes — it has a very different flavor than the Bulgari, but I like it anyway. Might mean there’s hope to keep the baguette element in some form? We shall see...