Retipping Hand-made Setting?

[sparkle45]

Hi PS'ers!


I've been reading the boards for months now, trying to figure out how to fit what I want into a reasonable budget and I think I've finally decided on getting the hand-made setting that I LOVE with all my heart, but starting out with a SIM set in it. It took me awhile to get over the fact that my e-ring wouldn't be "real," but I think practicality has won out (and no insult intended at ALL for those who freely want and choose and are happy with their SIMS - we all have different priorities money/ethics-wise - it's just the one thing I always wanted ---> a beautiful real diamond e-ring)

The problem came up when I contacted a designer asking if the diamond dimensions I could afford would work with the setting I came across here on PS.(Blackdiamond's Triple Pave Beauty) https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ature-cushion-w-rose-gold-triple-pave.186806/

The prong mm needed for the prongs to be durable WITH the pave on them would look too large against the largest real diamond we can afford right now. I agree with the designer that the center stone really should be a minimum of 7.5mm (Black Diamond's measurements) for the ring to be proportional. We can only afford something in the 6mm range right now. SO. What I'm hoping I can do is get a placeholder non-diamond stone for now and have it set, then in a few years, replace that stone with a real diamond.

My question (finally!) is this: Is it even possible to have these custom, hand-made pieces reset or retipped? I'm not even sure what the term I'm looking for is. I've been scouring the boards for an answer, and I see PS's mentioning having e-rings reset, but I'd love to hear from those out there who have any information on the possibility of having pave'd hand-made prongs modified. Also, I'm not sure if it's important, but I plan on going with RG, like the inspiration ring.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Acinom]

I would guess the new diamond you will buy as an upgrade should be the same size as your placeholder. For round stones this might be easier then cushions etc, but I am sure the experts will chime in soon.

Have you thought about doing it the other way around? So instead of buying an expensive hand forged setting, buying a beautiful 6 mm stone that you can afford right now and set it in a simple solitaire setting. In a few years you can upgrade the stone and have a handforged setting made. The jeweller where you buy the stone should have an excellent upgrade program (please note that in some cases you would have to spend the double amount to be able to upgrade).

And perhaps if you share your budget the experts can find you a bigger stone.

 

[sparkle45]

Thanks, Acinom!

I have been continually going back and forth between these two options... Here are my reasons for wanting to go with dream setting first:

1) I love photography and photos, and REALLY want the ring shown in my engagement and wedding photos to be indiscernible from the ring I actually keep --at least until increased income allows for a center stone increase, if I even WANT one then. In reality, I'd probably just opt for more bling rather than increasing the size of my ering.

2) I'm looking at antique cushions, and (to MY eye!) their yummy pastel-throwing powers are greatly improved with increase in size. For some reason, I feel this is even more true with antique cuts than with moderns. I worry I'd be unhappy with the blinginess of a smaller size. (tho when I tried on a modern cut cushion in a shop, a 1.25 looked fine, size-wise... I had actually convinced myself to go the route you suggest b/c of trying that ring on, but then every time I see my dream setting again my heart sinks. :/ ) ---> It's the cover photo of my secret "Ring" board on Pinterest, so I see it just about every day. Why secret, you ask? B/c I don't want all my friends to know how much I am absolutely obsessing over this decision!

3) I THOUGHT I was in love with the antique cushions until I saw this setting, and then I realized that that had only been lust lol
I realize that, whereas before I found this setting, I was looking for the right setting to show of the beautiful stone, I NOW think of it in terms of "what stone will best show off this setting?" I even looked at OEC's in the hopes I might find better value there, even tho I prefer the cushion outline, but no, their price point is very similar.


Budget:

Our budget is mainly limited by the fact that we are both so impatient to get started with our lives together. We're both getting close to 30, have been together for a year, living together for half that time, and are just ready. We've also had some unexpected expenses recently.

The setting is going to be in the $5,000 range.

Before I contacted the jeweler, I THOUGHT we'd be fine with a $10K budget. Get a low color, lower clarity antique cushion around 1-1.25ct for 5K and pop it into that setting. But then the jewel set me straight on the size needed for everything to be proportional. The size needed seems to call for another $5K at the very least, which we both feel is impractical for us right now, since we are looking at a big move soon, and also don't want to do anything on credit, and are also looking at wedding/honeymoon expenses and want to start saving for a future home downpayment.

We could easily get the additional 5K in 5-6 months or so of savings if we didn't also need to be saving for all these other life changes. (Plus, we don't even want to wait THAT additional time, on top of all the time it's already going to take for me to make a final decision and for the actual ring to be made.)


I feel dirty after all this money talk, so I DO want to end on the note that I am COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY IN LOVE and am SOOO ecstatic that I've finally found the man of my dreams, and that he feels the same way about me. I don't ever want to forget how lucky we are, or take it for granted, and I hope no one reads my nitpickiness as anything other than a control-freak, research-obsessed girl picking up the PS Crazies and obsessing over her ring as a way to kind of... process that this is really happening, that this is all real. If he were at all turned off by my search, I'd tell him to propose with a RingPop, but I swear he just encourages me by being all perfect and saying he wants to give me the ring of my dreams. (I think it also helps that I don't really care about the wedding, whereas I think that's what MOST girls save their crazy for.??)

 

[heididdl]

As a bride of 27 years. Let me tell you things come in and things come out. The dress I wore with the veil 27 years ago makes both of us crack up each anniversary. My initial ER has changed three times over these years. So trust me the diamond is where you should have your focus as the center piece of what ever setting you select. To spend $5,000 to high light the setting seems in My opinion not the best way t set your one of a kind beautiful center stone.

So save and wait to get the right stone with this dream setting.

 

[sparkle45]

Thanks for the input from someone with perspective, heididdl!

It IS a very hard choice, b/c you and others with your opinion have really good points! I know because I argue each side's points to myself on a daily basis. lol This is why I'm trying to gather more information. For instance, if I discover that it's out of the question to reset a larger stone into a hand-made basket, then my decision will almost have been made for me. I don't want to spend 5K on a setting that I'll have have to have completely remade at some future point!

Does anyone have any experience having hand-made settings retipped or reheaded to fit a larger stone?

 

[HeartingDiamonds]

Hi April May - let me take a gander Are there any photos you can share of this setting?

Now, having said that - I always advise my clients that if dollars need to be spent wisely, I would advise to spend 95% of it on the biggest, best quality stone out there. Spending a great deal of the budget on a custom setting could be asking for trouble down the line, not only in the resetting process, but also in finding a stone with the exact proportions that you need to fit the mounting perfectly.

Another factor to consider is your current taste and lifestyle. It may feel like the perfect setting now, but all that could change in the next 3, 4, or 5 years. Then you would have spent half the budget on a setting that you no longer love.

$10k is a great budget, by the way!

 

[sparkle45]

Let me see if I can figure out how to post the pics here so people don't have to click through the link above to see the setting. It's a creation of Double_Black_Diamond and Victor Canera, and I hope it's ok that I'm reposting their photos, having given them credit and linked to Black Diamond's thread above.

Rose Gold
Triple Pave Band
Pave stems and basket

I knew starting out my search that I'm not a halo girl. But I've never wanted to do a plain solitaire either. I loved Haven's design when I came across that, just absolutely fell in love with that thing! [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-2-30-ct-omb-antique-cushion-upgrade.158760/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-2-30-ct-omb-antique-cushion-upgrade.158760/[/URL] But I knew I needed a little more attitude. So when I came across this setting... I just can't get it out of my mind - and it's been nigh on 6 months now.

Basically, all that to say that I'm not toooo worried about my tastes changing too much. I've loved RG since I was a kid, probably because all the women in my family do, all of our pieces are RG or at least tri-gold.

And I'm HOPING I won't have to try to find a diamond that matches the place holder's dimensions exactly b/c I want my diamond to be slightly elongated, and the placeholder I'm looking at is an exact square. Hence the need for any input as to whether I could just have the entire head taken off and a new one put on... I'm guessing that could weaken the gold or make it more brittle right where it needs to be the strongest.

 

[Acinom]

I doubt whether you can chop of the head and place a new one without weakening the ring.

It is also difficult to determine what the future dimensions of your ring will be.

You are heading towards a rock and a hard place...
I would really spend the money on a diamond you can afford, have it set in a simple solitaire and reset later. You can perhaps use the gold of the simple solitaire to have a plain (or engraved) ring made.

You could also save some more and spend some money now on a pave or engraved band that will match with your dream setting.

Do you want Victor Canera to make your dream setting? Perhaps you could also discuss your dilemma with him.

 

[Enerchi]

I'm another voice on the forum saying get the largest diamond that you can afford now, and change /reset as finances permit, over the next 5, 10, 15, +++ years. I am currently wearing my 3rd ering setting and have been married over 28 years. I have bought (TOO MANY!) rings in the past few years, so I also own some RHR's that occasionally migrate over as 'substitute erings' every now and then

Point being - your tastes will change (its life, we all like different things as we evolve...) so if you are sentimental, buying the larger diamond within your budget now, allows you to bring it forward as your setting changes over your lifetime together.

 

[sparkle45]

Hah, I mean, I guess I shouldn't be TOO surprised that the folks on the diamond forum want me to get a diamond... lol

OK, I guess I'm back to still juggling both options. Please, if anyone reads this and has any info regarding modifying handmade settings, chime in!


In the meantime... If I get a diamond, I really want one that has a great cut, but I don't want to pay a brand premium (which, in my opinion, is more of a CUT premium, since GOG's and VC's cut standards are so high), so I'm reaching out to Perry Chen. Does anyone have any experience with him finding you a considerably larger stone than the AVCs available at the same price point?

I REALLY love the look of a 1.25 on my finger, but both VC's and GOG's of that size are out of my budget. :/ Which is one of the reasons I had decided to go SIM for now. As you can see, to get close to my desired dimensions, I have to drop down to a P in color http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10877/

Now I'm not color sensitive, and plan on setting this in RG with pave SOMEWHERE, so the ring will have an antique feel, but I'm just not sure about P. I'm sure about J-L range, but I feel like I'd need to see a P in person to know how I felt. And we don't have the money yet to have it sent to us.

VC... I wish he had more stock to choose from (with some lower color options!) As 10K is my absolute max, and I'm guessing my setting will be ~2K, he has no stones in my budget. I'm *guessing* he'll have more stock once legalities are decided upon, but I can't wait that long!

Hence, Perry Chen. However, does he have an upgrade policy like VC and GOG both do?

Thanks, guys, for all your great input!

 

[arkieb1]

I have two suggestions for you either buy the best stone you can afford now, put it into a very simple plain setting spending a minimal amount of money and save for the setting you love and get it swapped over when you can afford it. Alternatively and usually I would never suggest this but you seem to have your heart set on Victors setting and you have obviously thought about going down the CZ path, buy a well priced preloved asha or other simulant that is the same size and shape roughly of the planned upgrade and buy the setting from Victor. When it comes time to replace or change over the stone send it back to Victor, you won't have to worry about him retipping anything because he is skilled enough that he will not destroy the original prongs in the first place.

The only reason a setting like one of his needs retipping is if you send it to a jeweller that has no idea and butchers it taking the stone out. All of them, Victor, Steven and Leon will set asha, CZs, mossy's - if it were me I'd do something even cooler and find a similar size and shaped coloured stone that was inexpensive and set it into that setting and then upgrade it unless the whole point is that you want everyone to think it is a diamond from the outset.

Another option might be to buy a well cut nice looking but affordable Old European cut diamond with a spread around 7mms from somewhere like JBEG and if you ask Victor nicely - he might be able to later swap a round stone out for a cushion shape depending upon the final measurements as well.... you will take a hit reselling the OEC, but you will also lose money buying a decent quality asha or other stone as well.

 

[sparkle45]

Thanks, Arkieb1!

I really appreciate hearing from all you guys who know more about these setting issues than I do. I have been in contact with Mr. Canera, and he has been so incredibly patient (not to mention extremely prompt) with all of our correspondence. However, I hate to waste experts' time with rudimentary questions like these. I've spent hours of time poring over these forums in the hopes of not even needing to waste YOU GUYS' time! But, alas, I could not find my exact dilemma discussed anywhere.

I'd far rather do my research elsewhere and come to Victor with pretty well-formed decisions than go back and forth changing my mind and taking up his time. Don't get me wrong, I will be ALL for sending countless, detailed emails once I've made up my mind! I'd just rather not be a nuisance right up front.

If I go the SIM route, I don't want to pass it off as real. Quite frankly, most if not all of our friends will know that we can't afford that size stone. (It would be easily over 15K) I simply want that size to accommodate the setting, and I'll tell people that. I'll say, "My options were smaller real stone in a setting I didn't love or fake in my dream setting." I doubt anyone would look down on me and snigger, especially as I'm being so upfront...?

The only reason I don't want to go with a colored stone is that I'm going with RG and, IMHO, the only stone that looks good against RG is morganite, and I just don't like the cloudy-glass look of it. I love the sparkle of a diamond, so for the look I want, I think Asha would be best. I'd prolly go for Moissy and just keep it as my forever stone (using diamonds for other projects, of course, b/c I DO love diamonds! - but later, when I can better afford them), except they don't have an antique cut in Moissy. I think it's hard/impossible to get the high crown with Moissy because of the crystal structure.

I've come to love the OEC cut, but just not as much as the antique cushion. I think because... the cushions have more attitude than the OEC? The OEC is BEAUTIFUL - the flower facets are amazing, and it sparkles like crazy. However, it DOES look like a flower! In that respect, I get a very girly, soft feeling from it. The tomboy in me loves the edgier cross/triangle/rectangular patterning in the cushion. Despite this, I HAVE been all over the JbEG site, and haven't really found anything I'm crazy about in the mm I'd need (or even 7mm - which is close) in my budget.

I love all of your options - they got me thinking (and rethinking). I guess it really IS going to come down to asking Mr. Canera what my options are. I was just hoping someone here had been in a similar situation, and could offer their insight. (But I've already learned from you -Arkieb1- that these wonderful jewelers can unbend and rebend their delicate prongs without damaging anything) <--- However, I've seen how precise prong placement on stones needs to be, both for symmetry and for non-snagging purposes, so I'm guessing that's why everyone's (very nicely) suggesting I don't try to have a custom setting reset.

Here's another option... When the time comes for upgrade, just pay to have the whole thing remade (if my tastes are still the same, which most of you are warning me it won't be) and use the original for a travel/dupe ring. I guess that $5,000 is worth having an exact replica of my original ring, that I love just as much, which I feel safer traveling in. (Of course, it's nothing to scoff at, losing or having stolen a $5K ring, but def not the same thing as potentially losing a 20K ring - and a diamond that retains all it value as a potential trade-in)

Even if I decide to go with a different setting with the 2ct+ diamond, I'd still have a travel ring I love! And if I went simpler with the diamond setting, I could still have the pave RG VC to wear for dressy occasions. Jeez, now I'm just thinking out loud..


Thanks everyone, for your help! I guess I'm back at square one, reexamining other settings, re-poring over diamonds (reached out to Perry Chen, awaiting a reply), playing with the ol' budget, etc...