Ring for a medical professional

[John341]

I''ve been lurking here a while and am finally ready to request help.

I''m getting ready to propose to my girlfriend and thought I had decided what type of ring I was going to select for her, when she recently made a comment about a ring one of her friends received. She''s currently in medical school and one of her friends received a pave engagement ring with a bezeled diamond to reduce catching on things, and also that was going to double as her wedding ring. My girlfriend expressed great approval over this choice, which I took as a hint!

Although I hadn''t fully considered it, I realize now that her chosen profession should have a big impact on the ring: she has to take on and off gloves constantly, must wash her hands a lot, and in some situations isn''t even permitted to wear a ring (I''ve read that wearing the ring on a necklace is common for surgeons).

I''m probably looking to spend not much more than $12-15K total on the whole ring.

Platinum seems like a good idea, considering that if and when she chooses to wear her ring it the white gold will probably fade too quickly due to wear.

For the diamond itself, I''m considering using White Flash and spending more on the quality of the diamond versus the size. I don''t have as good of an eye for things as she does, so I may consider going for a cut like the Whiteflash ACA Hearts and Arrows.

But now I have to figure out the setting, and I seem to be having lots of trouble figuring out a ring. 6 prongs is definitely a better choice than 4, but I think flush or bezel settings would be better to help reduce the chance that the ring will get caught on things. From what I understand, if it''s a good quality diamond it shouldn''t matter that there isn''t much of a side view since light going in the top will come out the top.

I''d appreciate any thoughts on bezel or flush settings, or what might be appropriate for a medical professional (I assume it''s the same for nurses, technicians, and doctors) -- many of the bezel and flush settings I have seen I don''t really like, but a rare few seem beautiful. It seems to me that I want the ring to allow the diamond to sit as low as possible (some flush settings still stick out lots), and also be protected from snags.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[neatfreak]

I think your thinking re:diamond is very smart. Whiteflash is great.

As for the setting low-set is certainly better, and bezel doesn''t have any prongs to catch which is great (my ring is bezel and I love it).

Can you tell us something about what you DON''T like about the bezels you have seen? Or what your GF DOES like? We can help you find a setting if you tell us some more.

Sholdt might be a company you want to check into...they make gorgeous bezel settings. And Caleb or James Meyer too.

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome John!

A branded h&a can be a great choice, some of the vendors have a good range of these, WF as you know have the ACA, also

www.highperformancediamonds.com have Infinity h&a and

www.goodoldgold.com have hand selected h&a diamonds, so have a look and see what appeals to you most.

A bezel setting could be a lovely and practical choice, I wonder with the pave as to how well that would stand up if your GF is a surgeon - it could be fine but sometimes pave needs a little more care. A bezel though could work really well for her.

If you can''t see the exact setting you want then maybe one of the vendors could replicate it for you on request, it is worth asking.

 

[mercoledi]

Hiya
I too wear gloves all day, and I too have a bezel set ring (half bezel, actually). If you don''t care for bezels, what about something like this?

 

[kboggs315]

This is a tension setting and does not sit up high at all. There are no prongs at all to get caught.

 

[kboggs315]

another view of the low sitting tension... even though it sits so low light hits it from all sides.

 

[John341]

Thanks for some quick replies

As far as style, usually my taste matches pretty well with hers, and she tends to like simple and elegant items. Modern styles appeal to both of us ("modern" more in the sense of clean rather than weird or unusual for the sake of it).

Pave and side diamonds can be beautiful, but I dislike when it pulls the eye away from the main diamond rather than toward it (usually just 2 side stones works better for me than pave).

Looking at the suggested websites, nothing on James Meyer''s website appeals to me personally, while Sholdt has some beautiful ones, in my opinion, so I''m going to have to spend some time looking at those.

I might need to try and go to one of the local retailers to look at them -- it''s a little hard to judge from the pictures what it might actually look like on a finger.

The thing that I dislike about many of the bezels or even "flush" settings, is that some of them don''t seem to be any lower (example: Whiteflash Flush-fit Cathedral style)-- so while this might reduce catching, it''ll still be a big lump that gloves would have to go over (and I''d prefer that she felt that she could wear the ring as much as allowed).

I do like the tension settings (they tend to be some of the lowest), but I''m afraid that they would be too nondurable -- Others I have read have referred to them as the least durable -- is this accurate?

Of the sholdt design here are some of the best, in my opinion (the sholdt website has better pictures, but they can''t be linked to):

Sholdt Vashion 31ZZ1
Sholdt Criss Cross
Sholdt - full bezel with diamond accents
Sholdt half bezel no accent


I''m attaching a compilation of my favorite Sholdt designs from the website -- would all of these probably be acceptable to my girlfriend in terms of being able to easily go under gloves, not tear the gloves, not collect dirt and soap, etc.?

Some of them are lower than others, and some have accent diamonds on the side that may or may not cause problems

 

[ejv207]

Hey John,

There''s plenty of MDs/RNs on this LIW thread, they don''t seem to have to many problems with their rings and gloves. You might want to ask in there to see how high their settings are. They also talk about wear and tear (i.e. -stay away from iodine)

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-wear-your-ering.110368/


Regards,

Ed

 

[sofi]

John

I had a wonderful experience with Whiteflash, they made this ring for me last summer. I also wear gloves and wash my hands frequently and was looking for a setting that I could safely wear to work. This ring sits low on my finger and there are no sharp edges or prongs, so I never worry about snagging or scratching.

 

[kboggs315]

I had more trouble when it when it had pave diamonds than I have with this as a tension. I have NO fear with this ring... its tough.

However... I LOVE sofi''s ring!

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:23:51 PM
Author: kboggs315
I had more trouble when it when it had pave diamonds than I have with this as a tension. I have NO fear with this ring... its tough.

However... I LOVE sofi''s ring!

Me too. Nice, slick design.

 

[DianaBanana]

How about something like this........

 

[elle_chris]

I have the sholdt semi bezel (it''s the one in my avatar.) I''m a klutz and the setting is perfect due to how low it sits and the fact that the bezel covers the sides where I usually bang it.

The tension one that kbogg posted could also be a good choice. I''d stay away from anythiing with pave since she''s going to be using her hands alot as doctors do.

here''s a pic of my Sholdt

 

[sazza]

I''m a medical student also and I just got an antique engagement ring and a separate band that I can wear if I''m going to be doing anything intense. My ring fits under gloves and isn''t snaggy. I''ve seen a lot of pronged rings though and as long as the head isn''t really high it fits under gloves and everything is alright. My friends tend to prefer channel set over pave on the sides of the ring because it is smoother but I think most reasonable settings will be fine.

 

[geckodani]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:50:06 PM
Author: elle_chris
I have the sholdt semi bezel (it''s the one in my avatar.) I''m a klutz and the setting is perfect due to how low it sits and the fact that the bezel covers the sides where I usually bang it.

The tension one that kbogg posted could also be a good choice. I''d stay away from anythiing with pave since she''s going to be using her hands alot as doctors do.

here''s a pic of my Sholdt

I think this is one of the classiest and most elegant settings out there. If you''re going with Scholdt, I would totally get this one.

 

[oldminer]

Here is a little photo shop magic which takes the often problematic tension setting and turns it into a less sensitive product which can readily be sized and does not have some of the other issues of proper fit and stone tightness which tension rings often get after a few years and a few good meals. The ring further down with a swirled effect shank can be tension fit or also joined underneath the diamond something like this. The area where the ring sides are joined is pretty much invisible. Smooth sided rings are going to make frequent glove wearers happy.

 

[mercoledi]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:08:49 PM
Author: John341

The thing that I dislike about many of the bezels or even ''flush'' settings, is that some of them don''t seem to be any lower (example: Whiteflash Flush-fit Cathedral style)-- so while this might reduce catching, it''ll still be a big lump that gloves would have to go over (and I''d prefer that she felt that she could wear the ring as much as allowed).


I do like the tension settings (they tend to be some of the lowest), but I''m afraid that they would be too nondurable -- Others I have read have referred to them as the least durable -- is this accurate?


I''m attaching a compilation of my favorite Sholdt designs from the website -- would all of these probably be acceptable to my girlfriend in terms of being able to easily go under gloves, not tear the gloves, not collect dirt and soap, etc.?

The ''flush fit'' term doesn''t mean that the diamond is set flush to the band, it means that a wedding band will fit flush with an engagement ring; that the head is set high enough that the two bands are right next to each other.

Sholt makes really beautiful rings, their semi-bezel is a favorite here for its timeless elegance and modern simplicity.

As for setting height, there is such a thing as too low. My ring is open in the back, the pavilion of the stone is exposed to my finger which results in two things, 1. it gets dirty fast and 2. it can poke me. If the ring presses against my hand, the pavilion pokes into my fingers.

I would recommend going to a local jeweler and playing with some styles of rings.
One last thing to consider, I wear my gloves snug (and have only broken two on my ring), other people who wear their gloves looser don''t have a problem with snagging them on prongs. A friend of mine has itty bitty thin fingers and a 8mm pearl engagement ring that she wears under loosely fitting gloves with no problems whatsoever. I could never get a glove on over a ring like that. So the necessity of a smooth ring depends on how your GF wears her gloves.

 

[musey]

In case you don't see it there, here is my reply to your post in the other thread:

Date: 4/7/2009 3:34:40 PM
Author: musey

Date: 4/7/2009 12:26:24 PM
Author: John341
For all of you that wear gloves daily, would you have preferred a ring where the stone is set lower, and with less to catch on (e.g. a bezel or flush setting)? Would it make you more likely to wear the ring under gloves? Or does it not really matter? I appreciate your feedback.

I'm not one of those people, so take with this with a grain of salt... but if I had to wear gloves every day I would personally prefer an as-low-as-possible bezeled solitaire (or if you want sidestones, also bezeled OR gypsy/flush-set).

I have to add, though, that it seems as though some medical professionals would be required to remove their rings before putting on gloves. (Almost) any setting would run the risk of tearing the glove, which would be a MAJOR health hazard in some situations.

 

[musey]

If I were in search of THE most glove-friendly engagement ring out there, I''d lean toward this one from Etienne Perret. I might personally like to have it lowered even more (I think that''s likely possible), smoothed into the shank, and have the shank thinned and flattened a bit.

 

[mercoledi]

Date: 4/7/2009 3:36:16 PM
Author: musey
In case you don''t see it there, here is my reply to your post in the other thread:

Date: 4/7/2009 3:34:40 PM

Author: musey

Date: 4/7/2009 12:26:24 PM

Author: John341

For all of you that wear gloves daily, would you have preferred a ring where the stone is set lower, and with less to catch on (e.g. a bezel or flush setting)? Would it make you more likely to wear the ring under gloves? Or does it not really matter? I appreciate your feedback.

I''m not one of those people, so take with this with a grain of salt... but if I had to wear gloves every day I would personally prefer an as-low-as-possible bezeled solitaire (or if you want sidestones, also bezeled OR gypsy/flush-set).

I have to add, though, that it seems as though some medical professionals would be required to remove their rings before putting on gloves. (Almost) any setting would run the risk of tearing the glove, which would be a MAJOR health hazard in some situations.

Well, I work in a high biosafety facility. For anything super bad, two pairs of gloves are required. I prefer nitrile because when they rip, they rip wide open, no little pinholes. I''ve only had that happen twice in ways that were ring related. Also, having a glove tear on the back of the hand is IMO preferable to having it tear on the palm. Any full bezel should be more than fine, I think my splits have occurred when I''ve hit/wedged my hand someplace that rubbed the glove against the girdle. There are biosafety levels where you can''t wear any jewelery, but that won''t apply to most people.

 

[musey]

Okay, it was just a thought

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 4/7/2009 6:01:12 PM
Author: musey
Okay, it was just a thought

Hi, musey. As you know, I work with surgeons day in and day out and they never put their gloves over their rings. I think the OP above posted something about surgery. Even the anestesiologist''s I work with wear their rings on a necklace and they aren''t in the sterile field. So, don''t worry.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

If she wants a bezel, than get her a bezel. However, I just want to say, that most of my co-workers (I am in residency) did not pick their ring based on what they do, they have the rings they want. Most of my friends have pronged solitaries and three stone rings, one has an antique ring, and one has a pave halo. No one has had any issues. In places like the OR, you aren't allowed to wear rings (if you are working in the sterile field), so most girls either leave them at home, or put them on a chain around their neck. The diamond sizes my friends have very from probably 0.5 cts to abut 2 cts, and the girls with the larger stones do not seem to have trouble with their ring getting in the way. The only girl I have seen stop wearing her e-ring, had a very large stone, 3+ ct, that did look like it would get in the way.

I just want to put that out there. As I said, if she loves the look of the bezel, than go for it. If you think she is just doing it because she is worried, she might realize later that other styles hold up pretty well.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/7/2009 6:04:14 PM
Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 4/7/2009 6:01:12 PM
Author: musey
Okay, it was just a thought

Hi, musey. As you know, I work with surgeons day in and day out and they never put their gloves over their rings. I think the OP above posted something about surgery. Even the anestesiologist''s I work with wear their rings on a necklace and they aren''t in the sterile field. So, don''t worry.

Thanks, I had that impression as well!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I wanted to add, I have a 4 pronged sapphire RHR that I throw gloves over all the time. It is about the size of a 1 ct diamond. I have never had a problem. The gloves go on right over the ring . The ring is low set, and I made a point to the jeweler that the prongs could not catch. She took that to heart, sent the ring back to the bench-man when it was not right, and made sure the ring could run though a pair of pantyhose without ripping them b/f she gave it to me (and those break much easier than gloves).

So I think the most important thing is for the jeweler to know what the ring will be going through..

 

[arjunajane]

I''ve always admired this bezel for simplicity, smooth lines and still looking elegant - I believe
it was member CSullivan, but can''t recall the make. Very possibly Etienne?

 

[arjunajane]

and profile view - no way this baby would snag anything, lol !

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:50:06 PM
Author: elle_chris
I have the sholdt semi bezel (it''s the one in my avatar.) I''m a klutz and the setting is perfect due to how low it sits and the fact that the bezel covers the sides where I usually bang it.

The tension one that kbogg posted could also be a good choice. I''d stay away from anythiing with pave since she''s going to be using her hands alot as doctors do.

here''s a pic of my Sholdt

I love love love this sholdt!!! It''s so fluid and beautiful and shows off the stone well. I also don''t think that you would catch this on anything!

 

[Imdanny]

Interesting thread. Thanks, all.

 

[cartea01]

Hi! Congratulations on your impending engagement I recently got engaged and I''m in my final year of medicine. My parter picked this ring on his own but had certainly "sussed out" my thoughts on career practical designs before hand. I wanted something with prongs but not a high setting that would get caught. I also wanted shoulder stones but in a setting that wouldn''t risk losing a stone. I''ve attached a few pics for you perusal. The centre stone is just under 1/2 a carat and the tcw of the ring is ~.80.