Setting choices for J color BG Signature

[teobdl]

I’m wondering if there is a best setting for minimizing the appearance of J color. I absolutely love my J diamond: as a BG Signature, it faces up as white as possible and looks stunning every place I've looked at it. However, on tilts and especially profile view, seeing J color tinge is annoying. Going up in color (plus marginally in size) is simply cost prohibitive for the size I want for her finger—literally 60% more than what I paid.

I’ve heavily considered getting a bezel, and the only bezels I really like are ritani bezel halo (http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/ritani-endless-love-solitaire-engagement-ring-2059.htm) and Ann McKay peony http://www.annmckaystudio.com/Diamonds/B11.html . Bezels, however, allow probably 2-10% less light... I didn’t get a BGS with maximum light return only to dim it with the setting! Also, I haven’t had an opportunity to poll my gf on bezels in general... they really require a specific taste. I love them... not sure if my gf does.

I love the simplicity of the classic 6-prong tiffany setting like BG’s (http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/classic-tiffany-style-knife-edge-18k-white-gold-5336w18), but IMO it’s too popular. I really like Sholdt’s Khloe (http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/khloe-sholdt-14k-white-gold-5338w14) and Sholdt’s Minnie (http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/minnie-sholdt-14k-white-gold-5771w14)

I’m leaning most heavily toward the Minnie because of its elegant simplicity, flow, and presentation of the diamond. The Khloe has great presence, but it doesn’t give me a classic feeling. I’ve considered going with 18 kt yellow gold.

Sorry my thoughts are all over the place. Obviously need some help...

 

[Niel]

I've had that ritani setting the quality is amazing. And it would be nice because it would hide the side view you don't like.

 

[teobdl]

Thanks, Neil. Would the J color contrast with the whiteness of the small melee (tilt view, that is). I haven't been able to assess melee closely. Also, I'm worried about cleaning those things--nothing worse than a dirty diamond, and having a dozen small dirty diamonds sounds like a headache to maintain.

 

[dtnyc]

A halo basically blocks profile viewing of the stone, so that would prevent the color being seen that way, but you would have to make sure that the stones in the halo were close in color to the center stone. You could skip the bezel and still have a halo.
Side stones would also cover the sides.

It sounds like you think that the center stone faces up plenty white, but flanking it with a pair of colored stones- like sapphires or rubies would also make it appear whiter, as would incorporating some yellow or rose gold.

The Khloe setting you linked definitely leaves the most amount of profile exposed FWIW.

 

[Niel]

I think a bezel halo wouldn't show too much difference. You'll be viewing the diamond from the top, and that's where it looks its whitest. plus a larger diamond will never look like a smaller melee even if the colors are the same. The melee, especially as small as the ones in that ritani setting, just show white and fire, they don't pick up the colors in the room or your shirt like a larger diamond does. You don't have to have them get you J color melee, their regular melee is fine.

A well cut stone will not have much noticeable light hinderance in a bezel.

And a plain shank halo has the feel of a solitaire but with extra finger coverage!


And cleaning is easy they aren't hard to keep clean.

 

[msop04]

Thanks, Neil. Would the J color contrast with the whiteness of the small melee (tilt view, that is). I haven't been able to assess melee closely. Also, I'm worried about cleaning those things--nothing worse than a dirty diamond, and having a dozen small dirty diamonds sounds like a headache to maintain.

Hey teobdl,
I have a J in a halo (avatar) with G/H melee and I cannot tell a difference. It also helps keep my stone looking white! My melee always look clean (I think it's because they're so small...)


by Niel » 31 Jul 2013 14:56
I think a bezel halo wouldn't show too much difference. You'll be viewing the diamond from the top, and that's where it looks its whitest. plus a larger diamond will never look like a smaller melee even if the colors are the same. <---- THIS!

The melee, especially as small as the ones in that ritani setting, just show white and fire, they don't pick up the colors in the room or your shirt like a larger diamond does. You don't have to have them get you J color melee, their regular melee is fine.

A well cut stone will not have much noticeable light hinderance in a bezel.

And a plain shank halo has the feel of a solitaire but with extra finger coverage! <---- YESSSSSS!!!

And cleaning is easy they aren't hard to keep clean.

 

[msop04]

A halo basically blocks profile viewing of the stone, so that would prevent the color being seen that way, but you would have to make sure that the stones in the halo were close in color to the center stone. You could skip the bezel and still have a halo.

Unless you really want a bezel, I'd skip it. I think a bezel makes the halo a lot more obvious.

For a non-bezel halo, you could set the diamond lower such that the girdle is just barely (like 0.5 mm) above the halo.

 

[nowicanseethemoon]

Here's an entire thread of J colored diamonds and their settings.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/

You might want to take a quick spin through there and see what you think of all of the different settings.

 

[Niel]

A halo basically blocks profile viewing of the stone, so that would prevent the color being seen that way, but you would have to make sure that the stones in the halo were close in color to the center stone. You could skip the bezel and still have a halo.

Unless you really want a bezel, I'd skip it. I think a bezel makes the halo a lot more obvious.

In general I agree but to be honest the ritani bezel is so sliver thin or doesn't do anything but make the stone look bigger.

 

[Niel]

Example.

 

[Niel]

I'm wearing a big mustard scarf so take this with a grain of salt but

My round is a k and the pear an h

 

[teobdl]

Nice. Is your Ritani WG or plat? I'd most likely get PD because it has the benefits of PT but priced even less than WG. I spoke with a few makers who make PD settings, and they all strongly endorsed it (as long as it's only worked on by people who use PD regularly!).

 

[nowicanseethemoon]

Lovely Niel. That pear ... wowzers.

I think a J diamond is lovely (and while I personally like even lower colors, I think you're being too critical). My advice is to pick a setting based on the styles that speak to you and you feel reflect your GF's taste. That's a sure way to have a ring that you'll love.

Have you looked at other halo settings or do you want to stick with a bezel style halo?

 

[msop04]

A halo basically blocks profile viewing of the stone, so that would prevent the color being seen that way, but you would have to make sure that the stones in the halo were close in color to the center stone. You could skip the bezel and still have a halo.

Unless you really want a bezel, I'd skip it. I think a bezel makes the halo a lot more obvious.

In general I agree but to be honest the ritani bezel is so sliver thin or doesn't do anything but make the stone look bigger.

Yes, the Ritani bezel is thinner than most. Maybe what I meant to say is that the bezel shows a little more of a "separation" from the halo.

 

[msop04]

teobdl, of the settings you listed in your first post, I think the Ritani will hide body tint the most and the Khloe will show the most. (my pick is the Ritani, not because of the "tint cover-up," but because it's the most beautiful to me)

 

[Niel]

Unplated 14 k WG.... I got it from a local store for like 1500, so I'd shop around.


I wouldn't use PD

 

[teobdl]

I do love unplated WG, and it blends extremely well with the stone.

Honestly, I fell in love with the Ritani bezel halo the first time I saw it in the Shreve Crump & Low catalogue (albeit WAY overpriced: http://ch.shrevecrumpandlow.com/product_detail.php?product_id=1827207&Metal=Platinum&Stone=Round%20Brilliant%20Cut&Style=Ritani&Type=Ring), and I haven't felt the same about any other setting I've seen after months of looking. The lines are beautiful, and it has classical, timeless balance and appeal.

I love having the shank pave, but I want the setting to be as much fuss-free as possible; the setting sans shank pave is certainly more practical. That said, we don't typically do activities where it'd be bumping stuff... just normal life.

 

[Niel]

If you do unplated white, go 14k... its still very white. Just toned down

 

[Niel]

Sorry I feel like a salesman and I'm not, but I could rave about that setting all day.

The micro pave plus bezel makes that ring like a TANK! I never once felt it was too dainty, or I had to be careful with it. Yet it was sooo delicate looking.

And being a plain shank it went amazing with any kind of wedding band imaginable.

And the open basket was really flattering on the finger. When my finger swelled the opening kept it from getting a muffin top.

 

[nowicanseethemoon]

I do love unplated WG, and it blends extremely well with the stone.

Honestly, I fell in love with the Ritani bezel halo the first time I saw it in the Shreve Crump & Low catalogue (albeit WAY overpriced: http://ch.shrevecrumpandlow.com/product_detail.php?product_id=1827207&Metal=Platinum&Stone=Round%20Brilliant%20Cut&Style=Ritani&Type=Ring), and I haven't felt the same about any other setting I've seen after months of looking. The lines are beautiful, and it has classical, timeless balance and appeal.

I love having the shank pave, but I want the setting to be as much fuss-free as possible; the setting sans shank pave is certainly more practical. That said, we don't typically do activities where it'd be bumping stuff... just normal life.

I believe that things like diamonds and settings pick us. You can look and like lots of things, but the ONE will speak to you. It sounds like the Ritani has spoken to you, so why not go with it? I think in things like this, our guts are wiser than our brains.

 

[yssie]

I do love unplated WG, and it blends extremely well with the stone.

Unplated WG is not a one-size-fits-all deal - different alloys can vary tremendously in colour even within the same karat.

Example: these are some of my rings. The five in the middle are all different 18k (unplated) WG alloys. The band on the left is plat, the band on the right is 14k YG.


Rosebloom's excellent summary with more pics/threads/info and alloy details for the above pic here:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-color-and-metal-options.191295/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-color-and-metal-options.191295/[/URL]