Setting dilemma....

[RaeAnn]

Well, we''re getting closer on a stone! That''s good news...and I have a couple of options in mind.

Ideally, I wanted about a carat, great cut, etc. in a platinum setting. Ideally, DF wants to spend $6k or less on the whole package. Here''s where our dilemma comes in (or maybe I just need reinforcement). We''ve found a 1 ct stone that looks to be fabulous (scores are great-4 X''s on the HCA and scope pics coming Monday, eye clean SI2, G color), but the price of the stone means that I can''t get even a custom-made and slightly adapted version of the Tacori setting that I''ve fallen in love with (materials alone leaves us $100 for labor, which I KNOW isn''t going to be enough). Or I have the option of an almost equally fabulous 0.88 ct stone that would allow for the custom-made platinum setting.

An additional wrinkle that might solve the whole deal: The Tacori setting is available in 18k white gold and would keep us within our $6k budget WITH the 1ct stone. And it''s from a local jeweler so I''ve seen it with my own two eyes on my finger already.

It''s a no-brainer, right? 1ct stone with 18k WG setting, rather than the 0.88ct stone with a platinum custom made setting (still can''t afford Tacori platinum)? Get the stone I want and sacrifice on the setting? DF thinks I''m crazy, but to him they''re all shiny rocks anyway...

The only reason I ask is I love the heft and cold shine of platinum...and I know I''m not going to get that from white gold. The rhodium plating issue (having to redo it some years down the road) bothers me too, but is the sacrifice worth getting a setting I love (we''ve been looking at settings for weeks with literally no success until this setting came along)? This commits me to a custom white gold wedding band too. The price difference between the platinum setting and the white gold setting is about $1500 with the price of platinum these days.

Thanks for any input! I know it ultimately comes down to what DF and I choose, but opinions don''t hurt!

 

[hoorray]

I don't know which to say -- it's really up to you which is more important. But, FWIW, I just had a white gold ring re-dipped in rhodium, and it was no big deal and looks beautiful! I've had the ring about 5 years and it was beginning to look a little dull and somewhat grey. Now it is white white and shiny. I think I paid around $35 - $40 for it and I found a jeweler who could do it on site, so it only took a few hours.

 

[aljdewey]

I guess it depends on what you eventually want for a diamond. Do you plan to upgrade the diamond later on, or will you stick with your 1 ct. stone forever? If you will, then I'd get the 1 ct stone now with the WG setting, and upgrade the setting later to platinum for an fifth anniversary or something.




If you will ultimately want a larger stone, then perhaps you should go with the smaller diamond now and your ultimate setting. Keep in mine, though, that the setting head will need to be able to be changed down the line to accommodate a larger stone.




Doing it this way allows you to trade-up the diamond and not lose any of the money invested in the stone (depending on whom you buy the diamond from).

 

[ChooChoo]

Check out this site - they have some pretty impressive Tacori knock-offs, and you could get a platinum one with diamonds for around $1K. I would definitely spend the majority of your budget on a nice stone!

Some nice settings

With $5K left, you could get this:
Gorgeous F SI1 1.27 carat princess
or this:
Whiteflash Expert Selection 1.02 G SI1 Round Brilliant
or, if you want an ideal cut:
H&A ideal .92 F SI1 Round
and finally:
1.03 G SI1 RB from DirtCheapDiamonds

 

[Griffin]

I like the idea of a future upgrade, but coming from a different perspective than aljdewey. The stone, as a decent 1 carat, shouldn't ever need to be upgraded.

The diamond will last a whole lot longer than the mounting, diamonds don't wear out.
The diamond is the much more significant investment.
The diamond won't need to be changed in size when your finger does.
The diamond stays exactly what it is, mounting styles and fashions change.

If you are going for an upgrade, why not pick the best stone now and upgrade mountings when you need to do alteration/maintenance on the old one anyway.
This seems a whole lot more practical than the expense of buying a yet another stone and putting it into your used mounting.

 

[RaeAnn]

Thanks guys! That was my general feeling--the stone, like the man, should last me a lifetime. As far as I'm concerned, the setting isn't supposed to be as durable in its material or emotional sense, and I wouldn't have an issue with upgrading it in the future. My stone, though...that's a gift from him to me.

ChooChoo--thanks for the links! I checked out the Tacori knockoffs, and the setting I'm lusting after isn't replicated there. Figures!

Getting closer...but we're probably a few weeks away from pictures yet!

 

[Griffin]

>I checked out the Tacori knockoffs, and the setting I'm lusting after isn't replicated there. Figures!

Out of curiosity, which Tacori style were you lusting after? Not like anyone would know of any bench jewelers on here with a bad habit of knocking off Tacori mountings, now would we Dave....

 

[RaeAnn]

BA 4190, it's in the Panda collection. We've tentatively priced out a custom at a local jewelers (a little wider, a little less square-ish in the prongs) and materials (plus wax plus setting the melee stones) alone are running $1200, I don't know what their labor charges are, but I'd have to wager that the finished product would be over budget, though considerably cheaper than the Tacori version. It doesn't seem to be one of their more popular settings, as I can only find it on the Tacori site (otherwise I'd post a pic!).

DF thinks it's too skinny (3.9mm at the top of the shoulders, tapering to around 2-2.5mm on the palm side), but he isn't thinking about a wedding ring with it (I'm thinking one tiny 1.5mm ring, knife-edged and millegrained on top or set with tiny diamonds, soldered on the side of the engagement ring). That should take care of the "skinny" issue and still not approach the diameter of the stone we may be securing today (6.5mm).

It's waaaaayyy too easy to be obsessed with this stuff!

Thanks...