Setting Help! Sturdy pave? Metal options?

[dazzlerazzle]

Hi Lovely PSers!

I'm hoping I can get some of you to chime in on which setting I should get for my engagement ring. I've never owned any jewelry other than a tiny silver ring I made myself in a jewelry class, so I have no personal experience to draw from here.

I still have a few months before I have to decide, but I find myself anxiously going back and forth between options and I'd rather make a definitive choice now and relieve myself of this stress!

We are planning for a ~8.5 mm OEC stone, I/J color.

Here is my dilemma:

Rose gold has always been a thing in my family. I grew up seeing my mother and grandmother wear it, and my few childhood rings were rose gold. For this reason, I've ALWAYS pictured my engagement ring in rose gold. So, I fell in love with Victor Canera's Jocelyn, but (for durability) wanted only a single row of shallow, u-cut pave, plus all the prong and basket action. To me, rose gold is prettiest when it has either a pave-encrusted or engraved texture to it. This is the ring that made me fall hard for the Jocelyn: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ature-cushion-w-rose-gold-triple-pave.186806/

Then, a few weeks ago, while doing research, I came across LLJsmom's Jocelyn in platinum and, for the first time ever, LIKED the look of a silver/white ring. But I still hypothetically preferred rose gold and was mostly set on it. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/victor-canera-jocelyn-with-scalloped-basket.208952/

Fast forward to this week, and I've been doing a lot of research on here regarding long-term durability of these pave settings. While I DO intend to baby it as much as possible, I want my engagement ring to be an everyday piece. I want it to last as long as possible without going out of round or warping. It began to dawn on me that, in order to get that kind of durability with pave, I'd NEED to go with 2mm+ shank thickness and bright-cut pave instead of u-cut.

Here is where I hit a wall. The few images I've found online of bright-set pave in rose gold, I just don't like the look that much. I feel like u-cut pave in rose gold is a perfect balance of (mostly) white stone and (accents of) pink metal. But rose gold with bright cut pave, the addition of the walls throws off the balance and the diamonds just look out of place and overwhelmed by the pink metal. The contrast between the two seems to just make the walls seem larger than they really are and the diamonds seem smaller than they are.

This is an example of what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I think this ring is gorgeous, but it definitely doesn't have the seemless, wall-to-wall bling look of LLJsmom's ring: http://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-ritani-engagement-ring

RG bright-cut:


Plat bight-cut:



So basically, I've realized my options are:

1.) More "love", Less Durability: Stick with the rose gold Jocelyn with a single row of u-cut pave, and hope for the best, shank width 2mm or greater, can do J or even K larger stone.

2.) Less "love," More Durability: Switch to the bright cut Jocelyn in plat, shank width 2mm or greater, would need to shoot for an I stone, so probably slightly smaller size stone. Would do a rose gold pave WB in this case.

Which option would you pick and why?

Thanks in advance to anyone who makes it through the entire post and can offer opinions/experience!

 

[distracts]

I would go with the one you want even if it is less practical, and be okay with potentially needing to get a new setting in some unknown number of years. I got a three-sided pave ring even though it's less practical because I like the look of it, and if I ever manage to mangle it, I'll re-set and be happy that I got five-plus years of wear out of it, loving it every time I put it on.

 

[quickjewelryrepairs]

I would also choose the one that you fell in love with over the practical one. You will be wearing that ring everyday so choosing something a little less practical is no big deal. Later down the road if you choose to change the setting you can always find someone to do it so that is why I say go with the one that you absolutely love.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You can't compare Victor's handforged bright cut to a mass produced pave shank. I don't think the pictures of the Ritani ring were as flattering to that ring as they could have been, either. I think Victor's bright cut pave in rose gold would be gorgeous! His engraved band would be gorgeous as one of your bands, too!

Normally I always recommend platinum because it stands the test of time in terms of durability and never really is out of style, and as you said, you can wear a rose gold band with it, too. But since your mother and grandmother had rose gold sets, I think it is a valid choice for you and not like fad influence which it can be for some people.

One thing I would warn you about, though, is a pave shank with a K color diamond. I think you may see a color contrast between the pave and the center stone. I would discuss that with Victor before choosing a diamond.

 

[dazzlerazzle]

You can't compare Victor's handforged bright cut to a mass produced pave shank. I don't think the pictures of the Ritani ring were as flattering to that ring as they could have been, either. I think Victor's bright cut pave in rose gold would be gorgeous! His engraved band would be gorgeous as one of your bands, too!

Normally I always recommend platinum because it stands the test of time in terms of durability and never really is out of style, and as you said, you can wear a rose gold band with it, too. But since your mother and grandmother had rose gold sets, I think it is a valid choice for you and not like fad influence which it can be for some people.

One thing I would warn you about, though, is a pave shank with a K color diamond. I think you may see a color contrast between the pave and the center stone. I would discuss that with Victor before choosing a diamond.

You make a really good point about not being able to compare VC's pave with Ritani's. I try to keep that in my mind when comparing... I wish I could find an example of bright cut in rose gold from any of the hand-forging masters on here. I found just one on Leon's site, but only a glamour video of it, so I can't get an idea of what it would look like in real life perspective. I think I will email both Leon and VC to see if they have any real life photos of bright cut in rose gold that aren't available on their websites/social media.

The thing is, I'm starting to lean toward the "finished" look of the bright cut pave, which is another confounding factor. I originally fell in love with the shallow u-cut, but now it doesn't seem to look as finished by comparison, especially on the prongs and basket.

Does anyone know if VC or LM will ship you empty settings so that you can compare in real life? Do they keep empty settings on hand for when clients visit?

Regarding the stone, we are likely going to commission a custom stone starting in January. I'd really prefer an I or J, but said potentially a K in case we shoot for a J and get a K. Thank you for pointing out the potential contrast issue - I hadn't thought of that. For that reason alone, we may decide to shoot for an I instead. SO seems to think I should stay closer to 2 ct because "a 2.5 carat may look too big." Men know nothing....

Diamondseeker, did you ever get the email I sent you through LT?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, I apparently did not! Did you use my email address in the listing or the LT messages? Please try again! I will go check again and be sure, though.

No, they do not have samples to send. I recommend Victor and Steven Kirsch, though. I have seen some excellent bright cut pave in bands by CVB Inspired Design, as well. Also, Maytal Hannah made my daughter's bright cut pave wedding band, and it is beautiful.

 

[Skhii]

Dazzlerazzle, a rose gold Victor Canera Jocelyn would be absolutely beautiful! DandT posted a VC yellow gold engraved band with bright cut pavé that might give you an idea of how much contrast you'll see between a colored gold and "white" diamonds.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/victor-canera-hand-forged-diamond-pave-milgrain-band.159242/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/victor-canera-hand-forged-diamond-pave-milgrain-band.159242/[/URL]



The second platinum photo you posted as an example you like is not handforged, so you don't necessarily need to compare only rings made by LM, SK, and VC.

If you have a Tiffany store nearby, consider trying on some of their rose gold rings.