Solitaire settings

[mrssalvo]

Well believe me DS, I can totally relate. I don''t have any jewelers within a 3 hours drive that carry just about any designer you can name. But Tiffany''s open''s here tomorrow.

I know Jonathan does custom. Anyway can they just make you a Tiffany replica with the prongs you love? Or even Quest, they made jadiejewels ring and it looks fabulous. I guess you never heard back from Mark Morrell?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 7/31/2006 6:50:13 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Y''all are TOO funny!!!! Darn, I just wish the one I want was on ebay for $295!!!


Mrssalvo, Bill said that the new Ritani is 2.9 at the widest and tapers narrower on down the shank. There is no side view but I am betting it is perfect. You can tell is has graceful curved prongs. The price is $2350 and the diamonds are about .30 cts.. I really need to find it and try it on. That will probably be a challenge, but I think it is a gorgeous ring. I am still toying with the idea of getting Maytal to make me a set as well, but I have to find something I want in order for her to make it!!!


Mara, yes, it helped me tremendously to see your friend''s 1.6 in her Ritani. Since I''m a little older than you girls, I just want a little more ring on my finger than the narrow Ritani. That is what led me to look at the Ritani site to see if there was a similar ring with a little more substance.


Scint...he has a Ritani that is very, very similar to yours as a matter of fact. I hope to try it on, too.

That is not a bad price IMHO. Who carries Ritani in charlotte?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, I heard back that they (MM) aren't taking any new clients until after their vacation. They reopen Sept. 18th. So that helps me eliminate one thing. I will tell you that as far as custom goes, Maytal is probably a real opportunity right now. She can make settings like Beaudry or LM quality but her prices are basically wholesale. This is a little funny to talk about openly! But I think one day she'll be a big name herself, and those who get rings from her now will have something really special at a bargain price. However, it seems dumb to me to ask a talented designer to make me a tiffany solitaire! Lol! So it would be good of I could find something a little more interesting!

On the other hand, that Ritani is not too overpriced at Pearlman's. But it doesn't come with a matching band!!! Grr! So then that causes an additional search for a band!

And I thought I was losing my mind over the diamond! Ha!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:09:21 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring


That is not a bad price IMHO. Who carries Ritani in charlotte?

Fink''s at SouthPark and Vera''s Fine Jewelry in Huntersville. My daughter has an appt. in Charlotte next Wednesday morning so I''ll have about an hour to run in SP. I may go to my parent''s town this week and try the Ritani jeweler there, too. I need to decide something soon. Once I go back to school, I can''t be on the computer all day!!!

 

[Small]

Nice pictures. I considered the vatche setting that MDJ is getting/has but in the end I went with the classic cathedral. If I had a bigger stone like yours I would probably go with a 6 prong instead of 4. I really love Mara''s 6 prong and ofcourse Demelza''s ring is stunning

Those would be my favs. I do like the ritani that you posted as well...oh decisions, decisions. I went shopping for settings also as I wanted to get a feel for what would sit flush with my eternity band and such. I think if you have that luxury its certainly the way to go. My band is the 3mm cathedral with a 3mm eternity band on a 5.25 finger. My stone is significantly smaller though at .92 but I have small hands as well so anything thicker in both bands would have taken up way too much space and looked stupid on my hands IMO. I wish you luck. I know the diamond was a long process and now this too...I bet you''ll just be happy when it''s all done and on your hand!

 

[brgirl]

Date: 7/31/2006 8:09:00 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
mrssalvo, no, he did not have it in stock. He obviously had to contact Ritani for the price, etc. because it took awhile for him to email me back. I''m wondering if it will even be possible for me to find one to look at. No vendor carries all the settings!

Mara, I totally agree that it is VERY unlikely that that setting would be copied. And it wouldn''t be a 2+ ct. size if it was. It''s just one where somebody changed their mind or something, probably. I''d take a chance on it. $300 is not too much to lose even if you couldn''t use it. However, it''s hard for me to imagine that you''d take your diamond out of it''s current setting to put it in a plain solitaire! Or are you planning an alternate set?

So I finally had to make my first post after lurking for about 2 months! I heard about the Ritani Royal Crown/Perfect Match (the exact same one from ebay that Mara wants!), Memorial Day weekend at a BBB in DFW and was very excited about this perfect match concept after finding tons of rings that would not sit flush.

Anyhow, I actually work in Maine and my boyfriend lives here, so we had to find the Ritani here. We ran into the same problem above - no one seems to carry all of the settings. Or, we would find different versions of the Royal Crown that we wanted to see at pearlmans.com or ritani or other random websites (googled the heck out of ritani!), but the style number we''d find didn''t seem to match anything in the book that our jeweler had!!

Eventually, the jeweler here got the style naming somewhat straightened out and he had Ritani send him about 3 rings we wanted to see. Once he had it straightened out on which rings to order, it took about a week to get the actual rings in.
And, BBB had also mentioned to us when we were there that he could also get other Ritanis in if we wanted them. I think he used the term ''on memo?''

So, if there is an authorized ritani dealer near you (from the ritani website), they should be able to get rings in. The jeweler in Maine was Days (I would consider them a local chain,all owned by the same person). They have been very nice and aren''t giving my BF a hard time about all of his internet knowledge!

So just thought I''d share!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Welcome, brgirl! This is the greatest forum and will be a big help to anyone choosing a diamond or setting!

My hesitancy in personally doing what you mention is that I hate to make someone go to that much trouble when I have no intention of buying a ring from them, unless of course they''d match Pearlman''s price. I''m also considering having a ring handmade, which would be better quality that a cast ring which the Ritani''s probably are. So I really don''t want to take a major amount of a jeweler''s time (and the expense of having samples shipped in) unless I am planning to buy from them.

But you be sure to post again when you see the Ritani''s! We love pictures around here, too, so try to take some if you can!

 

[brgirl]

Thanks! I undestand about not wanting to waste a jeweler''s time...my BF feels that since the jeweler has done so much for us now, he feels obligated to buy from him, even though I''ve show him pearlman''s, along with lots of other useful but not too pushy information from here! It''s easy for me to say ''we don''t have to buy from days'' when i''m not the one doing the day-to-day communication with them.

I just keep asking him ''so, you told him you know about cut right? And that you know the specs you''re looking for and that you''re willing to go down on color by this much? And that you know the prices for the diamonds on the internet?''
So I am confident he is now armed with all the info he needs, thanks to pricescope!

At some point I want to start a thread on how my tastes changed from the first time we looked at rings to now and what made me change my mind (complete with the various pictures I''ve saved and taken). But I guess I should get back to work for now. I''m afraid by posting, I have more fuel for my daily addiction to PS!!

 

[mrssalvo]

DS, I didn''t want to hijack dem''s thread so i thought i''d post over here.

i don''t know how serious you are but i had the generic 6 prong tiffany and no band will sit flush at all. my wedding band actually was notched and then i had them soldered together. when I got my eternity band the banging and the space drove me nuts. It might not bother you but just wanted you to keep that in mind

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 8/1/2006 9:15:55 AM
Author: mrssalvo
DS, I didn''t want to hijack dem''s thread so i thought i''d post over here.

i don''t know how serious you are but i had the generic 6 prong tiffany and no band will sit flush at all. my wedding band actually was notched and then i had them soldered together. when I got my eternity band the banging and the space drove me nuts. It might not bother you but just wanted you to keep that in mind

The thing that worried me most was the band rubbing against the prongs. I don''t mind a tiny gap because there''d be one with the real Tiffany, too. But that prong sticking out on the Stuller tiff might be a problem. Thanks for the input.

I am thinking today that Maytal might be able to make me something like the Lockes solitaire that Matatora has. That ring was overpriced at Lockes, but I''d be interested to see what she could do. That way she could make the w-band at the same time and be sure they work together. One advantage of using her is that she handmakes her rings rather than casting them. I am going to look at more setting this week. I just need to decide because I am needing to do a few other projects before school starts back, and this is consuming all my time!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 8/1/2006 9:14:49 AM
Author: brgirl
Thanks! I undestand about not wanting to waste a jeweler's time...my BF feels that since the jeweler has done so much for us now, he feels obligated to buy from him, even though I've show him pearlman's, along with lots of other useful but not too pushy information from here! It's easy for me to say 'we don't have to buy from days' when i'm not the one doing the day-to-day communication with them.

I just keep asking him 'so, you told him you know about cut right? And that you know the specs you're looking for and that you're willing to go down on color by this much? And that you know the prices for the diamonds on the internet?'
So I am confident he is now armed with all the info he needs, thanks to pricescope!

At some point I want to start a thread on how my tastes changed from the first time we looked at rings to now and what made me change my mind (complete with the various pictures I've saved and taken). But I guess I should get back to work for now. I'm afraid by posting, I have more fuel for my daily addiction to PS!!

It is definitely addicting, but best to not do it at work! Thankfully I have been off for the summer!

I would definitely have you BF show his jeweler the Pearlman's price for a setting. They should be willing to come close if not outright match it.

And regarding the diamond, just be sure it has either a GIA or AGS cert (no others!) and is excellent or ideal cut and you should be okay!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

To cover all my bases, I decided to get a quote on Jadiejewels Quest Tiffany reproduction as well.

 

[mrssalvo]

I love jadie''s ring. it looks as good as the SC repro to me and Quest would make your prongs however you wanted them. plus, if your not 100% happy quest will fix the ring until you are..i just love that about them.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I like her prong tips better and there is something about the prongs themselves that I like...more graceful I think. I guess analyzing pictures foever pays off!

 

[Mara]

brgirl, so you got the ritani RC, the plain solitaire? oh please do post pictures when you get it! we haven''t seen one on here ever so yours will be the first!!! how exciting!

i am soo hemming and hawing over this one on ebay. the seller is not super responsive (think one word responses to my questions) and he said 2 others are looking at it and he was SURE they''d buy it. i was like umm okay buddy your auction has been up for 10 days now...but okay. i just don''t feel the love vibe from him, but as long as the setting is authentic and in good condition, who cares if he''s sweet right? i am just trying to gauge my level of comfortability with him and sending the $300 off.

did you guys see the weird black mark that''s in the picture to the bottom left of the setting? i asked if it was marked on the setting or if it was just a reflection and he said ''i sure it''s okay''...what does that mean? doesn''t he have the setting there with him? that kind of threw me. i wonder if he has this listing up for a friend or something. but if that is the case, i wish he''d just say so, all this lack of info doesn''t make me feel super confident.

ahhh well, back to thinking about it!!

unfortunately i''m traveling for work this afternoon and all of tomorrow so if i do anything it won''t even be til tomorrow night at the earliest. by then who knows if it will still be around!

 

[brgirl]

Well, I don''t have it yet, I just picked that one out!! Have NO idea on time frame of when I''ll get it. Oh wait, he did finally say ''before christmas...'' What''s funny is that right around the time I saw the ring at BBB was when you started posting about seeing it, and no one could find a picture - including myself! The closest I could find was one that someone eventually posted from pearlmans - but it had the surprise diamond and double-prongs.

(Oh and don''t worry - I won''t be bidding on that one on ebay - I''m expecting around 1 carat, so that setting is too big!)

I will definitely post pictures whenever I do get it!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

So today I drove to a nearby town 40 minutes away because the jeweler carries Ritani. They had exactly TWO rings, a couple of necklaces, bracelets, etc.! One ring was a three stone halo style and the other was an asscher halo. Both very pretty, but no e-ring settings at all. They did carry Scott Kay and had a better selection of those. They didn''t have the really expensive one I liked, but they had the smaller version (like that set you posted mrssalvo). I did try on some SK solitaires that were pretty. But that one I really liked was still too expensive even with Pearlman''s discount.

Tomorrow I am going to visit my parents a couple of hours away, so I am going to do a search to see what the jewelers there carry and maybe I can see something there. There is just no way I can order an expensive designer ring that I have never tried on.

 

[mrssalvo]

well at least your getting out there and trying some different things on. That will help you decide what style you prefer on your hand if you end up going custom too.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am going to my parents town tomorrow, and they have a jeweler who has Tacori and Vatche (and others) and another with Ritani. So maybe I''ll get to visit those!

 

[mrssalvo]

your parents are going to think you''re nutso coming in for a visit and then heading off to jewelry stores

.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lol! Yeah, that could look a little like I came to go shopping and needed a place to stay overnight!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

ohhh...good luck J! I hope you find something you LOVE!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks, S!! I called my mother and told her I needed to go to two jewelry stores (one has Tacori!), but they are nowhere near each other. So I''m not sure if I''ll make it to both or not. I''m only staying Wed. night and coming home Thurs. afternoon. Stay tuned for the latest developments (my parents have the internet, thank goodness!)!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

You DO need to try on A Tacori just for me

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/1/2006 11:17:45 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Thanks, S!! I called my mother and told her I needed to go to two jewelry stores (one has Tacori!), but they are nowhere near each other. So I''m not sure if I''ll make it to both or not. I''m only staying Wed. night and coming home Thurs. afternoon. Stay tuned for the latest developments (my parents have the internet, thank goodness!)!

ds, can''t you just stay another day, to fit both in? Unless you have something pending, I''d take advantage of both stores!

Plus, you could visit with your parents more and then maybe they wouldn''t feel like you used them for a pit stop.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Hi, Ellen,

I''ll get there, hopefully around noon or 1 pm today, so I hope to make it to one this afternoon. Then I can go to the other Thursday morning (if I can figure out how to get there...it is pretty far from where my parents live). We won''t leave until Thursday afternoon. I have a hair appt. Friday morning at 11, so that restricts my time a little.

But you''re right, I do need to go to both. Besides making Tacori E-ring happy

, I really want to see some Tacori''s in person before making a decision. Then I will have seen a very nice variety. My basic decision is whether to go with the simple but elegant polished platinum look or a more enrgraved, antique look. I like both so it will be a hard decision!!!

 

[Ellen]

Oh good, glad you will be able to fit both in. Good luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Where do I begin? And I''ll have to be quick since I need to visit with my parents a little while, too, while I''m home!

First I went to a jeweler who carries Tacori, Verragio, Vatche, and some other odds and ends. I looked at Vatche since GOG carries it and it would be the easiest route. (Not that I ever do anything the easy way!) In honor of Mara, I tried on the Royal Crown! I tried one with the side channel diamonds because it had a CZ around the size of my stone just to get perspective. It is a beautifully finished ring. It reminds me of what I perceive Mark Morrell to be like..it is perfectly smooth, no rough edges. What I did not like is how the band is relatively wide and pinches in at the head... like a bowtie. But it is a lovely setting and a very nice choice for a solitaire.

Next I sat at the Tacori counter, and I spent a long time there.

I told the lady that I had never tried on Tacori, and I wanted to try on every one!!! (Okay, I skipped the non-round stones!). The ones with the crescent sides were just gorgeous. They were all beautifully done. They had one very similar to Tacori E-ring''s ring, but it was all diamonds! But it was fun to try it one again! I guess of those I liked the narrow bands about 2.5mm with the e-ring having the two small diamonds beside the head. I think some people on here have that set. It has the crescent sides.

Then I went to the jeweler who carried Ritani and Scott Kay. That was fortunate because I could compare the two. I guess I would describe Scott Kay as having antique influence with a contemporay flair. They had the smaller version of the ring I saw and liked when I went shopping last week. So I was able to compare it to the Ritani.

So now to Ritani. Gosh, the pictures do not do it justice (and I''d say the same with Tacori)! Those rings were so beautiful. They did not have the ring I specifically wanted, but they said they had one that was a newer version...and Mr. Pearlman carries it. I didn''t care for it at all from Mr. Pearlman''s photo, but I was shocked to see that it was gorgeous in person! They did not have that super thin set like Kayla and Mara''s friend have, but I can now imagine how gorgeous it is. But I tried on a 2.5mm wedding band, and it was very narrow and delicate, and I would not go smaller than 2.5 on either of my bands. Those really were thin themselves! I''ll try to link the ring from Pearlman''s, but I''ll bet y''all won''t like it, because I didn''t until I saw it. And oh, that thing was set with a 2 ct. CZ and it looked GOOD!!! I mean it! I was thinking, thank goodness my PS friends talked me into 1.6 because I''m now wondering if it is big enough!

One more thing about the Ritani...it also has very smoorh rounded edges. It feels good on. I tried on two Tacori knife edge rings and they simply were not comfortable, plus I couldn''t match up a band with them.

My one worry now is this (aside from not knowing what to do)...will pave be a pain? Will it stay in my ring for my lifetime and for my kids? You HAVE to keep rings like that clean..but are they safe in an ultrasonic? I think Tacori E-ring said she lost a pave diamond in her US.

I''ll go to Pearlman''s quick and try to show you the ring I tried on. Then I''ll come back later to chat a little after I visit with my parents!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, gosh, I don''t see the picture of the Ritani on the Pearlman''s site or the Ritani site. It has some characteristics of about 3 rings. It was like the one I posted earlier, but the shank was a little wider at the head and then tapered. On the sides there were tiny pave diamonds going up the side of the prongs and across the inside of the part of the shank that rests on top of the finger. No basket..4 prongs. I really think I''d like the one I posted more, yet I wouldn''t be able to try it with a band!!! Grrr!
I looked at the pave under the microscope...it was perfection...all prong set. The quality was like Tiffany..and the jeweler told me that Ritani used to work for Tiffany. As a matter of fact, so did Maytal..small world! At least I am consistent with the quality I like! Ha! Just can''t pick one!

 

[Ellen]

ds, I may have missed it, but are you at all considering a MM? and if not, why not?