Star ruby with rose cut diamond ring CAD

[Bluegemz]

Hi people! I’m working on touches to this CAD for a star ruby with rose cut diamonds. All stones except the center are diamonds, and rose cuts, though it’s not clear in the CAD.

I’m just wondering about opinions or things which I may not be thinking of. This would be much appreciated!

At this point, I’m thinking decorative small claw prongs will go around it with a very short bezel in order to best hide a abrasion on one side of the lower side of the ruby, and for this reason, I asked that the diamonds be lifted up as pictured around the stone a little.

One big question I have is: do you think the little diamonds on the inside of the marquis going to look strange when set and in comparison with the larger sizes of the other diamonds? There is a negative space when they are not present. But if the inside pair of diamonds were much larger, they would push out the marquis diamonds so that the lines of the Y shapes are less coherent with the line around the halo. Should they be a touch larger though?

So far, the side view is plain...any design shapes on the metal which might improve it ? I’m very curious about what others might consider which perhaps I’m not seeing.

Still undecided on the metal. Platinum or yellow gold...hmm. Generally I love rubies with YG, but if platinum, would tie into other things which might also be nice.

Because the stone is not huge, and I’m a tall lady with large hands, I need some finger coverage, which is my reason for a halo around it. I’m inspired by both vintage/antique settings but want it also like a relatively sleek with a touch of modern simplicity ...don’t want it to be too fussy or delicate with unnecessary designs. But here is where the shape and flow of the metal comes in. Thoughts?

Here are some inspiration pics with star rubies...




And here is the current CAD;

 

[Bluegemz]

Another question....I love the floating look of diamonds with prongs, but because these are not large diamonds, could a more defined outer edge be visually striking, such as in this example?

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I do not feel qualified to give you CAD advice, but I am so looking forward to this ring when it is completed. It is going to be amazing!

 

[AV_]

Rose cut pave is seriously beautiful & I agree that the scale of the diamond work fits the ring model better

 

[Rfisher]

Another question....I love the floating look of diamonds with prongs, but because these are not large diamonds, could a more defined outer edge be visually striking, such as in this example?

One vote !yes! for a fine outer edge to define- I think of NKOTB’s ruby ring as an example.
I’d also vote for plat around the diamonds and 18k yellow around the ruby.

Your inspo and stone are stunning!

 

[prs]

They make triangular shaped melee WWW and the smallest available size looks to be 2.5mm. I wonder if one of these might fill your Y space better than a round.

I have to say though, I think your inspiration pics with halos that go completely 360° around the stone look fantastic. So maybe do that, with side stones going down the arms of the shank? This would also get you more ginger coverage.

 

[Bluegemz]

I do not feel qualified to give you CAD advice, but I am so looking forward to this ring when it is completed. It is going to be amazing!

Awe, thank you! I don’t feel qualified to look at CADS either because they are new to me! But your post is a welcome encouragement.

 

[Bluegemz]

Rose cut pave is seriously beautiful & I agree that the scale of the diamond work fits the ring model better

Do you mean that the smaller diamonds for my smaller star ruby is fitting?

 

[Bluegemz]

One vote !yes! for a fine outer edge to define- I think of NKOTB’s ruby ring as an example.
I’d also vote for plat around the diamonds and 18k yellow around the ruby.

Your inspo and stone are stunning!

Thank you so much! I love the gold and platitudes, and I’ll definitely do that! Really really appreciate your vote and suggestion. I’ll request to see a more defined edge in the next CAD for a comparison.

 

[Bluegemz]

They make triangular shaped melee WWW and the smallest available size looks to be 2.5mm. I wonder if one of these might fill your Y space better than a round.

I have to say though, I think your inspiration pics with halos that go completely 360° around the stone look fantastic. So maybe do that, with side stones going down the arms of the shank? This would also get you more ginger coverage.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll think about the triangle option. My initial concern was that maybe there would be too many shapes, but I’ll ask to see it as an option. Sigh...I’m very torn about the complete 360 halo because the inspiration rings are with larger stones. Also, I tend to not wear complete halos as often as ones with variations. But I’m truly on the fence about this. Thank you so much for the feedback!

 

[AV_]

Do you mean that the smaller diamonds for my smaller star ruby is fitting?

Yes

 

[AV_]

I worry that the rose cuts are too small to look good - at least without backing...

Rambling:

The old (1850-ish) rose pave I have in mind is always backed - usually in silver, and the so-called rose cuts are really just little chips with random facets about as thick as they are wide; modern small rose cuts tend to be relatively flat and polished metal backing is not done. If I were to think through what I see, the random faceting of old yields contrast, the modern bits of diamond are more precisely worked but end up merely transparent...

If the diamonds were modern brilliant cuts, I would expect a certain feel of this design - in the spirit of Kataoka & their ilk; those settings seem to be a sort of collets with some mass of metal under the diamonds, so subtle dots of metal hold the girdles of diamonds (elongated into prongs, these tips would be too thin to support themselves - a tradeoff*)

I am finding myself doodling versions of this ring on a finger & the sense of scale differs oodles from the CAD.

...

* I've got my lesson of how less than 1mm diamonds can be set other than into a sheet of metal (as pave) from a memorable spray of enamel dog roses - each stamen not much beefier than the botanical model, yet tipped with single cut diamonds, remarcably precise themselves... I remember it every April, sure enough.

 

[Bluegemz]

I worry that the rose cuts are too small to look good - at least without backing...

Rambling:

The old (1850-ish) rose pave I have in mind is always backed - usually in silver, and the so-called rose cuts are really just little chips with random facets about as thick as they are wide; modern small rose cuts tend to be relatively flat and polished metal backing is not done. If I were to think through what I see, the random faceting of old yields contrast, the modern bits of diamond are more precisely worked but end up merely transparent...

If the diamonds were modern brilliant cuts, I would expect a certain feel of this design - in the spirit of Kataoka & their ilk; those settings seem to be a sort of collets with some mass of metal under the diamonds, so subtle dots of metal hold the girdles of diamonds (elongated into prongs, these tips would be too thin to support themselves - a tradeoff*)

I am finding myself doodling versions of this ring on a finger & the sense of scale differs oodles from the CAD.

...

* I've got my lesson of how less than 1mm diamonds can be set other than into a sheet of metal (as pave) from a memorable spray of enamel dog roses - each stamen not much beefier than the botanical model, yet tipped with single cut diamonds, remarcably precise themselves... I remember it every April, sure enough.

I worry about this too, so really THANK YOU for this feedback. On one hand, I don’t want to overwhelm the stone, and I don’t mind a less flashy look of the diamonds, but I think they do need a certain mass to be visually clear. And I don’t like the idea of backings on rings.

I would love to see your doodles! I’m really trying to define a ‘spirit’ of the ring, a ‘soul’ which still feels unclear/undefined to me in the CAD Scale is super important to me in this. You have given me a lot to think about.

I’m thinking now my best 2 choices are using the current CAD with modern brilliants, ( love Kataoka..magic, intimate, nature like...something elves might have. I can almost hear wind chimes when seeing some of the pieces.)

I will ask for another CAD with bigger rose cuts going all the way around the stone as in inspiration picture 1. That one has a strong spirit which feels wild and exotic, like some kind of an exotic flower or a dark star in a distant galaxy to me. That may be the simplest and best look with rose cuts. If I go that route.

 

[chrono]

I love your inspiration pictures but there's something about the CAD that is off. The rounds and marquises seem disjointed. I'm not sure whether it is the proportions or something else. It's not "flowing" to my eye.

 

[Bluegemz]

I love your inspiration pictures but there's something about the CAD that is off. The rounds and marquises seem disjointed. I'm not sure whether it is the proportions or something else. It's not "flowing" to my eye.

I agree..thank you. If you can pin point what it is, I’d love to know.

 

[qubitasaurus]

I was somehow under the impression that kataoka was placing two rose cuts back to back (flat side adjoining) to avoid the see through flat look.

Sorry I also don't feel your cad captures the same feeling I get from your inspiration pieces. Cad has a lot of metal and seems less harmonious with both the marquise and round cuts, whereas the inspiration pics are all light and floaty.

 

[chrono]

Going off Inspiration #2, it is stretched sideways. Notice the air gap between the pair of marquises and the ruby on each side of the ruby. The design makes the oval look almost round with this effect. Compared to your CAD, the marquises are flush with the ruby. I think the rounds are also no wider than the width of each marquise, possibly slightly narrower, in the inspiration picture.

 

[Bluegemz]

I was somehow under the impression that kataoka was placing two rose cuts back to back (flat side adjoining) to avoid the see through flat look.

Sorry I also don't feel your cad captures the same feeling I get from your inspiration pieces. Cad has a lot of metal and seems less harmonious with both the marquise and round cuts, whereas the inspiration pics are all light and floaty.

I really agree. Ok, I’m going back to basics with this. My inspiration picture 1 captures the airy floaty look which I love. Will come back with a new CAD.

 

[Bluegemz]

Going off Inspiration #2, it is stretched sideways. Notice the air gap between the pair of marquises and the ruby on each side of the ruby. The design makes the oval look almost round with this effect. Compared to your CAD, the marquises are flush with the ruby. I think the rounds are also no wider than the width of each marquise, possibly slightly narrower, in the inspiration picture.

that is true..they are pushed up against the ruby with the Y shape too wide. To me it looks a little like they are attempting to swallow the stone., and either the rounds would have to be bigger or the marquis narrower, or both. And maybe more rounds so that the marquis take up less space in the perimeter of the ruby. I will ask for these modifications, and another like inspiration picture 1. Thank you!

 

[prs]

I find DW and I can easily recognize a beautifully designed piece when we see one, however designing such a piece from scratch is a whole other story!

Best way I've found is to draw the proposed plan view of the design out to scale on graph paper, with two squares of the graph paper equal to one mm. A soft pencil and an eraser are a must! Sorry if this seems obvious, but it took me a while to figure it out. It's a whole lot quicker than sending in CAD changes, waiting for the CAD to come back, and then having to start again when you realize your changes didn't do it!

 

[Bluegemz]

I find DW and I can easily recognize a beautifully designed piece when we see one, however designing such a piece from scratch is a whole other story!

Best way I've found is to draw the proposed plan view of the design out to scale on graph paper, with two squares of the graph paper equal to one mm. A soft pencil and an eraser are a must! Sorry if this seems obvious, but it took me a while to figure it out. It's a whole lot quicker than sending in CAD changes, waiting for the CAD to come back, and then having to start again when you realize your changes didn't do it!

I’ve been doing that.. thanks for the suggestion. Designing jewelry is very different from other forms of designing which I’m more accustomed to, so it is a challenge indeed! Part of the issue has been trying to incorporate DH’s ideas and I think I need to just follow my own a tad more.

 

[Bluegemz]

Ok, update and questions....first, thank you all for you feedback! It really has helped me clarify some things. It is so hard when there are many setting options, to define the exact ring design!

I told DK that if I go with the current CAD, it would need some tweaks and it would be done in modern brilliants.

Im really considering a scaled version of inspiration picture 1 but diamonds would have to be big enough to look like something in rose cuts. See below pics ( though the drawn one is reallly not exact or to scale, just a quicky.) my heart skipped a beat when I saw this, so I definitely love it.
.


But then one of my daughters insisted on grabbing the paper to give me her idea...she came up with this design, which I quite like. For one, it’s unique and simple while creating a movement in diamonds around the stone, which would keep the eye moving around. Goes with the motion of the asterism. Just considering it ...my question is, would modern brilliant marquis diamonds in this layout have extinction issues which might create a ring of dark going around the stone? Maybe it would be better in rose cuts? Which would you chose of the designs?

 

[chrono]

Design 1 steals my heart and breath.

 

[prs]

I agree with chrono, it will be tough to improve on perfection!


However I'm not sure from this image if the diamonds are all pears, or if a two or three rounds have been mixed in. Maybe the jeweler couldn't find enough matching pears? . I think I'd want to see a sketch with all pears to see how it compares.

Oops I see you already have a photo with all pears, it's close but I think I prefer it.

 

[voce]

I love your own design the most. I would prefer the alternation of pear and round, so that the points of the pears form a six pointed star, which of course refers back to the six-legged star on your ruby! I can't really tell what the diamonds will look like (extinction, brilliance, etc) from the CADS, but I'm really looking forward to seeing your finished ring!

 

[Bluegemz]

Design 1 steals my heart and breath.

Ok, that’s what I needed to hear. Thanks @chrono for the affirmation! I’m going with this. I’m relieved to be more decided.

 

[Bluegemz]

I agree with chrono, it will be tough to improve on perfection!


However I'm not sure from this image if the diamonds are all pears, or if a two or three rounds have been mixed in. Maybe the jeweler couldn't find enough matching pears? . I think I'd want to see a sketch with all pears to see how it compares.

Oops I see you already have a photo with all pears, it's close but I think I prefer it.

Thanks @prs! I will do another sketch to see.

 

[Bluegemz]

I love your own design the most. I would prefer the alternation of pear and round, so that the points of the pears form a six pointed star, which of course refers back to the six-legged star on your ruby! I can't really tell what the diamonds will look like (extinction, brilliance, etc) from the CADS, but I'm really looking forward to seeing your finished ring!

That’s true, it would orient the star well with the six points. Really appreciate the feedback. I’m going with this!

 

[prs]

Looking closely at the prongs in your inspiration photo it seems the pears are slightly wider than the rounds. Also the L/W of the pears seems to vary between 1.25 and 1.50.

 

[Bluegemz]

Alrighty, here is the latest CAD. A couple of details....I will ask that it shows as little metal as possible between the diamonds and the ruby. So far, yellow gold decorative prongs around the ruby, and platinum for the rest.
I am wondering if the rounds going down the shoulders detract from the unity of the diamond flower... I like it a lot but can imagine without too.
Any other thoughts? Thank you all in advance!