shape
carat
color
clarity

Stud setting advice - 1.25ctw L-M OECs

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
I just got these 1.25ctw 5.3mm L-M OEC studs from OWD and I want to have them reset but I’m conflicted. They are an upgrade to my old pair, 0.84ctw H-I that are set in a white gold bezel (which are going to a new home in a three stone ring). My plan was to do the same setting, but these stones are lower in color than I originally planned and now I’m wondering if a white gold bezel is still a good idea. I feel like the setting they are in now is a great choice for them and plays up the bit of color, it’s just not my style as I prefer bezels and only wear white gold/platinum. Rose gold is very pretty and trendy but I’m worried I won’t love it as an every day earring because it doesn’t match anything else I have.

OWD can also make this filigree bezel setting which is very pretty, but I’m worried it might stick out from my ear and droop compared to my current setting which kind of nestles into my ear. Shown here in rose gold on the same size stone as mine. It’s such a pretty setting though I guess I won’t even see the sides when I’m wearing them.

Thoughts? Do I stick with my favorite white gold bezel or will that look all wrong? Do I go for the filigree or replicate my current setting? I guess I’m looking for permission to go with my favorite simple bezel setting and that I won’t be letting the stones down or something haha.
E939FF70-22F8-4763-894B-E2B9855FD0A7.jpeg A8DE1506-9AF4-4F63-9C78-DADC0966FAE5.jpeg C868F8B0-66E2-494A-9426-CC6D6DF294D8.jpeg
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,914
Firstly, there are no rules to jewelry, so you should get what you want. There’s no point in getting the filigree RG bezels or keeping them in the current setting if you won’t reach for them! So if you’re looking for permission, I officially grant you mine, not that I’m some great authority and not that you need it :D

But if you’re still uncomfortable with the idea, I think there’s some other compromises you can consider. Firstly, if you only wear WG, you could get them in a WG prong setting, you won’t really be seeing any metal so there’s precious little chance of it clashing. The body color is irrelevant in an earring since you won’t be seeing it from the side!

Another idea is to get a YG bezel, but I don’t think that really solves the problem, which is that you want WG, but I’m putting it out as an option. I wouldn’t really confuse the issue by adding in RG as an option since you neither wear it regularly nor is it a typically-complementary color for your faintly yellow stone.

A third idea is to perhaps get unplated WG bezels, which are like a very pale whitish yellow. It might be a good compromise for you, if you like the color!

What I would do however, is to get the WG or the platinum bezels, because that is the color you love. You could get a thin millgrained bezel, which is nice because it functions almost like a halo visually and to my eye there’s less “contrast” with a millgrained bezel vs a plain one. You don’t need to get the decorative sides, pretty as they are, since you’ll never see them, but a thin delicate millgrain over the top might be the visual compromise you need.

Enjoy your lovely stones! I hope this was helpful!
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
Firstly, there are no rules to jewelry, so you should get what you want. There’s no point in getting the filigree RG bezels or keeping them in the current setting if you won’t reach for them! So if you’re looking for permission, I officially grant you mine, not that I’m some great authority and not that you need it :D

But if you’re still uncomfortable with the idea, I think there’s some other compromises you can consider. Firstly, if you only wear WG, you could get them in a WG prong setting, you won’t really be seeing any metal so there’s precious little chance of it clashing. The body color is irrelevant in an earring since you won’t be seeing it from the side!

Another idea is to get a YG bezel, but I don’t think that really solves the problem, which is that you want WG, but I’m putting it out as an option. I wouldn’t really confuse the issue by adding in RG as an option since you neither wear it regularly nor is it a typically-complementary color for your faintly yellow stone.

A third idea is to perhaps get unplated WG bezels, which are like a very pale whitish yellow. It might be a good compromise for you, if you like the color!

What I would do however, is to get the WG or the platinum bezels, because that is the color you love. You could get a thin millgrained bezel, which is nice because it functions almost like a halo visually and to my eye there’s less “contrast” with a millgrained bezel vs a plain one. You don’t need to get the decorative sides, pretty as they are, since you’ll never see them, but a thin delicate millgrain over the top might be the visual compromise you need.

Enjoy your lovely stones! I hope this was helpful!

Thank you, yes, that was helpful!

Unplated WG is a great idea. I don't know why I didn't think of it. That would be a little less contrast-y. I definitely plan to do a milgrained bezel, and that's what my current earrings have (though it's very hard to tell in these pics). I agree that it breaks up the metal and doesn't make it contrast as much. And if it's very delicate it probably wouldn't be obvious at all that the stone was a lower color.

As far as rose gold goes, I think it would look pretty with my hair and skin color, but I agree it probably wouldn't look good with the yellow in the stone. Some day I will have something in rose gold but probably not this.

The prong setting itself is very pretty and I'm trying to decide if I should get it in white gold. They just seem like they would be uncomfortable since I sleep/shower/etc in my current studs and bezels are so easy to wear. The prongs seem pokey. I'm sending them back tomorrow to be reset so I'll wear them as is for now and see how I feel about the comfort thing.

It's funny because if someone else asked how to set these stones, I would say yellow gold 6 prong haha. So I feel bad for wanting to go the opposite direction.
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2,914
Thank you, yes, that was helpful!

Unplated WG is a great idea. I don't know why I didn't think of it. That would be a little less contrast-y. I definitely plan to do a milgrained bezel, and that's what my current earrings have (though it's very hard to tell in these pics). I agree that it breaks up the metal and doesn't make it contrast as much. And if it's very delicate it probably wouldn't be obvious at all that the stone was a lower color.

As far as rose gold goes, I think it would look pretty with my hair and skin color, but I agree it probably wouldn't look good with the yellow in the stone. Some day I will have something in rose gold but probably not this.

The prong setting itself is very pretty and I'm trying to decide if I should get it in white gold. They just seem like they would be uncomfortable since I sleep/shower/etc in my current studs and bezels are so easy to wear. The prongs seem pokey. I'm sending them back tomorrow to be reset so I'll wear them as is for now and see how I feel about the comfort thing.

It's funny because if someone else asked how to set these stones, I would say yellow gold 6 prong haha. So I feel bad for wanting to go the opposite direction.

At the end of the day, there’s no law saying you can’t set an L-M stone in a WG setting :D while YG 6 prong might be the “go to” for a cape color it doesn’t mean it won’t look great in a WG bezel.

I wonder if OWD could send you a pic of these unset and inside a WG bezel for you to see how much contrast there actually will be. Diamonds pick up color from their settings too, maybe they’ll look a bit whiter in the WG? Also if they could show you what their unplated WG looks like.... though they could just send them to you unplated and you can get them rhodium plated at your local jeweler’s if you want them plated after all!
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
At the end of the day, there’s no law saying you can’t set an L-M stone in a WG setting :D while YG 6 prong might be the “go to” for a cape color it doesn’t mean it won’t look great in a WG bezel.

I wonder if OWD could send you a pic of these unset and inside a WG bezel for you to see how much contrast there actually will be. Diamonds pick up color from their settings too, maybe they’ll look a bit whiter in the WG? Also if they could show you what their unplated WG looks like.... though they could just send them to you unplated and you can get them rhodium plated at your local jeweler’s if you want them plated after all!

That's a good idea, I'll ask them to take a pic before they set it. I do think the YG basket is adding a lot of color but it's hard to tell how much. He offered to send them to me loose but I'm always afraid I'll lose loose stones so I told him to send them in the current setting
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
Some more pictures. I really like the cut on these. Maybe just because they’re clean and my other stuff is not, but they sparkle more than my old OEC earrings or my OMC pendant.

I think they face up warm but not yellow and in non-YG settings it will probably be minimal. Lots of color from the side, but hard to tell how much is influenced by the setting. It really is a pretty setting and makes me wish I liked prongs. 7208B7C7-CB75-4A0E-B452-59DC3B769B4C.jpeg 5DA16CC7-0D30-487C-8DF4-3BCA24A69CD5.jpeg 2B43341B-2CE9-4C8F-BE2F-3E6FFF59598F.jpeg
 

winnietucker

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 4, 2019
Messages
2,461
These are really pretty. No matter how you set them they’ll look great.
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
These are really pretty. No matter how you set them they’ll look great.

Thanks! I went back and forth a lot because of the color, but I tend to like things about old stones that make them unique. I’m color sensitive in that I can see color easily but I don’t mind it in old cuts. They are very sparkly! The price was also really good, probably because of the color
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
I’m back with an update! I got my studs back today in a white gold bezel and I love them. The stones are definitely still warm, but look much whiter than they did in yg (which made them almost look light yellow). There is a bit of contrast between the wg and the stones in certain lighting conditions but other times they look fairly white. I love them and I’m so glad I went with my favorite setting. I just love how round bezels make them look

And now I have my old stones unset and ready to mail out for my three stone ring which is super exciting!

8E7C8189-5914-4BF6-90E5-887238E3C362.jpeg
 

winnietucker

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 4, 2019
Messages
2,461
Very pretty! I’m loving the bezel.
 

e2the3rd

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
545
I’m back with an update! I got my studs back today in a white gold bezel and I love them. The stones are definitely still warm, but look much whiter than they did in yg (which made them almost look light yellow). There is a bit of contrast between the wg and the stones in certain lighting conditions but other times they look fairly white. I love them and I’m so glad I went with my favorite setting. I just love how round bezels make them look

And now I have my old stones unset and ready to mail out for my three stone ring which is super exciting!

8E7C8189-5914-4BF6-90E5-887238E3C362.jpeg

Goodness these are SO gorgeous! Which type of bezel setting did you go with? Looks like your old pair was bezel martini ? from that one side view anyway. I'm looking for bezel studs but not sure if I'd like the kind that stick out from the ear either, though I seem to be finding the best deals in that kind of setting
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
Goodness these are SO gorgeous! Which type of bezel setting did you go with? Looks like your old pair was bezel martini ? from that one side view anyway. I'm looking for bezel studs but not sure if I'd like the kind that stick out from the ear either, though I seem to be finding the best deals in that kind of setting

They are exactly the same as my old ones. I guess you could say it’s a martini except the back isn’t pointed, it’s more rounded. I love it, it sits tucked right into my ear.
8668324B-66FF-45DC-B9ED-EDD7F357F93F.jpeg
 

e2the3rd

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
545
They are exactly the same as my old ones. I guess you could say it’s a martini except the back isn’t pointed, it’s more rounded. I love it, it sits tucked right into my ear.
8668324B-66FF-45DC-B9ED-EDD7F357F93F.jpeg

Love!! Thank you for the photo. OWD did this setting ?
 

Austina

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
7,554
I like to know too, are the original settings their Crown 6?

:lol: I’m thinking of going from bezel set studs to some old cuts in settings like the originals.
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
I like to know too, are the original settings their Crown 6?

:lol: I’m thinking of going from bezel set studs to some old cuts in settings like the originals.

I’m not sure what he calls that setting. It’s the same as in this listing

Love!! Thank you for the photo. OWD did this setting ?

Yes OWD did the bezel setting for these and for my original pair (which I bought as loose stones from them years ago).
 

Austina

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
7,554
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top