The Balancing Act: Diamond vs. Setting

[diamondseeker2006]

A pave ring is not a 24/7 ring no matter who makes it. It is a ring you put on after you are dressed in the morning and wear it to work (assuming you don't do any work with your hands that would cause damage to the ring). Then you take it off when you get home before you work out, clean the house, do dishes, etc. You have to be conscious of taking care of the ring. Part of the problem with pave is that some people say not to put it in an ultrasonic cleaner, and if you don't, it will be hard to keep sparkling clean. I am seriously not trying to discourage you as much as I am trying to let you know the reality of care for pave rings.

I definitely agree with a CAD ring in your case. I would not spend more on the setting than the diamond. I have seen several ERD halo rings and they looked good to me.

 

[Alias]

Thank you very much for the links - there are small changes that we would like to make to ring so I'm not sure if I can go with JA standard.

The pave being so precious does make sense that there is potential for diamonds to fall off. My GF has told me that she would like to wear the ring most of the time, if not all the time (this kind of made me feel good! ). I really wouldn't want to deal with sending the ring back and forth to have the diamonds put back in...any suggestions or must we pick a different setting?

Also, any comments on ERD or GOG CAD?

Thanks!

Sorry i still cant comment on a personal experience with GOG or ERD

No ring should be worn all the time. I mean you could bulk up and get a solitaire bezel, but even that could get damaged.

What does she do for a living?

Thanks for the input! She works in an office environment so I think that aspect of it will be okay. I agree, however, that the ring cannot be worn at all time and that is something I think she does know...especially during exercise or washing dishes. So now I think I just need to make sure I get the best CAD I can get such that the pave's are solid.

Regardless of the setting she wants a pave...so I cannot do anything with that. We have gone through some of LM's designs and there were a couple single halos she likes but at the end of the day she loves the Soleste.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here's an ERD double halo with a 1 ct center stone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUP7aUo9dFE

 

[Alias]

Here's an ERD double halo with a 1 ct center stone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUP7aUo9dFE

Have watched that over and over again - it looks brilliant! Will likely being up the pave a bit to about 1/3 of the shaft.

Already have a quote from Chris who will happily do the setting even if I do get the Brellia from GOG. Would likely get a package deal from GOG though. Once I finally pick the diamond I will have a better idea of final costs etc...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Here's an ERD double halo with a 1 ct center stone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUP7aUo9dFE

Have watched that over and over again - it looks brilliant! Will likely being up the pave a bit to about 1/3 of the shaft.

Already have a quote from Chris who will happily do the setting even if I do get the Brellia from GOG. Would likely get a package deal from GOG though. Once I finally pick the diamond I will have a better idea of final costs etc...

Not sure what you mean by that. Do you mean have less pave on the shank or more? I actually think that one is perfect. It leaves it off the underside of the ring where it could be damaged when she grabs things or if it ever needs to be resized. But you wouldn't want less than that. It really comes down to the right place.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Here's an ERD double halo with a 1 ct center stone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUP7aUo9dFE

I would change it to curved struts instead.

 

[TC1987]

I don't know enough to get into the cast vs hand crafted debate so won't.

For me the ring is about the overall look and that means spending on the setting to complete the look. I've never understood the line of thinking to pop the largest diamond you can afford into an inexpensive setting. If getting the complete look correct meant spending half or more of my budget on the setting and less on the diamond I would.

The line of thinking is that you will buy the perfect ring, but you will do it in stages. First, you get the maximum diamond you can afford. And you have it mounted in a nice-enough but temporary setting. And then, after you amass the money, and you've given it a lot of thought, and you've comparison-shopped, and you are certain of exactly what you want and from whom, you buy the perfect setting. Nobody says the diamond has to stay in the inexpensive setting forever. First, you buy a platform upon which to build. It's also like the old adage: Measure twice, cut once.

 

[TC1987]

Here's an ERD double halo with a 1 ct center stone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUP7aUo9dFE

I would change it to curved struts instead.

The attachment point, where the struts attach to the halo, will have to also be moved out toward the edges of the halo for the curved struts. That mount has such short & straight struts because they are tucked so far underneath the halo and they attach at the inner diameter, not the outer diameter. eta: Because it's a 1ct stone, the halo diameter is smaller. Much easier to put big swooping curved struts on a larger halo for a 2.5 or 3ct stone, lol.

 

[Alias]

Here's an ERD double halo with a 1 ct center stone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUP7aUo9dFE

Have watched that over and over again - it looks brilliant! Will likely being up the pave a bit to about 1/3 of the shaft.

Already have a quote from Chris who will happily do the setting even if I do get the Brellia from GOG. Would likely get a package deal from GOG though. Once I finally pick the diamond I will have a better idea of final costs etc...

Not sure what you mean by that. Do you mean have less pave on the shank or more? I actually think that one is perfect. It leaves it off the underside of the ring where it could be damaged when she grabs things or if it ever needs to be resized. But you wouldn't want less than that. It really comes down to the right place.

Thanks, DS! Meant less pave on the shank. Thanks for the input on it - will definitely take that into consideration!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You're welcome! I have seen a lot of halo rings here, and it just looks better when the plain shank is from about 5:00 to 7:00 or 4:00 to 8:00. I wouldn't put any less than that.

Others are giving you some other design advice, and you may want to look at other well made double halo rings to see if there are changes you'd want to make.

I love this halo for a double halo as the inner halo is so tiny. You can see on the video that it has a different look under the halo. It has a split shank:

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-anne-marie-with-canera-cushion-in-double-halo

This video is gorgeous but doesn't show the gallery, unfortunately. It has a single shank:

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/cathedral-shank-double-halo-solitaire

You can barely see the struts on this one, but I think they are thicker and better proportioned than on the ERD ring (and probably curved):

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-anne-marie-cushion-dual-halo-split-shank

 

[Alias]

You're welcome! I have seen a lot of halo rings here, and it just looks better when the plain shank is from about 5:00 to 7:00 or 4:00 to 8:00. I wouldn't put any less than that.

Others are giving you some other design advice, and you may want to look at other well made double halo rings to see if there are changes you'd want to make.

I love this halo for a double halo as the inner halo is so tiny. You can see on the video that it has a different look under the halo. It has a split shank:

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-anne-marie-with-canera-cushion-in-double-halo

This video is gorgeous but doesn't show the gallery, unfortunately. It has a single shank:

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/cathedral-shank-double-halo-solitaire

You can barely see the struts on this one, but I think they are thicker and better proportioned than on the ERD ring (and probably curved):

http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-anne-marie-cushion-dual-halo-split-shank

Thanks for the links! VC has made some very nice halo's. I know for sure she wants a harmonious look from above. Initially she wanted a unique gallery, something perhaps similar to this: http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-emilya-halo-with-filigree-profile However, I am not sure about it...I am thinking it might be too much and make the ring look to busy.

The first link (Anne Marie double halo) has an interesting look below the halo - I wish there was a better picture of it though! Same with the second link.

Excuse my ignorance, but when you say you can barely see the struts, I assume you mean from a top view?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

When I said that, I meant in the video.

Look what I just found, Simon G, platinum for $2865. Not sure what your ERD quote was, but Simon G is a nice designer brand. I really like it and might prefer it over the ERD ring.

http://www.since1910.com/snt245-double-row-pave-halo-diamond-engagement-ring

It also gives you a great idea of what a Brellia 1 ct stone would look like in the setting since it has a similar shape.

 

[LLJsmom]

For the first time in 2 years I saw a halo that was done really well, proportional, etc, fine, not too much metal, and now I have fallen in love. I've seen tons of halos before IRL ( none from VC LM OR SK) and was never impressed. I have a Tiffany soleste with an aqua center and the work was fine but it did not make me fall in love with the halo style. So I am a strong believer that it completely depends on the maker. Now I really want one, ideally done by VC. I am sure his work is even better than the one I saw this weekend. So if you're completely anal and picky and want to only do this once and do it right, I would go with VC OR SK. I would chose VC CAUSE I prefer HIS PROPORTIONS. But it does depend on your fiancée's preferences.

And one comment about the gallery. I GET IT NOW. Why people chose a beautiful gallery. Because from a wearer's perspective, you see the SIDE of your ring as much as the top down view. I want a beautiful view from all directions!! Duh! I can't believe this did not occur to me before! I am dense. Don't be like me!

 

[Alias]

When I said that, I meant in the video.

Look what I just found, Simon G, platinum for $2865. Not sure what your ERD quote was, but Simon G is a nice designer brand. I really like it and might prefer it over the ERD ring.

http://www.since1910.com/snt245-double-row-pave-halo-diamond-engagement-ring

It also gives you a great idea of what a Brellia 1 ct stone would look like in the setting since it has a similar shape.

Looks great! Not sure if they will customize it though for the small changes I may want to make. Tried LiveChat but got no one.

DS - you've given me a lot to think about regarding the setting...thanks!

I am just waiting for Jonathan to get back to me on some stuff about the Brellia and then I'll make my final decision. It's a little hard to tell but if that diamond has a similar shape to the Brellia, it looks fine to me

 

[SB621]

Just my .02 cents but pave is not created equal across the board. If you want the best pave you can get with a CAD/ CAST version go with ERD. I think you will be sorry if you go with anyone else.