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Time to narrow down setting options.. LM, Maytal, etc

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ballandbiscuit

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
4
Hello! I'm getting closer to really nailing down what I'd like to buy for an engagement ring. The situation is that I have a Whiteflash RB 0.85 AGS000, ACA stone to use as upgrade (long story) and now I'm looking for something more like a cushion or possibly another fancy shape like oval. I'm probably right around the 1 carat range, E-H, VS1-SI1.

In any case, I'm searching for a great setting!

The requirements:

- Must be low set or have some sort of cathedral type band. My girlfriend is in healthcare and doesn't want to have to take off her ring for work because of the gloves. Basically, nothing that would easily snag.
- Classic, elegant, timeless..
- Not so much a fan of halos.
- I'm kind of digging the split shanks, but not a requirement.

Here's a couple that have jumped out at me, but I wish there were more pictures of them!
Leon Mege with cushion: http://artofplatinum.com/vault/inde...&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Here's a Maytal Hannah with oval that I like. I'm not necessarily a fan of ovals in general, but this is nice! http://www.maytalhannah.com > Collections > Page 5 > Ring 53 (sorry, can't link it directly)


Thoughts? I'd love to hear of some other places to look that may have something that fits the bill, or toss one out there that I haven't even realized I like yet :-)

Thanks!
Chris
 
So she said she would prefer a cushion or oval and that is why you aren't trading for a round? It is going to be a lot harder to trade for those because WF specializes in ideal cut rounds and they will likely have to call some stones in for you and you won't have quite as much info on the stones. I actually love Maytal's ring if she likes more antique styles with milgrain. I will tell you, though, most nurses I know do not wear their diamond rings at work. They just wear a wedding band because of the gloves. Any of those rings will catch on gloves, I think.
 
For that split shank setting, go with Leon.
 
Hey, that oval Maytal ring is mine! :) It's very well made, very sturdy, but still delicate. The milgrain is perfect. I requested for it to be very low set because i'm a klutz, and she made it perfect. She's wonderful to work with.

My friends own page 4-ring 35 (she later got the sides engraved and it looks amazing) and page 5-ring 60 (she want it as flat to her finger as possible!), and they turned out fabulous too!
 
Well, that round was purchased for someone else a couple years ago and was never given. Ah well, so goes life!

My girlfriend now is really wanting to wear the ring all the time, but I suspect, like you suggested diamondseeker, after a while she'll just be wearing a wedding band to work. Either way it goes, I think we both tend to like the lower settings. I have the RB in a Mark Morrell Torchiere right now which is really beautiful, but that type isn't what we're going for methinks (sorry, Shakespeare in the Park going on this week here.)

I wish I could see the profile view of that Leon ring. It looks like there's probably a lot going on. I bet all this would be easier in person!

Thanks for the thoughts so far!
 
ForteKitty|1307488036|2940222 said:
Hey, that oval Maytal ring is mine! :) It's very well made, very sturdy, but still delicate. The milgrain is perfect. I requested for it to be very low set because i'm a klutz, and she made it perfect. She's wonderful to work with.

My friends own page 4-ring 35 (she later got the sides engraved and it looks amazing) and page 5-ring 60 (she want it as flat to her finger as possible!), and they turned out fabulous too!
Click to expand...

I look at that oval ring all the time, ForteKitty! May I ask the size of the center stone so I have a point of reference? Also, how did you approach her for that ring? Did you start from scratch or did you show her something you had in mind?
 
I helped my daughter order a ring from Maytal last fall, and we started with one of her rings and then made her particular requests. It turned out beautifully, as well. So I think for any designer, it helps if they already have a ring you like so you have a visual starting place.

I understand about the previous stone, but did you mean your girlfriend does not want a round for her e-ring?

Love your ring, ForteKitty!
 
Another member here had the cushion split shank (think above mine) made, and i loved it so much that i emailed Maytal that week. I told her i want the same style shank, but instead of a basket head, i wanted a bulgy fat "V" head. Hmm.. just realize i dont have profile pics... need to take some. I live in L.A., so i just met up w/ her to hand over the diamond and a check. When it was finished, i met up and handed her the rest of the money in exchange for my ring!

My best friend's radiant figure 8 ring took a lot more work because her husband wanted it a certain way, a certain proportion, and he said she had amazing patience w/ him because he even wanted to punch himself for asking so many annoying questions!

The other friend's double shank radiant was pretty easy too. She told Maytal what she wanted: low set almost flat, double thin bands. Maytal made the shank very thin, but sturdy, and tall enough to still be comfortable when her hand is in a fist. She had the bands attached by very very thin platinum bars so it's even sturdier. They live in SF so they drove down to meet her and to hand over the diamond, then picked up when it was finished.

Here's the thread on my reset... https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/maytal-hannah-reset-my-oval.94767/?hilit=maytal oval

I wear a size 3.25, and here are the stats:

GIA Report xxxxx
Issued May 3, 2005
Shape and Cutting Sytle: Oval Brilliant
Measurements: 8.14 X 5.66 X 3.77 mm
Weight: 1.15 carat
Depth: 66.6%
Table: 60%
Girdle: Medium to thick, faceted
Culet: None
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Good
Clarity Grade: SI1
Color Grade: H
Fluorescence: None
 
Gosh, FK, that is even prettier in your pictures! I just love the milgrain! :love:
 
I recently posted a thread here about my experience with Maytal. I first tried working with Leon, but he refused to give me the time of day because I purchased the stone (a beautiful August Vintage Cushion) from Good Old Gold instead of him. If you do a search on here, you will read many horror stories about LM being rude and mean to people, arbitrarily setting prices and other bad stuff. I'll be the first to admit that some of the pictures of his work are beautiful, but I prefer to work with someone who treats customers with respect and dignity.

As an update, my daughter continues to get many compliments on both the stone and Maytal's setting, including some from people in the trade.

Good luck with your choice.
 
I'm a nurse and wearing any of these rings you posted (all gorgeous) under gloves could be a problem, in my experience...
If she wears vinyl gloves then they'll be powdered and it's going to get behind the stones and she will have to be cleaning it constantly or it'll look dull and eventually pack under the stones.
Vinyl gloves also tend to be tight around the fingers and loose at the cuff, she may have to go up in size to fit the setting so it doesn't tear through when she puts them on and this means they could easily slip off.
Depending on what her dept/focus is, if she's in ER or trauma, the ring will tear through and/or she could scratch someone quite accidentally.
I wear Nitrile, and whilst tighter and powderless; they can be torn easily with a ring that's anything other than a band.
Also, if she doesn't take it off and she's using alcohol sanitizer between patients as per protocol due to nosocomial infection risks (rings sure harbor the beasts!) it's going to be getting on her ring countless times a day, I don't know what the long term effects are, if any at all?
Just a thought.... ;))
 
I guess I will qualify why I would recommend Leon for a split shank. I think Maytal is an amazing woman with great customer care but I was beyond disappointed with the split shank ring I received from her. People that know me know how picky I am with pave, curves and delicate settings - so you can imagine my reaction when I saw the photos of the finished product and then the shock of seeing it in person. I won't point out all the things I didn't like but hopefully you can see why yourself. I lost faith but Maytal did do a great job on my halo ring - she made it just the way I wanted it. I am sure my Maytal split shank is gorgeous to many people as I did receive compliments but it just wasn't what I wanted.

ETA: I asked for both my Maytal rings to be made as low as possible - they were not. Both to me are high and bangs on stuff - some people like the height but I like my diamonds set low.

Small photos below ....

Splitshank%20Comparison.jpg
 
eek Charmy.... that Maytal split shank looks kinda rough. I wonder if she used a different bench for yours, since mine and the two other ones i've seen are so much more delicate. Not Leon delicate, since the pave is different, but definitely more delicate the your original Maytal. :shock:
 
ForteKitty|1307544227|2940715 said:
eek Charmy.... that Maytal split shank looks kinda rough. I wonder if she used a different bench for yours, since mine and the two other ones i've seen are so much more delicate. Not Leon delicate, since the pave is different, but definitely more delicate the your original Maytal. :shock:
Click to expand...

Well, my bigger issue was that the curves, lines and porportions of the ring was all wrong. The ring was boxy with straight lines and the shank was concaved instead of convex and obviously far from delicate. It was everything I didn't want in a ring. That ring caused me and my fiance a lot of heartache and ruined his proposal plans .. I know it shouldn't but he knew I would hate that ring and didn't even want to show me. Anyways, it's over with .. that ring does not exist anymore.

Both rings were made with U-Cut pave but Leon is just a master at pave and can achieve the next to no metal look which I wanted.
 
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