Timelessness of a ring

[Rose-E]

Ok, so my BF and I have been shopping around for ring. I had some ideas in mind of what I liked and what I didn't like I definitely did not like any princesses or radiants or marquises. I liked the asscher and emeralds but didn't want one for an ER. I love the round and the cushions. I did not like halos and I LOVE three stones.....and then I went shopping. Ugh. Now things have changed a bit. I found three rings that are just so unexpectedly beautiful: A three stone oval, a pear with halo, or a cushion with small tapered baggettes.
I never even thought of an oval or a pear.
So now I'm stuck with this internal debate about which one to pick. Here are my arguments so far:
1. Cushions are expensive for the small face up value. Probably out, only because of price for the size.
2. Love the pear, but, don't know if I can get over the halo. I was so adament that I didn't want a halo until I tried one on with a pear. Was also only luke warm about pears to begin with. Also can't get over how gorgeous it looked on. (I have long itty bitty fingers)
3. The only three stone that looked good on me was the oval. 3 stone rounds looked funny. Also liked the round with pear sides, but not as much as the oval. LOVE the three stone look. Maybe too much on my little fingers (size 4.25)


Ok enough verbal vomiting....here's my questions to you that may help me decide.

Are a three stone oval or a pear with halo considered trendy? Will they last the test of time?

I almost feel like halo's are trendy.
Can a pear or an oval be really sparkly like a round or a cushion?
My BF does not want to upgrade or change the ring, so this is it.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[stone-cold11]

If you like it and your taste do not change, why care if it is trendy or not?

 

[Rose-E]

Mainly because I know myself. I get drawn into the trendy things very easily. What I thought I loved in the past, I don't anymore, and realized that it was just a trend. So I want to make sure, for this ring that I will be wearing forever, that I am drawn to the ring and not to the trend.

 

[AprilBaby]

I think the 3 stone Oval will be a classic and lovely bling on your tiny long hand!

 

[D&T]

Three stones are classic, imo no matter what shapes they are.

 

[LGK]

I'd go with a three stone then. It's been classic for decades. I like the tapered baguette idea. That could look beautiful with just about any shape center IMO.

 

[Lula]

Three-stones seem classic now, but they were very trendy (especially with rounds) in the 1990s.

Marquise stones seem to be making a comeback, but were very trendy in the 1970s and 1980s. And very *not* trendy in the 1990s!

Tiffany solitaire settings are considered classics now, but were trendy in the 1950s. My mother had her mother's vintage diamond removed from its "dated" 1920s filigree setting (a style very popular now) to be set in a yellow gold with platinum head Tiffany solitaire. She wore it with a very wide wedding band (thick bands are coming back in style after being out of style for many years).

Halos are trendy now, but have been around since the Victorian era (when they were known as "target rings").

I hope you are seeing where I'm going with this! Every ring style goes through periods of renewed popularity or "trendiness" but, if a ring looks good on a woman's hand, that transcends style, in my opinion. Go for the ring you think flatters your hand and makes you happy to look at. You will tire of it less quickly (even if it goes out of style) and it will become part of your individual "look."

eta: For what it's worth, I never, ever thought I'd be wearing a halo setting! I wanted a simple, modern, solitaire setting or maybe a modern, plain bezel. But after trying on many, many settings, the halo setting was the one that looked best on my hand, so that's what I chose.

 

[jess1981]

I totally get where you are coming from. I can easily get sucked into trends and then realize later that I don't like it anymore. That is why the thought of a tattoo freaks me out I do think Halos are popular right now, but they have been around a long time and I think they are beutiful. I do think certain styles are more classic like 3 stones and sloitares. I say get the diamond that you love and then the setting. If you decide later that you want to change the setting you still have the diamond you love.

 

[antelope1]

The only three stone that looked good on me was the oval. 3 stone rounds looked funny. Also liked the round with pear sides, but not as much as the oval. LOVE the three stone look. Maybe too much on my little fingers (size 4.25)

I agree with the other posters that 3 stones are classic (and will always be "in" IMO for more finger coverage without buying bigger diamonds, and can be set by anyone, not just people who can do micropave halos). I wouldn't worry about the size or finger coverage with a 3 stone on a 4.25 finger -- you have other fingers on that hand, right? If you don't wear any other rings, even 100% coverage on your ring finger would not look too crazy because your other fingers would be naked, and it's not like it's one boulder covering your entire finger -- the 3 stones will curve, so no worries!

But I'm having a hard time picturing your oval with sidestones. Are you thinking about an oval with crescent sidestones, like Kaliegh's:
----
Or an oval with bullet sidestones, like Kellybell's:
----
Or an oval with round sidestones, like lagizzie's:
[URL='----']----[/URL]

Of these, I think that the bullet sidestones are more "classic" but I really like rounds with pear sidestones, personally and are more "classic" than the ovals simply because the round itself is more "classic" IMO, but you should go with whatever looks best to you.

Also, the most classic of the setting styles for a 3 stone is probably the interlaced trellis basket. Is this what you're thinking about?

 

[lovemybling]

I thought she said that is a three stone oval. I took that to mean ALL three stone were ovals. Which I have to say is my FAVORITE three stone. But I LOVE a pear I think a Haloed pear would be STUNNING. I say you know in your HEART which one you LOVE . Go with that. Either will be classic and stand the test of time.

Come back with hand shots

 

[AustenNut]

Okay, here's a different thought. How do you plan on wearing the ring (24/7 or special occasions only or take it off before doing dishes/gardening/working out/cleaning, etc)? Depending on the answer, you might want to think about how durable your setting is going to be. This might also help push you along in one direction or another.

 

[Siamese Kitty]

I'm in the oval three stone camp. It is a very beautiful and refined look that will look as good on a young person as someone older. (Sorry, not sure how old you are.) But this is only my opinion. If you aren't going to change your ring, I think it is a good idea to pick something that you could see yourself wearing ten, twenty,..., years from now. More important than following trends of what's "in", choosing a ring that speaks to your personal style might be a better way to go. Either one sounds beautiful, though. Good luck with your choice and congrats on your impending engagement.

 

[Imdanny]

It sounds like the one you love is the 3 stone oval. I think that's very elegant and will never go out of style. You can vary the size of the stones according to what you want the ring to look like on your finger, no? Good luck.

 

[Rose-E]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I didn't expect so many so soon!!! It's wonderful.

It sounds like most of you are thinking the oval three stone.

The three stone oval (yes, all three would be ovals) is BEAUTIFUL. Here's what my BF said though, He would get a smaller version as an anniversary gift and it would work, where as the pear or the cushion/round with baggettes would not seem as much as an anniversary gift.

The pear is STUNNING. It was so unexpected. I was taken aback and then now confused. It's also cheaper (I think??).

Can anyone tell me how the sparkle/scintillation compare between the two? And also, how do I tell what a good pear/oval cut is when I start looking for the actual diamond?

 

[oranges]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I didn't expect so many so soon!!! It's wonderful.

It sounds like most of you are thinking the oval three stone.

The three stone oval (yes, all three would be ovals) is BEAUTIFUL. Here's what my BF said though, He would get a smaller version as an anniversary gift and it would work, where as the pear or the cushion/round with baggettes would not seem as much as an anniversary gift.

The pear is STUNNING. It was so unexpected. I was taken aback and then now confused. It's also cheaper (I think??).

Can anyone tell me how the sparkle/scintillation compare between the two? And also, how do I tell what a good pear/oval cut is when I start looking for the actual diamond?

I was just thinking that a 3 stone is a great anni present whereas the other options were more obvious e-rings. Have you seen Phoenix's pear in a halo? There are a few pics in this thread : [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/jewellery-collection_consolidation-and-upgrade_stage-1.141750/page-2#post-2558019?hilit=phoenix%20pear#p2558019']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/jewellery-collection_consolidation-and-upgrade_stage-1.141750/page-2#post-2558019?hilit=phoenix%20pear#p2558019[/URL]
It is absolutely gorgeous-- also Katherine Heigl has a stunning pear halo.

 

[oranges]

*duplicate post*

 

[vespergirl]

I think the 3 stone Oval will be a classic and lovely bling on your tiny long hand!

Ditto. I never thought I liked ovals, until my friend got a 3-stone oval (with pear sides) for her ering, and it's one of the most gorgeous rings I've evr seen. Her ring is a 1ct oval with two .25ct pear sides, and it totally dwarfs my 2ct RB solitaire. It made me wish that I had tried on ovals when I got my ring

I also really like pears in halos, but I do think that 3-stones are a more classic, timeless look than halos.

 

[antelope1]

The three stone oval (yes, all three would be ovals) is BEAUTIFUL.

Post a pix when you get it! I would be interested in seeing a 3 stone oval -- are the smaller ovals set perpendicular or parallel to the center stone? It sounds unique and classy at the same time.

And also, how do I tell what a good pear/oval cut is when I start looking for the actual diamond?

That is trickier. With pears and ovals, the length is greater than the width, so you have to watch out for bow-ties (areas of darkness near the center of the stone, going across the narrower dimension). You'd probably be best off requesting an ASET and idealscope for a fancy cut like a pear or oval and posting them here for opinions.

 

[slg47]

well all three options sound great to me but you have to pick the one that YOU like the best and that YOU want to wear every day. What's wrong with the cushion? I don't think faceup size should be too small...there are many different types of cushions out there and if that's what you want, that's what you should get. Maybe go back and try them on and see what speaks to you the most?

 

[tyty333]

You could work with a good vendor to help you pick out a pear. GOG has all the images and does videos of stones so they would
be my top pick.

James Allen also carries a fair amount of pears. You could take a look through those and request ASETS of the ones you like
(up to 3). Post them and let PSers help you pick. I have some notes somewhere but here is the jist of it.....

1)Find a pear that has a pleasing shape (in the length/width ratio you like, no shoulders, etc). Here is the shape picker if you want
to play around with it to see if you like fat pears or really long pears or somewhere inbetween. Click on the pear if nothing
comes up.
http://www.gemappraisers.com/shapePickerNew.asp
Here is a list of numbers that you can use as a guideline when looking at pears...its really open more to interpretation than a round...
http://www.gemappraisers.com/oldcutgraderules.asp (select pear from the pull down menu)

2)Find one that has no bow-tie or at least a pleasing bow tie. I dont mind bow-ties as long as they are small and the faceting
platten that leads up to them is nice. You also want it to reflect white (and not dark). Bow ties are hard to determine from
pictures. They can look worst than they really are (or they can be spot on).

3)Get an ASET image and post for evalution. Pears will not have the light return that RBs have. Its a trade-off to get the
lovely pear shape. But, you still want to find one that has decent+ light return.

4) Once you have narrowed it down to "the one" order it and look at it in person under lots of different lighting conditions.
Does it "speak" to you? Is it what you expected? Is it bright under most/all lighting conditions. Is the bow-tie minimal?
If not...send it back and start over.

It takes some work to find a nice pear so you really want to decide if thats what you really want.
For example, here are a few that *might* be worth further investigation (from just looking at the pics)...
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Premium-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1286339.asp (not sure if eye-clean)
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/diamonds/F-VS1-Premium-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1133139.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/diamonds/D-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1303906.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/diamonds/D-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1244437.asp

Here are a few ugly pears...
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1280706.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/diamonds/F-VS2-Premium-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1264257.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1330695.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/diamonds/G-VS2-Premium-Cut-Pear-Diamond-1304614.asp (its got shoulders)

 

[shimmer]

Hi,
I saw this over in Colored Stones and thought of this thread... this would be my pick I think the owner is Glint.

 

[yssie]

Hi,
I saw this over in Colored Stones and thought of this thread... this would be my pick I think the owner is Glint.

 

[Rose-E]

Shimmer, That is exactly want I was thinking. Thanks for the post. The best I could find was the tiffany's website. I love how they do an almost rounded knife edge. Most of the B&M and online stores sell the three stone ovals with a very flat wide shank, not for me. ANyone have a good idea where I can get a three stone with a thinner rounded band so I wouldn't have to go custom or go to the (dreaded by this forum) overpriced Tiffany&Co (not that I don't LOVE their rings!!).

My BF brought up the idea of diamonds today. (gotta love him!!!) Any idea how much percentage we would have to jump for a fancy yellow (not vivid or or intense, maybe just yellow or light yellow)

Thanks again!

 

[lovemybling]

LOVE LOVE LOVE that three stone oval. What finger coverage and sparkle.

Definatly would be my pick

 

[petrock<3]

I think either style is timeless enough that I wouldn't worry about it.

I adore a pear halo, for what its worth. So elegant and great with long fingers ( I think you said you had long fingers- its late and maybe I'm not remembering correctly)

Katherine Heigle's is

 

[Rose-E]

Kathrine Heigel's was definitely an inspiration. To tell you the truth, a pear didn't even cross my mind until I saw it in a store and it spoke to me. Just for fun I asked to try it on and I almost bought it right there and then, it as so shiny and elegant.....but then my pricescope conscience told me to look for a better diamond and value online and don't necessarily trust the B&M stores. But then, once I got home, I got all confused cause I remembered how much I wanted a 3 stone. yada yada yada. I'm a horrible decision make, but I think I am going with what most of you are suggesting.....3 stone oval!!!....I think

 

[amc80]

If you were to ask me, I would probably say I don't like pears. But I saw one once that is similar to what you are describing- a pear with a halo. And OMG I loved it. Completely different than anything I've ever looked at or liked before. But it was gorgeous. When it comes down to it, though, I still wouldn't choose it. I KNOW I won't get sick of a round, but I can't say that about the pear...regardless of how pretty it was.

 

[oranges]

A 3 stone oval is something that you will never regret-- it is so classic. Have you checked out Leon Mege? His 3 stones are incredible with the thin, pinched bands
http://www.artofplatinum.com/portfolio/details.php?image_id=299
I know exactly what you mean by the thick, clunky 3 stones.. imho, they look so much better with a thin, elegant band

 

[Rose-E]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Leon, would you think that pinch band would work with an oval?
The round with the pears was a favorite of mine for a long time, but then I figured out that the elongated stones look better on my finger.

How much do you think it would cost to have Leon make this ring?

 

[oranges]

I think that the setting would be different since the pears taper into the band in the round with pear side stones ring... but i'm sure that Leon could make a thin knife like edged band for a 3 stone oval... plus his prongs are just incredibly dainty
I don't know how much the setting would cost-- but a random guess, and I'm not an expert-- maybe 2,500? He also could source the stones, but I'm not sure if you already have a vendor that you would prefer to go with.