To bezel, or not to bezel...

[Crystal72384]

That is the question!

So a few weeks ago I sent my 3.64 AVR off to LAD to be set in the AMAZING Chloe setting! I'm so excited, I think I check my email at least 50 times a day!



In an effort to bide my time, hubby said I could work on my Christmas present I was originally thinking earrings, but I rarely wear my hair behind my ears so I thought a pendant/necklace was a better idea. So off I went to find the perfect diamond for my project and a couple days later this little guy was at my door


http://youtu.be/p67gwdqMMRU

This is a .73 L VS1 AVR and is literally my 3.64's mini me LOL

Now, back to the bezel question...I was originally thinking of a milgrained bezel set pendant like this



But then I thought...how cool would it be to have a Chloe-ish type pendant to match my ring? Maybe something like the basket of the ring?

Ugh...I keep going back and forth...I need help!

I have read a lot about bezel set pendants and some say that they make the pendant appear larger. Is this true? I have never seen a bezel in person, does it affect the sparkle at all?

 

[solgen]

Bezel won't detract from sparkle as the light it blocks doesn't have really matter. Yes, it can also make the stone look a little bigger as well. The bezel with millgrain doesn't match the Chloe but I still think it would be a good looking pairing.

 

[marymm]

Though I do appreciate bezelled diamond pendants, in this case I think I'd go with a pronged setting for your L-AVR -- and in a design complementary to your LAD ring setting, but not too match-matchy, more simple, maybe incorporating just one of the key elements of the Chloe... anyway, that's my 2 cents. And, the AVR is gorgeous enough and well-cut of course so you could really put it in any kind of setting and it would shine, so maybe think about the design you would wear the most?

 

[Sphene]

If it was mne I would try to mirror the band of diamonds under the basket - a kind of scalloped halo effect around the main diamond in the pendant - make it appear much larger

 

[MissGotRocks]

I would bezel it. Bezels showcase the diamond well plus you get the added benefit of making the stone look a bit larger.

Your engagement ring is going to be beautiful but I personally wouldn't try to match the setting to the pendant. I much prefer a simple, clean looking pendant. Just my two cents!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I'd halo it to make it more proportional to your ring diamond, unless of course you plan to upgrade it later. If that is the case, I would go with the cheapest setting. But as one who has a .80 in a bezel, it doesn't make it look all that much bigger. I felt like mine was too small in proportion to my 2.3 ct AVR.

 

[Michael_E]

I would set that diamond in a bezel, particularly if you wear sweaters or any sort of clothing with a loose weave. Bezels start smooth and stay that way forever. Prongs can be made to be smooth, but a little bump here and there can cause a prong to lift slightly and then it can catch on everything. You can, of course, have any sort of gallery that you'd like on a bezel setting, (the side walls of the bezel can be tilted in,out or expanded into a more intricate surrounding structure of whatever size appeals to you).

 

[Crystal72384]

Thank you everyone for your responses and suggestions! I really appreciate you trying to help me figure this out. I still keep going back and forth between prong set vs bezel. I was a little worried about the size being to small but I want this to be a necklace that I can wear everyday.

Michael_E you are right, I do have a lot of fuzzy sweaters and that is actually the reason I usually don't wear a necklace...it always ends up snagging it. Maybe my best option would be bezel set with milgrain and then a Chloe-ish type gallery?

 

[Michael_E]

Maybe my best option would be bezel set with milgrain and then a Chloe-ish type gallery?

I would. If you look into that you might want to reverse the curve of the lower band which contains the diamond melee. If you do that and place the concave portion of that band directly under the open area where the prongs come together, you'll have an opening that's large enough to fit your chain through...assuming that you want the bezel to be a slider.

 

[camomof4]

Crystal I just wanted to say that your ering looks AH-mazing! I LOVE the Chloe and am considering it myself so I will be anxiously awaiting the photos of your finished masterpiece! I don't think I've ever seen in real life photos of the Chloe in platinum (do you know of any?) so I am hoping yours will help me better envision what it would look like. Congrats on a beautiful ring!

 

[Crystal72384]

Maybe my best option would be bezel set with milgrain and then a Chloe-ish type gallery?

I would. If you look into that you might want to reverse the curve of the lower band which contains the diamond melee. If you do that and place the concave portion of that band directly under the open area where the prongs come together, you'll have an opening that's large enough to fit your chain through...assuming that you want the bezel to be a slider.

Great idea!

 

[Crystal72384]

Crystal I just wanted to say that your ering looks AH-mazing! I LOVE the Chloe and am considering it myself so I will be anxiously awaiting the photos of your finished masterpiece! I don't think I've ever seen in real life photos of the Chloe in platinum (do you know of any?) so I am hoping yours will help me better envision what it would look like. Congrats on a beautiful ring!

Aw thank you! No, to my knowledge this is the first one done in platinum. Hopefully it will be done soon