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Unplated 14k WG/no halo for warm diamond?

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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Good afternoon, all you lovely PS'ers!

So I have a follow-up question regarding an engagement ring I'm helping plan for my SIL. We live in Dallas, and have hit up multiple locations you all recommended (so many thanks!). For our most recent outing she decided she really wanted a twist pattern on the ring (called infinity?). She said she liked a halo, but if it ended up without one she would invest in a wedding ring later.

We're looking at well-cut to ideal diamonds K-L-M color. Two questions:
1) Would a halo with whiter melee stones look weird up against, say a K or M stone? Would it work with warmer, I-J stones?
2) Is 14k or 18k unplated WG a good option for warm diamonds?? She's not crazy about plated WG or 14k YG (the only thing she's seen in stores), and loves the barely yellow color of my 10k YG college ring. I never thought of unplated WG until today! @yssie has posted about different alloys and I'm trying to understand, has anyone had luck with unplated WG with warm MRB?

I attached 2 pictures of rings she seemed to like, before I contacted vendors like David Klass I wanted to ask the experts. And btw, these are the types of diamonds we've looked at in person, and would pursue with the ideal vendors:
 

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yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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One note:
The melee (tiny diamonds) in the mount will look like bright white dots compared to the lower coloured centerstone. It will be noticeable. It cannot be avoided by choosing “lower coloured melee” - it’s a function of optics of tiny stones, not actual body tint. If she dislikes an apparent difference between the diamonds in the ring, melee should be avoided.
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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@yssie Wow I had no idea about that characteristic of melee diamonds! Hmmm :confused:
 

CBPearllover

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So what do you think we should do? We picked a lower colored stone to stretch our budget. She saw some warm diamonds in person, and seemed to like a K and M equally as much. She definitely wants more than a solitaire, and wanted a setting with something "going on" on the sides
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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This thread has more discussion about the “bright white dot” melee effect:

The question here is this bit:
“If she dislikes an apparent colour difference between the differently-sized diamonds in the ring”.
I would recommend taking the loose stone in to a local jeweler and seeing how it looks next to some pave bands. She may not be bothered by the contrast. She may even like the contrast.

If she doesn’t care for the contrast there are so many options for “something going on” that don’t involve pave! Engraving would be my top suggestion - glinty, twinkly, and unique ::)

Take a look at Caysie van Bebber’s work (she also has a site and an Etsy store, and an SMBT thread here on PS):
 
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CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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Wonderful, this is great advice! I think first and foremost, she needs to select a diamond she is pleased with. In person. And from there, we can narrow down a setting type.

What are your thoughts on unplated WG to achieve a subtle yellow effect, without the true yellow of YG? I think the alloy type she would prefer is the Ni-WG, are there any drawbacks to this alloy as long as your not allergic to nickle?
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I personally do not recommend David Klass as I strongly disagree with both his predisposition for handing design and architecture off to the customer and his willingness to copy other vendors’ work. However, many PSers who do not share my opinion have been happy with their experiences with him and his workmanship is excellent.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Different alloys of WG (with different Ni content) will be different shades of pale yellow - even within the same karat. My advice if you go this route:

1. Get exact alloy composition details from the vendor you choose to make the setting. She’ll need this to match pieces in future.

2. Marching pieces is hard. She’ll need to understand and accept that she won’t be able to walk into a store and buy a stacker that’s a gold match - most likely everything she has made moving forward will need to be custom.

3. She can become allergic any time. I’ve never heard of this happening - a Ni allergy is actually quite rare - but it can happen, so it’s a liability to again understand and accept.
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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Such wonderful information, good to know. Smart to get the exact alloy composition! I told her if she went with plated WG, matching would be easy. Honestly, she's more particular about what she wants than she realizes. So sticking with the same vendor to ensure a match would be a good choice for her irregardless. Thanks!
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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Anyone have a K, L or M stone in unplated WG? Anything other than a bezel or solitaire?
 

Crystal_Dreams

Brilliant_Rock
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I have an L. It’s an OEC though, and set in a platinum... with a rose gold halo.

Mine is the work of CVB whom I adore. David Klass is good at what he does. IMO you need to know exactly what you want with him. A lot of people do go to him to recreate certain designs from other vendors.

Here is my L looking both warmer and cooler under different lighting:

DFE0F90C-8E00-4FD1-8FA6-33E7032DA042.jpeg
A106022F-C04E-44E0-B338-A2C64F8E9CA3.jpeg
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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@Crystal_Dreams Wow that's a stunning ring! I love how you used 2 metal colors :kiss2:


I love rose gold, and would love to set a warm stone (MRB or OEC) in a vintage style setting. I just can't sell my SIL on rose gold, so I figured YG or unplated WG would be a good choice for a K, L or M stone. I've read others who say they prefer platinum regardless of the diamond color. It's so hard to narrow down!! :confused: We don't really want to play up the warmth, or hide it and make it look more white. I think she wants a "balanced" look to the ring, for both setting and color of diamond/metal.
 

rockysalamander

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For white gold, stick with nickel free if she goes unplated. I like DK's unplated WG.

If I was looking for a supideal that was warm, I'd go with Highperformancediamonds. Wink has a fantastic eye for warm stones and budget. They do great settings too.
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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@rockysalamander Thanks for the info! For some reason, I've only browsed WF and BGD for warm diamonds. I didn't think to check HPD, I'm assuming they can be on the lookout for a stone even if they don't have it immediately available on their website right? I've always read such glowing reviews for Wink
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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@rockysalamander Thanks for the info! For some reason, I've only browsed WF and BGD for warm diamonds. I didn't think to check HPD, I'm assuming they can be on the lookout for a stone even if they don't have it immediately available on their website right? I've always read such glowing reviews for Wink
They have acess to more stones and also know what is being cut. Absolutely worth checking with them.
 

the_mother_thing

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Anyone have a K, L or M stone in unplated WG? Anything other than a bezel or solitaire?
Here is my previous K-color diamond in an 18k unplated WG setting. I LOVE unplated WG! :kiss2:

 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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Thank you for posting this! I love your ring, @the_mother_thing! Everything about it, the 18k unplated WG is perfect! My SIL is looking for something between WG and traditional 14/18K YG, and I think this might be the sweet spot! By reading your thread, I've also learned about WF "Expert Selection." I'm more than happy to take a price cut on this project :D May I ask why you picked 18k over 14k? Was the yellow color more intense?

@rockysalamander Ok, I assumed they only had what was on their website inventory. I'll make sure to check in with HPD too
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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HPD has three K's under 1.25 c right now.

If you share your budget, PS member might be able to help suggest options too.

One other thought, while it won't be a super ideal, David at Diamonds by Lauren is very good with color and unicorn stones. Another avenue to consider. They have a 1.21 carat M that is a great deal if she is interested in transitional cut diamonds.
 

the_mother_thing

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Thank you for posting this! I love your ring, @the_mother_thing! Everything about it, the 18k unplated WG is perfect! My SIL is looking for something between WG and traditional 14/18K YG, and I think this might be the sweet spot! By reading your thread, I've also learned about WF "Expert Selection." I'm more than happy to take a price cut on this project :D May I ask why you picked 18k over 14k? Was the yellow color more intense?

Thank you; I really loved it as well, and will probably reset it with another stone at some point (I just upgraded the diamond that was in it, and the new diamond won’t fit it unfortunately). As for the gold/metal color, I preferred the 18k over the 14k because I wanted a slightly more ’whellow’ color/tinge, and 18k has a higher ‘gold’ content than 14k.

And yes, expert selection diamonds from WF are an excellent value, in that if you don’t need/care about ‘branding’, you get a stellar-performing diamond that has been vetted for performance without the added ‘brand’ cost. I suspect the one I just traded in may soon be available again; Whiteflash would be able to advise on that if you contact them. I LOVED that diamond and would have happily kept it forever; the only reason I traded-up was because WF had a K ACA that delivered the optics I loved in that ES in a larger size ... so I went for it.
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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HPD has three K's under 1.25 c right now.

If you share your budget, PS member might be able to help suggest options too.

One other thought, while it won't be a super ideal, David at Diamonds by Lauren is very good with color and unicorn stones. Another avenue to consider. They have a 1.21 carat M that is a great deal if she is interested in transitional cut diamonds.
Yes good idea. So we're trying to keep the overall diamond+setting budget between 4-5K. The diamonds I had looked at were between $1,500-$2,500, to try and allow adequate funds for a simple setting plus sales taxes where applicable. It seemed most diamonds in our budget were between 0.6 and 0.85ct depending on the specs (color not too important, she's seen K and M stones in person and thought they were both pretty). She's only seen MRB and OEC, and didn't care for the later (crazy!). I'm not sure if she would like transitional cuts, but I'm sure interested in the DBL M you mentioned :kiss2:
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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Thank you; I really loved it as well, and will probably reset it with another stone at some point (I just upgraded the diamond that was in it, and the new diamond won’t fit it unfortunately). As for the gold/metal color, I preferred the 18k over the 14k because I wanted a slightly more ’whellow’ color/tinge, and 18k has a higher ‘gold’ content than 14k.
It is such a lovely combo for your ring! So would you say unplated 18k WG lays between the harsh white of plated WG, and 14k YG?
 

CBPearllover

Shiny_Rock
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My stone is an M in 14K yellow gold with/H melee. I'm an unwavering yellow gold lover.

IMG_2631.JPG IMG_2625.JPG

IMG_2594.JPG IMG_2613.JPG
Oh wow, that is beautiful @Ally66! The M color plus the higher color melee look fabulous! Do you think it works bc its an OEC, and has those lovely large flashes? My SIL seems to like small halos, but I'm worried a lower color MRB wouldn't play nice with bright white melee....
 

Ally66

Brilliant_Rock
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Thank you, and good question! My feeling is this combo would work with an MRB too -- different but equally beautiful. I like the bit of contrast and the warmth of the M.
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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With this budget, I think I'd focus on keeping the setting price down. @sledge can you post your thread with all the twisty turny settings? I can't pull it up in the search.

This may be work for her, but she might look at a straight shank on the engagement ring and the twisted eternity on the wedding band. Once married, many women have occasions where they only wear a wedding band...dirt, diapers, work, etc. A stand-along twisted/eternity type band has more presence and looks great along. It would also make finding an affordable setting easier. If she sticks with a simple solitaire and a more detailed band, she may be able to keep her setting if she upgrades the diamond (or lost little if it needs to be replaced).


1570998395074.png

I think this puts more emphasis on the diamond and provides more flexibility with bands and adding anniversary or fun bands.

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EDITED TO ADD Another way to give the eternity/twisty feeling is to have a wedding band with marquise diamonds end to end. You get a lot of bling and they look great with rounds.

1570999120602.png

I'd add a little bezel
1570999325713.png
 
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rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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. I'm not sure if she would like transitional cuts, but I'm sure interested in the DBL M you mentioned :kiss2:
It would be most of the budget, but if she is open to a simple solitaire as suggested above, it would get her to 1.2 carats. I don't DBL policy for upgrades, so you'd have to ask.
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
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On that diamond, please give HPD a call. They are happy to cut lower colors. A few weeks ago I talked with Wink and he had a low color 1.05ish VS2 that was in production. The price was within budget.
 

AV_

Ideal_Rock
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If melee will be of interest again, I'd say single cut works with anything - all there is to see from those stones is flickering brighteness with little sense of their colour, the smaller, the better (up to 1pt).

YES for HPD!
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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With this budget, I think I'd focus on keeping the setting price down. @sledge can you post your thread with all the twisty turny settings? I can't pull it up in the search.

Sorry, the weekend was a little chaotic and I am just catching this.

It started here:

It continues here:

My journey to go custom instead:

The conclusion of her matching wedding band:

Hope this helps. :cool2:
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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Reading up thread after I posted I saw concerns about setting color. The DK/BGD thread has some info about various options as it was a concern of mine. There are photos that may help.

FWIW, I ended up going with DK's unplated palladium/WG mix for my wife.

FYI, total cost for my wife's e-ring and wedding band was around $3,500ish. So if you can find a "stock" setting and/or wedding band you will probably be money ahead.
 
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