Variations in the halo itself

[Sue777]

I''ve finally decided that I do want a halo to replace my broken cathedral solitaire. After looking at hundreds online and trying on several in person, I''ve pretty much narrowed down what I want regarding height, type of basket, etc. but even after finding one that really made me happy I then noticed that the ring of diamonds that make up the halo didn''t grab me like one I had tried on a week earlier. I asked the jeweler why the other one seemed to sparkle and flatter my center stone so much more and he said the other one was "prong set" while this one was "micro pave". So.... back to square one. He''s going to NY this Wednesday and will bring me back several samples of what I''ve described and shown him pictures of and hopefully he''ll get it just right and I can then custom order it to fit my stone.

So in addition to the size and color of each individual stone, I also need to keep an eye on how each one is set? Are there other variables he may confuse me with this week besides prong set and micro pave? If the micro is not prong set then what is it? And are there some halos that might use shared prong?

I''ve looked at all the halo threads on here several times and love so many of them but I can''t always tell from the photos how big the halo stones are or how they''re set.

Do they only "prong set" the larger halo stones? Am I really jacking up the price of my new setting by requesting a prong set halo?

Sue

 

[Catmom]

Date: 4/19/2010 10:17:24 PM
Author:Sue777
I''ve finally decided that I do want a halo to replace my broken cathedral solitaire. After looking at hundreds online and trying on several in person, I''ve pretty much narrowed down what I want regarding height, type of basket, etc. but even after finding one that really made me happy I then noticed that the ring of diamonds that make up the halo didn''t grab me like one I had tried on a week earlier. I asked the jeweler why the other one seemed to sparkle and flatter my center stone so much more and he said the other one was ''prong set'' while this one was ''micro pave''. So.... back to square one. He''s going to NY this Wednesday and will bring me back several samples of what I''ve described and shown him pictures of and hopefully he''ll get it just right and I can then custom order it to fit my stone.

So in addition to the size and color of each individual stone, I also need to keep an eye on how each one is set? Are there other variables he may confuse me with this week besides prong set and micro pave? If the micro is not prong set then what is it? And are there some halos that might use shared prong?

I''ve looked at all the halo threads on here several times and love so many of them but I can''t always tell from the photos how big the halo stones are or how they''re set.

Do they only ''prong set'' the larger halo stones? Am I really jacking up the price of my new setting by requesting a prong set halo?

Sue

No, I think it depends upon the designer. The halo stones in my ER are very small yet are prong set. There are four prongs per stone and have the tiniest prongs I''ve ever seen. I can''t answer though about how much more it would cost for prong setting.

 

[Sue777]

Thank you for the reply -- 64 viewings and only one answer -I was starting to get a complex!

I guess I need to closely examine every aspect of every setting, right down to the prongs on each stone in the halo. I''ll bet this is supposed to be fun but I just want a finished product on my hand, SOON! (Patience is something I''ve never learned - don''t think I ever will if I haven''t mastered it by now.)
Sue

 

[Dreamer_D]

There are diffeent styles of pave, and it sounds like you prefer the more expensive style. Leon mege uses tiny little prongs to set his tiny little diamonds. The style you do not like is called bead set, where the diamond rest in a channel of sorts and are held in place my beads of metal.

I noticed in your other thread that you want to keep your wb. Is that the thick band you are wearing with your e-ring in the photo? I really do not think it will match a new halo setting in platinum or another white metal. I wonder if the whole notion of a reset is incompatible in some ways with the sentiment of keeping rings on the finger 24/7. This is just my thoughts, obviously make whatever choice you want!

I think that you should just not worry about the details and instead wait and see what comes up and just use your eyes and say "I love it" I hate it" and let the jeweler worry about the details and finding you something you love!

 

[risingsun]

The pave in my halo is prong set. The prongs are so tiny, you would need a loupe to see them. Even the prongs holding the diamond are very small. This is my preference in a halo--the least amount of metal work showing as possible.

 

[HVVS]

I would guess that the cut quality of the stones in the two settings was not the same. There is some bland and poorly cut pave'' out there.

 

[Sue777]

Yes, I need to keep the wide, yellow gold WB -- it''s my husband that is sentimental (moreso than I anyway) and he''s barely comfortable with me changing my ER setting. I''ve hinted at changing the WB, too, but figure I won''t push my luck. My jeweler is suggesting a two-tone ER setting so that the band is still yellow gold but the metal in the prongs and halo is white gold. Sounds like a workable solution to me, what do you think?

I''m guessing you''re right that the stones in the halo I didn''t like were probably a lower quality in addition to being set differently. When I asked about the difference I didn''t get details on the specs of the stones - only that "last week''s was not prong set".

Thanks for the education and information about the different ways to set stones in a halo..... 3 weeks ago I didn''t even now what a halo was!

Sue

 

[PavePrincess]

Today most diamond halos are prong set, but there are still some that are bead set. I think it''s weird that your jeweler referred to the halo that you didn''t like as "micro pave" since it''s likely that the prong set halo that you DID like was a micro pave halo. The term "micro pave" just means small stones (between .005 and .01) that are set closely together. Also, I don''t think that there are shared prong halos since the stones would be at high risk for loss. Like the other posters, my halo is prong set with little baby prongs. If I were you, I''d just pick the ring that I liked and have the jeweler make it without worrying.. Although it does kind of bother me that he used the term "micro pave" to distinguish the two rings..

On another note.. Have you decided if you''re going to do a 3 sided halo? I love the look of a 3 sided halo with a diamond under gallery..

 

[Sue777]

Thanks for the feedback - I was starting to get overwhelmed by all the different choices and decisions and then when they started talking pave versus micro-pave I really got confused! Now that I think back on the discussion, I think it was the owner''s son who walked by, heard me saying I noticed a big difference between the two halos and said "the one you looked at last week had a micro-pave halo while this one doesn''t." Then he proceeded to help another customer so I didn''t question it. I have to admit, though, some of the halos I looked at looked as if they had crumpled up aluminum foil around the center stone rather than diamonds. I don''t know if that was due to the size of the stones, the quality of them, or how they were set.

I think I''m shying away from diamonds on three sides because I''ve already got so much on my wedding band and I know one side would be totally hidden anyway.

You''re right - I''ll see what he has to show me this Thursday and will go with what grabs me, regardless of what it''s called or the terminology used. I just hope I don''t like parts of one and other parts of another like I did last week.

Sue

 

[PavePrincess]

Ahh.. gotcha (about the son''s misinformation). If I were you, I''d be a little bit skeptical about the workmanship at the store you''re going to. Some of the halos looked like crumpled foil?? Eek! I''d be worried about a less than stellar jeweler working on my ring. Also, what''s wrong with liking part of one ring and part of another? They can''t do any type of custom work? It seems like you''ve worked with this jeweler for a little while, but I''d consider possibly taking your business elsewhere if he can''t give you exactly what you want. If you live in northern California let me know.. the jeweler that did my ring was AMAZING and let me customize every detail.

Just as a side note.. I was talking about 3 sided halos not necessarily the band. You''ll definitely be able to see the detail.. but that''s just my opinion, which should be taken as" whatevs" since I''m obsessed with all things sparkly. Good luck with your next appointment. I''m crossing my fingers that you find something you love!

 

[Sue777]

Date: 4/20/2010 8:49:22 PM
Author: PavePrincess
Ahh.. gotcha (about the son''s misinformation). If I were you, I''d be a little bit skeptical about the workmanship at the store you''re going to. Some of the halos looked like crumpled foil?? Eek! I''d be worried about a less than stellar jeweler working on my ring. Also, what''s wrong with liking part of one ring and part of another? They can''t do any type of custom work? It seems like you''ve worked with this jeweler for a little while, but I''d consider possibly taking your business elsewhere if he can''t give you exactly what you want. If you live in northern California let me know.. the jeweler that did my ring was AMAZING and let me customize every detail.

Just as a side note.. I was talking about 3 sided halos not necessarily the band. You''ll definitely be able to see the detail.. but that''s just my opinion, which should be taken as'' whatevs'' since I''m obsessed with all things sparkly. Good luck with your next appointment. I''m crossing my fingers that you find something you love!

My bad - I guess "crumpled up foil" was a bad description of some of the halos I''ve seen, not just at my regular jewelry store but at all the mall stores I''ve shopped at to get ideas. I wasn''t referring to the workmanship as much as I was the quality and size of the diamonds in the halo. Some looked like there was more metal than diamond - I want more DIAMOND!

This jeweler has done very well by me for the past 7 years. As long as I only see the owner I''m confident. Thanks for the offer of a referral but I couldn''t be much further from California - I''m in Connecticut!
Sue