VC vs MH for halo oval resetting

[robinsparkles]

Hi everyone. My husband and I are resetting my 1ct E VVS2 oval diamond into a halo with a cathedral. Based on reading through as many PS threads as possible, we've narrowed down our options to Victor Canera and Maytal Hannah and have received a quote from both, which are more-or-less the same.

I've read overwhelmingly positive reviews about Victor Canera (including this helpful recent thread: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...g-designer-hannah-vs-kirsch-vs-canera.270595/), and have also read positive reviews of Maytal. However, the sales rep at VC, Nathan, said he couldn't guarantee that they'd match the melee with my color of my stone, but "would be very close in color" and that they "can try to choose higher colored melee." Maytal said she would match it.

My question is: how important is matching melee, and also, is the response from the sales rep consistent with most jewelers (I'm new to all of this so wanted to check)? It sounds like Victor is just amazing and wouldn't produce a sub-par ring, but I'm feeling a little nervous moving forward. I'm very interested in Maytal, but it's hard to ignore such rave reviews about Victor!

Thanks in advance!

 

[ecf8503]

Melee stones are very small, and thus have much smaller facets as well. Usually melee looks very bright white - whiter than the comparable grade stated, and whiter than your center stone. You could for example use G colored melee w your E stone and I bet you couldn't tell the difference. I wouldn't worry, especially w VC - it will look great.

 

[tyty333]

I dont think it's anything to worry about. Melee almost always appear whiter because they are so small you can not detect their color.
So, you may not get "E" with VC but you wont see a color difference with your stone and the pave. MH does beautiful work also...
it would be a tough decision for me too!

 

[nala]

I have a Gia E and a VC Emilya halo which I bought preowned. I’m pretty sure they called it a G in color and I can’t distinguish a difference bc the small melee or pave all tends to shine more brightly anyhow, given the size.

 

[yssie]

In general melee is sold in packets - high colour & high clarity, and low colour & more included. Excluding specialty stuff like single cuts for high-end watches.

So what one vendor calls “DEF VVS” melee, another vendor might call “E/F VS”, another vendor might simply call “colourless”… And what one vendor calls I/J another vendor might call J/K/L…

I can guarantee that no vendor is sitting down to match individual halo stones from a packet to a centerstone. So the concept of “matching the centerstone” in the real world becomes entirely a question of what a vendor chooses to call their packets… And from that perspective it makes no difference who you choose

And as prior posters have explained - tiny stones tend to look like a bright white dots regardless of exact body colour, so even if you did match body exactly they would still appear and behave quite differently face-up.

Canera and Maytal have different styles. Canera’s work tends to be “cozier” and more architectural, Maytal’s is often more “airy”. I would recommend choosing based on whose halo style you prefer. Don’t let concerns about melee colour away you one way or the other

 

[robinsparkles]

In general melee is sold in packets - high colour & high clarity, and low colour & more included. Excluding specialty stuff like single cuts for high-end watches.

So what one vendor calls “DEF VVS” melee, another vendor might call “E/F VS”, another vendor might simply call “colourless”… And what one vendor calls I/J another vendor might call J/K/L…

I can guarantee that no vendor is sitting down to match individual halo stones from a packet to a centerstone. So the concept of “matching the centerstone” in the real world becomes entirely a question of what a vendor chooses to call their packets… And from that perspective it makes no difference who you choose

And as prior posters have explained - tiny stones tend to look like a bright white dots regardless of exact body colour, so even if you did match body exactly they would still appear and behave quite differently face-up.

Canera and Maytal have different styles. Canera’s work tends to be “cozier” and more architectural, Maytal’s is often more “airy”. I would recommend choosing based on whose halo style you prefer. Don’t let concerns about melee colour away you one way or the other

Super helpful, everyone! Thank you!!

Yssie, could you share a little more about what an airy halo is (or how you see the two styles differently)? I'm hoping for something elegant/graceful but of course well-made and sturdy for daily wear. I may not have a good enough eye to clearly see the differences between their styles, so your (and others') feedback is great to have!

 

[WillyDiamond]

I do stand corrected but when it comes to the melee, you need to trust the jeweler with matching the stones. Forum members have been happy with VC work.

Futhermore, with the rave reviews from VC you have to wonder how VC said they cannot guarantee a match but MH can?

 

[yssie]

I do stand corrected but when it comes to the melee, you need to trust the jeweler with matching the stones. Forum members have been happy with VC work.

Futhermore, with the rave reviews from VC you have to wonder how VC said they cannot guarantee a match but MH can?

I explained this a few posts ago.

 

[yssie]

Super helpful, everyone! Thank you!!

Yssie, could you share a little more about what an airy halo is (or how you see the two styles differently)? I'm hoping for something elegant/graceful but of course well-made and sturdy for daily wear. I may not have a good enough eye to clearly see the differences between their styles, so your (and others') feedback is great to have!

Sure. This is one of Maytal’s rings - I just grabbed one from her Insta. See how much space there is between stone pavilion and metal? Some people really like this open, light, and “airy” look, but others might feel that it’s a bit “scaffold-like”.


Here are two of Canera’s rings. The CS is actually a reset, but the coloured center shows the difference in style more clearly. The gallery hugs the stone, some people like this “cozy” look whilst others might feel that it’s too tight or “squat”!



No right or wrong answer here! Just why you prefer.

 

[WillyDiamond]

I explained this a few posts ago.

Re-read your post, my comments are different.
Either way I am sure that people on the forum are happy with your comments and best of luck to the OP finding what she wants.

 

[rainydaze]

I do stand corrected but when it comes to the melee, you need to trust the jeweler with matching the stones. Forum members have been happy with VC work.

Futhermore, with the rave reviews from VC you have to wonder how VC said they cannot guarantee a match but MH can?

OP states that VC said he couldn't guarantee a match. OP doesn't state that MH said she could guarantee a match, rather that she said she would match it.

Semantics. Can VC guarantee that each melee stone has the same specific specs as OP's center stone? No, he cannot guarantee that. Can MH match the melee stones so that to the naked eye they look nearly the same, yes she can do that. Match and guarantee mean different things. If MH also said she would guarantee - not just match - the stones, then it gets interesting.

I"m sure VC will also match. And it would be stunning.

 

[WillyDiamond]

OP states that VC said he couldn't guarantee a match. OP doesn't state that MH said she could guarantee a match, rather that she said she would match it.

Semantics. Can VC guarantee that each melee stone has the same specific specs as OP's center stone? No, he cannot guarantee that. Can MH match the melee stones so that to the naked eye they look nearly the same, yes she can do that. Match and guarantee mean different things. If MH also said she would guarantee - not just match - the stones, then it gets interesting.

I"m sure VC will also match. And it would be stunning.

I think we are splitting hairs here

 

[Bozman52]

@robinsparkles, the struggle is real! I'm glad that my post was helpful to you . . . and I hope you were able to quickly bypass the "mansplaining" portion of it .

I don't feel that I'm in the best place to give you advice about the melee stones in your initial post, as others here are the truly knowledgeable ones on this aspect. What I will say is that the more I looked at the type/style of rings that each designer produced, the more I aligned with Victor Canera. He definitely makes more cathedral style settings than Maytal and they were more aligned with the style I was personally looking for. As such, the more I went down the rabbit hole, the more it became clear to me that Victor was probably the best choice for me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the color of your melee stones probably shouldn't be the deciding factor for the designer you choose, as I can't imagine VC ever putting subpar melee stones into any ring. Also, Victor's sales reps are not a direct reflection of him personally, so take what they say with a grain of salt. Maytal does a lot of halo work, which is not something I was after, but both designers are probably viable choices for you. I found that going through each's Instagram accounts was a useful exercise to really get a feel for the style each designer was most proficient at.

I apprecite this is not an overly helpful response, but I do hope that added research will bring you clarity, the way that it did me.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I will just add that it never crossed my mind to ask Victor about color of halo melee. He knows what he's doing!

 

[robinsparkles]

This all makes sense to me... a different jeweler (Vanessa Nicole) had asked for my diamond color so she could match the melee, so I assumed it was a standard requirement. Sounds like she just wanted to generally know and was not inferring it HAD to be an exact match!

I think I will go with VC!! You are all so helpful - thank you! I'll eventually post a pic of the ring once it's completed.

 

[WillyDiamond]

This all makes sense to me... a different jeweler (Vanessa Nicole) had asked for my diamond color so she could match the melee, so I assumed it was a standard requirement. Sounds like she just wanted to generally know and was not inferring it HAD to be an exact match!

I think I will go with VC!! You are all so helpful - thank you! I'll eventually post a pic of the ring once it's completed.

Robin,
Not to complicate things at this late stage. I had my wife’s halo work done by Brilliantly Engaged, that is Mark Turnofsky (sp) company. I worked with Chris who I found to be very professional and easy to work with. My wife loves the ring and melee halo is beautiful and tapered on the shank

BE was priced below VC and a few others at the time.

….

 

[robinsparkles]

Robin,
Not to complicate things at this late stage. I had my wife’s halo work done by Brilliantly Engaged, that is Mark Turnofsky (sp) company. I worked with Chris who I found to be very professional and easy to work with. My wife loves the ring and melee halo is beautiful and tapered on the shank

BE was priced below VC and a few others at the time.

….

Thanks, WillyDiamond. I hadn't looked into his work and checked it out. I'm still preferring the style of VC, though I could just have a fixed mindset at this point.

 

[WillyDiamond]

Thanks, WillyDiamond. I hadn't looked into his work and checked it out. I'm still preferring the style of VC, though I could just have a fixed mindset at this point.

Sounds like a good plan! Good luck,

 

[twosanguinehearts]

Agree with VC - there’s no way you’ll be disappointed in the beauty of his work!! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

 

[himni]

I love VC's work. MH has been posting ( IG) some amazing work lately.

 

[robinsparkles]

Got my ring today and wanted to share (pardon the iPhone quality photos)!

VC Emilya with flush fitting stems and cathedral
1 carat oval, ring size 6.5

I'm so pleased with the proportions, coverage, and overall look of the ring. It's exactly what I wanted! I was admittedly a little nervous to give VC full reign to make the ring without any input or feedback, but he did a beautiful job and I'm so impressed. Like everyone else says, the quality is especially stunning in-person. Thanks to you all for your help with recommendations for my resetting.

 

[m-2-b]

It turned out wonderfully! I always love seeing new Emilyas on PS!

Please indulge us with more pics by adding your lovely ring to my VC Emilya thread:

Show Me Your Victor Canera Emilya halos!

Hi everyone! :wavey: Just thought I'd create a thread to celebrate the beloved Victor Canera Emilya setting! There have been many iterations of this setting over the years based on the @frankiextah original on PS! I hope everyone will add their VC Emilya rings to this thread so everyone can...

www.pricescope.com

 

[Bonfire]

You have lovely hands and this gorgeous ring looks perfect on you, so feminine.
Victor’s pave is perfection.

 

[junebug17]

This turned out so beautifully! It looks perfect on you!

 

[robinsparkles]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Kim N]

Oh, how beautiful! Your hands are lovely too!

 

[MissGotRocks]

It turned out so beautifully! Glad you are pleased and hope you enjoy it for many years to come!

 

[LLJsmom]

It’s so beautiful. It looks perfect on you.