When do you quit a jewelry project?

[OreoRosies86]

I have had a ring in mind for over a year. Sketches upon sketches, diamond hunting, colored stone purchases, and now that I am nearing the finish line (just received a custom quote from Victor Canera) I am ready to scrap the whole idea.

I'm sick of "looking" at this ring. There are too many factors battling at each other:
Diamond is the right size and price, but the wrong clarity
Diamond is way out of reach but perfect
Diamond is gorgeous but too small
Love the look of 18k gold but want the durability of platinum
Stones don't look right in platinum
Starting to over design and overthink

I have been steeping in this idea like tea for so long and I am drained. Is that ridiculous? Talk about dumb first world problems I know, but this is it for me in terms of a ring. This is the forever ring. Am I wussing out now that it's time to make it a reality?

I am thinking of maybe starting a thread in rockytalky with what I have so far (stones and sketches) and get some much needed help...

 

[Dee*Jay]

I have had a ring in mind for over a year. Sketches upon sketches, diamond hunting, colored stone purchases, and now that I am nearing the finish line (just received a custom quote from Victor Canera) I am ready to scrap the whole idea.

I'm sick of "looking" at this ring. There are too many factors battling at each other:
Diamond is the right size and price, but the wrong clarity
Diamond is way out of reach but perfect
Diamond is gorgeous but too small
Love the look of 18k gold but want the durability of platinum
Stones don't look right in platinum
Starting to over design and overthink

I have been steeping in this idea like tea for so long and I am drained. Is that ridiculous? Talk about dumb first world problems I know, but this is it for me in terms of a ring. This is the forever ring. Am I wussing out now that it's time to make it a reality?

I am thinking of maybe starting a thread in rockytalky with what I have so far (stones and sketches) and get some much needed help...

Or... for some of us (me included) the thrill is in The Hunt. So once you have it WHAT will you do then? (And I have this problem with other things too... real estate... cars... other "holy grail" sorts of things... )

Just throwing an idea out there.

 

[OreoRosies86]

That is definitely a huge problem for me too. "Once I have this/that/the other I will be happy."

With this project I have tried to take extreme care in drawing from a list of must-haves, choosing design elements that have stood the test of time in terms of my own personal loves, and keeping it simple but interesting. This project up until now has been fun.

 

[Circe]

I don't tend to quit them, but I do tend to back-burner them when I start feeling like it's work and not play. Like DeeJay, I love the hunt ... but once in a while, I'll feel like I've scrolled through everything on every auction site in existence, trolled every stall on 47th, and louped every stone this side of the Mississippi.

So then I go silversmith, or something. Sometimes I get distracted by another project. At the end of the day, one of the great things about jewelry is that it's so long-lasting ... another month or two between me and my whatever won't hurt!

P.S. - 18k is plenty durable. Is there a specific thing you do with your hands making you think you need platinum if you don't love its appearance?

 

[OreoRosies86]

I don't tend to quit them, but I do tend to back-burner them when I start feeling like it's work and not play. Like DeeJay, I love the hunt ... but once in a while, I'll feel like I've scrolled through everything on every auction site in existence, trolled every stall on 47th, and louped every stone this side of the Mississippi.

So then I go silversmith, or something. Sometimes I get distracted by another project. At the end of the day, one of the great things about jewelry is that it's so long-lasting ... another month or two between me and my whatever won't hurt!

P.S. - 18k is plenty durable. Is there a specific thing you do with your hands making you think you need platinum if you don't love its appearance?

The deal with platinum vs. gold is that a few jewelers now have responded to quote requests saying (I'm paraphrasing) "We will work with gold but prefer platinum because platinum doesn't lose metal the way gold does." Then that makes me jumpy.

 

[Circe]

Ah. What I think that might mean in this context is something between "Platinum has a higher markup" and "Having invested the effort it takes to work platinum properly, I now prefer working with it." Over the course of generations, yes, gold will lose more mass than platinum. If you want something like three-sided pave, platinum would be sturdier, I think.

But for a not-incredibly-delicate design, and for something that has to please you first and foremost, if you like 18k, you would be perfectly safe with it.

 

[innerkitten]

Negotiate with yourself. We're all different. But I know would be willing to go with gold over platinum. I am even be okay with 14k gold. One perk is that it's stronger than 18k and if it's white it looks the same. Another thought is get the perfect stone now, set it in a simple solitaire and worry about the perfect setting later.

Jewelry should be fun don't let this project stress you out too much.

p.s. How about palladium?

 

[OreoRosies86]

The stones look wonderful next to 18k yellow gold and washed out next to white metal. So I definitely do want the rich look of yellow gold, it's an appearance issue rather than a price issue. It's just a bit unsettling being told your forever setting you want won't hold up as well as platinum. Though VC didn't do that, there was a simple quote form, what kind of metal do you want, 18k no problem, here's your quote

 

[JewelFreak]

Circe hit the nail on the head, I think. 18k isn't as strong as platinum or as 14k -- so what? What do you plan to do with the ring? Shoe horses? Sounds like a lame excuse to me.

Just think of the 18k -- even 22k -- jewelry that has lasted for generation after generation, handed down, and worn. My response would be, "ok, if they don't want the work, I won't burden them with it." Without knowing what your design is, I wonder if you've tried Michael E. (Gemshoppe.com) -- he does very nice work; he made an 18k ring for me that I love, and someone after me will love it too!

If the project really gets to you, then putting it on the back burner for a while is a good idea. Do something different -- and maybe in the meantime a solution to the conflicts you're running into will bubble up to the surface. Chin up!

--- Laurie

 

[aljdewey]

I have had a ring in mind for over a year. Sketches upon sketches, diamond hunting, colored stone purchases, and now that I am nearing the finish line (just received a custom quote from Victor Canera) I am ready to scrap the whole idea.

I'm sick of "looking" at this ring. There are too many factors battling at each other:
Diamond is the right size and price, but the wrong clarity
Diamond is way out of reach but perfect
Diamond is gorgeous but too small
Love the look of 18k gold but want the durability of platinum
Stones don't look right in platinum
Starting to over design and overthink

It sounds like you're not really at a 'forever' ring stage yet if you're ultimately unsatisfied with the you can currently fund. I honestly wouldn't build a custom ring until I was completely satisfied with the diamond first.

That said, when you do reach a point of having the 'right' diamond in hand, I don't see a problem with doing your project in YG if that's what you prefer. Getting that look might just mean getting it inspected more frequently to do preventative maintenance (i.e retipping prongs, etc).

 

[Andelain]

Can we see a sketch of what you have in mind?

 

[OreoRosies86]

Can we see a sketch of what you have in mind?

Yes! I'll start a show all thread in rocktalky with stones purchased so far and sketches after dinner is done. Maybe I can get some help...

 

[packrat]

I'd love to see, too. Project threads are exciting-would love to see what you've been stewing about!

 

[pregcurious]

I have felt like that before, and I have been once bitten by a bad custom setting experience, which made it worse. It made me second guess everything to do with jewelry. However, I recently received my new ring and I love it, and it's made me brave enough to look forward with more confidence towards my next custom setting.

You mentioned over thinking it, but at the heart of it, you must know what really makes your heart sing. I've learned not to compromise on these elements as it's a matter of taste. I am open to suggestions from the vendor on other things that I do not feel are crucial. It also helps to work with a vendor whose taste you love, and who specializes in the style you are you trying to execute.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think you are putting too much pressure on the ring. "Forever" etc. It causes analysis paralysis.

And maybe you are like me and need to find a completed ring you love rather than buy component parts.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Yes I am definitely getting jittery at the sheer cost all of this is involving. When I say "forever" it is that finality of the project like "Girl, you had better be over the moon nuts about this ring because you are NEVER spending this much money on yourself again."

 

[OreoRosies86]

I'd love to see, too. Project threads are exciting-would love to see what you've been stewing about!

I am working on a color version with Crayola watercolors to give a better idea of the grand vision

 

[Circe]

Yes I am definitely getting jittery at the sheer cost all of this is involving. When I say "forever" it is that finality of the project like "Girl, you had better be over the moon nuts about this ring because you are NEVER spending this much money on yourself again."

Ditto Dreamer ... that's one of the reasons I like vintage so much. It takes a lot of the pressure off. Yes, you have to hunt and hunt for the perfect thing, but that's kind of part of the fun ... as opposed to custom, where you both have to make all the decisions up-front, and then do the Dance of Customer Impatience waiting to see if it will live up to expectations. Off to RT now to see what it is you are trying to bring about!

 

[OreoRosies86]

It's being posted now

 

[OreoRosies86]

Done!

 

[Ashleigh]

You sound like me a few years back! My first love when I came to PS was art deco setting. Debated between gallery design, ruby or sapphire halo, etc etc till I was drained. Put it in a simple temp bezel setting and I have been hooked on bezel since then. Take a break from your project. When you come back and still like that idea, proceed, else it's time for another ring. Just to add that I've been looking at art deco again after all these years, not sure how it will pan out though. At least you got tired of your ring at design stage instead of completion stage, just think of the savings!

 

[luvsdmb]

I know exactly how you feel. Sometimes a break from all rings is what you need in order to really figure out what you want.
I would also love to see your plans though if you aren't wanting a break.

 

[chrono]

Take a break, then come back to it. If it doesn't feel right, don't continue with the project because from my experience, it rarely works out well and then you won't love the end result as much. Step away from it, and continue to look around at ideas and stones but without any pressure. After a while, you will feel rejuvenated and re-inspired; that's when you return to the project. This is the way I operate but I have no time constraint whereas you might. I've put several stones on the back burner, playing around with several ideas and tweaking them every which way, stepped away, and revisited them again months or even years later.