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which ring would you pick?

hellabella

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
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3
Hi there! I'm new to PS and this is my first post :) My bf and I started looking for rings around Christmas. He's allowed me to be very involved in the process because he knows I'm "particular", which is both good and bad because he's letting me decide what kind of ring I want. The problem is I'm torn between two very different styles and would like to hear input from those who went through a similar decision process.

Initially, I thought I wanted a cushion cut ring of some sort, either with or without a halo, plus a pave band. Ive been drawn to JB Star rings in particular and we found a radiant cut halo ring with pave band. The ring as a whole is a stunner, but I'm not sure about the center diamond because it doesn't "pop". I feel that maybe the glitter of the halo overpowers the center stone, if that makes sense? We put the radiant cut halo ring on hold and I continued looking. I've attached two pictures of the radiant halo ring in question (1.01 ct).

Surprisingly, the other style of ring I've been drawn to is a simple solitaire round in a platinum band. I tried on some rings at Tiffany and independent jewelers and love the look for its simplicity. The diamond just pops and the look is so classic, but at the same time, also not very unique. If I go this route, the setting I'm most drawn to is a six prong platinum setting with thinner(knife cut?) band, with a center stone thats slightly over 1 ct. Attached are pictures of a Tiffany ring I tried on (1.18 ct) and a picture of a ring that I like with a thinner band (not my hand, 1.03 ct)

I'm being indecisive because this is a big purchase and I want to make sure that I love my ring for the long term. My bf is leaving the decision up to me, because his philosophy is I'm the one who will be wearing it, not him. I told him I'd be happy with either style ring, and the sales people have told me that women who have solitaire rings with plain bands come back a week later looking for different settings. They also are strongly recommending the radiant halo ring (They are offering it at a decent price, which makes me wonder if there's a reason they're trying to get rid of it. They got the ring back in November). They also are suggesting that i take a look at Forevermark round brilliant stones set in a cushion halo setting to try and get the best of both worlds, which they will have ready in the showroom sometime in February.

If you were me, which style ring would you go with? I know this is ultimately my decision but I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences and how you made your decision, if you had input in the process. Also, I apologize for the poor quality photos, the rings that I tried on were much more brilliant in person. Thanks for reading :)

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IMO, some halos can make the center stone get lost a bit. But that also gives a larger overall look as if the center stone is bigger than it really is. The solitaires on a thin band do make the stone "pop" and you can add stackers to bling it up a bit. Such a personal decision. I prefer solitaires because you can always add more bling with other bands. It's impossible to downplay a halo because it's meant to give more presence.
 
I think they are both beautiful! I also think it's important to consider your lifestyle and how you hope to wear your rings. Are you very active and hope to wear your rings most of the time? Do you work in an office, moderate to low activity and plan to wear your rings only to work or outside of the home?

Pave settings are delicate...even if you are very careful and remove your rings for sleeping, bathing, cooking, workouts, etc. Most of us will lose a stone at some point and many of us will lose more than one regardless of how careful and diligent we are. That's the nature of pave.

I also disagree that solitaires are 'boring'. In fact I think that they are making a large comeback right now. Solitaires are much more versatile and can be 'blinged' up by stacking bands, or a beautiful eternity. I like having the option to switch things up, without having to consider resetting the whole stone to get a different look.

Either way, I would insist that your vendor order your setting for your specific size. Pave doesn't do well when sized and you risk losing stones immediately and on a continuous basis. I've heard many stories where people have had to fight with the vendor to have a new setting made because they purchased a stock setting without knowing the risks.

Have you already purchased your diamond, or are the rings 'pre set'? Selecting the best diamond for you would be my first priority right now if you haven't done so already. :))

Welcome to PS BTW :wavey:

edit: grammar
 
Ok, these are two very different looks! My first question, is why these? Have you always had your heart set on both of these two styles, or after much searching, did you come about these? But, if you want opinions...I love the halo on your finger--it has so much presence. But , you should ask the experts about radiants and how they perform.
 
Simple answer, #1. So much more finger coverage!
 
Well, I love #1 because
1. more finger coverage
2. contrasting diamonds, you have the larger flat cuts of the radiant against the round sparkly diamonds around the halo, so it makes it interesting

I like #2 because
1. it is a classic look
2. shows the diamond off

BUT if I had to pick one - I'd go with #1. You sort of have to really LOVE the shape and cut of the diamond, decide on that first. Then find a setting you love. Make sure you are happy with the finger coverage etc because if you know, many pricescope members get DSS (diamond shrinking syndrome) rather quickly.

Also, what is more "you"??? Get something that fits your personality.
 
I prefer the first one, the radiant halo, as I am not a great fan of RBs, and the radiant looks better on the finger with more coverage, IMHO.

DK :))
 
dk168|1390682352|3601085 said:
I prefer the first one, the radiant halo, as I am not a great fan of RBs, and the radiant looks better on the finger with more coverage, IMHO.

DK :))


Hands down #1 but if you like RB you can do a cushion halo around a RB and get the same look.

All in all though here at PS we like to see individual stones to select an ideal cut stone with perfect proportions So before you decide to buy a preset ring consider selecting your stone first and then the setting.
 
I'll just add that I don't think you should overpay for a Tiffany solitaire if you end up going that route. You can get an identical look and an even more ideal cut stone with better specs (minus the Blue Box) for half the price - or even less.
 
As another opinion, my favorite by far is the solitaire ring in pic #4 - looks graceful and substantial on your finger - and you can bling it up with your wedding band and/or anniversary stackers.
 
OP, maybe you didn't like the halo'ed radiant because of the cut quality? You're right, the diamond itself looks dark compared with the little halo diamonds, and kind of greyish because of not reflecting much of the light back toward you.. Maybe a different cut -- a different diamond -- would give you the sparkle you're looking for!

Personally, if you like RBs and would consider a halo'ed round brilliant, that would be my recommendation: put all your budget into a glorious RB with fabulous cut, in a solitaire setting (which would be really inexpensive), and then try it out! If you need a more showy look after trialling a solitaire for a couple weeks, halo it! (Or halo it for a 1-year anniversary present!)
 
marymm|1390689379|3601140 said:
As another opinion, my favorite by far is the solitaire ring in pic #4 - looks graceful and substantial on your finger - and you can bling it up with your wedding band and/or anniversary stackers.

ditto that - the single stone is very elegant and looks great on your hand.
 
solitaire!!!! :appl:
 
Solitaire but, as others have said, it's a personal decision. That said, if you are already questioning the look of #1, don't get it. Folks here will help you find something better if you decide on a halo.
 
I think the solitaire you've proposed looks small on your hand/finger. The halo is so much more substantial and has a "wow" factor that the solitaire just doesn't have.
 
I'm surprised no one has said this, but if it were me, I'd take my budget and find out what the biggest diamond I could get would be for my budget, and put that in a solitaire.

What's your budget for your whole ring? Are you more interested in rounds or radiants?
 
04diamond<3|1390781226|3601738 said:
I'm surprised no one has said this, but if it were me, I'd take my budget and find out what the biggest diamond I could get would be for my budget, and put that in a solitaire.

What's your budget for your whole ring? Are you more interested in rounds or radiants?

I agree that OP should concentrate on the diamond before the setting and actually inquired about this in my post.


Have you already purchased your diamond, or are the rings 'pre set'? Selecting the best diamond for you would be my first priority right now if you haven't done so already.
 
Here's what I did. I picked the biggest and best RB I could afford in a platinum setting (1.21 ct.) Here's what I figured. I love the round and I love the look of a round in a cushion halo. If I get tired of my solitaire (haven't yet) I can set it in a halo. The halo setting will be easier to afford in the future and I the bigger diamond now. :appl:
 
mdmc|1390783855|3601756 said:
Here's what I did. I picked the biggest and best RB I could afford in a platinum setting (1.21 ct.) Here's what I figured. I love the round and I love the look of a round in a cushion halo. If I get tired of my solitaire (haven't yet) I can set it in a halo. The halo setting will be easier to afford in the future and I the bigger diamond now. :appl:


Win win! Great solution...wear your new ring in health and happiness and be sure to post lots of pics please. :appl:
 
Good choice...and now for the pictures?
 
mdmc|1390783855|3601756 said:
Here's what I did. I picked the biggest and best RB I could afford in a platinum setting (1.21 ct.) Here's what I figured. I love the round and I love the look of a round in a cushion halo. If I get tired of my solitaire (haven't yet) I can set it in a halo. The halo setting will be easier to afford in the future and I the bigger diamond now. :appl:

Smart move! :appl:
 
I read your thread late and was going to suggest exactly what you did!
 
It appears to me that hellabella was the OP and mdmc was just telling us what she had done in a similar situation. Am I reading it correctly ? Anyway, YUP great solution and what I would do as well !
 
Wow lots of great info and advice in the responses! Thank you and I'll try and respond to everyone:

At first I thought I wanted a cushion cut, but now I'm leaning toward RB because it sparkles so much more. Plus, you can achieve the cushion appearance with a RB with the right setting. I wasn't really interested in radiants, but bf liked this particular JB Star ring.
- I'm not crazy about predone rings. After looking around a bit, there's always something I don't like about each premade ring I've seen. I agree, if I'm questioning this particular radiant halo ring, it's probably not the right ring.
- Thanks for the advice about halos losing pave stones. I have another ring with a halo setting and while cleaning it this weekend I noticed it's missing a stone! So I'll definitely keep that in mind because I can be a little rough on my jewelry.
- I'm drawn to the Tiffany-style solitaire setting because it's set lower, but I don't need a brand name ring - I'd rather put the money towards a better or bigger stone :)).
- Picture #4 isn't my hand :) But I like the thinner band because it accentuates the center stone. At the same time I'm aware that for 1 ct stones and larger, you don't want a setting that's too delicate.
- I take public transit to work, so I was concerned about the blingy-ness of a halo ring, not to mention a halo ring + pave wedding band. I'll most likely wear my wedding band on a daily basis and save the ring for special occasions. Thank you for mentioning that you can't tone down a halo ring, but can dress up a wedding set with a pave band. This is why I'm leaning towards a plainer setting.
- Budget is flexible but my bf and I don't want to be ring-poor. We're definitely being more conservative than our budget requires.

I think I'm going to take the JBStar ring off hold and focus on looking at stones for the time being. I'm going to wait and have a look at the cushion halo settings before deciding if I want a halo setting. If I don't go the halo route, I'll probably do what mdmc did :)
 
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