Red stones...

[FrekeChild]

...what color gold? And why?

 

[Aoife]

Personally, I think it depends on the shade of red. What shade are you trying to set?

 

[Nashville]

I've always thought that red stones look really nice with high karat yellow gold. Almost like Tudor style jewelry.

 

[breezing]

i like the contrast between white gold and red stones myself.

 

[PinkTower]

I set my ruby in plat. I used 1/2 pointers in the halo and on the band, and I wanted a "gemmy" look with no metal showing. Even if I had not used platinum, I would not have used yellow gold. I am aware of what books say about the complimentary factor of yellow gold, but I don't happen to agree; personal preference. For me, a vivid red stone is enough of a statement piece. It is my engagement ring, and I wear it probably 75% of the time. There are some colors that I wear that do not enhance my stone, especially orange.
Adding yellow gold to a red stone with an orange outfit would be jarring.

 

[lavatea]

I like the look of red, red stones in yellow gold.

ETA - Why? Because I like the contrast.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I think red stones look great in high karat YG, but I personally would never wear it (since all my jewelry is WG) so I would still set it in WG or platinum. I don't think red stones look bad in WG/plat either - makes for a nice contrast.

 

[jstarfireb]

Depends on the shade, but I'd probably put a pinkish red (like my Barry rhodolite) in rose gold and other shades of red in white.

 

[FrekeChild]

Hmmm....like Maraschino cherry red. There are actually several stones ranging from red-pink to almost a burgundy. They don't match by any means, but red is definitely the name of the game.

No one besides Jstar has mentioned rose gold...any particular reason why not?

 

[Aoife]

If you have stones that are primarily on the bluish side of the red spectrum, I think you could use either yellow or white, depending on the effect you are going for. White gold gives more contrast, yellow gold looks more rich and baroque. Personally I wouldn't use rose gold for that kind of color range unless I had tried each stone specifically with the rose gold to make sure it didn't go all clashy. I'm sure you'll get a range of opinions, though!

 

[movie zombie]

not all red gold is created equal....even when comparing 18k red gold with 18k red gold. all depends on the mix the artisan puts together.

to answer the original question: i prefer 18k or higher yellow gold with red stones. this is, of course, a generalization that could/might/would change depending on the particular stone and the setting being contemplated.

red stone + high karat gold = yummy [imo]

MoZo

 

[FrekeChild]

Does this help? Yes, some of them are pinker, but the overall idea is definitely red.

 

[Aoife]

Ah, beautiful. IMO, no rose gold. You need contrast to do those justice. Are you planning on using any accent stones, diamonds, etc? Ornate or simple setting?

 

[Nashville]

I think rose gold could look interesting, but I'm not a huge fan in general (merely a personal preference), and I've never actually seen a red/dark pink stone set in rose gold (in real life that is). So I don't have a great reference point. I really love the look of red and pink stones in warm, buttery yellow gold, but I think the reds and pinks with violet/bluish undertones look stunning in 18k white gold or platinum as well.

Do you have an idea of what you want?

 

[loriken214]

I can't wait to see this project evolve!

Lori

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

OMG How Lovely!!!!
I would be torn, too!
My ultimate favorite love is White gold and silver,
but am currently having a Mahenge Spinel set in yellow gold.....
Seeing your beautiful stones, I am leaning toward the
brightest shiniest white gold.....The Contrast would be stunning!

 

[Lovinggems]

I don't know, but leaning towards white gold. What are you making with these lovely gems?

 

[FrekeChild]

Thanks everyone! Hearing all of these opinions is fascinating!

My husband bought these for me yesterday from our local gem store. They are 2.5mm and eventually will be made into some sort of eternity--about a half eternity since thats about how far they will stretch (if he did his calculations right!). This one will be far off into the future, but I've been eying these stones for over two years now for this specific project.

I'm just torn on gold color. I was thinking that rose gold would blend best and give me a slash of color across my finger, but yellow and white would definitely give some contrast.

Basically it's a good thing these won't be set soon, as I am completely indecisive!

 

[diamondringlover]

I like yellow gold, not sure why just love red and gold together

 

[PinkTower]

Well, here is what I did for an eternity. Mine is diamond, and each stone is 1/3 carat, so fifteen stones total. You say yours are 2.5?
I don't know how large 2.5 mm is in diamond carats, though.

I wore it in yellow gold for about ten years. About two years ago I had it dipped in rhodium. Presto, it is now white gold in color, and I wear it with my ruby engagement ring, which is platinum. I have been wearing 24/7 now for 21 months, and there is no color change . If there were, I could have it redipped. So, if you cannot make up your mind, just know you can have it dipped later if you do tire of the yellow gold. I've read that some people think their chemistry causes the rhodium to wear off faster than others, but I don't know if that is fact or opinion. I actually had mine dipped because of a gold allergy, to put a protective layer between me and the gold. It has taken care of my allergy problem.

But, you do want to make sure you get this right the first time. The settings are very expensive, and mine cannot be resized.

I have some on the old PS if you want to see the different metals against the red.

You are going to love this! Congratulations.

 

[jstarfireb]

After looking at the pics, I would totally put them in RG. They're a similar color to my garnet.

 

[klewis]

I'm sure gem dealers present their rubies on small copper or brass bowls to enhance the red?

 

[baby nurse]

I love the look of yellow gold with red stones. I don't have anything set in rose gold so I can't give an informed opinion on that, but I have a little ruby set in yellow gold and it looks amazing.

 

[mrs taylor]

high karat yellow, if I had my pick. I adore the way red performs in yellow gold. As someone noted, it reminds me of the Tudor period. It just looks so rich, luscious and regal. I cannot wait to see the end result!

 

[Fly Girl]

18 kt yellow gold or higher. The red will just pop against the yellow.

I recently had some pear shaped rubies set in yellow gold. I said bezel, but my jeweler thought prong. He ordered in both mounts, and when I walked in the door after they had arrived, he greeted me by saying "bezel".

BTW, I did a bit of looking and Stuller has a stock channel set ring which could work and would probably save you money over going custom. They have various prong mounts as well, but I'd vote for a bit of yellow color around those pretty red stones.

http://www.stuller.com/products/120767/?groupId=4744

 

[velouriaL]

the thought of coppery rose has been salivating.

 

[jstarfireb]

Interesting...I think I'd rather see them in a pinkish rose rather than a coppery rose, but the difference is subtle.

Been watching this thread closely to see if there are any other holdouts in the rose gold camp like myself!

 

[FrekeChild]

If it's any consolation Jstar, I'm leaning towards rose gold (for the moment). I just need to find a new penny....

 

[Largosmom]

You can polish a nearly new penny with regular toothpaste to remove tarnish.

 

[chrono]

If you want to play it safe, yellow is the way to go. The problem with rose gold is that the exact shade of red/copper will vary by manufacturer.