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engagement ring style opinions

gemmygemma

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
19
Still on this enagagement search, and the GF and I keep going back and forth about style.

We definitely want it to be unique but we don't want it to go out of style. I'm really anxious about sinking thousands of dollars into something that might look cheesy as little as 10 years. We don't mind if an ring looks dated. We have a lot mid-century modern furniture and appreciate that is looks like what it is, something from another time. We just want that style to hold up and still looks tasteful.

I know the whole upgrading and redo thing is pretty popular on here, but we both want to look at the ring as a total package, not something that can be taken apart as fashion dictates. Totally fine thing to do, just not what we think we want. Though who knows down the line, I guess.

I know the best thing to do give our preferences would be to go for a time-tested classic like a basic Tiffany setting, but we just don't really like that look. We really want a custom piece that is totally unique or at least really unusual.

That said, we keep vacillating between two looks. One we've been calling "elegant and ornate" and the other we've been calling "organic and minimalist." We'd like your opinion on which has the most staying power.

We are having trouble making a decision about which way to go with this. My GF has what one might call a "hipster" style. Her clothes and tastes are either vintage or modern/artsy. She definitely likes to be different. She said that she'd compare her taste to Nicole Ritchie. Is it sad that, as a dude, I know what that means?

Elegant and Ornate Vintage
Some examples elements are pave, maybe halo, lots of fine details. Might be an actual antique ring or has the style or one.

Organic and Minimalist Designer-y
Some example elements would be brushed metal, assymetrical details, clean lines, what the Japanese call "wabi-sabi," architectural.

Which look do you think will stand the test of time? Be the most different? Any advice on how to decide? Once we nail down the overall "look and feel," we can start making some other decisions, including which jeweler to approach. We have a whole file of "inspiration" for both looks and we want to delete one whole file.

I've added some examples of the styles below. We're not consider any of these ACTUAL rings, they just exemplify what we're talking about. We actually aren't crazy about any of these specific rings but they are in the vein of what we're thinking.

faycullenornate.jpg

jbegornate.JPG

bario-neal.jpg

eporganic.jpg
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
ok, i like the unusual and definitely prefer to have jewelry...including my e-ring....that i won't see other people wearing. so my choice is #1 or #2.....with a preference, i think, for #1.

really dislike the one with the bows....and the remaining one isn't working for me at all.

congrats on taking the time to do this right the first time....congrats on the engagement....and congrats for finding pricescope!

MoZo
 

agapitor

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
209
I had the same issue with my 10 year upgrade and actually ended up choosing a custom design that fits the best of both worlds. I prefer modern and minimalist designs in terms of furniture and decor but also like classics that will stand the test of time. With the choices you posted, I prefer the organic with #1 as my first and #2 as the second. I find the ornate more of an antique look and a bit busy. I think the organic designs give you that clean look but still unique. You may just want to tweak them a bit as they may be too modern and may not necessarily stand the test of time. Good luck with your choice!
 

packrat

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
10,614
The 2nd one reminds me of myheartmonster on Etsy. There are others besides these in her sold items in her shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/myheartmonster

Maybe they're too modern? Fun to look at and get ideas anyway. Never know what might trip your trigger!

il_430xN_159942765.jpg

il_430xN_84132261.jpg

il_430xN_104481941.jpg
 

gemmygemma

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
19
Just to be clear, we don't really like any of the example posted that much, they just exemplify what we're talking about, the directions to go... Movie Zombie, your ring is also a good example of the "organic style," one that we like a lot. So, yeah, not looking on advice on these specific settings, but on the overall "feel" and direction.

Agapitor - just looked through your posts, and it seems like you went the more modern route, though a more understated one than you first thought. Seems smart.

Everytime we say, "Okay! Let's go for organic!" we suddenly then go, "Hmm, but what about the antique..." and of course vice-versa. It's hard to commit! And we haven't had much luck thinking about "in between" styles...
 

gemmygemma

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
19
Packrat, Those are nice! We will add them to the file. I guess what it will take is trigger-tripping.

Still, if anyone has strong opinions (or regrets) about which way to go, we want to hear it.

(Also, can you tell that although I am the typist and the moneybags on this whole PS thing, my GF is peeping over my shoulder and giving her two cents? Hahaha)
 

Gempassion

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
274
Hi gemmygemma,

This is a fairly simple suggestion, but I suppose that if you want to safely toe the line between organic and timeless classic, you might want to think about choosing a gem that has an organic more rounded shape like round, oval, pear or cushion (rather than a square princess, for example) and team it with an a classic, antique or vintage style setting.

You might also want think about going with a less popular, non traditional colored gemstone association (purple or lilac sapphire, for example, instead of blue) to give you that "something different" feel that you're after.

jkarne's lake baringo sapphire in an art deco platinum is a good example of what I am trying to say:

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...num.118343/#post-115723?hilit=baringo#p115723
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
While both the vintage and contemporary setting styles are at the opposite spectrum of each other, both will also stand up to the test of time as long as they appear “engagement ring” enough and doesn’t end up looking like a RHR, cocktail ring, etc. With the vintage style ring, it is likely that many people will recognize it as an e-ring but not necessarily the more modern setting (depending on the actual design) even if it is worn on the left hand. Perhaps this may not bother both of you but should be considered as well.
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
ah, you have run into the "committment" problem meaning there are so many settings and so much to like about many of them....and trying to limit yourselves to even one style [organic minimalist v. ornate antique].

i had the exact same problem! we had the spess more than 6 months before i could/would commit to a design and even then i was 2nd guessing myself.

given what you've said about your girlfriend, i'd opt for an organic minimalist setting for the e-ring......but think now also about what kind of wedding band you're going to want to go with it. you may also decide you want to design your own ring [that's what i did] based on some of the settings you see. by limiting yourself to at least one type/family of settings, you can then explore it in depth either for outright purchase or for design ideas.

i have to say this was harder than picking the stone. i had one of those oh, now what have i done to myself moments after we got the spess....what in the world am i going to do with it? the choices were numerous. my criteria after seeing somethings that were close but no-go was that i wanted something that might have come from an archeology dig and been worn 5000 years ago. to me it is timeless yet still modern at the same time....and i don't see anyone else wearing one! having that one idea and staying true to it helped immensely. in some ways i gave the stone and overall setting a backstory.....perhaps you can do the same?

MoZo
 

Rhea

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
6,408
I have two different rings I wear as engagement rings so I can't really talk. I have a plain, classic 1930s classic Harry Winston style as my original and have since bought something ornate and antique like your examples. I probably could not just have one, I enjoy wearing both of them. Does she not have any preference between the two styles at all?
 

gemmygemma

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
19
MZ has it exactly right. And I thought I was over my fear of commitment issues! We went to a wedding last week where there were many recently or about to be married couples. Every ring we saw made us change our minds!

Chrono has a good point especially since, as gempassion suggested, are almost definitely going for a colored stone. I definitely think we will go for one that looks like an engagement-ring, either way. Once we pick a design feel, I think the stone and other decisions will come pretty quickly.

Addy, she'd love two rings, I'm sure, but not just yet! Eeee!

Okay, a question: Are there any jewelery designers out there who do the Leon Mege style mushroom micropave, where it looks like the metal is almost encrusted or the diamonds are almost suspended in air BUT has an organic vibe? I know organic/minimal and micropave don't seem to go hand-in-hand, but I think something that has the offset bezel of the first organic one BUT with a thin delicate pave shank might be an interesting, best of both worlds look.
 

nene7884

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
1
I think its great we have so many options for the engagement and marriage ring. It gives people to the option of expressing their love for each other in creative jewelry design. Don't get me wrong traditional engagment and wedding jewelry is great. I think part of the reason the styles are change because our relationships are, women and men dont have the same roles. Women are becoming bread winners for the home and the men are becoming the home bodies. People are finding creative ways to ask each other to marry them.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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27,198
My short answer would be that antique/ornate would have more staying power than the organic style. Its only an opinion though.
 

Circe

Ideal_Rock
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tyty333 said:
My short answer would be that antique/ornate would have more staying power than the organic style. Its only an opinion though.

I would ditto this - we know that the antique styles have staying power, but with today's mod styles ... will they make the transition to "classic," or will they wind up in the land of settings from the 70's and 80's which are now generally derided? (Not to insult anybody's rings, here: there are a lot of *gorgeous* pieces from those periods, but you probably all have a mental image that matches what I'm talking about). For a nice balance, have you checked out Krikawa? They have some pieces that are a gorgeous blend of vintage and contemporary, in my opinion.
 

reader

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 28, 2006
Messages
1,195
How about a pave, halo, starset princess?
 

LGK

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 27, 2007
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2,975
Check out Greenlake Jewelry's stuff: http://www.greenlakejewelry.com/. They actually do *both* styles you're interested in quite well, oddly enough. And they have some settings that have a mesh of the two styles which sounds awful, but is in fact pretty cool IMO. Also their antique style engraving is absolutely top of the line, the best you can get outside of an actual antique.

While personally I prefer the antique settings, I think the more modern stuff you're looking at sounds more like your GF's actual style of choice.

I think any well made, beautiful setting will stand up well over time actually. The antique ones obviously have for nearly a hundred years already! (However, there was a point in the '60s where those gorgeous Edwardian and Deco style rings were pretty much universally reviled and as such, you see tons of Old European Cut diamonds dating from the teens & twenties reset into chunky '60s settings, because the ornate antique settings were so out of fashion then.)

Good luck!
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Aug 12, 2005
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19,222
It would be an easy decision, of course, if something out of any decade's design really spoke to you both. It seems, though, that that is not the case, and I think that is totally normal when you have two people perfectly suited to each other who happen to have slightly different tastes and takes on the perfect engagement ring. You are not alone!

My SO/FI and I went through this same sort of discussion. I wanted a funky/antique/vintage/blingy setting, and his preference was a solitaire because he considers that smooth, simplistic look more "engagement ring" and considers my desired setting more "right hand ring." I can't say we ever came to an agreement on settings. I ended up leaving the entire decision up to him, stone, setting, everything. I gave him my ring size, and color of metal preference, and that was that.

I couldn't be happier with my engagement ring. It was chosen with both of us in mind, and I found that letting him take control of the decision making process (he was paying for it, after all, even though we make financial decisions as a couple it came down to that), took a huge weight off my shoulders and I was entirely happy to sit back and wait for him to propose and surprise me with a forever ring.

LittleGreyKitten said, "I think any well made, beautiful setting will stand up well over time actually." I love this. I think that first and foremost, your decision on a setting should be based upon whether the setting will stand the test of time. Is it substantial? Will it need a ton of maintenance (think micropave)? Will it translate well, i.e. can she wear it for all sorts of occasions or is it too dressy/too casual? Etc.

You'll figure it out.

I haven't given my opinion yet as you requested about the two choices. So...I dislike both styles you've presented. I think that the first ones are too, too and I think that the second choices are too, too ornate and um...not really. Keep looking! The perfect setting for both of you is out there!!!

:wavey:
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Here's a side view of my ring, a 1.3 E, VS2 oval...it has a wider shank, with an open basket, four double prongs...not traditional, but not crazy...

summer2010 052.jpg
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Another shot...sorry, I'm terrible at taking pics of jewelry.

summer2010 050.jpg
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I don't know if this is a good "head-on" shot or not, but I think it closely resembles what the ring looks like from my POV. Hope this helps...I think this setting is sort of the best of both worlds--it's sturdy and elegant, yet it has really lovely prongs that make it a bit more delicate, and it's kind of unusual compared to what's out there in the setting world right now. Thanks for looking/listening, and I hope this helps, even if it narrows down what you DON'T want!

summer2010 062.jpg
 

monarch64

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Last one--I thought this one might be a little more visually descriptive of what I was trying to say earlier.

summer2010 117.jpg
 

Brown.Eyed.Girl

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Jun 4, 2008
Messages
6,893
Hmm...I lean towards antique/ornate as well. I feel like it'll definitely stand the test of time (since it already has right?).

BUT, when you mentioned something unusual and organic, the first thing that popped to mind was Mokume. This could totally not be up your alley at all, but just throwing it out there!

http://www.krikawa.com/jewelry/body-of-work/styles2.aspx?tag=139
 

purplesilk

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 8, 2010
Messages
2,109
Let your GF try a bunch of different rings on her own finger: in real life, not every ring suits every finger ( I love solitaires but they look odd on my finger, diamond bands look best on me).
If she can't find her style, don't buy an engagement ring (it's a waste of money if you're indecisive); buy a nice diamond band or a sapphire band to keep her finger warm.
 

vespergirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
5,497
She might like something similar to the new TIffany Bezet collection (I wouldn't buy from Tiffany, but you could have another jeweler make something like this). It's a modern, minimalist style, but it's classic & elegant at the same time, so it won't look cheezy in 10 years. Plus, it would look good with any kind of band, even a vintagey one if she likes that look as well. I like the simplicity of this setting as opposed to some of the "swoopy" settings you posted. "Swoopy" channel-settings were big in the 80s, and aren't really fashionable anymore. I also posted a really cool, modern Sholdt setting (it can be found at Pearlman's.) One person on here has this ring and it was stunning on her hand. The vintagey settings you posted are nice, but I would get tired of that much detail - I like a more simple look in an ering, and she can change up the look with different bands.

bezet1.jpg

sholdt1.jpg

sholdt2.jpg
 

vespergirl

Ideal_Rock
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5,497
I forgot to mention that if you like "organic minimalist" style, she would LOVE these MaeVona rings. Someone on here has one of their rings, and it is absolutely stunning. I can't copy pictures, but this website seems to have all of their designs - definitely check it out:

http://www.topperjewelers.com/jewelry/maevona/engagement_collection
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Aug 14, 2009
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vespergirl said:
I forgot to mention that if you like "organic minimalist" style, she would LOVE these MaeVona rings. Someone on here has one of their rings, and it is absolutely stunning. I can't copy pictures, but this website seems to have all of their designs - definitely check it out:

http://www.topperjewelers.com/jewelry/maevona/engagement_collection


There are some beautiful designs in that linky :love:
 

lovemybling

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
624
You could try Mark Silverstein. Look at both his bridal and his fashion maybe there you would see something you like. He has some that are offset with micropave.

http://www.msimagines.com/

:bigsmile:
 

littlelanhua

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
90
feel like me and dh went through similar discussions - he likes the classic rb as it says engaged to him - and he selected a beautiful stone without any input from me. i like something a little different – but then i also like the classics as they never date. the solution - one day we will upgrade the original ering into a larger rb which i will wear stacked with various bands to change it up. the original e ring stone will be transformed into a right hand ring with some of the more ornate details i adore. here is an example of the right hand ring i would like to own one day:

http://www.artofplatinum.com/portfolio/details.php?image_id=357
 
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