Wink to the rescue! A custom setting for my Infinity M SI2!

[Lula]

Date: 8/16/2009 4:09:24 PM
Author: Wink

Date: 8/16/2009 3:22:32 PM

Author: sarap333

Thanks, QueenMum, that sounds like a wonderful combination. I wonder if we could entice her to post pictures on PS! I''ll ask Wink.


Your post about Lieve''s ring made me think of this style by Wink sapphire surround which I really like alot (photo below). I would ask him to make it in yellow gold, with purple-blue sapphires and a plain shank.


I''m getting a better idea of what I want -- thanks, everyone!! Keep the photos/links/ideas coming; it''s very helpful.


So here''s the list of must-haves:


Plain shank on the e-ring

cushion-shaped halo (with white diamonds or colored stones, like the ring above)

Mixed yellow gold/white gold setting


elle_chris, I''ve thought a lot about what you said about James Meyer''s work and how good he is at designing settings that show off lower color stones. And you''re right, he''s been high on my list. But I wear so much ''funky, chunky'' sterling silver jewelry, and I''m ready to kick it up a notch, and go back to yellow gold.


Although I love JM''s work, I think I will ask him to set my mother''s OEC in a ring for me, and put this M in something that''s closer to Gypsy''s ring -- maybe with colored stones.

Oh my goodness what a task that ring was. We had to take a fairly significant parcel of sapphires and have them all cut from square to tapered so that they would fit together without leaving gaps between the stones, which would have looked aweful. I think she has five or ten spares incase she ever damages or loses a stone.


The lady who bought it arranged a driving vacation to pick it up. She was a delightful lady who styed with my wife and I and we did a BBQ for her. She then drove on to visit more friends. That ring brings back a lot of good memories!


Wink

A road trip to Wink''s for BBQ and jewelry! Sounds fun. My hubby loves BBQ -- that''s probably the only way I could get him to look at jewelry -- through the promise of BBQ.

 

[Amethyste]

Sarah?
Did you see that i posted picture of a "J" into a rose gold tension setting? The prongs do not have to be the same width as the diamond. At least this one below didn't. It was created by PUR of Germany... rose gold would look delicious with your amazing stone

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 8/16/2009 3:24:42 PM
Author: sarap333
Thank you, John Pollard!!!

Wow, please tell Lieve that that is a stunning ring.

Dang! Now I''m rethinking the halo and plain shank!!

Maybe we should call the color ''Lellow''!

Lieve''s ring is incredible! Before seeing her ring I was not a fan of black diamonds because the ones I had seen previously lacked luster. We were out to dinner with Lieve and her ring was KICKING under the halogen lights in the restaurant and both Valerie and I had to take a moment to drool all over her ring! The impression that those black diamonds left on Valerie is going to cost me some $$$ because she talks about that ring all the time and is always quick to remind me that "Lieve knows where to get nice black diamonds!"

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 8/15/2009 8:01:57 PM
Author: sarap333
Gypsy, I just finished reading all 9 pages of your thread, and your ring from Wink and Ocean is....BREATHTAKING!!!

Seriously, I love the single-cut stones, the beautiful and unusual pave style, and the plain shank. I love the plain shank with the halo! It's interesting that you wanted the plain shank because it reminded you of art deco rings, but, to me, it looks so modern. I also like that it's a comfort fit shank.

WOW. It's amazing. Simply gorgeous. I had never seen photos of your ring before.

I also like the gallery of your ring. That is very similar to what I have in my head. I'd love a criss-cross gallery, but they usually stick out too far for the wedding band to fit flush.


The WF design you posted is lovely. I really like the double prongs. So if Wink can combine your design with the double prongs on the WF photo and do the YG/WG combo, I think we've got something here!

Oh, and btw, I've had an inner ear infection before, too -- sorry that spoiled your DH's plans for your ring and dinner -- and they are awful. I was so dizzy I was nauseous. I was in bed for several days. Awful!



Do other PS'ers have custom design rings from Wink!?!! Please post some photos for me!

Hi Sara, thank you so much for your lovely compliments on my ring. I'm very happy with it and I'm so glad it's helped you with your decision. Custom does take time, and EFFORT, I cant' stress that enough, but I have two custom pieces of my own and one for my mother and they've been worth it for me.

But then I'm the resident crazy custom lady. LOL.

And I'm sorry you've had an ear infection too, they are really rotten. But it was just a speed bump in the road of life.

I like your idea of the double prongs I think they do fill up the gaps with the cushion halo/round diamond issue. And they are lovely as well.

It is funny that we see the plain shank so differently though.... just goes to show everyone has their own interpretation of the designs they see.

I can't wait to see the completed ring, I think it's going to be stunning and BREATHTAKING!

 

[Lula]

Todd, I always get a chuckle from your posts about Valerie's "wish list." She has good taste!

And I'm not sure if other PS'ers know about the story of your father and his reaction to your mother's diamond ring (it's on the NiceIce site link)...quote below...

"Mom waited twenty five years for her diamond, she finally gave up and bought it for herself and it took him six months to notice it (!) and we’re not kidding."

...but I chuckle every time I think of it because my husband still has not noticed that my new Infinity M at 1.00 carat is substantially larger than the Infinity J .53 I was wearing a month ago! Granted, it's not mounted in a setting yet, he's just seen it in one of those little ring holders, but, I mean, sheesh!!

And he hasn't noticed the color difference either!

 

[Lula]

Thanks, Amethyste, for the photo of your PUR design ring. That is one of the most beautiful and graceful modern settings I''ve seen.

And, Gypsy, you''re welcome! And thanks for all the help with the links and photos and the support re the custom process. Going custom does tend to up the anxiety and the time frame and the perfectionist tendencies, but Wink and Ocean did an incredible job for you on a very complex pave project, so I''m excited to work with them.

I looked at the halos thread started by Luckyshe (QueenMum included the link to it above) and it''s been very helpful to see the variety in halo designs.

I''m narrowing down my "wish list" and will post reference pictures soon.

So far I know I want a plain shank and double prongs. I also like the smaller-scale halos because the diamond doesn''t get lost in them (someone mentioned that issue in a post on this thread, and I think that''s a valid concern -- it''s all about balance).

 

[Lula]

Okay, I am seriously overwhelmed with great options here.

I am loving the idea of adding some amethysts or blue-purple sapphires to my ring. I just e-mailed Wink to tell him that I am stuck between the "modern halo" (like Gypsy''s with double-claw prongs) and a more art-deco-design with side diamonds and some colored stone accents.

Looky, looky what I just found on Wink''s site:

 

[Lula]

another view of the ring

 

[Lula]

here are a pair of earrings from Wink''s site that I think could be the inspiration for a drop-dead gorgeous art-deco-y-halo..

 

[Gypsy]

Those are Ocean''s as well. I was really torn between those two options too. Have you considered something that is a compromise between the two?

 

[Stephan]

Hi Sara!
http://www.faycullen.com/_pics/800/gc604r5ds/2.jpg

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/18/2009 3:32:32 PM
Author: QueenMum
Hi Sara!

http://www.faycullen.com/_pics/800/gc604r5ds/2.jpg[/QUOTE

Well, Stephan, aren''t you the little sleuth!! Good find!

 

[Stephan]

It''s nice, but I wouldn''t call it modern.

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/18/2009 3:25:45 PM
Author: Gypsy
Those are Ocean's as well. I was really torn between those two options too. Have you considered something that is a compromise between the two?

Hi, Gypsy,
I am truly torn between the art deco look and the "modern halo." I am trying to think of a way to combine the two.

I also really like the sapphire halo from Wink (photo posted above) and I would probably ask Wink to do that style in the proportions closer to the Fay Cullen photo that QueenMum found (thanks QM!!) and set it with purple sapphires/amethysts instead of the blue sapphires.

I e-mailed Wink yesterday about Ocean's designs. They are simply breathtaking. But she is $$$$$ and my DH (who does all the cooking in our house) has been anxiously awaiting a pretty major kitchen upgrade, so I can't justify Ocean at this time!! Note how I said "at this time"! There are always future projects!

Wink's Signature bench/line is very high quality, too, and very reasonable in price.

I believe his Signature bench created the ring with the blue sapphire halo, but I'll have to check for sure.

It's down to two choices:

1. A "modern halo" with an art deco feel (combining a tiny bit of geometric engraving/metal work with diamond pave set with some purple sapphire/amethyst accents).
This ring would have:
- A plain shank.
- Double claw prongs.
- Cushion/octagonal shaped halo with purple sapphires at the "corners" and diamonds in between the sapphires.
- A yellow gold setting, maybe a brushed/burnished finish, with some geometric engraving on the bottom of the halo? Not sure how to find pictures of this, except it's along the lines of taking those amethyst earrings and making them into a halo!

2. A version of the beautiful sapphire halo by Wink, photo posted above.
- With purple sapphires or amethysts.
- In yellow gold.
- With milgrain.
- Baguette diamonds set in shank.
- Smaller scale, like the photo QueenMum posted.

This is where I'm at after thinking about this incessantly for days. Thank you all so much for your feedback and photos -- it really helps!!!!

Feel free to comment and/or vote for your fave out of the two above!

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/18/2009 5:28:12 PM
Author: QueenMum
It's nice, but I wouldn't call it modern.

LOL -- "modern" is quickly turning into "art deco" -- which was very modern in the 1920s, right?

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 8/18/2009 5:52:38 PM
Author: sarap333

Wink''s Signature bench/line is very high quality, too, and very reasonable in price.

I believe his Signature bench created the ring with the blue sapphire halo, but I''ll have to check for sure.

Sadly it is not. It was made by a good friend of mine who was forced into closure when his #1 client declared bankruptcy owing him severl hundred thousand dollars after Christmas a year or two ago.

His #1 client had sold a huge number of rings on ebay for way too little markup and then had a huge return factor after the Christmas parties were over. The cost of the returns was many more times the "profit" that he had made selling for less than 10% on ebay. (I believe he had 600,000 or so in returns on a couple million in sales, but my numbers could be way off.)

Not only could he not pay back his "clients" who only wanted to use the products through Christmas, but he could not pay for the debts incurred in making the rings and forced other good people into closing because of his poor business practices.

He was just another casualty in the long line of people who were going to rule the world by selling below cost. I would not care so much that he is gone had he not dragged my friend and other good people down with him.

Sad, sad, sad.

Wink

 

[glitterata]

What a sad story.

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/18/2009 9:20:51 PM
Author: glitterata
What a sad story.

Indeed.
I am so sorry to hear that this gentleman, who obviously had an incredible gift -- just look at that ring! - was forced out of business by his #1 client, who sounds like the Bernie Madoff of the jewelry world.

So sad. Such a waste.

 

[Gypsy]

Wink I''m so sorry to hear that!

Sarah, would you like to know how I would combine the two?

 

[Lula]

Date: 8/19/2009 12:23:38 AM
Author: Gypsy
Wink I'm so sorry to hear that!


Sarah, would you like to know how I would combine the two? [/QUOTE

Yes, Gypsy, please, do tell!!!

 

[Gypsy]

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/prodshots/102PP18.jpg


A) I start with the above ring as my inspiration... I love the shank as is or you could do a more modern shank, like mine if you want it more modern. I would NOT do hearts or anything like that in the under gallery (I'll get to what I'd do with that later) I would do the bezel set center with the airline halo if you like it... with the purple sapphire french cuts in the halo (like the cullen and the wink ring). NO milgrain. Then I'd do this for the undergallery. http://www.artofplatinum.com/gallery/r868_00Ww.jpg the french cuts, no milgrain again. OR if you want flush fit, I would do NO wires or anything in the undergallery, like Neatfreak's ring (which would be more affordable too)

B) Alternately. I'd do that ring with a pave white diamond halo (perhaps in a cushion shape) prong set, no airline. And do your purple sapphires in the under gallery like the leon. Same shank. No milgrain.

C) Some combination of A and B.

D) I'd just get that setting and wait for a custom setting later. LOL.

 

[Lula]

Gypsy, Thank you!!!!!!

The gallery of the Leon ring is exactly what I'm looking for and I love the idea of adding purple sapphires there.

I'm not crazy about an airline; I do love the milgrain surrounding the center stone.
I'm thinking I like the round halo in these more "art deco" designs rather than the cushion.

I was just on Wink's site again tonight looking at his Signature Collection and found this style. It's shown with a 2 carat stone; mine is one carat, so it would not be this va-va-voom when scaled down to fit my stone.

I e-mailed him to ask about modifying it a bit.

I'll ask him if it's possible to modify the wire work in the gallery so it's more linear or "deco" like the Leon. Same with the top of the shank. I like the detail there, but would want it more geometric.

We agreed in a previous conversation that my setting would be unplated WG, which I think will work better with my M than rhodium plating.

 

[Gypsy]

Very nice. I like changing the gallery. Especially with the violet sapphires in there.

I have some inspiration pics on my hard drive. Many...

 

[Gypsy]

More geometric.

 

[Gypsy]

Sorry, THIS IS THE WRONG PIC.

 

[Gypsy]

... sorry hon, it''s late and my computer is being wonky. I can''t find the plain split shank to halo connection pic I know I have somewhere on here.

Not to confuse things further, but I found this pic in my archive, it''s a ring offered stock by solomon brothers... it sounds just like what your original thought was.

Good night!

 

[Lula]

Yup, Gypsy, that last picture you posted is exactly what I had in my head when I was envisioning the cushion-shaped halo. That picture is perfect - it's the "modern halo"!!

I like the gallery of the one you posted, too.

Thanks again for all the images -- they really help.

Wink e-mailed me back to tell me the Bella style (last picture I posted) will work great with my M. He nixed the amethysts as being too soft (I was afraid of that). So hopefully he'll be able to find some purple sapphires.

So I think I'm down to 2 styles -- the modern halo based on the last picture Gypsy posted and the Bella from Wink's site with some deco modifications to the gallery. How exciting!! Progress!!