#JOTW 80s marquise to 2017 engagement ring!

[Acinom]

What an amazing ring! What a sprakle and elegant shape. Great finger coverage too.
I also love the combo with the wedding band. Thanks for sharing the beautiful story and background.

 

[Vogue]

So elegant and refined, and with a beautiful story.

 

[Skhii]

Thanks for sharing your story, naivemelody. It looks really sleek and goes well with your wedding band- I love how it turned out! Would you mind posting a head on shot of the gallery-side of your ring?

 

[distracts]

It's beautiful! I'm so glad you were able to find a jeweler who could create just what you wanted.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Very cool setting. Enjoy!

cheers--Sharon

 

[azstonie]

So elegant. Looks fabulous on your hand. Thank you for sharing it with us. Can't post too many pics of *that* ring/stone!!

 

[naivemelody]

I'm dying with your sleek wedding band next to your sleek e-ring!!!!! Gah! Love your soon-to-be hubby's wedding band too. The mixed metals look gorgeous next to each other.

And do I see a 408 area code?!?! I seriously need to check out this Rick person, LOL.

Yes! Especially if you're in the bay area you MUST check him out! There are a lot of awesome custom jewelers mentioned on PS, but for this project being able to consult in person made all the difference. Plus it was fascinating to get glimpses of some of his other works in progress - e.g. someone making a literal tennis bracelet, with a gold tennis racket set with a little yellow-green stone as the tennis ball. Rick's wife Wendy is a gemologist, she appraised our stone and took the time to show both of us the stone under magnification, explaining its properties and pointing out identifying inclusions, etc. - so awesome!

Wow, your rings are perfection. Your stone looks amazing in your setting and so much bigger than in the original wide band setting. I love a wide band generally but taking it to a smaller setting was perfect for your new stone. It is even more special since it was a family stone. Has your DF's mom passed? It sounds like she has, but I bet she would adore this new incarnation of her diamond and setting. Your jeweler really hit a home run. It is hard to find someone to re-use metal but it sure makes it special that you did. Love your bands, love that your soon to be hubby will be able to have a large ring fashioned from his mom's ring.

Congratulations! So happy for you that everything went so well and turned out so beautiful. May your life be blessed with much happiness!

Yes, sadly fiance's mom is deceased - I wish I could have shown her this! I agree, I love that her ring "gave" something to both me and him. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing your story, naivemelody. It looks really sleek and goes well with your wedding band- I love how it turned out! Would you mind posting a head on shot of the gallery-side of your ring?

This is actually the part that took the most editing. The rest of the ring was perfect from version 1, but those long top and bottom prongs had to be stronger/thicker and yet I wanted a certain shape for them as well.

It's beautiful! I'm so glad you were able to find a jeweler who could create just what you wanted.

Thank you! And thanks for your help in figuring out this setting too - I hope Niel and farrahlyn also get to see the final product since I really benefited from your and their advice!

 

[Acinom]

Congrats on Jewel of the Week! Well deserved: it's a beautiful and iconic ring

 

[HalfMoon5291]

Amazing design! I love a stone with a story... you must be thrilled

 

[Alybetter]

That setting is nothing short of amazing! It is so fluid, feminine, elegant, unique and timeless at the same time. So glad you moved on from the first jeweler, and found this one who not only executed a beautiful showcase for your stone, but did so in a manner that adds to the joy. Nicely done!! Oh, and add me to the list of those who would love to see it with your new band(s)!

I agree completely. Couldn't have said it better.

 

[redwood66]

What a beautiful ring and stone! Your planning and your jeweler created an amazing ring with an added bonus of so much meaning to you and your fiance.

 

[arkieb1]

Congrats the setting is an beautiful work of art and it shows off the stone now in a simple yet classically elegant way!!!!

 

[farrahlyn]

it turned out ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!!! It is such a seamless, fluid look, it is the perfect setting for the stone. I'm so glad i wandered over to SMTB and saw this!!

 

[Clio_C]

The "standard" solitaire setting used for most marquis and pear shaped diamonds is so homely and does nothing to accentuate the beautiful properties of such cuts. But THIS - this setting should be the new standard for how marquis solitaires are set! I love how the split shank gives the band a tapered look, but still looks feminine. Some "tapered" designs can be too heavy but this is perfection. Congratulations on making your vision come to life. It was worth the effort!

 

[Fulvia]

From a fellow marquisie-ite: lovely! I adore how the hand sits flush - and the 1.87 carat stone looks ENORMOUS on your hand. WOWZA!

 

[ZestfullyBling]

What a lovely Marquise!!! The new setting showcased the diamond well!! Congrats and enjoy!! It looks Gorgeous on your hand!!

 

[lorrissey]

I love the presence on your hand!

 

[phancynan]

I followed your other threads, and I am amazed at how closely this matches your original vision! I am beyond impressed, thank you for sharing!

 

[tyty333]

Your ring turned out great! It is very majestic looking and I love that you are doing the mixed metals
with the yellow gold wedding band. 80's ring no more...well done!

 

[Matthews1127]

So happy it's here! My engagement ring and custom setting is everything I hoped for!

About the diamond:
It all started with my fiance's mom's ring from the 80s - marquise cut on a super-wide yellow gold band. She was a real glamour girl with refined taste - fiance told me she sent back at least one stone that the jeweler had sourced for this ring, so basically she was a PSer at heart . I'm so glad she left us this 1.87ct F SI2 sparkler - it's bigger than I would have felt comfortable picking for myself, but not so big that I think it'll draw unwelcome attention. Granted I know nothing about diamonds, but I have 20/10 vision and honestly can't see any of the inclusions from the top view. You can see the original setting in previous threads here and here.

About the setting:
I knew I wanted to reset it, and agreed with my fiance that we should do it as a solitaire. I searched high and low for a satisfactory premade setting, but the options for marquise are nonexistent compared to round! With some encouragement from PS, we decided to go custom, because I had a fairly specific concept of what I wanted.

I was inspired by the marquise shape, which reminded me of a gothic arch, and by a family ring (pearl in a 4-prong belcher setting) which reminded me of a romanesque vaulted ceiling. I wanted the setting to be like an upside-down gothic vaulted ceiling with six "columns" as the prongs - with the marquise/gothic shape reflected everywhere. Here's a previous thread about the setting, with drawings.

So, we got dressed up and went to a reputable (fancy) local jeweler, who trashed my idea because it wouldn't sit flush with a straight band, didn't seem able/willing to help with the design at all, and scoffed at our idea of recycling the yellow gold from the original setting into wedding bands. Luckily I found Rick of Wenrics, who understood immediately what I was going for, and even said that he woke up in the night thinking about how he'd create this ring after I emailed him my drawings. I'm also really glad he recommended X1 white gold - I prefer gold over platinum, but wanted to avoid the maintenance of rhodium plating. He even specializes in recycling jewelry, so of course he made us both fantastic yellow gold wedding bands from the original setting. The process took longer than I'd hoped, but after five revisions I gave him the go-ahead to cast the ring, and now it's finally here!

My ring has all the elements I wanted, and it even sits perfectly against my straight wedding band! I can't stop staring!










(just realized my "fire shot" features a big greasy fingerprint... lovely)

TDF!!! What a beautiful job!!! It's so feminine, classic & fits you like a glove!! Marquise are so different, and I'd imagine, difficult to customize; it seems jewelers hesitate to take on super creative projects like yours, which is a shame. I'm so thrilled you found a jeweler who not only embraced your idea, but who worked diligently to bring your idea to fruition, and give your Diamond a whole new look!! She is something very special!
Side note: to answer your question about how to wear your rings together...your wedding band goes on first, and the ER goes on top. The wedding band is always worn closest to your heart. Anniversary bands stack on top of the wedding band, and the ER sits on top of the stack. Just thought I'd throw that out there...lol!
Curious: have you given your diamond a name? I started a thread, yesterday, on that very topic. I've noticed a LOT of people name their stones, so I started a thread. You are more than welcome to check it out. I'd be curious to know, if you decide to name her, if you'd name her after your MIL.
May you forever wear her in good health. Many blessings to you both for a lifetime of happiness!!
...CRM

 

[pearaffair]

Sensational!!! Worth the wait.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Beautiful- the ring and diamond have a big presence but still look elegant in the setting -and with the wedding band. Well done!

 

[SandyK]

PERFECT setting and it looks fantastic on you!

 

[GearGirly]

You brought that into 2017 for sure! I love the yellow gold with the white. What is the White gold type you mentioned?

 

[kylier]

So pretty! I love how modern and unique it looks!

 

[Holls0119]

So happy it's here! My engagement ring and custom setting is everything I hoped for!

About the diamond:
It all started with my fiance's mom's ring from the 80s - marquise cut on a super-wide yellow gold band. She was a real glamour girl with refined taste - fiance told me she sent back at least one stone that the jeweler had sourced for this ring, so basically she was a PSer at heart . I'm so glad she left us this 1.87ct F SI2 sparkler - it's bigger than I would have felt comfortable picking for myself, but not so big that I think it'll draw unwelcome attention. Granted I know nothing about diamonds, but I have 20/10 vision and honestly can't see any of the inclusions from the top view. You can see the original setting in previous threads here and here.

About the setting:
I knew I wanted to reset it, and agreed with my fiance that we should do it as a solitaire. I searched high and low for a satisfactory premade setting, but the options for marquise are nonexistent compared to round! With some encouragement from PS, we decided to go custom, because I had a fairly specific concept of what I wanted.

I was inspired by the marquise shape, which reminded me of a gothic arch, and by a family ring (pearl in a 4-prong belcher setting) which reminded me of a romanesque vaulted ceiling. I wanted the setting to be like an upside-down gothic vaulted ceiling with six "columns" as the prongs - with the marquise/gothic shape reflected everywhere. Here's a previous thread about the setting, with drawings.

So, we got dressed up and went to a reputable (fancy) local jeweler, who trashed my idea because it wouldn't sit flush with a straight band, didn't seem able/willing to help with the design at all, and scoffed at our idea of recycling the yellow gold from the original setting into wedding bands. Luckily I found Rick of Wenrics, who understood immediately what I was going for, and even said that he woke up in the night thinking about how he'd create this ring after I emailed him my drawings. I'm also really glad he recommended X1 white gold - I prefer gold over platinum, but wanted to avoid the maintenance of rhodium plating. He even specializes in recycling jewelry, so of course he made us both fantastic yellow gold wedding bands from the original setting. The process took longer than I'd hoped, but after five revisions I gave him the go-ahead to cast the ring, and now it's finally here!

My ring has all the elements I wanted, and it even sits perfectly against my straight wedding band! I can't stop staring!










(just realized my "fire shot" features a big greasy fingerprint... lovely)

Beautiful!!!

 

[msop04]

Oh, I love the MQ and Belcher setting! It looks so graceful on your hand -- congrats!!

 

[KKJohnson]

I am going through the same issue! I love the fact that you went with the v prong setting which is what I am looking at doing as well! The ring is a family heirloom that belonged to my mother-in law, she unfortunately passed before I met my husband and she split her jewelry between her sons. She had very good taste in jewelry but by today's standards it is dated.

 

[naivemelody]

Wow so cool to see this thread is still going - and relevant to others! I've read every one of these amazing comments over and over, I'm still blown away that y'all so get and appreciate this piece thank you very much!
I am happily married now so I think that calls for more pics! The wedding band helps the e-ring sit a little straighter, but I think I still need to get the e-ring sized down a touch - big knuckle problems.

TDF!!! What a beautiful job!!! It's so feminine, classic & fits you like a glove!! Marquise are so different, and I'd imagine, difficult to customize; it seems jewelers hesitate to take on super creative projects like yours, which is a shame. I'm so thrilled you found a jeweler who not only embraced your idea, but who worked diligently to bring your idea to fruition, and give your Diamond a whole new look!! She is something very special!
Side note: to answer your question about how to wear your rings together...your wedding band goes on first, and the ER goes on top. The wedding band is always worn closest to your heart. Anniversary bands stack on top of the wedding band, and the ER sits on top of the stack. Just thought I'd throw that out there...lol!
Curious: have you given your diamond a name? I started a thread, yesterday, on that very topic. I've noticed a LOT of people name their stones, so I started a thread. You are more than welcome to check it out. I'd be curious to know, if you decide to name her, if you'd name her after your MIL.
May you forever wear her in good health. Many blessings to you both for a lifetime of happiness!!
...CRM

Thanks for the info! Now that I've worn it I realize there's also a very practical logic to wearing the ER on top - so it's easier to take on and off when the need arises, haha. Would you believe I replied to your awesome name post the same day without even seeing this post! Great minds

You brought that into 2017 for sure! I love the yellow gold with the white. What is the White gold type you mentioned?

Thank you! It's Stuller X1 white gold, 14k. I wanted gold for the non-patina shine, and because I'm wearing it with a gold band.
Maybe I have cheap taste but my ideal look would actually have been silver - too bad it's not as durable, because I think that shiny white-white would be so perfect for a colorless stone (for like 1 day until it tarnished haha)

I am going through the same issue! I love the fact that you went with the v prong setting which is what I am looking at doing as well! The ring is a family heirloom that belonged to my mother-in law, she unfortunately passed before I met my husband and she split her jewelry between her sons. She had very good taste in jewelry but by today's standards it is dated.

Such a fun problem to have right?! Very similar situation - my MIL also passed before I got to know her (talked to her only once). I wanted to avoid the v-prongs at first actually, since it kinda bugged me to have two different prong shapes on the same stone, but the shape of the basket ended up going seamlessly into Vs there anyway, so I'm happy with how it fits into the design. They're the safest anyway so it's a good way to go!

 

[KKJohnson]

Wow so cool to see this thread is still going - and relevant to others! I've read every one of these amazing comments over and over, I'm still blown away that y'all so get and appreciate this piece thank you very much!
I am happily married now so I think that calls for more pics! The wedding band helps the e-ring sit a little straighter, but I think I still need to get the e-ring sized down a touch - big knuckle problems.





Thanks for the info! Now that I've worn it I realize there's also a very practical logic to wearing the ER on top - so it's easier to take on and off when the need arises, haha. Would you believe I replied to your awesome name post the same day without even seeing this post! Great minds


Thank you! It's Stuller X1 white gold, 14k. I wanted gold for the non-patina shine, and because I'm wearing it with a gold band.
Maybe I have cheap taste but my ideal look would actually have been silver - too bad it's not as durable, because I think that shiny white-white would be so perfect for a colorless stone (for like 1 day until it tarnished haha)


Such a fun problem to have right?! Very similar situation - my MIL also passed before I got to know her (talked to her only once). I wanted to avoid the v-prongs at first actually, since it kinda bugged me to have two different prong shapes on the same stone, but the shape of the basket ended up going seamlessly into Vs there anyway, so I'm happy with how it fits into the design. They're the safest anyway so it's a good way to go!

Oh I didn't know they are a safer choice! I just really like the low profile against in the stone but that is good to know! They do seen to protect the tips differently than common prongs.