First off I'd just like to thank this forum (and everybody on it) for all the knowledge and resources it provided while I planned my engagement to my girlfriend/fiance.
After a lot of reading, researching, and comparing, I decided to go buy a loose diamond from James Allen. While I could justify another post dedicated solely to this process, suffice it to say that working with the fine people at James Allen was fantastic, and I would absolutely recommend them to anybody searching for a diamond. Their prices are great, their website is incredibly user friendly and detailed, and their customer service reps couldn't be nicer or more informative.
I live in NYC and have a lot of options to choose from as it relates to getting the setting done. However, after reviewing tons of photos online and reading peoples experiences with various vendors, I decided that Victor Canera was the best choice for me. While it seems to me that he is well known for his pave work, specifically halos, I felt that he would be the best person to design a custom solitaire ring for me (sans halo).
I initially reached out to Victor via email and provided him with a fairly detailed description of what I wanted, and also provided pictures of what I liked, as well as what I didn't like. The inspiration for my ring was the Cartier 1895 setting. I actually considered going with either Cartier or Tiffany's, but to be honest with you the value wasn't there from a pricing perspective. I didn't love the 6 prong setting of the Tiffany solitaire either.
After some back and forth, both via email as well as on the phone, Victor helped me settle on a final design for the ring. I think it was helpful that I had a good idea of what I wanted before I contacted him, but he certainly helped refine the final vision. We settled on using his Trueste design, in platinum, as the base for ring. I hadn't seen that setting with pave before, and knew that I wanted pave diamonds on the shank. I also wanted four prongs with the single claws on them bc it showed off the diamond better (vs the double claws that are sometimes used for larger diamonds). Finally, I wanted to add pave diamonds to the basket of the ring (part that holds the diamond up). I also asked him to make both the shank as well as the basket thinner than what is normally created because I thought it would highlight the center stone better.
After all was said and done, the final result was amazing. Even the independent appraiser here in NYC remarked at how nice the pave work was as well as the overall craftsmanship of the ring. Shipping from NYC to LA and back via his Malca Amit account was easy as could be, and everyone that has seen the ring has loved it.
Oh, and I just checked and he now has our design and exact ring featured on his website!
That's enough rambling. Now onto the specs and pics:
Carat: 3.02
Color: Eye
Clarity: SI1
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Cut: Excellent
Girdle: Medium-Slightly Thick
Fluorescence: Medium Blue
I proposed in Paris on Christmas Day on the Pont des Arts bridge. A little cheesy, I know, but she loved it and we'll both remember this day forever.
I tried taking some of my own macro pics, but to be honest, they're not nearly as good as the ones on Victor's website. Still so excited that our ring is featured on his site!
The lock I had made that we put on the bridge:
And finally some pics from the bridge where it all went down:
Just wanted to share my experience with you all. I would absolutely, positively recommend Victor Canera to anyone looking to get a setting made. It took him one month to make the setting, and dealing with his was easy and hassle free. He does a phenomenal job and I'm so happy we ended up using him.
Good luck to everyone out there!
After a lot of reading, researching, and comparing, I decided to go buy a loose diamond from James Allen. While I could justify another post dedicated solely to this process, suffice it to say that working with the fine people at James Allen was fantastic, and I would absolutely recommend them to anybody searching for a diamond. Their prices are great, their website is incredibly user friendly and detailed, and their customer service reps couldn't be nicer or more informative.
I live in NYC and have a lot of options to choose from as it relates to getting the setting done. However, after reviewing tons of photos online and reading peoples experiences with various vendors, I decided that Victor Canera was the best choice for me. While it seems to me that he is well known for his pave work, specifically halos, I felt that he would be the best person to design a custom solitaire ring for me (sans halo).
I initially reached out to Victor via email and provided him with a fairly detailed description of what I wanted, and also provided pictures of what I liked, as well as what I didn't like. The inspiration for my ring was the Cartier 1895 setting. I actually considered going with either Cartier or Tiffany's, but to be honest with you the value wasn't there from a pricing perspective. I didn't love the 6 prong setting of the Tiffany solitaire either.
After some back and forth, both via email as well as on the phone, Victor helped me settle on a final design for the ring. I think it was helpful that I had a good idea of what I wanted before I contacted him, but he certainly helped refine the final vision. We settled on using his Trueste design, in platinum, as the base for ring. I hadn't seen that setting with pave before, and knew that I wanted pave diamonds on the shank. I also wanted four prongs with the single claws on them bc it showed off the diamond better (vs the double claws that are sometimes used for larger diamonds). Finally, I wanted to add pave diamonds to the basket of the ring (part that holds the diamond up). I also asked him to make both the shank as well as the basket thinner than what is normally created because I thought it would highlight the center stone better.
After all was said and done, the final result was amazing. Even the independent appraiser here in NYC remarked at how nice the pave work was as well as the overall craftsmanship of the ring. Shipping from NYC to LA and back via his Malca Amit account was easy as could be, and everyone that has seen the ring has loved it.
Oh, and I just checked and he now has our design and exact ring featured on his website!
That's enough rambling. Now onto the specs and pics:
Carat: 3.02
Color: Eye
Clarity: SI1
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Cut: Excellent
Girdle: Medium-Slightly Thick
Fluorescence: Medium Blue
I proposed in Paris on Christmas Day on the Pont des Arts bridge. A little cheesy, I know, but she loved it and we'll both remember this day forever.
I tried taking some of my own macro pics, but to be honest, they're not nearly as good as the ones on Victor's website. Still so excited that our ring is featured on his site!
The lock I had made that we put on the bridge:
And finally some pics from the bridge where it all went down:
Just wanted to share my experience with you all. I would absolutely, positively recommend Victor Canera to anyone looking to get a setting made. It took him one month to make the setting, and dealing with his was easy and hassle free. He does a phenomenal job and I'm so happy we ended up using him.
Good luck to everyone out there!
300x240.png)