different taste in settings for colored stones vs. diamonds?

[mustangchi]

Anyone else feel like they make completely different choices when it comes to setting colored stones vs. diamonds? I think I do. I really couldn't ever see myself placing a diamond in a halo setting (although I think others have done it beautifully). I am typically a solitaire or sidestone person when it comes to diamonds but absolutely love the halos and intricate settings for sapphires. It's like I see a setting and immediately think diamond or colored stone. Anyone else? Or any quirks you all have when it comes to setting diamonds vs colored stones?

 

[Autumn in New England]

Anyone else feel like they make completely different choices when it comes to setting colored stones vs. diamonds? I think I do. I really couldn't ever see myself placing a diamond in a halo setting (although I think others have done it beautifully). I am typically a solitaire or sidestone person when it comes to diamonds but absolutely love the halos and intricate settings for sapphires. It's like I see a setting and immediately think diamond or colored stone. Anyone else? Or any quirks you all have when it comes to setting diamonds vs colored stones?

Great topic! I only have one diamond (other than studs) that I'm setting in a ring. And I found, coming from a CS background, that I set it exactly as I would a CS. lol Which is probably not a good thing. The diamond connoisseurs among us would shudder.

 

[voce]

Colorless diamonds do not interest me unless I'm looking for a very specific cut or as contrast for my CS. I can say with confidence, though, that I'd set a colored diamond the same way I'd set any other CS. For me it's usually not about any particular style but letting the stone "speak" to me about how I would want to set it.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I’m a diamonds > CS girl, personally, so maybe my input isn’t really welcome here haha. But I have very different likes and dislikes for CS settings vs diamond settings. With diamonds I like delicate halos or solitaires only. For CS I would want really dramatic halos (eg ballerina halos, or cluster halos); or asymmetric halo settings of some kind.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

If I could be bothered to wear and reset my white diamonds, I would use CS melee to brighten things up a bit!!!

I have two rules that I always obey regardless of whether setting CS or diamonds. Absolutely, under no circumstances, always, NO BEZELS (if I say I'll bezel something assume I'm under life threatening duress) and nothing with too much metal. I hate anything that looks like it has an abundance of metal. Absolutely nono whether diamonds or CS.

 

[LilAlex]

Our only mounted diamond is a solitaire -- and not a PS-grade one. We have no CS solitaires. Close -- but not entirely a solitaire. Most of our CS rings have minimal embellishment, though.

My very favorite setting for CS is the Oscar Heyman "picture-frame" -- a big center step-cut CS "framed" in mitred-corner baguette diamonds. We will, of course, never have one of these.

This one just popped up a few days ago:

 

[Autumn in New England]

If I could be bothered to wear and reset my white diamonds, I would use CS melee to brighten things up a bit!!!

I have two rules that I always obey regardless of whether setting CS or diamonds. Absolutely, under no circumstances, always, NO BEZELS (if I say I'll bezel something assume I'm under life threatening duress) and nothing with too much metal. I hate anything that looks like it has an abundance of metal. Absolutely nono whether diamonds or CS.

For you it's bezels, for me it's salad...

 

[Autumn in New England]

Our only mounted diamond is a solitaire -- and not a PS-grade one. We have no CS solitaires. Close -- but not entirely a solitaire. Most of our CS rings have minimal embellishment, though.

My very favorite setting for CS is the Oscar Heyman "picture-frame" -- a big center step-cut CS "framed" in mitred-corner baguette diamonds. We will, of course, never have one of these.

This one just popped up a few days ago:

I love how you always say "we" to include your wife.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

For you it's bezels, for me it's salad...

Omg you should see my Caesar salads!

They're like 20% lettuce and the other 80% comprising of chicken, croutons, bacon and dressing!!!

I have friend who attended a girls gathering that I couldn't go to. We were chatting about it afterwards on a Costco trip.

Quote my friend: It was so weird Mellow. They bought bags of salad and whipped out these bottles of dressing. I was like "WTF is up with this??? I didn't know they were the type that ate leaves!!!"

Me: oh yeah they do that when they feel like they need veg!

 

[mustangchi]

I’m a diamonds > CS girl, personally, so maybe my input isn’t really welcome here haha. But I have very different likes and dislikes for CS settings vs diamond settings. With diamonds I like delicate halos or solitaires only. For CS I would want really dramatic halos (eg ballerina halos, or cluster halos); or asymmetric halo settings of some kind.

Sounds like me, I prefer very simple settings for diamonds and then really detailed halos for colored stones.

 

[mustangchi]

Looks like I am in the minority and most people prefer the same setting types regardless of whether they are setting colored stones or diamonds

 

[mustangchi]

Omg you should see my Caesar salads!

They're like 20% lettuce and the other 80% comprising of chicken, croutons, bacon and dressing!!!

I have friend who attended a girls gathering that I couldn't go to. We were chatting about it afterwards on a Costco trip.

Quote my friend: It was so weird Mellow. They bought bags of salad and whipped out these bottles of dressing. I was like "WTF is up with this??? I didn't know they were the type that ate leaves!!!"

Me: oh yeah they do that when they feel like they need veg!

you pretty much described my caesar salads also!!

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
The only differences that I do now is putting a less expensive stone in a cheaper setting. I have some settings in 14kt gold but with cubic zirconia stones as embellishment, and I really like them. I sometimes do sterling silver, mostly without decorative stones. I would also use 10kt gold.

Sometimes I have something to say but don't need a thread about it, so I just stick it in.

I have used zircon as a wonderful substitute for diamonds. I have a few pr of diamond studs now, but I had larger zircons that were very nice. I made a pair for a friend and she still wears them. After all, they are real.

Diamonds stand on their own, but diamonds or zircons, cubic zirconia, around colored stones are great.

Annette

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hi,
The only differences that I do now is putting a less expensive stone in a cheaper setting. I have some settings in 14kt gold but with cubic zirconia stones as embellishment, and I really like them. I sometimes do sterling silver, mostly without decorative stones. I would also use 10kt gold.

Sometimes I have something to say but don't need a thread about it, so I just stick it in.

I have used zircon as a wonderful substitute for diamonds. I have a few pr of diamond studs now, but I had larger zircons that were very nice. I made a pair for a friend and she still wears them. After all, they are real.

Diamonds stand on their own, but diamonds or zircons, cubic zirconia, around colored stones are great.

Annette

I love zircon as a diamond substitute. I wish it were more durable, because it's so beautiful. But I baby my jewels anyway.

 

[mustangchi]

I

Hi,
The only differences that I do now is putting a less expensive stone in a cheaper setting. I have some settings in 14kt gold but with cubic zirconia stones as embellishment, and I really like them. I sometimes do sterling silver, mostly without decorative stones. I would also use 10kt gold.

Sometimes I have something to say but don't need a thread about it, so I just stick it in.

I have used zircon as a wonderful substitute for diamonds. I have a few pr of diamond studs now, but I had larger zircons that were very nice. I made a pair for a friend and she still wears them. After all, they are real.

Diamonds stand on their own, but diamonds or zircons, cubic zirconia, around colored stones are great.

Annette

I have sometimes wondered about this as well, not so much making a distinction between pricing for settings for diamonds vs colored stones but just about choosing expensive settings for any less expensive stones. To each their own though because I have seen some inexpensive stones in some expensive settings, I just don't think it is something I would do myself.

 

[dk168]

CSs and pearl rings for my left hand tend to be bigger and fancier than diamond-only right hand rings.

The 1.19ct EC diamond is in an air gap/line halo with a mix of MRBs and carré cuts. It is the most fancy of the 3 RHRs and comes up for important work and dressy events.

The small 0.47ct EC is bezel-set East West in a band of the same width. This is my everyday RHR.

The 0.8ct+ OEC is in a Gypsy setting and I am wearing this quite often as I love it.

DK

 

[mustangchi]

CSs and pearl rings for my left hand tend to be bigger and fancier than diamond-only right hand rings.

The 1.19ct EC diamond is in an air gap/line halo with a mix of MRBs and carré cuts. It is the most fancy of the 3 RHRs and comes up for important work and dressy events.

The small 0.47ct EC is bezel-set East West in a band of the same width. This is my everyday RHR.

The 0.8ct+ OEC is in a Gypsy setting and I am wearing this quite often as I love it.

DK

sounds like you might be the opposite of me, I tend to stay with very simple designs for diamonds on the left hand and then more involved, fancier settings for colored stones for the right.

 

[dk168]

sounds like you might be the opposite of me, I tend to stay with very simple designs for diamonds on the left hand and then more involved, fancier settings for colored stones for the right.

I am on my own and do not have an E-ring as such, however, I currently have 3 diamond-only RHRs.

I have worn a ring on my left hand ring finger since I was about 11yo, the first ring was a diamond band that I bought with my Chinese New Year red packet money. The next was a Sapphire and diamond band that my mum bought for me.

Even when I was married and had a set of E-ring and a band, I would from time to time switch them out for a pearl or CS ring.

My CS and pearl ring collection increased after my divorce when I ceased to wear my wedding set.

DK

 

[mustangchi]

I am on my own and do not have an E-ring as such, however, I currently have 3 diamond-only RHRs.

I have worn a ring on my left hand ring finger since I was about 11yo, the first ring was a diamond band that I bought with my Chinese New Year red packet money. The next was a Sapphire and diamond band that my mum bought for me.

Even when I was married and had a set of E-ring and a band, I would from time to time switch them out for a pearl or CS ring.

My CS and pearl ring collection increased after my divorce when I ceased to wear my wedding set.

DK

I will also substitute a colored stone ring on the left hand ring finger at times myself. In fact for the last few years I have been pretty much just wearing left hand rings only so it's just whichever I choose to wear there at the time, don't wear much on the right.

 

[LilAlex]

I love how you always say "we" to include your wife.

Well, it's more out of precision than inclusivity, tbh! If I restricted my comments here to "my" jewelry, it's just a couple "sub-corundum"-level bezel-sets.

She has the nicer stuff. Although I picked nearly all of it out so I'm very emotionally invested. Plus, she doesn't care about treatments, hardness, durability, reports, etc. She will not shop for jewelry -- but I don't buy anything without her approval. (She says "You have better taste than I do [in this one tiny area].") If our whole family is in the "shopping district" of a fancy foreign city, I am the only one who wants to find Graff or their oldest antique jewelry boutique; everyone else just rolls their eyes like I'm suggesting the trolley museum or something.

 

[dk168]

I will also substitute a colored stone ring on the left hand ring finger at times myself. In fact for the last few years I have been pretty much just wearing left hand rings only so it's just whichever I choose to wear there at the time, don't wear much on the right.

I only wear one ring on each hand.

DK

 

[Bron357]

Unless it’s over 20 carats, it needs a halo

 

[pokerface]

It really depends on the stone, but like OP, I tend to like halos for colored stones and not for diamonds. With a colored stone, a halo looks like a frame, whereas with a diamond, halos are often used for an illusion effect, which I dislike. I also have a big preference for antique diamonds with lower color, and unless a ring is a true antique, it's difficult to match modern melee in either cut or color.

 

[Catmom]

I pretty much like the same type of settings for my diamonds as I do for my colored stones. Guess I'm just boring that way, lol.

 

[mustangchi]

It really depends on the stone, but like OP, I tend to like halos for colored stones and not for diamonds. With a colored stone, a halo looks like a frame, whereas with a diamond, halos are often used for an illusion effect, which I dislike. I also have a big preference for antique diamonds with lower color, and unless a ring is a true antique, it's difficult to match modern melee in either cut or color.

I am the same in that I like lower colored old cuts for diamonds, this may also be part of why I don't halo them but I think the main thing for me is just size. For some reason I am able to tolerate bigger rings in colored stones than I am in diamonds, don't really know why.