Eternity band (French cut) advice

[savatar]

Hi! First time poster and diamond buyer here. I’ve been looking for a French cut eternity band, and had a few questions about buying in general.

1. How should I think about price? Considering two options: one at 3.5carats (F color) for $5.5k and another at 5 carats total for $8k. I’m not sure what size I want/how much I want to invest just yet, but are these ok prices? Are there rules of thumb around eternity band pricing?
2. Does quality of cut and color actually matter in an eternity band since the diamonds are smaller? What should I be looking for? Is there anything else I should consider paying more for besides size and maybe color?
3. How do I make sure I’m buying from the right person? How would you confirm that the setting is high quality, or honestly even that the diamonds are as advertised without a certification? The two sellers both seem like smaller operations with a small number of positive reviews.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[gregchang35]

hi

there are so many variables in your post and i will try and address them for you.


1) You state that you are a first time buyer of diamonds, and you really like a specialty cut stone. I think french cut stones are specialty stones. I love them and woudl like to have an eternity, too! LOLOL
because it is a first time purchase, I would highly recommend researching these stones as much as you can online and then seeing them in person, to be absolutely sure it is the stone for you.

2) good quality stones... best to see the stones for yourself, if you can. size of stones can affect the setting adn how it feesl between the fingers.

Setting- it is another ball game. I am not sure if you had any eternity rings before? Some settings for some ppl are uncomfortable for between the fingers. And it could also be the size of the stones that you end up chooseing. The 5ctw will have bigger stones compared to the 3.5ctw.

3) buying from the right person/ vendor....
We in PS land have a few ppl that have had good experiences with many vendors. French cut stones are becoming more popular these days, and should be easier to get one of the vendors to source one for you.


I personally believe that there are too many variables in your quest and you have to go thru each one carefully.

 

[savatar]

Thanks for the quick reply! I own and have worn diamond jewelry, but never personally purchased.

I’m kind of excited about my first foray into the market, but yes, I did make things complicated by wanting something very specific

I *don’t* need help making a decision on size or style— vendor is local so I will be able to view in person. Size is a personal preference: I ultimately need to decide if I like the larger ring enough to pay the extra $. I’m comfortable making that choice once I’ve tried things on.

I *do* need some help going into that appointment well-prepared, especially with respect to (a) evaluating the piece I’m looking at and (b) evaluating the price.

The internet is full of advice on how to buy a single diamond, but the fact that this is a specialty cut *and* an eternity band vs single stone has made it harder for me to research! Specialty cut means fewer examples online for comparison shopping.
The eternity band factor also makes it harder: since each stone is too small for a certificate, I’m trusting the jeweler’s assessment of grade and my own untrained eyes! I also don’t know how to think about a set of matching stones, which are presumably worth more than the sum of their parts.

Even a “yes/no these are competitive prices” or a “look for x when evaluating the piece” would help greatly!

Hope this makes sense and helps clarify. Thanks so much again for taking the time to weigh in!

 

[savatar]

Also noted that I rounded wrong on my OG post: the 5 carat ring is closer to $9k not $8k

 

[LLJsmom]

So here’s the deal. French cuts are generally expensive. Not to say you can find cheaper ones but not easy. And I’ve seen some not so pretty French cuts that are expensive. So whether the ones you are going to see are a good deal or even reasonable depends... in whether they are pretty or not so pretty stones.

As a point of reference you can look up the French cut bands that Lang’s antiques sells. I’ve seen those IRL and they are in the price range you mentioned. I actually didn’t love the stones. I thought the ones from Singlestone are prettier. But that’s just my opinion. And Singlestone is more expensive than Lang’s for the size. Anyhoo, that’s my 2 c. Good luck!

 

[tyty333]

I would not go with a small jeweler who does not do a lot of custom work. Do the jewelers have pictures of any eternity rings that
they have created before? Look for anything similar (doesnt have to be same cut of stones).

Make sure you can "approve" the stones before they go in the setting. This can be in-person inspection or via pictures (and/or
video) Cut does matter. Matching faceting patterns matters. Make sure they are eye-clean. Are they going to be newly cut french cuts
or antique stones? Do you care...if so, you need to tell them. They'll let you know what they can get/do.

Is the setting going to be CAD where you can approve in advance or is it going to be hand-forged?

I would probably go with a jeweler that has had proven success with this kind of design. I caution you not to use just any jeweler because
they say they can do it. (some people say they can do anything just to get the business). Make them prove that they can do it successfully.
If you are not experienced with design, like this is one of your first rings, you need to make sure you go with someone who is very
experienced at this type of ring (eternity).

I would get a quote from Victor Canera

Antique French-Cut Eternity Band | Victor Canera

This vintage inspired precious platinum eternity wedding band features beautiful high crown vintage french cut diamonds all the way around in a 3.5mm width.

www.victorcanera.com

Vintage French Cut Diamond Eternity Band | Victor Canera

French Cut Eternity Band with Ajour work and high dome french cuts.

www.victorcanera.com

Maytal Hannah - look near the bottom for bands

Products - Unique Jewelry Designs by Maytal Hannah

Maytal focuses on are creating heirloom pieces designed with maximum quality and superior stones that will be treasured forever.

maytalhannah.com

Design process

Design Your Dream Ring - Home Page - Maytal Hannah

We’ll work with you to personally create the ring of your dreams for you or your fiance. Each piece is one of a kind and is made to the highest standards.

maytalhannah.com

Steven Kirsch

Steven Kirsch Official Website

Unique Jewelery - New York

stevenkirsch.com

The other possibilities are
Sako- he cuts and sets stones. I'm not too familiar with him but follow him on IG and there have seen PSers that have had work done by
him that looked really nice.

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www.instagram.com

Good luck!

Edit...you can also get a quote from Singlestone as @LLJsmom mentioned above. They can do this kind of work successfully.

 

[Rfisher]

I do think so, yes, that the quality of cut matters even at the smaller size. It matters to your taste
(There’s different cut styles, and there’s also recuts from other shapes that resemble FC’s to varying degrees)
The color - yes as well- because aside from your personal taste in what color grade- are they all matching or close to matching in color? Clarity should come into play to price and what is ‘mind clean’ to you like any other diamond or even a modern round brilliant diamond band.
Are they true antiques or newly cut - if that matters either aesthetically, price or authenticity.

I believe there’s more availability in past 5 years of newly (non precision) cut stones that are cut like antique and have a bit of wonk.

if you question stats from the vendor - or the quality/ condition of the setting - utilize an independent appraiser. There’s a list of recommended ones here.

as far as price, aside from someone personally having a fire sale due to necessity- what price is considered ‘ok’ is pretty subjective. To many individual factors and market availability of what you are looking for.

always love to see these bands.
Hope you do update on what you get to see in person and what you end up with

 

[lovedogs]

I would not go with a small jeweler who does not do a lot of custom work. Do the jewelers have pictures of any eternity rings that
they have created before? Look for anything similar (doesnt have to be same cut of stones).

Make sure you can "approve" the stones before they go in the setting. This can be in-person inspection or via pictures (and/or
video) Cut does matter. Matching faceting patterns matters. Make sure they are eye-clean. Are they going to be newly cut french cuts
or antique stones? Do you care...if so, you need to tell them. They'll let you know what they can get/do.

Is the setting going to be CAD where you can approve in advance or is it going to be hand-forged?

I would probably go with a jeweler that has had proven success with this kind of design. I caution you not to use just any jeweler because
they say they can do it. (some people say they can do anything just to get the business). Make them prove that they can do it successfully.
If you are not experienced with design, like this is one of your first rings, you need to make sure you go with someone who is very
experienced at this type of ring (eternity).

I would get a quote from Victor Canera

Antique French-Cut Eternity Band | Victor Canera

This vintage inspired precious platinum eternity wedding band features beautiful high crown vintage french cut diamonds all the way around in a 3.5mm width.

www.victorcanera.com

Vintage French Cut Diamond Eternity Band | Victor Canera

French Cut Eternity Band with Ajour work and high dome french cuts.

www.victorcanera.com

Maytal Hannah - look near the bottom for bands

Products - Unique Jewelry Designs by Maytal Hannah

Maytal focuses on are creating heirloom pieces designed with maximum quality and superior stones that will be treasured forever.

maytalhannah.com

Design process

Design Your Dream Ring - Home Page - Maytal Hannah

We’ll work with you to personally create the ring of your dreams for you or your fiance. Each piece is one of a kind and is made to the highest standards.

maytalhannah.com

Steven Kirsch

Steven Kirsch Official Website

Unique Jewelery - New York

stevenkirsch.com

The other possibilities are
Sako- he cuts and sets stones. I'm not too familiar with him but follow him on IG and there have seen PSers that have had work done by
him that looked really nice.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Good luck!

Edit...you can also get a quote from Singlestone as @LLJsmom mentioned above. They can do this kind of work successfully.

All of this 100%

 

[Rfisher]

-Color/carat/clarity being equal-
I’m not quite sure that one would expect all these different variables able to be priced apples to apples between same mm wide or tccw band.

new vs vintage
New complete cut vs altered cut
Table shape (octagon vs rhombus) /facet pattern
High vs med vs low crown

+personal preference
+ market availability

-oops -
Are you looking at having a band made or buying an existing band?

 

[yssie]

You picked a challenging first custom project!!

My first question to you would be - have you seen french cut diamonds in-person? French cuts almost always photograph beautifully, but I personally found that they don’t always look and perform the way you might expect.

 

[elizat]

You picked a challenging first custom project!!

My first question to you would be - have you seen french cut diamonds in-person? French cuts almost always photograph beautifully, but I personally found that they don’t always look and perform the way you might expect.

Yes. This. You have to like rose cuts to like french cuts, in my mind. I have owned both and I would equate the performance of a nice rose cut to a nice french cut. They are quiet and glisten or appear like pastel tones reflecting off water, almost. They appear much different in person v photos. If you don't like rose cuts, I think it's doubtful you'd like a french cut band.

 

[tyty333]

Just realized (thanks @Rfisher ) that the poster may be looking at pieces that are already made. From reading, I thought they
we're looking to have one made.

 

[savatar]

This is all so helpful, thank you everybody! Seriously, more than I could have hoped for.

So I've learned a few things: it seems like the huge variance in pricing I'm seeing online is actually probably a reflection of quality -- that's great to know! @Rfisher the zoom-in on all of these bands is amazing. Because I'm likely not going to see such a wide variety in person, how much do you personally feel these variables affect the overall look of the eternity. Can you see the difference between say an octagon cut vs. a rhombus cut if you aren't looking closely?

@tyty333 thank you for all of the recommendations, I've reached out to all of them!

@yssie: great call out -- I've seen them as the two side stones on a 3 stone but never as a full band in person. I think there's kind of an understated glamour, and I love the high crown, but its definitely possible that I see in person and completely change my mind.

The jeweler I'm meeting in NYC has an eternity band already made (it's the one that originally caught my eye), but it's not my size. He was going to make a smaller band for me with stones from the same batch, so I'll see the example finished eternity band + the loose stones (vintage) he would use for mine. Is there anything I should keep in mind when viewing the setting on the existing band?

But honestly, I feel a lot better now that I've reached out to a few more jewelers -- we'll see if they get back to me and I'll send along an update when I make some progress. Thank you everyone for the advice. This community is so underrated.

 

[yssie]

If you can see an example from the same batch of stones, already arranged into a band - it doesn’t get better than that!! You will certainly be able to judge whether a band full is right for you

How are the stones in the band you’ll see mounted? Are they channel set or in prongs? Do you have any photos you can share here?

 

[Rfisher]

Since I have not seen octagonal table FC’s in person, I’m going to guess that no, you won’t notice the difference unless you look close.
hopefully someone else who has, can chime in.

Im also going to assume that flatter crown vs high dome difference will be noticeable in further viewing distances.

preferences vary

 

[JPie]

I think some people here bought theirs from David Klass, who’s very reasonably priced. I would suggest contacting him for a quote.

 

[Slickk]

I think some people here bought theirs from David Klass, who’s very reasonably priced. I would suggest contacting him for a quote.

Yes! I have a French cut eternity from David Klass. The faceting is very lovely and checkerboard-y. I love frenchies and look forward to your finished project!

 

[bludiva]

This is all so helpful, thank you everybody! Seriously, more than I could have hoped for.

So I've learned a few things: it seems like the huge variance in pricing I'm seeing online is actually probably a reflection of quality -- that's great to know! @Rfisher the zoom-in on all of these bands is amazing. Because I'm likely not going to see such a wide variety in person, how much do you personally feel these variables affect the overall look of the eternity. Can you see the difference between say an octagon cut vs. a rhombus cut if you aren't looking closely?

@tyty333 thank you for all of the recommendations, I've reached out to all of them!

@yssie: great call out -- I've seen them as the two side stones on a 3 stone but never as a full band in person. I think there's kind of an understated glamour, and I love the high crown, but its definitely possible that I see in person and completely change my mind.

The jeweler I'm meeting in NYC has an eternity band already made (it's the one that originally caught my eye), but it's not my size. He was going to make a smaller band for me with stones from the same batch, so I'll see the example finished eternity band + the loose stones (vintage) he would use for mine. Is there anything I should keep in mind when viewing the setting on the existing band?

But honestly, I feel a lot better now that I've reached out to a few more jewelers -- we'll see if they get back to me and I'll send along an update when I make some progress. Thank you everyone for the advice. This community is so underrated.

Good luck! I didn't see it mentioned before or may have missed it, when you check out the ring try to see it in different kinds of light. Sunlight, outdoor shade, indoor normal light (not just the jewelry store halogens or whatever they are).

 

[Rfisher]

You picked a challenging first custom project!!

My first question to you would be - have you seen french cut diamonds in-person? French cuts almost always photograph beautifully, but I personally found that they don’t always look and perform the way you might expect.

My collection isn’t extensive, but I’ve not thought of FC’s this way- but do think I understand what you mean.
Is it similar to saying OEC’s need to be a certain size to appreciate their faceting pattern with the naked eye?

Yes. This. You have to like rose cuts to like french cuts, in my mind. I have owned both and I would equate the performance of a nice rose cut to a nice french cut. They are quiet and glisten or appear like pastel tones reflecting off water, almost. They appear much different in person v photos. If you don't like rose cuts, I think it's doubtful you'd like a french cut band.

Maybe I need a band of nice rosecuts That’s dangerous!
The RC’s ive had/have are pretty standard so cannot compare, too much windowing. Or maybe larger so more windowing?

 

[elizat]

@Rfisher have you had high domed rose cuts or double cut rosies? My french cut eternity that I rehomed reminded me of my nicest high domed and/or or double cuts. I have had some lackluster leaky rose cuts too though!

 

[Aurora26]

Rose cut bands...

The Rose Cut Eternity Band – Après Jewelry

Alternating rose cut diamond band with claw prongs Made with Rose Cut White Diamonds (G-H, VS2-SI1 quality) Stone sizes alternate between 3.2mm and 2.3 mm Available with diamonds halfway around, 3/4 the way around, or eternity (all around) Please note: Eternity bands are non-refundable due to...

www.apresjewelry.com

 

[Rfisher]

@Rfisher have you had high domed rose cuts or double cut rosies? My french cut eternity that I rehomed reminded me of my nicest high domed and/or or double cuts. I have had some lackluster leaky rose cuts too though!

No, hence the ”maybe I need /that’s dangerous” above
haha!
anything I’ve had- you can see straight through.