French cut diamonds or alternatives for ring

[Lovesparklesparle]

Hi everyone,

I am considering a custom ring for my oec with French cut side stones. I am trying to keep the cost down with other modifications but have been told this is the most expensive part of the setting which I understand. I am trying to do my own research rather than waste the time of vendors this busy time of year but haven’t been able to find much info. Please help if you have a ring with French cut side stones.

The design I like is the VC in a size 6.5 for a 6.6mm approx. round.

I’m concerned replacing the French cuts with rounds will look too different, and that baguettes will cost around the same?

Would there be a significant $ difference between having the rounds in the rubylane ring to the VC?

I don’t know the carat weight for the French cut quote I received is- is it worth asking for smaller stones?

To keep the ring proportioned what do you think is the smallest i could go?

Would using a diamond alternative look out of place?

I think I read that French cuts are comparatively expensive, what has been your experience please?

Thank you very much.

 

[distracts]

French cuts are expensive because you'll likely have to have them custom cut, whereas rounds are suuuper common. Have you contacted David Klass for a quote? His french cuts are allegedly cheaper than others but I also notice that to me they don't have the faceting look I most like in french cuts. If you love french cuts best, I might consider setting your OEC in a temp setting and saving up. Otherwise you just need to collect quotes from various vendors.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I absolutely LOVE that VC setting, and have it saved in my inspo folder! Are you having VC make your ring, or going with an ‘inspired by’ version by another bench?

Have you seen French cuts in person, and are drawn to how they perform, twinkle, etc.? If not, I would suggest you try to see some in person before deciding so that - IF you decide to save up and splurge for them - you aren’t disappointed or have regrets with the decision. They are beautiful when cut well/nicely, but they do have a different ‘feel‘ to them ... kind of how OECs have a different feel than MRBs.

I’m not sure I’ve seen any, but curious if you could perhaps do French cut white sapphires to help keep the cost down a little (material-wise, at least). Otherwise, perhaps carre cut diamonds might give a similar, square look ... though I’m not sure how they compare price-wise to FCs.

 

[CSpan]

I just bought some Frenchies and they ran me around $300 each. They are 3.3-3.4mm a piece and came out to .55ct, so possibly a bit larger than you will need. They are pretty itty-bitty but so lovely. I just wanted them, no clue what I am going to do with them. I couldn't afford a full set for a band (well shouldn't be buying a full set).

They aren't cut like a set from Yoram but I'm happy with them.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I absolutely LOVE that VC setting, and have it saved in my inspo folder! Are you having VC make your ring, or going with an ‘inspired by’ version by another bench?

Have you seen French cuts in person, and are drawn to how they perform, twinkle, etc.? If not, I would suggest you try to see some in person before deciding so that - IF you decide to save up and splurge for them - you aren’t disappointed or have regrets with the decision. They are beautiful when cut well/nicely, but they do have a different ‘feel‘ to them ... kind of how OECs have a different feel than MRBs.

I’m not sure I’ve seen any, but curious if you could perhaps do French cut white sapphires to help keep the cost down a little (material-wise, at least). Otherwise, perhaps carre cut diamonds might give a similar, square look ... though I’m not sure how they compare price-wise to FCs.

Haha yes I loved it as soon as I saw it! VC quoted from memory $$4500 ish USD (i’m in Australia, devastatingly lol). DK has quoted a bit less and an Australian jeweller has quoted close to DK but with carre cuts.

With the conversion rate and other associated costs the VC is out. So it would be an “inspired by”.

I don’t know exactly why I love French cuts, but they’re just so beautiful and elegant. I haven’t seen any in person, know of anyone who has them or where I could view them locally . Same goes for carre cuts though...

I guess it’s the same feeling as when I found oec’s- mrb’s don’t really appeal to me much anymore. So much so that the heirloom ring of my nan/mother my sister and I have been eyeing for years doesn’t interest me for more than sentimental reasons anymore.

Sapphires could be a good option- would love if someone has these could chime in? I spoke to a jeweller last year and he refused to let moissanite into his store in case it made customers question his diamond authenticity. Would this be a common problem? Would moissanites out sparkle the diamond?

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

French cuts are expensive because you'll likely have to have them custom cut, whereas rounds are suuuper common. Have you contacted David Klass for a quote? His french cuts are allegedly cheaper than others but I also notice that to me they don't have the faceting look I most like in french cuts. If you love french cuts best, I might consider setting your OEC in a temp setting and saving up. Otherwise you just need to collect quotes from various vendors.

Can you please describe what you mean about the different faceting? Yes I received a DK quote. No one however seems willing to say how much the actual diamond components cost or have mentioned the carat weight they would use. Should I press for this info?

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I just bought some Frenchies and they ran me around $300 each. They are 3.3-3.4mm a piece and came out to .55ct, so possibly a bit larger than you will need. They are pretty itty-bitty but so lovely. I just wanted them, no clue what I am going to do with them. I couldn't afford a full set for a band (well shouldn't be buying a full set).

They aren't cut like a set from Yoram but I'm happy with them.

They are gorgeous! I can understand you just wanting them. Maybe a 3 stone! If I had the funds I would hoard as many gems as I could lol. Where did you source them if you don’t mind me asking? Could I source my own and have them set and would it save me significantly? Would yorams be more sparkly?

The more I look at yours the more I want some

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

The VC inspo pic has a 3ct+ centre. Mine is only 1.1ct lol. Maybe 2mm stones?

Maybe I could ask for a fully cast ring..?

 

[distracts]

JuliaBJewelry has moissanite french cut rings, so you could check there.

Can you please describe what you mean about the different faceting? Yes I received a DK quote. No one however seems willing to say how much the actual diamond components cost or have mentioned the carat weight they would use. Should I press for this info?

If you look at pictures, you'll see what I mean. I would definitely get info on mm size and total carat weight of the french cuts in the quote so you know you're comparing apples to apples.

Yoram's custom french cuts are... not cheap. I got a quote for a parcel of 20 3.5mm from him several months ago and it was nearly twice as expensive as anywhere else. However they got back very quickly with a quote so it certainly doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[arkieb1]

Where in Australia are you, I'm an Aussie I own a VC ring with tapered French Cuts... If you are near me you are welcome to see it. I also own a number of loose Antique French Cuts I've been hoarding to make something out of one day....

Yes Rounds are significantly cheaper, no they do not look anything like French Cuts. I actually really love carre cuts too but again they are not exactly the same.

If you are in Victoria places like Rutherford Melbourne and Keshett sometimes have rings and pieces with coloured stones in french cuts and sometimes diamonds that are French cuts;

Fine Jewellery and Pearls | Rutherford

Est 1952. Rare & Fine Jewellery. A stunning range of art deco, vintage & antique jewellery in Melbourne. Exquisite diamonds, engagement rings & gemstones.

www.rutherford.com.au

Keshett Jewellery - Fine, Antique and Vintage Jewellery

Keshett jewellery reimagines luxury with a curated selection of fine and antique jewellery. Blending heritage with modern artistry, our collection features Art Deco, Edwardian, Mid-Century, Victorian, and Art Nouveau masterpieces. From handcrafted diamond and gemstone engagement rings to...

www.keshett.com.au

In Sydney go to the QVB building and look at the Antique jewellery stores there, again somethings they have pieces with French cuts they usually have pieces with coloured stones French cuts, so you can see if you like them.

David Klass is usually cheaper (even with the taxes and duties) and does a MUCH better job than the majority of jewellers here!!!

 

[foxinsox]

French cuts are expensive because you'll likely have to have them custom cut, whereas rounds are suuuper common. Have you contacted David Klass for a quote? His french cuts are allegedly cheaper than others but I also notice that to me they don't have the faceting look I most like in french cuts. If you love french cuts best, I might consider setting your OEC in a temp setting and saving up. Otherwise you just need to collect quotes from various vendors.

I haven’t made a study of DK’s French cuts compared to, say, Yoram’s but I have noticed in some of Yoram’s posts about cutting French cuts, he discusses the difference between his frenchies which are specifically cut from rough and have a high crown compared to other frenchies which are modified from baguettes so are a lot flatter and more two-dimensional. So I wonder if that’s the difference (and why they might be cheaper?). Or if it’s the split corner vs not difference? I can tell the difference when they’re next to each other because the tables are different shape but not very easily if they’re not.
For side stones, I’m pretty sure someone in the past 12 months did side stones in white sapphire and was bitterly disappointed that they did not behave visually like diamond quite obviously. I can’t recall the thread though.
Would peruzzis be any cheaper? I would guess not very likely..

 

[OoohShiny]

Watching this thread with interest - I think I want a/some French cut(s) for a gents' ring, but as mentioned, there are different variations, they all seem expensive, and it's hard to know what the differences might be in real life!

Yoram's stones always come well recommended and I have usually pointed people to his site when they are interested in custom cutting, and I believe there hasn't been any negative feedback! I would be interested in seeing his stones side-by-side with 'average' FCs (and all the other cuts ) to see if I could notice a difference - I'm not sure if he offers returns on stones (or at least custom cut stones) so it's not like one can 'try before you buy', especially when he's in Israel lol

 

[OoohShiny]

I just bought some Frenchies and they ran me around $300 each. They are 3.3-3.4mm a piece and came out to .55ct, so possibly a bit larger than you will need. They are pretty itty-bitty but so lovely. I just wanted them, no clue what I am going to do with them. I couldn't afford a full set for a band (well shouldn't be buying a full set).

They aren't cut like a set from Yoram but I'm happy with them.

Those look interesting! I don't think I've seen a version with a culet before but I'm sure they must have been a trend historically, as everything old seems to have a culet

How do they perform? Are they 'crisp' in terms of light performance?

It's hard to know how FCs will perform in real life because video is monocular, not binocular, and off-axis performance is hard to gauge in video!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I have a moissy French cut eternity ring I wear as a thumb ring. I got it because I wanted something with subtle sparkle but wasn’t sure enough to spend the money on real diamonds. Because of the cut the band shimmers and doesn’t sparkle compared to the my round diamonds in my bangle or even the baguette diamonds in my band. So I don’t think you’d have to worry about French cut moissy outshining a diamond.

I wear my moissy band daily and have come to like it enough as is that the temptation to get a diamond one actually went away lol

 

[prs]

Yoram has an interesting article on the French cut on his site: LINK

Earlier this year we acquired an antique ruby ring that was set with 90 small Carre cut diamonds. Given the face up size of the diamonds, I initially thought there might be up to 4ctw diamonds in the ring. Our appraiser had the tools necessary to measure the depth of the diamonds and it turned out we had less than 2ctw. The Carre cut diamonds used in this ring were quite shallow. I guess my point is when there is no industry standard definition of the proportions to be used in any particular cut, there may be significant variation in those proportions between cutters. This is likely the reason French cut diamonds from different vendors don't look the same.

 

[Rfisher]

Not happy with custom e-ring - am I crazy?

My fiancé and I spent months working with a jeweler on a custom ring, but ever since he proposed last week, a couple of things have been driving me nuts about it. 1. In our rush to get it done in time, we opted for white sapphire instead of custom moissanite side stones that were potentially...

www.pricescope.com

Here’s the thread about the French cut white/clear(?) sapphires mentioned by @foxinsox that the owner wasn’t fond of.

I think rounds can be put in ‘boxes’ to mimic, but the look will be totally different. I think if the ring is important to you, you should save up for what you really want. Keep in mind of the french cut intended size that would be used for your center stone. If it will bug you that they can only be appreciated with a loupe, hash that out in your head now, if it matters. And I second the advice to research what French cuts you are actually getting, cut wise, with the higher/lower quotes, if it matters to you.

If you are willing to gamble, you can find old jewelry you can cannibalize for the stones, that can be more economical than what’s available from JbG or the jeweler. If the jeweler allows you to provide them.
I’ve got my eye on a brooch with these, as we speak!

 

[arkieb1]

French Cuts have a very different light return than round brilliants they have a wider slower scintillation pattern, which some people like and others not so much....

And carre cuts are more like flat emerald cuts again with a slower scintillation pattern, I personally like them all but it is worth seeing them in person...

The cheapest way to find them is in real Antique pieces....

 

[CSpan]

Those look interesting! I don't think I've seen a version with a culet before but I'm sure they must have been a trend historically, as everything old seems to have a culet

How do they perform? Are they 'crisp' in terms of light performance?

It's hard to know how FCs will perform in real life because video is monocular, not binocular, and off-axis performance is hard to gauge in video!

Exactly, took a gamble but it paid off. @Lovesparklesparle These are from Murasaki in the UK, she has a presence on IG and maybe an etsy store. Let me look.

In terms of performance, I haven't had a decent sunny day to play but under halogen and incandescent (shhhhh we have 1) they throw off wonderful flashes. I'm not describing well, very distinct flashes of light from all sides.
I have a video, any idea how I can load it?

 

[CSpan]

Store for Abi

Email her, the stones are not listed on the site. She had 7ct all 3.3 - 3.5mm

 

[Rfisher]

Exactly, took a gamble but it paid off. @Lovesparklesparle These are from Murasaki in the UK, she has a presence on IG and maybe an etsy store. Let me look.

In terms of performance, I haven't had a decent sunny day to play but under halogen and incandescent (shhhhh we have 1) they throw off wonderful flashes. I'm not describing well, very distinct flashes of light from all sides.
I have a video, any idea how I can load it?

Make a gif?
(Video to Gif) free app

 

[CSpan]

They are gorgeous! I can understand you just wanting them. Maybe a 3 stone! If I had the funds I would hoard as many gems as I could lol. Where did you source them if you don’t mind me asking? Could I source my own and have them set and would it save me significantly? Would yorams be more sparkly?

The more I look at yours the more I want some

I will try and get ahold of my grandmothers 1 carat (sorry it isn't 1.1) to show you the scale but they are a bit bigger than what you posted.

I can only assume anything Yoram does will be phenomenal but these perform really well, at least to my untrained eye. I love the cutlet, I get a tiny kozibe type circle in the right light.

What a fun journey! Hope you find exactly what you are looking for. If I ever decide on a center for those 2 or get 3 more I'm sending to DK, a little of his engraving would be divine with them.

 

[distracts]

Re: what would be a cheaper replacement for French cuts - I would go with rose cuts. A line of rose cuts has that same subtle “light glimmering on water” effect, they’re currently popular enough to be relatively common, and due to the flat bottom the total carat weight is way low for the faceup size.

White sapphire looks NOTHING like diamond. Don’t think about it as a substitute unless you have seen it and love it. Also, much of the expense of French cuts is in custom cutting, so I’m unsure how much you would really be saving.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I have a moissy French cut eternity ring I wear as a thumb ring. I got it because I wanted something with subtle sparkle but wasn’t sure enough to spend the money on real diamonds. Because of the cut the band shimmers and doesn’t sparkle compared to the my round diamonds in my bangle or even the baguette diamonds in my band. So I don’t think you’d have to worry about French cut moissy outshining a diamond.

I wear my moissy band daily and have come to like it enough as is that the temptation to get a diamond one actually went away lol

Did you buy the complete ring or source the moissanite yourself? Where did you find them? And am I safe to assume you recommend said vendor?

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Yoram has an interesting article on the French cut on his site: LINK

Earlier this year we acquired an antique ruby ring that was set with 90 small Carre cut diamonds. Given the face up size of the diamonds, I initially thought there might be up to 4ctw diamonds in the ring. Our appraiser had the tools necessary to measure the depth of the diamonds and it turned out we had less than 2ctw. The Carre cut diamonds used in this ring were quite shallow. I guess my point is when there is no industry standard definition of the proportions to be used in any particular cut, there may be significant variation in those proportions between cutters. This is likely the reason French cut diamonds from different vendors don't look the same.

Very interesting article/s thank you! I definitely prefer the deeper/taller crown style to recut stones. I will be sure to request this. Thank you I had no idea about this!

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Store for Abi

Email her, the stones are not listed on the site. She had 7ct all 3.3 - 3.5mm

Awesome!!! I’ll follow up on this. What size do you think I should get for my 6.6mm stone?

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I will try and get ahold of my grandmothers 1 carat (sorry it isn't 1.1) to show you the scale but they are a bit bigger than what you posted.

I can only assume anything Yoram does will be phenomenal but these perform really well, at least to my untrained eye. I love the cutlet, I get a tiny kozibe type circle in the right light.

What a fun journey! Hope you find exactly what you are looking for. If I ever decide on a center for those 2 or get 3 more I'm sending to DK, a little of his engraving would be divine with them.

That would be super kind of you I also love the kozobe effect. It is fun, and requires patience but did I mention fun!?

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

Re: what would be a cheaper replacement for French cuts - I would go with rose cuts. A line of rose cuts has that same subtle “light glimmering on water” effect, they’re currently popular enough to be relatively common, and due to the flat bottom the total carat weight is way low for the faceup size.

White sapphire looks NOTHING like diamond. Don’t think about it as a substitute unless you have seen it and love it. Also, much of the expense of French cuts is in custom cutting, so I’m unsure how much you would really be saving.

Lovely suggestion but I think I want something other than round- though I do love rose cuts too. Definitely will consider it though.

My sister actually has a white sapphire ring with a large round centre. It is cut is totally different to how diamonds are cut, but it does look kind of.. dull? I feel for the woman in the thread that was posted. So I think sapphire is out.

 

[Arcadian]

These are small french cuts I forget the size on these (maybe 1.5mm??). ring was made by BE(brilliantly engaged) some years ago. I wanted bigger FC's but would have cost more. These were in proportion with my center stone anyway so its all good. not the best image but the best for the stones I could get. these are not high dome FC's which might not have worked with the ring anyway. These FC's do flash quite a lot without taking presense away from the center stone. (center stone is a Blue/Green Tourmaline) IMO don't do white sapphire because they will appear to be very dull next to a diamond. if you have to do a non diamond white stone, Moissanite or white zircon but they both need to be cut very very well. Carre cuts also might do it, if they're just supporting the center stone.

 

[AV_]

You might find 1 carat full diamond bands set with French cuts - barely 1mm, and they have their look.

www

 

[CSpan]

Awesome!!! I’ll follow up on this. What size do you think I should get for my 6.6mm stone?

I am terrible at guessing, I think they would be good, but if you are planning on band placement so I think you can get away with any size so long as the band thickness is acceptable to you.