grey diamond in square halo

[jetgirl]

i posted the other day asking for help & advice on a black diamond e ring setting.....

anyway, i think we're going with this. 14k wg semi mount with 1.16 asscher cut grey diamond - natural stone, not color or clarity enhanced. it's really cool in person, almost transparent, but has a nice bright silvery titanium flash in the sunlight. it's tough to get a good picture, and for now the stone is just sitting in the semi mount. this is perfect for me, bc i'm kind of obsessed with squares.

opinions? i'd like to eventually have the white gold on the halo/surround black rhodium plated, and leave the band white. thanks for that suggestion on the other thread, btw!!!

 

[decodelighted]

It looks cool. I have no idea about oxidizing/blackening? pave after the fact Maybe you could get a similar effect by having a black diamond pave wedding band (set in blackened metal already?).

Would love more shots of the stone ... closer up! I've never seen a grey Asscher & have a soft spot for grey & greenish/grey stones!!!

 

[Lula]

That diamond is gorgeous, and I'd love to see more photos of the stone. I like the split shank setting with the stone, and on your finger -- nice proportions. What is your budget for the setting? I'm asking because settings with tiny diamond melee need to be well-made or they are a nightmare to maintain. That setting looks to be better quality than the two settings you posted in your other thread. Depending on your budget, there are companies that make settings that have a more seamless (less metal around the diamonds) look to them. Prices for diamond melee settings are all over the map, and you can overpay for not-so-great quality settings. I believe black rhodium plating would need to be applied after the diamond is set -- or it may be rubbed off/damaged during the setting process, but I'm not sure. Is the setting in the photo available from your local jeweler? Would they be setting your stone, and are they able to add the black rhodium plating?

 

[jetgirl]

i cannot get a good photo of this stone to save my life. i tried both indoors and out. my cell phone has a pretty decent camera, but i have about 30 shots of it and they are all either blurry, sheer reflection on the surface of the stone, or just a dark lump. when i try to get close in, the stone fuzzy and it refuses to focus. the above photo was taken at a distance, and the stone is held upright...... so it ~sort of~ worked? thats the best i could get.

the setting is not expensive, truth be told its only costing about 350. wholesale (from an old tucson holidome vendor) & thats paying like 20 or 25 cents on the dollar of the retail sticker....... if you recall from the other thread i am not into white diamonds so i guess i chose this strictly for the shape, and the fact that the diamonds are small. its .54 carats of I diamonds and the ring is solid at about 6 grams. i don't know. when i picture it with the black rhodium i like it more. i just don't want a ring that looks like everyone else's. if we/he could afford a couple grand on something custom right now that would be another story. i can have it set by a local jeweler, and then will look into sending it out to have the rhodium done.

i think i will be happy with the final project - make all that white gold black (haha) and pair it up with a skinny black diamond eternity band on each side.......

 

[minousbijoux]

i [i]think[/i] i will be happy with the final project

Please take your time and make sure, unless you don't mind changing it out. I say this because there are so many people (including me who has little experience setting stones) that have set something and within a short period of time decided they didn't like it after all. The good news is that this means used settings (and rings) often show up on DB.

 

[LD]

I do hope you take this comment as it's meant to be (and not as a criticism)? I'm not sure that setting compliments your lovely grey diamond. The reason is that the surrounding diamonds do not look very white so there's little contrast between the centre stone and halo. To avoid the centre stone looking like a bad diamond (and that's how some people would view grey diamonds) is to have icy white diamonds as accents OR go the other way and have black diamonds (as you first wanted).

Now, I say all this from looking at your photo and you've said that it's been horrific trying to get a good picture, so the diamonds may be better than they appear in the photo but I just wanted to mention it.

I will see if I can dig out my grey diamond out and put is next to some black melee and also some white melee so you can see the contrast. Back soon!

 

[LD]

Here are some comparisons for you. I like the black diamonds with the grey but not from a distance. Personally, I prefer the white next to the grey but the black certainly works with it when looking close up - from a distance it seems to merge too much.

 

[distracts]

Gosh, LD, I hadn't seen that grey diamond of yours before. It's ADORABLE. I want to hug it and squish it! Usually I hate heart shaped stones but I am gaga over this one.

OP - love your center stone! My preference would be to have it bezel-set and on a plain shank, though. I do hope we get more pictures of your stone later!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I like this ring much better than the other setting, very cool with the grey diamond!

 

[jetgirl]

LD - thanks for those photos!! that heart is stunning, the cut on it, those facets, how they reflect other colors..... wow.

i have this thing for asscher cut diamonds, i think because i just like how CLEAR they are, and subdued, and i love seeing the step cut through the stone. it's like a hall of mirrors. but then i see something like that heart and i really want an over-the-top-blinged-out-faceted diamond.

i LOVE that first photo, the grey against the black/black. that's EXACTLY the look i want, i just can't find any semi mounts like that. the closest i found were the 2 from my other thread, and we all know how that went....... if you know of any sources outside of having it custom made, let me know!

oh, and the diamonds in that square mount are really WHITE white. that photo was taken on my front porch on an overcast grey day. so i was shaded, just trying to get some natural light for a photo. there is a lot of contrast between the grey diamond & the setting. i don't think people will think it's a "bad diamond"....... they might be more likely to just wonder if it's a smoky topaz or moonstone or something ridiculous like that. ha!