JbEG Bella Halo- Cathedral or Non-Cathedral??

[lovestephunnie]

Hi there!

I've been torn up about the Bella Halo-- I can't seem to make up my mind about the cathedral! For sure, I would like it in all platinum; rose gold just doesn't look great with my skin tone. Can you guys help me out? I'll create a poll and if you can also leave comments as to why you think that style is better, that would be amazing! Thank you! (P.S., this is my first forum post after reading and researching for a couple of weeks!)

For reference, here is the link to the design as well as one link that features the design in all platinum:

http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.c...a-9mm/16713089_WPwSgd#!i=1260580066&k=CfMCGkT

http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.c...ing-a/20157222_5hmGjM#!i=1712718868&k=2WgF867

 

[04diamond<3]

Personally, I like the non cathedral better. I think it definitely leaves the halo more open, but that may be a bad thing too. What did JBEG say? If it's not detrimental to the construction of the ring, I say no cathedral.

 

[Niel]

I much prefer a cathedral. It looks more cohesive, verses without it looks like the head was just plunked on a band

 

[lovestephunnie]

Actually, I haven't talked to them yet- I wanted to have my mind made up before contacting them. Every Bella Halo ring I've seen has the cathedral and the only one without is just a CAD drawing. Maybe I will contact them to see if anyone has bought one without the cathedral with real life pics. Thanks for your input!

 

[beth2222]

I much prefer a cathedral. It looks more cohesive, verses without it looks like the head was just plunked on a band

This. I agree that the cathedral makes it look more cohesive and integrated. Just went through this myself : )

 

[junebug17]

Definitely cathedral for me! Looks more finished and just adds more to the overall look - you're so lucky to be getting this beautiful setting!

 

[singer]

Can you post a pic or link of the non-cathedral version?

 

[lovestephunnie]

Beth, what setting did you end up going with?

Thanks June! Honestly, this setting blew us away and it is less expensive than other brand designers and way prettier.

Singer, the link for the non-cathedral is the first one I posted for the design. The pictures are in the second row and third row.

Thanks girls!

 

[shimmer]

Personally, I like the non cathedral better. I think it definitely leaves the halo more open, but that may be a bad thing too. What did JBEG say? If it's not detrimental to the construction of the ring, I say no cathedral.

Ditto. The cathedral seems to obscure part of the undercarriage, and it's so pretty I wouldn't want that! Non-cathedral will look stunning from all angles on your finger, whereas with cathedral the basket view will be interrupted by metal.

 

[Aoife]

I have a JbEG Bella with the cathedral (set with a spinel) and the cathedral doesn't obscure the details. It is a very graceful, delicate design exactly the way it is. How big is the stone you are planning on setting in it?

 

[lovestephunnie]

We are looking at 0.8-0.9ct...I'm not one for something humongous. This setting is large enough for us to do less than a carat since I have a size 5 finger. While we are talking about the diamond, I'm looking at doing a WF ACA rather than an OEC...what do you guys think? The diamonds we've looked at are 6mm across.

Aoife: how large is your spinel?

 

[lovestephunnie]

Please excuse the shoddy paintwork but below I've edited the photos to show the non-cathedral look on the real life picture:

 

[Niel]

Fabulous photoshop work on the fly. Yeah that just looks so top heavy without a cathedral

 

[Aoife]

A 0.8 to 0.9ct diamond is a nice size for the Bella, and I think you could probably do either with or without the cathedral. Most of the diamonds that are pictured on the JbEG site are larger than that, and I think really need the cathedral to look balanced, but you won't have that limitation. It's a very, very delicate setting, much more so than most of the photos really represent.

My spinel is 8.6mm, so definitely needs the cathedral to look cohesive.

 

[lovestephunnie]

A 0.8 to 0.9ct diamond is a nice size for the Bella, and I think you could probably do either with or without the cathedral. Most of the diamonds that are pictured on the JbEG site are larger than that, and I think really need the cathedral to look balanced, but you won't have that limitation. It's a very, very delicate setting, much more so than most of the photos really represent.

My spinel is 8.6mm, so definitely needs the cathedral to look cohesive.

Hmm, with your spinel, is the ring weighty at all? I want a ring with a little weight on it, hopefully the platinum will help with that. If anyone has ever tried on a Verragio, I consider those settings to be VERY light. I get scared that I'll lose it. And like you said Aoife, because my diamond will be considerably smaller, the look of the ring will be different.

 

[Aoife]

The platinum should take care of the weight. My ring is 18k gold, and has a nice solid feel without having the heft of platinum. I truly think you'll be pleased with the quality. My Bella is a RHR, so I don't wear it every day, but when I do I always get compliments on it. If in doubt, ask JbEG for their thoughts.

 

[Laila619]

Bigger stone = go with the cathedral so it doesn't look top heavy. If you have a smaller stone, you can go with the non-cathedral.

 

[ericad]

Hi Lovestephunnie!

Sorry, I try not to stick my nose into threads like these (thanks for the kind words about our Bella design, by the way!) but I just wanted to let you know that, when you're ready, we'd be happy to prepare CAD's for you showing the proportions with your center stone both with and without the cathedral shoulders, so that you can have some visuals to help with the decision. I think your center stone size would be very well suited to the non-cathedral version if that's your preference, but it will help to see it both ways before deciding.

Hope that's helpful!

 

[lovestephunnie]

Thanks Erica! My boyfriend will let you know...it's still going to be a surprise, haha. I do LOVE the 0.87 OEC you have on your website! I'm still trying to decide between a WF ACA and an OEC. Not sure how the ACA would look in the Bella though...

 

[singer]

Bigger stone = go with the cathedral so it doesn't look top heavy. If you have a smaller stone, you can go with the non-cathedral.

Yes! I completely agree!

 

[Enerchi]

I prefer the cathedral look - it appears well balanced and more fluid, to my eyes.

 

[gregchang35]

Another one for the cathedral- more fluid with the look.

and great work on the phtoshopping!

 

[facetgirl]

I like the cathedral... this is a beautiful setting!

 

[Roxy]

Another one for the cathedral- more fluid with the look.

and great work on the phtoshopping!

And another one for the cathedral ... what a beautiful profile, wow!

 

[lovestephunnie]

Wow! Thanks for all the input! An overwhelming response to the cathedral look

We'll be contacting Erica and Grace about some diamonds and CAD renderings so keep a lookout! So here's the second part:

ACA or OEC?

My boyfriend and I went to the WF showroom, they are literally right across the street from my job which is 10 minutes from my house! We were shown a beautiful 0.828 G SI1 ACA round and it was quite a sparkler. That was BEFORE we saw the Bella Halo setting. Now we're trying to decide if this stone will look right with this setting or if we should take a look at OECs. On JbEG, there is a pretty 0.87 H VS2 OEC. We're not experienced in looking at OECs so can anyone give me some input as to what we should be looking for?

Thanks again for all of your help!