Jeff White 3+ carat GIA Unheated Sapphire

[T L]

Minous! That's Maya's ring, she's Erik's wife. It's gorgeous and looks perfect on her. I agree it has a lot of elements I am considering!

LD, I really do appreciate it and going to the jeweler was the exact right choice. I agree that it really seems to 'breathe' in the halos. And there are so many cool halo styles out there to explore. So... definitely on the list! I won't settle. If it takes a while, it takes a while. But since I DO love it, I want it on my finger, darn it!

MZ-- yeah, it was invaluable to have so many different sapphires there. It really made me realize what I prefer in terms of color and what I can live with and what I can't. Of course, that's much easier with sapphires than with other stones as there is more selection. Thank you for the congratulations! ((HUGS))

DIstracts, great post! Thank you. Yeah, for me this thread has been great because it really illustrates the difference between colored stones and diamonds. And as I'm usually dealing with diamonds on RT, realizing what is right for me and I really enjoy this color. Yours sounds lovely too! Now I have to find a setting!

TL, I posted the type of halo I would consider above. It won't look anything like those copies.

It's an oval and its a halo, so most people will see the association, but if you love it, go for it!!

 

[Gypsy]

Minous! That's Maya's ring, she's Erik's wife. It's gorgeous and looks perfect on her. I agree it has a lot of elements I am considering!

LD, I really do appreciate it and going to the jeweler was the exact right choice. I agree that it really seems to 'breathe' in the halos. And there are so many cool halo styles out there to explore. So... definitely on the list! I won't settle. If it takes a while, it takes a while. But since I DO love it, I want it on my finger, darn it!

MZ-- yeah, it was invaluable to have so many different sapphires there. It really made me realize what I prefer in terms of color and what I can live with and what I can't. Of course, that's much easier with sapphires than with other stones as there is more selection. Thank you for the congratulations! ((HUGS))

DIstracts, great post! Thank you. Yeah, for me this thread has been great because it really illustrates the difference between colored stones and diamonds. And as I'm usually dealing with diamonds on RT, realizing what is right for me and I really enjoy this color. Yours sounds lovely too! Now I have to find a setting!

TL, I posted the type of halo I would consider above. It won't look anything like those copies.

It's an oval and its a halo, so most people will see the association, but if you love it, go for it!!

No. They won't. Because THIS is the halo style I'm talking about (re-posting as you missed it) : http://www.gabrielengaged.com/style/ER7804W44JJ and http://www.since1910.com/images/products/simon-g-split-shank-pave-diamond-engagement-ring-sg-mr1538-1-L.png and http://www.theromancediamond.com/1.6/cache/mod_yt_vmslideshowiii/images/resized_black_1918_350pxx400px_118208-050.jpg Twisted shank design that surrounds stone forming an halo, but not one that hugs the stone's outline. And believe me, I know halos. Plus, the stone isn't oval. And the halo won't be either. Both would be cushion shaped.

 

[Deia]

I think what TL was saying is that to the average consumer out there, they won't pick up on the fact that it has a twist shank etc etc. They see diamonds surrounding a sapphire = diana ring! You'd be suprised the stuff people think looks like a diana ring. Round sapphires with halos are getting it too!

I like the stone in the new pics, it looks very lively. I think the half moon idea would be stunning too.

 

[decodelighted]

Don't kill me. But I think those bypass type halos would really cheapen the look of a lovely stone. I see those & I think "inexpensive" ... QVC ... Sears jewelry dept. They are so heavily advertised in circulars & so many LOW QUALITY stone are set in styles like that. SHUDDER!

I liked #1 & #3 -- particularly #1 .... kinda reminded me of TG's Pad Leon ....

Hope the Art Deco remake works out -- that sounds like it could be lovely also (and very traditionally *sapphire*ish). Half moons sounds great as well. I basically like EVERY OTHER idea you have for it other than the twisty bypass halo.

 

[SB621]

Personally I really like the color, but my preference for sapphires has always been a bit more on the darker side (though not the inky blue/ blank ink color). I think that sapphire with half moons would be swoon worthy!!! I'm so jealous you have a JW sapphire, that has been on my buy list for a while!

 

[slg47]

I like it best in the first setting and I think it would look awesome with half moons

 

[minousbijoux]

Wow, Gypsy, I'm impressed. It sounds like you have really done your homework and know exactly what you want. Since you are so familiar with styles, have experimented with the sapphire in different designs, and have a clear idea of what you love, I say forget about any comparisons to Diana's ring and do what you want! The tradeoff for not caring if people may occasionally mention the similarity (which will probably die down again as people move on) is that you get the ring that makes your heart pit pat every time you look down and see it. That's worth everything!

 

[bzimpf]

Gypsy - where are you getting the setting from?

 

[chrono]

Half moons are incredibly elegant and classy and would be my choice. You've really investigated everything and explained your reasons well; when this much research is done, one is guaranteed to love the stone, seeing and accepting both the pros and cons about it. Congrats on the new sapphire.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Half moons half moons half mooons!

Or...

Antique setting antique setting antique setting!

 

[Gypsy]

Thanks so much on the compliments about the research. The seller, who shall remain nameless, was awesome about giving me time to think about it and that I needed to go to the Joe E on Saturday to get their advice, to see it in different settings, and to see it perform next to other sapphires.

That's really what did it for me.

Deco-- I don't mind your comments at all, they make sense to me. And I don't want another halo. It's really my lowest possible setting option. Not ONLY because of the sapphire plus halo = Diana. But ALSO because all the halos I like in quality are over 4K! If I was going to spend that much ADDITIONAL money on anything it would be to get a larger stone to make that deco period setting work. The only reason I OWN a halo right now is because I couldn't upgrade my stone and wanted a bigger look on the same stone. If I DID do a halo, it would be something as unique as I could make it. Which means LOTS of money. That I don't want to spend on a setting.

I really love just the plain half moons. And they are a front runner. But I did try one on at Joe E that just didn't do anything for me. I didn't look at it and think: PERFECT! So, I'm doubting myself as a result.

I'm hoping to buy the pre-owned deco setting. If that one works out, it's my front runner. I'm just afraid that it will highlight, instead of mask the asymmetry of the stone.

 

[Gypsy]

Here are two other sapphire rings I tried on. Mostly for fun.

 

[chrono]

Oh dear....sounds like the half moons aren't IT for you then. They surely hit the spot for me out of all that you've shown.

 

[stargurl78]

I really like the half moons too. Do you have a pic of the art deco setting? You really found a beautiful sapphire Gypsy! Congrats

 

[winternight]

I love the half moons but I also love the halos. I doubt most people would like halo + sapphire = Diana/Kate ring. I certainly wouldn't occur to me as a first thought. Besides the halos you posted don't look anything like that ring.

 

[TravelingGal]

Gypsy, first, congrats on finding a sapphire you love!

Second, are you going for a statement piece, or more sort of a timeless classic (not that that's not a statement, mind you.) I know right now, I'm in a big art deco, bling bling sort of mood, although I wonder if I go that route if I will get tired of the ring.

So I'd say, definitely have fun finding an art deco setting to work!

As for half moons, I do love my Amelia ring. But I would be the first to admit it doesn't exactly light my world on fire in terms of "wow-bling-pow! factor". And I don't want it to. I wanted to be more timeless. Every time I put it on, it just feels right, lovely, and polished. And subtle (but my stone ain't no 3 carat beauty!) It reminds me of my daughter...dainty, fresh, and sweet.

Can't wait to see what you decide. Can you keep your eye out for a 3 stone art deco setting for me too?

 

[movie zombie]

widen the shank, gypsy. the picture appears to indent where the halfmoons and sapphire sit. a sider shank will cover your finger better and imo look better on you.

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy, first, congrats on finding a sapphire you love!

Second, are you going for a statement piece, or more sort of a timeless classic (not that that's not a statement, mind you.) I know right now, I'm in a big art deco, bling bling sort of mood, although I wonder if I go that route if I will get tired of the ring.

So I'd say, definitely have fun finding an art deco setting to work!

As for half moons, I do love my Amelia ring. But I would be the first to admit it doesn't exactly light my world on fire in terms of "wow-bling-pow! factor". And I don't want it to. I wanted to be more timeless. Every time I put it on, it just feels right, lovely, and polished. And subtle (but my stone ain't no 3 carat beauty!) It reminds me of my daughter...dainty, fresh, and sweet.

Can't wait to see what you decide. Can you keep your eye out for a 3 stone art deco setting for me too?

What kind of side stones do you want-- shape primarily, and how big a center do you want it take- and what shape center, and what's your budget? Also what metal do you want? You know I love nothing better than a hunt.

Thank you T-gal!

I'd prefer timeless and no halo. I know that. But my concern is that I'm trying to balance conflicting issues. I'm very much a person that believes stones (well, other than RB's) have personalities and pick their settings to an extent. Some stones look better in pave, and others don't. At least, that's what my experience has been. I'm not an 'everything is improved with pave' or 'halo everything' person. But I'm afraid that this stone's two main 'problems' are best eliminated by a halo. A halo can trick the eye into hiding the asymmetry and also was the best look for minimizing the half/half extinction. And when I saw it in three different settings, it perked up with pave next to it.

So my conflict is... do I go with what I prefer or do I got with what will make the stone look it's best.

 

[Gypsy]

widen the shank, gypsy. the picture appears to indent where the halfmoons and sapphire sit. a sider shank will cover your finger better and imo look better on you.

I agree totally with that. The three stone setting I have picked (first page of this post) is not a dainty setting. It's not heavy either. But it has more to it than the one from Joe E. And I also prefer the way the halfmoons are set.

 

[TravelingGal]

Gypsy, first, congrats on finding a sapphire you love!

Second, are you going for a statement piece, or more sort of a timeless classic (not that that's not a statement, mind you.) I know right now, I'm in a big art deco, bling bling sort of mood, although I wonder if I go that route if I will get tired of the ring.

So I'd say, definitely have fun finding an art deco setting to work!

As for half moons, I do love my Amelia ring. But I would be the first to admit it doesn't exactly light my world on fire in terms of "wow-bling-pow! factor". And I don't want it to. I wanted to be more timeless. Every time I put it on, it just feels right, lovely, and polished. And subtle (but my stone ain't no 3 carat beauty!) It reminds me of my daughter...dainty, fresh, and sweet.

Can't wait to see what you decide. Can you keep your eye out for a 3 stone art deco setting for me too?

What kind of side stones do you want, and how big a center do you want it take, and what's your budget? You know I love nothing better than a hunt.

I'd prefer timeless and no halo. I know that. But my concern is that I'm trying to balance conflicting issues. I'm very much a person that believes stones (well, other than RB's) have personalities and pick their settings to an extent. Some stones look better in pave, and others don't. At least, that's what my experience has been. I'm not an 'everything is improved with pave' or 'halo everything' person. But I'm afraid that this stone's two main 'problems' are best eliminated by a halo. A halo can trick the eye into hiding the asymmetry and also was the best look for minimizing the half/half extinction. And when I saw it in three different settings, it perked up with pave next to it.

So my conflict is... do I go with what I prefer or do I got with what will make the stone look it's best.

Ooh, tough one. I'd say go with your gut. You have a good eye, and you will know it when you see it.

For me, I went with what I wanted. I think pads tend to look nicer in halo settings, actually, but I didn't want one. Some time later, a gal here got a pad very close to mine in a SK (I think?) halo setting which looked gorgeous, and I felt a momentary twinge since it had great finger coverage and looked lovely. I think I recently read on another thread that she actually wished she had gone more for a setting like mine since it actually darkened her stone (just going by memory here). I don't regret going with what I liked, even though I thought the stone would look nicer halo'd.

As for settings, it's that darn brooch project. I have months to worry about it, so at this point I'm considering consigning it to give it a chance to live in its entirety (because it IS a pretty piece). It's possible to make some $$$ from it, should it sell. If not, then I will consider the universe wants me to have it and take it apart, and make it into a 3 stone ring. The stats are pretty easy...1 carat and two about .5 c sides (they may be less at .4, but you get the idea) in a three stone platinum setting. I'll bring up my own thread and not derail yours when the time comes though.

Can't wait to see what you decide!

 

[Gypsy]

The BROACH! Of course. So you want an existing setting that takes all three stones-- that might prove impossible or nearly so? Or just the center (you could just pull and replace the center with a nice green tourmaline)? Or do you want me to propose a deco DESIGN that fits all three stones for you in platinum.

I like thread jacks. You should hear me talk in real life. I believe in meandering/evolving conversations.

I have to save up/flip for the sapphire setting anyway. So I have time for now. I'm hoping I get that preowned deco setting, and then I'll take it from there. Either I'll keep it and modify it for the sapphire, fall in love with the setting and either keep it for something else or sell the sapphire and wait to see what I find for the setting, or resell the setting for someone else's enjoyment. Or return it. LOL.

 

[TravelingGal]

The BROACH! Of course. So you want an existing setting that takes all three stones-- that might prove impossible or nearly so? Or just the center (you could just pull and replace the center with a nice green tourmaline)? Or do you want me to propose a deco DESIGN that fits all three stones for you in platinum.

I like thread jacks. You should hear me talk in real life. I believe in meandering/evolving conversations.

I have to save up/flip for the sapphire setting anyway. So I have time for now. I'm hoping I get that preowned deco setting, and then I'll take it from there. Either I'll keep it and modify it for the sapphire, fall in love with the setting and either keep it for something else or sell the sapphire and wait to see what I find for the setting, or resell the setting for someone else's enjoyment. Or return it. LOL.

Well, the fact that it's impossible is half the fun! I actually did find a setting that would have worked, but it was an old listing. I have a bunch of pics of things I find interesting, but as I said, I'll post it over on my thread when the time comes, and then I'd definitely love for your to think of design ideas!

So you actually have a preowned deco setting in mind you are working on getting? How soon will you know?

 

[Gypsy]

The BROACH! Of course. So you want an existing setting that takes all three stones-- that might prove impossible or nearly so? Or just the center (you could just pull and replace the center with a nice green tourmaline)? Or do you want me to propose a deco DESIGN that fits all three stones for you in platinum.

I like thread jacks. You should hear me talk in real life. I believe in meandering/evolving conversations.

I have to save up/flip for the sapphire setting anyway. So I have time for now. I'm hoping I get that preowned deco setting, and then I'll take it from there. Either I'll keep it and modify it for the sapphire, fall in love with the setting and either keep it for something else or sell the sapphire and wait to see what I find for the setting, or resell the setting for someone else's enjoyment. Or return it. LOL.

Well, the fact that it's impossible is half the fun! I actually did find a setting that would have worked, but it was an old listing. I have a bunch of pics of things I find interesting, but as I said, I'll post it over on my thread when the time comes, and then I'd definitely love for your to think of design ideas!

So you actually have a preowned deco setting in mind you are working on getting? How soon will you know?

Next Monday. Fingers Crossed. It's my dream setting for a RHR. I just don't know if this stone will work for it. So even if I am lucky enough to buy it, I still need to find out if it will work.

If it's an old listing that didn't sell, I've actually had great luck with asking the seller if they still have the item, then negotiating a buy it now price and moving forward with it. I've done it a couple of times and it's nice because the sellers are more amenable to negotiating because it didn't sell first time around. Worth trying if it didn't sell the first time.

When you revive your thread I'll be happy to help out.

 

[distracts]

I think what TL was saying is that to the average consumer out there, they won't pick up on the fact that it has a twist shank etc etc. They see diamonds surrounding a sapphire = diana ring! You'd be suprised the stuff people think looks like a diana ring. Round sapphires with halos are getting it too!

Yep, people tell me all the time I have a Diana/Kate ring, and I don't even have anything remotely resembling a halo (it's a cushion with half moons and a 3-sided pave shank). They also usually call it "the miniature Kate Middleton." Okay, my sapphire IS only 2 carats, but it kind of rankles to have it called "miniature." So don't let Diana/Kate ring comparisons put you off because as long as it has a sapphire at all, you're at risk of comparisons.

I do like the half moons, but my preference is for the half moons to be about as tall as the stone, which would get more expensive than you wanted to go, probably. More like, oh, whatsherface's ring, you know the one I mean, with the oval center and two ginormous half moons? Why can't I remember whose ring that is????

 

[Starzin]

If the preowned doesn't work out and you don't feel the half moons quite do it for you, what about trillions or shields? That is if you are still interested in a 3 stone.

 

[Gypsy]

I like things in proportions that allow the center to remain a star. Regardless of budget, huge sidestones aren't something I'm interested in.

Starzin I think I'd go with traps. Step cut ones.

 

[Starzin]

Yes, I forgot to mention traps and pears but you know there's more than one shape and it may just be that the half moons are too roundish for you. Don't for get there's alway s good old Google images too
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=s...a=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CFAQ_AUoAQ

ETA: Got a picture of the preowned for us please?

 

[TravelingGal]

I like things in proportions that allow the center to remain a star. Regardless of budget, huge sidestones aren't something I'm interested in.

Starzin I think I'd go with traps. Step cut ones.

Gypsy, I am not actually a 3 stone with half moon stones person. But when Leon adds the bullet, then that's when it all just flows to me. The ring you tried on doesn't seem to flow (as someone mentioned, maybe the shank is too thin). But I still think you can make the side stone thing work with the moons if you find the right "flow"...

 

[Gypsy]

I like things in proportions that allow the center to remain a star. Regardless of budget, huge sidestones aren't something I'm interested in.

Starzin I think I'd go with traps. Step cut ones.

Gypsy, I am not actually a 3 stone with half moon stones person. But when Leon adds the bullet, then that's when it all just flows to me. The ring you tried on doesn't seem to flow (as someone mentioned, maybe the shank is too thin). But I still think you can make the side stone thing work with the moons if you find the right "flow"...

I have a pair of straight baguettes I could try with half moons. See if I like the extra stones, I can see about either keeping the straight baguettes or look into buying bullets.