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My CBI diamond has found its forever home! Introducing my VC Laurel!

carbonfan

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
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Jul 12, 2015
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Back again with another update… and this one is long overdue! So just to provide a bit of backstory, I have been a diamond enthusiast as long as I can remember (I even have fond childhood memories of a family friend who allowed me to wear her ring every Sunday during church when I was 5 years old, so maybe that's where it all started!). My husband and I met and got engaged in graduate school and I wore my original e-ring for 15 years. It was a wonderfully designed ring with a .9 ct I SI2 stone that was sentimental for sure, but far from a well-cut stone. Fast forward to a few years ago, when I upgraded to my first precision-cut MRB and there was no looking back! Well, as many of you know, two years ago I discovered Victor’s CERs and CACs and I caught the vintage cut “bug” in a big way! My collection has grown to reflect that preference, however, I thought it would be nice to keep a MRB solitaire in the mix too, just to round things out!

About a year ago I decided that I wanted to find a stone in the 2.5ct range, and icy white, as I am very color sensitive in MRBs. I searched high and low at all of the favored vendors, even ordered a few stones from BGD and WF for inspection, but nothing felt quite right… that is, until I happened upon an amazing 2.59ct E VS1 Crafted by Infinity diamond at HPD. When I laid eyes on this stone it stirred my heart from the word go, and I can honestly say that I have never been so moved by a MRB in my life. :love: It greets my eyes as “liquid sparkle”… the light appears to dance not only off its external facets, but also within the diamond as well. The scintillation truly catches me off guard at times! And to top it all off, as if I needed any sentimental significance to push me over the edge, the numbers in its carat weight rearrange to form my littlest one’s birthday! Long story short, I knew it was meant to be! (For anyone who is interested, the complete story about my journey to find this stone can be found here!)

For me, the trickiest part of any project is always the selection of a setting, so I set out to find a setting every bit as special as this stone! I knew that I wanted Victor to make it, so that part was easy at least! I had also decided that I wanted some type of traditional solitaire with cathedral shoulders and some side stone accents, and after deliberating a bit about various designs I asked Victor for his advice. To my delight, he suggested the Laurel solitaire! I asked if he could tweak the design to include his beautiful six-prong scalloped basket, adding a donut as well, and he very graciously agreed to incorporate these elements. And I have to say that the end result is out of this world amazing!

Not surprisingly, I love everything about this design… Victor knocked it out of the park once again! The series of concave semi-circles in the band creates graceful "waves" that showcase the center stone so beautifully, and the delicate millgrain detailing is absolute perfection. And I adore the six-prong setting with the scalloped basket … the profile of this ring is incredible! The entire design is so organic, and it just has such a natural, effortless flow to it (that ironically required a massive amount of effort to create!). I can’t say enough about Victor's dedication to his craft... he truly cares about every aspect of his creations, and it shows!

I received the ring a few months ago and it continues to take my breath away! I am truly blown away by the scintillation of the stone, and Victor’s artistry is evident in every detail of the setting. If I had to describe this piece in a single word it would be mesmerizing. I truly could not be happier with any aspect of this project!

I want to give a ginormous shout out to Wink, Paul, and Melissa at HPD for making this incredible CBI diamond a reality for me, and to Victor for creating a setting that is every bit as gorgeous as this stone! They were all incredible every step of the way and each one of them is an absolute joy to work with!

And now on to photos, which (as usual) do not do justice to this beauty! First, a few shots of the stone in its temporary setting:

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:love:WOW that is gorgeous! LOVE the band/shank design! Congrats! :clap:
 
A truly gorgeous masterpiece! Congratulations and enjoy.
 
Omg it is so so gorgeous :love:

Pls post more pics for us to enjoy. Really beautiful!!!
 
What amazing skill and craftsmanship went into the diamond and setting! It is truly a piece to cherish.
 
Mesmerizing is the PERFECT word!! :appl: I agree, the stone is magnificent and the setting is original, unique and out-of-this-world gorgeous. Congratulations!!! I hope you enjoy it in the best of health and happiness for many years to come.
 
An icy white diamond gets me every time... how stunning. And a CBI to boot! :kiss2:
 
How utterly gorgeous! Lucky you! :))
 
What a beauty! The setting is a perfect forever home for your beautiful diamond. Definitely an heirloom piece!
 
Oh it is a thing of beauty. Please post a million more photos! And a video if you can... :lickout:
 
Gorgeous ring and beautiful diamond!
 
Soooooo gorgeous! It is stunning!:love:
 
Omg. That diamond is NUTS!!! Be careful driving!! congratulations on another spectacular setting from Victor. :appl::appl::appl:
 
It's gorgeous, congratulations!!
 
Never have seen a wavy setting like that before. What type of wedding band do you plan to wear with it? The ring is beautiful. :love:
 
Another post because I had to come back for another look. :kiss2: I just went to VC’s site to see the Laurel and I love the changes you made. The 6 prongs look wonderful. I like the donut as well but am curious about them. Did you want a donut so your ring would sit a little lower? Is that the purpose of a donut?
 
Gorgeous! And I have never seen a shank like that before - it’s captivating!
 
Sublime in every way! Your collection is magnificent!
You and Victor are a dream team! :love:
 
It is fabulous!! Congrats!
 
What a stunning ring! Is this a new design by Victor? It’s absolutely gorgeous.
 
Gorgeous :love: Wear in health and blingy happiness @carbonfan :appl:
 
It is beautiful! Congratulations!!!!
 
And a few closeups of the side view and profile, just because! :love: And one last hand shot because I just can't help myself!

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so pretty and I love the wavy side profile! enjoy!
 
HI:

HOLY MOLY:love:

cheers--Sharon
 
This is a stunning diamond/setting, I don’t know how you pick which to wear!
 
That is just lovely! The shank is right up my alley!:kiss2:
 
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