Need help deciding on e-ring setting

[esbee]

So, I can''''t seem to decide on exactly which engagement setting I want to get for my girlfriend. We went to look at rings recently and she tried a bunch of different styles on and she decided that she wants something with a split shank and thinks that looks the best on her finger. I also like this style. Although she knows we will be getting married, the engagement will be a surprise.

This will also be set with a blue sapphire -- it is her birthstone and she wants that rather than a diamond.

I would say that $3k would be about my maximum budget, so keep that in mind.

The ring she really liked in the store was this Scott Kay Halo
http://www.since1910.com/engagement-rings/scott-kay/settings-with-sidestones/scott-kay-contemporary-collection-pave-diamond-setting-sk-m1256r510-set-1873.aspx

This one would definitely be on the high side of my budget for the setting, but not out of reach. I''''m really not that familiar with Palladium, but would go with that or White Gold.

On Whiteflash, I found this similar setting, except without the halo:
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/styles/diamond-settings/-allegro-in-d--diamond-engagement-ring_1117.htm

I also like the two below:
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/styles/diamond-settings/-divisi--diamond-engagement-ring_1068.htm#
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/ring/item_412-2225.asp


Should I just get the one she originally liked? Also, the rings I linked from WF state that those settings can only be purchased with a diamond? Can I not just purchase the setting from them?

Can anyone explain the pros / cons of palladium vs. white gold?

Any other suggestions?

 

[akmiss]

I would stick with the Scott Kay. You already know she likes it and it has a halo

 

[STEPHANSON]

i also like the scott kay with the halo, i think it would look amazing with a pretty blue stone in the middle of the halo.

 

[esbee]

Date: 2/24/2010 10:03:54 PM
Author: STEPHANSON
i also like the scott kay with the halo, i think it would look amazing with a pretty blue stone in the middle of the halo.

That''s what I''m thinking too. Anyone know the pros/cons of palladium vs white gold?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Voila: http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/105PP1/14/

Pearlman''s is great to work with, offers PS discounts, and the price listed is for Plat, I would expect wg to be about $500 less. beverly K is a great quality brand and their settings are hand made.

You know, a saphire sounds romantic but finding a nice color and cut sapph is actually more difficult that finding a diamond of the same size! And it can be just as pricey. Does your gf want a sapphire because she loves them or because she homes to save you some money? I don''t mean that to sound crass... but as I said, sapphs of high quality are actually much more expensive and difficult to find that you would think.

For your budget, assuming the BK setting is about $1300, you could get around a .60ct diamond. It would look awesome.

 

[mrssalvo]

ditto dreamer. Pearlmans also sells scott kay so I'd def. suggest giving them a call for a quote on the setting. they can advice you as to their experience thus far with palladium used in the designer settings they carry. you might even find a better package deal if you get the stone from them as well. I love the Beverley K ring dreamer linked too!

 

[Laila619]

Ooh, that Beverley K halo is fabulous!

 

[esbee]

Date: 2/24/2010 11:03:22 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Voila: http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/beverley-k-jewelry/rings/105PP1/14/

Pearlman''s is great to work with, offers PS discounts, and the price listed is for Plat, I would expect wg to be about $500 less. beverly K is a great quality brand and their settings are hand made.

You know, a saphire sounds romantic but finding a nice color and cut sapph is actually more difficult that finding a diamond of the same size! And it can be just as pricey. Does your gf want a sapphire because she loves them or because she homes to save you some money? I don''t mean that to sound crass... but as I said, sapphs of high quality are actually much more expensive and difficult to find that you would think.

For your budget, assuming the BK setting is about $1300, you could get around a .60ct diamond. It would look awesome.

Thanks for the link. I really like that one as well.

As far as the sapphire goes, I understand that it can be difficult to find the right one compared to a diamond, but that''s part of the process isn''t it?

Her wanting the sapphire has nothing to do with saving money. It''s because she loves them and wants something different for her ring as opposed to a diamond. It is also her birthstone. So, as I mentioned, I understand the potential difficulties and expense of a good sapphire, but plan on going forward with that as the center stone.

Thanks again for the link. I will look into that one as well.

 

[mrssalvo]

esbee, I have a tanzanite necklace that pearlmans made for me and they sourced the tanzanite and it''s fantastic. If you are considering them for a setting, be sure to talk to them about their sapphires too.

 

[Callisto]

Date: 2/25/2010 9:18:44 AM
Author: Laila619
Ooh, that Beverley K halo is fabulous!

Ditto. I like that setting a lot! It''s way cheaper and the miligrain and engraving is fabulous. If you do decide on the Scott Kay I would definitely ask around the pricescope vendors as most of them carry or can get scott kay and I bet a lot of them could beat that 1910 price especially with a pricescope discount.

 

[geckodani]

Hi esbee! I''ve got a palladium Scott Kay ering setting. The things I love about the palladium is that it stays reeeally shiny, is lightweight, and was a lot easier on the pocketbook at the time we purchased my setting. I''m also a fan of the color.

The things I dislike... if you get a deep scratch - it''s there for good. You can''t polish it out completely. Platinum can be polished back to good as new, white gold can be rhodium plated. You can do some minor buffing to palladium, but there''s no way to fix some of the deeper scratches I''ve gotten on my rings.

That said, with the style you are looking at with the pave shank, this could be a non-issue. The problem with my e-ring is that it''s a plain shank, so all the scratches show up. My wedding band (bezel band) on the other hand, still looks brand new, since there''s not a ton of exposed metal.

I would definitely check with Pearlman''s on the Scott Kay!

Metal color comparison. This is before I got my wedding band. The shank on my ering is still just as shiny, with a few war wounds.

 

[S&I]

Date: 2/24/2010 10:19:53 PM
Author: esbee

That''s what I''m thinking too. Anyone know the pros/cons of palladium vs white gold?

Hi esbee! Here is what I have found about palladium versus white gold.

Pros for Palladium:
1. can be less expensive than white gold, and way less than platinum
2. does not need to be rhodium plated to stay white like white gold does
3. it is part of the platinum family of metals, so their metal properties are very similar
4. no metal allergy concerns like some people have with white gold

Cons for Palladium:
1. can look ''grey'' or ''tinny'' when compared to platinum (but that also depends on which alloy is used in conjunction with the palladium, so you have to make sure you get a good quality mixture)
2. it''s not as malleable as white gold or platinum, so it''s harder to find jewelers that can work with it well
3. it will develop at patina similar to platinum, but the metal is just being moved around (not lost like white gold)
4. it is a much lighter metal than platinum, so some people value it less (although, this could probably be a pro too if you don''t like heavy jewelry)

All of my bridal rings are palladium (stamped pd950), and my fiance''s wedding band is also palladium. We mainly chose palladium because we felt we got all the benefits of platinum at the price (or less) of white gold. And I really hated the way white gold turned yellow after a while.

Good luck with finding your setting and sapphire! The sapphire was the first stone I ever fell in love with too, so I have a few rings with sapphires.

 

[esbee]

Thanks for the pics. That makes me a little concerned about the potential dings and not being able to polish them out. Another concern I''m thinking of is that paladium doesn''t seem to be too common (or rather less common) just from looking around and I would want to find a band for her in the same metal, which I would think would limit my options.

 

[geckodani]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:22:15 AM
Author: esbee
Thanks for the pics. That makes me a little concerned about the potential dings and not being able to polish them out. Another concern I''m thinking of is that paladium doesn''t seem to be too common (or rather less common) just from looking around and I would want to find a band for her in the same metal, which I would think would limit my options.

Both valid concerns. While I am pretty happy with my choice (I really love how light they are!) if I could do it again, I''d go with white gold or platinum.

 

[S&I]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:22:15 AM
Author: esbee
Thanks for the pics. That makes me a little concerned about the potential dings and not being able to polish them out. Another concern I''m thinking of is that paladium doesn''t seem to be too common (or rather less common) just from looking around and I would want to find a band for her in the same metal, which I would think would limit my options.

Sorry if I confused you, but palladium dings and scratches can be polished out just like platinum can. It''ll look every bit as new as the day you bought it. White gold can also be polished when it''s being rhodium-dipped, but you''re losing tiny specs of gold every time you scratch it.

Yes, palladium is not as common, but I think it''s partially due to the fact that it is a finicky/harder metal to work with. I think more and more places will start to carry palladium options in the future, which may or may not drive up the price later.

 

[geckodani]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:27:10 AM
Author: sandyandisaac

Date: 2/25/2010 10:22:15 AM
Author: esbee
Thanks for the pics. That makes me a little concerned about the potential dings and not being able to polish them out. Another concern I''m thinking of is that paladium doesn''t seem to be too common (or rather less common) just from looking around and I would want to find a band for her in the same metal, which I would think would limit my options.

Sorry if I confused you, but palladium dings and scratches can be polished out just like platinum can. It''ll look every bit as new as the day you bought it. White gold can also be polished when it''s being rhodium-dipped, but you''re losing tiny specs of gold every time you scratch it.

Yes, palladium is not as common, but I think it''s partially due to the fact that it is a finicky/harder metal to work with. I think more and more places will start to carry palladium options in the future, which may or may not drive up the price later.

Not in my experience, at least not on the deeper scratches. I''ve tried.

If I''m missing something, let me know!

 

[S&I]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:28:09 AM
Author: geckodani

Not in my experience, at least not on the deeper scratches. I''ve tried.

If I''m missing something, let me know!

Sorry geckodani, you''re right. I haven''t scratched up my rings yet, so I can''t say for sure. That''s just what I was told. Thanks for correcting me. Does platinum allow for polishing out deeper scratches better than palladium, or do they behave similarly in that regards?

 

[geckodani]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:30:53 AM
Author: sandyandisaac

Sorry geckodani, you're right. I haven't scratched up my rings yet, so I can't say for sure. That's just what I was told. Thanks for correcting me. Does platinum allow for polishing out deeper scratches better than palladium, or do they behave similarly in that regards?

Aw shucks, I was hoping I was just taking it to the wrong places, LOL!

With platinum, no metal is lost, it just gets moved around when you ding it, so it can be polished back to new. White gold can be polished down, but you do lose some of the metal, but it can also be re-rhodium plated, to help it look like new.

I've tried twice to have my ering repolished, and some of the scuffs have come out, but not the deeper scratches. Meh.

ETA: Keep in mind, from even a slight distance, they are not noticeable. You have to be peering at my ring to see them, LOL. But I'm a crazy PSer, so it bugs me.

ETAA: I'm also a major klutz and really hard on my rings. I managed to wear down my original ering setting (white gold) in less than 3 years to the point that it needed to be replaces.

 

[S&I]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:33:14 AM
Author: geckodani

Aw shucks, I was hoping I was just taking it to the wrong places, LOL!


With platinum, no metal is lost, it just gets moved around when you ding it, so it can be polished back to new. White gold can be polished down, but you do lose some of the metal, but it can also be re-rhodium plated, to help it look like new.



I've tried twice to have my ering repolished, and some of the scuffs have come out, but not the deeper scratches. Meh.


ETA: Keep in mind, from even a slight distance, they are not noticeable. You have to be peering at my ring to see them, LOL. But I'm a crazy PSer, so it bugs me.

ETAA: I'm also a major klutz and really hard on my rings. I managed to wear down my original ering setting (white gold) in less than 3 years to the point that it needed to be replaces.

Yeah, I was also told that no metal is lost with palladium so maybe that's why I always thought it could be polished back to new. But from your experience, maybe that's not true.

I did have an almost catastrophic experience when my local jeweler tried to size down my palladium channel-set band. It ended up cracking

on one side just past the channel part. He explained that palladium was just so hard to work with, and he couldn't fix it any further. So it's either my jeweler isn't experienced enough with palladium, or the original band was made poorly. But luckily, the store agreed to send the entire damaged ring back to the company who made it originally, so they could just make a brand new one in the correct size. It's perfect now! Since then, I have been reluctant to have that jeweler do anything but polish and clean my rings.

So esbee, sorry to slightly thread-jack, but that's another scary concern you might consider!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 2/25/2010 10:44:13 AM
Author: sandyandisaac

Yeah, I was also told that no metal is lost with palladium so maybe that''s why I always thought it could be polished back to new. But from your experience, maybe that''s not true.

I did have an almost catastrophic experience when my local jeweler tried to size down my palladium channel-set band. It ended up cracking

on one side just past the channel part. He explained that palladium was just so hard to work with, and he couldn''t fix it any further. So it''s either my jeweler isn''t experienced enough with palladium, or the original band was made poorly. But luckily, the store agreed to send the entire damaged ring back to the company who made it originally, so they could just make a brand new one in the correct size. It''s perfect now! Since then, I have been reluctant to have that jeweler do anything but polish and clean my rings.

So esbee, sorry to slightly thread-jack, but that''s another scary concern you might consider!

Oy! Like I said, I''m happy with my rings, but in the future I''ll stick with the more common metals! I anticipate I''ve got another 4 years or so in this setting until I manage to chip my way through it. I smack it on my desk in the same dang spot almost daily. Meh.

 

[fogdancer]

Hello Esbee

I''ve read your post and I think this link may help you a lot!

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/47/1/An-Overview-Of-Common-Alloys-Used-In-Jewelry.aspx





Hugs

Monica

P.S.: If I could chose I''d pick Platinum Mark Morrell only works with with that alloy, resistence is what do you need to get in mind

P.S.: 2>>> Platinum, generally speaking, is much more reliable for holding stones because it''s softer than gold/white gold. Meaning, if knocked, a gold/WG prong may snap off where a platinum prong will just bend (and is more likely to still keep hold of the stone).

This is why many white gold rings are made with platinum heads (the part that holds the center stone).

This is also why platinum is more strongly recommended for settings that have sidestones, especially pave, which is a delicate setting style to begin with without having to worry about the brittle gold element.

Hope that helps!

Also, input regarding you as husband''s wedding band would be great.

 

[esbee]

Thanks for all of the help and replies. I''m really liking that Beverly K ring posted above from Pearlman''s. If that''s the price of a platinum, then I might go that route. I''ll also see what they can get for sapphires.

As far as what kind of ring for me? I would probably go with some type of damascus or mokume gane ring.

Something like this:
http://mokume-gane.com/index.php?page=collections&subpage=wedding_bands

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 2/25/2010 3:14:12 PM
Author: esbee
Thanks for all of the help and replies. I''m really liking that Beverly K ring posted above from Pearlman''s. If that''s the price of a platinum, then I might go that route. I''ll also see what they can get for sapphires.

make sure you let them know you are a pricescoper and please keep us posted. We''d love to see pictures of whatever ring you end up with, I''m sure it''s going to be gorgeous!