Need help with oversized halo setting

[cinnamonstick]

IDJ has been doing earring jackets with the scalloped look. If it doesn't work out with your jeweler, I would reach out to them.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/idj-jackets-have-arrived.174184/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/idj-jackets-have-arrived.174184/[/URL]

Wow earrings! Well done!!!! Ditto IDJ if your current falls through. Working with them now on a custom ring. Excellent customer service and patient. 3root>

 

[heididdl]

I agree way to much ring for a 2 carat center stone. I have 2.41 twc studs and I have 5 pointers around a 1.20 stone and I have only worn them 3 x as they just look to huge and cocktailish ......

 

[swaye2010]

Thanks JWO for posting the pick's of your ring. That is definately in the vicinity of the look I am after but it may look a bit more scalloped because of the bigger melee's. I think I have settled on 10 pointers with a super tight halo. I want them to slightly lift the stone so the halo can get right underneath it without a lot of gaps. I am having such a hard time finding a single picture out there. I don't want to end up with a ring that looks like the sun and a bunch of planets circling around it. I also don't want an overly scalloped design. I am still working with the designer on the CAD. I feel like I have been back-burnered a bit because mine is a 10 year ring make-over and not an impending holiday proposal. Cinnamonstick - I saw your pictures and the last one is what my 1st ring makeover looks like. It is 1.5 melee in cushion halo around RB 2 carat. It had so many gaps and the u-prong setting was so uncomfortable that I could barely wear it for an hour without my finger turning red and raw. I tried a ring on at a jewelry store that was having their Christmas trunkshow and saw something close to what I had in mind. It had 5 pointers around 1.5 carat but the band felt so cheap and the price was more than double what I would pay through established online retaliers. I also didn't like that they said they would cram up to 2 carat's into the same setting. It didn't feel very custom no matter what they were saying. I have just been out of the loop for so long. I am grateful for all the responses. I will post new CAD's next week when they are updated! If anyone out there has large cluster halo rings or scalloped without the pointy edges, I would love to see them. Thanks!

 

[Gypsy]

10 pointers!!!

Whoa. That is going to be.... I was going to advise against 5 pointers cause I thought they'd be too big.

I was thinking 3 pointers would give you a great scalloped look.

Your proportions with 10 pointers are going to be...

Well, at least you'll get a CAD. And then you can decide. Hopefully it is a good CAD to exact scale.

 

[dk168]

Is there a general cut off point when a halo'ed ring becomes a cluster ring based on the size of the diamonds surrounding the main stone?

DK

 

[Sphene]

2 carat surrounded by 10 pointers - that sounds cocktail to me - but guess you must move in richer circles than me - cannot wait to see pics

 

[cinnamonstick]

Swaye10,
It's great to hear you already have the concept in your head what you want. Stick with the size stones that you prefer.... since it all boils down to personal taste. Sounds like you are locked in and know the size you want.

Totally agree removing any gaps in a halo helps the ring look more beautiful. IMHO. Tucking under a bit as u mentioned also sounds pretty.

JWO's, sooo beautiful! Maybe you could take her picture and draw over what you are desiring for the designer? Or really any picture from the internet. I assumed you Googled your butt off looking for examples/pics?

I found my CAD slightly hard to interpret. CADs are many times magnified and things appear larger than they will in real life. Therefore trying to picture the prongs, for example, IRL, was tricky for me. Hopefully your next CAD will be correct for you and u can envision the ring accurately.

Keep posting! I want to hear updates!

 

[swaye2010]

Thanks Cinnamonstick - I totally agree with you about the CAD being out of proportion to what you think you are actually getting. That is why my first 'redo' was a complete fail for me. It was the first time I tried to do it over the internet without looking at anything in person. I have 8 pointer's on the band and 1.5 melee around the halo. I did a cushion halo around a 2 carat RB. It is not that the ring doesn't look fine to me, it is just that the halo was so out of proportion to the band. The gaps around the halo were also pretty significant and I just didn't like that look (plus it was super uncomfortable). I will sell the old setting after I finish the new one.

No - I don't move in different circles than you average person. I am just trying to make a new ring that I love that looks proportional to my enormous hands. I tried on a ring with a 5 point melee and it still looked small on me. I keep looking and googling and googling, but I can't seem to find anything out there with a big melee unless it is a Victorian piece. I think maybe 8 pointers would be a good compromise after all the feedback. I am hoping this will be well received by the jeweler because I can't make up my mind. I will post the new CAD after I talk to him. Thanks again. I appreciate any honest feedback.

 

[swaye2010]

Hi Everyone - I am following up on my post from back in November. My design was sort of put on hold by the jeweler because of Christmas and the fact that it was an upgrade and not an engagement or gift. It gave me some time to think and to visit a few B & R shops over the holiday's so I could try on some rings and get an idea of scale and to see my like's and dislike's when it came to these oversized halo's. I didn't want to leave this thread hanging in case someone in the future is also looking for something similar. I had a hard time finding examples online but there was one particular ring that I kept seeing in the B & R shops. It is the Christopher Designs halo ring with the 10 point band and 5 point halo that comes with a set 1.5 carat RB or 3 carat RB. My stone is 2.01 carat RB (color I VS 2). I was told that this was one of their most popular rings which I was surprised to hear because most the threads seems to steer people towards smaller halo's. The general thought seems to be that they detract from the center stone but I disagree when it comes to this particular style or setting. It is very difficult to even see the halo in most light because the prongs look minimal and most the time it just looks like one stone. I had it custom designed so that the two bands could sit flush together. I took a lot of the advice on this post and drastically downsized the ring but didn't want to not have the sort of scalloped look that I was going for. I ended up with a band and matching e-ring that are both 8 pointer's and the halo is in 5 pointer's. The close up pictures make it appear larger than it actually is so I took some cell phone pictures as well without any zoom. I wear a 7.25 and have very large knuckles so I don't think it looks like a cocktail ring at all on me. It is not a small ring but it doesn't look out of proportion to my finger. I personally think the 5 pointer's are as far as one should go on a halo without it becoming a top heavy ring. I also changed the band from channel set on the original CAD to pave style because the diamonds sit low and I have to say it is super comfortable. Thank you for all your comments and help in this process. It has been a real education and I am very pleased with the outcome.

 

[swaye2010]

A few more pictures.

 

[Jwo]

I think it's gorgeous. It looks like a nice size on your finger. Five pointers in the halo was an excellent choice.

 

[HockeyChick]

I adore this ring! This is the only style halo that I really love and I think it looks truly fantastic! Not too big at all, but hey...I'm a blingy kind of girl It really fits your finger just right.

Definitely one of my favorite halos on here!

Here's a picture of one that I tried on a couple months ago that is kind of similar style..it was one of my favorites. http://www.caro74.com/store/p/3330-Diamond-Halo-Engagement-Ring-in-14K-White-Gold-1-53ct-tw.aspx (It was some sort of branded diamond cut line with extra facets)

 

[LLJsmom]

Congratulations!! So glad you are happy with the outcome.

 

[junebug17]

It turned out beautifully! It was a good call to go with the 5 pointers, I think they look great - I'm glad you achieved the look you were going for and are happy with it, it looks gorgeous on you!

 

[Shannon74]

Absolutely gorgeous! It looks stunning on your hand!!

Everytime I see a beautifully done halo, I almost regret not getting one. My ring isn't even finished yet, so don't tell my husband! lol

 

[Rockinruby]

Great outcome! It looks beautiful! I've tried on cc halos with the larger point halo stones. I really liked them! Thanks for sharing!

 

[MrsT]

Love the outcome and really appreciate reading your journey with getting the right thing.
I love the flower halo's if that's the look someone likes. But this seems like a true halo to me.

Thank you for showing the completed set. It has helped me with the same kind of questions. I like larger stones for my upgrade ring I'm working on and have been trying to figure out what size surround stones with 2ct and above centers. I'm sure it varies as the size goes up and look you want. I also have a larger ring size and tiny melee doesn't seem to look right on my hand.

Very good points were made by contributors about how large the finished head could become. Something that really needs to be thought out.

What color are the accent stones if you don't mind my asking? I would love to know the finished measurement of the halo if you get a chance.

Mrs.T

 

[madelise]

If those measurements are correct this ring is going to be huge! 8.32 + 3.3 on each side

On size 7 finger

Telephone I keep seeing you post these! What app? I love it!

 

[swaye2010]

Mrs. T - I am posting the CAD's with more specific information to your questions. The surrounding stones are F-G and there are 12 stones to go around a 2 carat if you want 5 pointer's. The original CAD I had was 10 stones around a 2 carat if I had 10 pointer's. My inspiration necklace looked more like a flower. I think it depends on the center stone so some people may refer to this as a flower halo and I have seen some companies call it a lotus flower ring. It still has more of a scalloped look than a traditional halo and it seems that most people on here consider the norm for a halo at 2 or less point's. Whatever it is called, I have learned that it is all about personal preference. For me, it doesn't feel too big at all for my finger. The post before yours had a picture of the Christopher Designs version of this ring. I did like the setting when I saw it in the B & R shop's over Christmas but I felt it was so over priced for what they were offering. I really wanted my two rings to sit flush because the two bands together were going to be 6 mm in width. I also wanted a pave band so it sat as close to the finger as possible and I wanted the diamonds to go all the way around in full eternity bands. The most important design element to me though was having a super tight halo and I didn't feel the pre-made setting would give me this. I think this is why the diameter on the halo is not TOO big because I had the halo designed to go as tight as possible and raised the diamond slightly to do this. I didn't want the ring to look like the sun with a bunch of planets circling around it. I have seen this before and I just don't like that look personally. I am on the East coast but I ended up getting my ring designed by Debebians in L.A. I felt like they understood the look I was going after and I had a good experience with them on some other work. I think the price works out so much better with the online retailers as long as you know exactly what you want. Let me know if I can be of anymore help.

 

[MrsT]

Hi Swaye2010:

It's been a year since I upgraded my center stone and still no ring but I think I'm on my way. I really want a halo and that's that. Yes, I know my stone should be ok with stand alone but I haven't found a mounting that thrills me. I'm going to NYC today again. My DH is so sweet. Your proportions are helping me with finally making a decision. Are you still thrilled with your choices?

This thread has been so helpful to read again! It is so difficult to find information about proportions for halo rings.

Did you find it puzzling when you went to a store and they told you the halo melee were 3pt or 5pt and you thought it looked fine but then remembered that top designers only use .05 - .07 pt melee? I don't want a cocktail ring but I want to see my accent stones.

Your CAD's are very helpful. I'm on the east coast and can't find a jeweler I trust to create this ring and all the top designers are so overpriced. I'm going to see IDJ today as a matter of fact and feel more confident after rereading this thread and need to thank you again.

I have a 9.7mm center stone. I feel it can handle 2mm melee in the halo. My jeweler wants to put 4pt which is over 2mm. and it is probably fine but 3pt seems like a compromise and the right balance for me. But it does get so confusing.

I fell in love with a Coast design at a local jeweler and they told me the accent stones were 8pts! Go figure. Then I saw the Tacor Royal T with a 3ct center and 3pt melee in the halo. I thought it was perfect but was the jeweler really informed about the stone size. There were a mix of sizes so how does he know they were 3pt and not 8pts like the Coast design?

The finished halo diameter with 3pt/2mm melee will be about 13.7mm in diameter. That sounds huge and it's scary but of course I did a mock up and think my hand can carry this with no problem.

I reached out one more time to the magnificent VC hoping he would make this for me but he specializes in the delicate halo. He is such a nice person and I wish the delicate halo was for me because of his amazing craftsmanship. I've also contacted Simone and Son's and opening up a discussion with them but they are on the west coast.

That said, I think larger halo's do not detract from center stones in the 2ct an up range.

I think this thread is very helpful to anyone that wants a chunkier halo.

I copy and pasted and hopefully will make the right decisions and soon.

Thanks again,
MrsT

 

[mrs-b]

Hi Swaye -

I'm a bit meh about the whole cocktail vs flower vs engagement ring thing. You can wear any ring for any reason and call it whatever you like - there are no rules on this. One person's cocktail ring is another person's eternity is another person's wedder and so on.

I've always thought the term 'cocktail ring' was a bit of a put down for cluster or flower style rings. I LIKE big surrounding stones, and i think they look very elegant. Here's a photo of my flower ring - with 1/4 ct (2.06ctw) surrounding stones. it has a 7mm / 2ct sapphire in the center - so, even more cocktail-y, if that's how you'd like to classify it.

I wore this style of ring (the ring in the photo is a copy of an earlier, all diamonds, ring) as an engagement ring for 15 years, and I thought it was FABULOUS. The original sat higher off the finger, so a wedding ring was able to fit under it, and it was lovely wearing a finger full of diamonds. If you want more 'traditional', then I'd suggest a smaller halo, of course. But just remember, 'traditional' is just another way of saying 'same as everybody else'. And just to add - I've never encountered anyone who didn't love my 'flower' ring! More than the style, I think the quality of the stones and the workmanship in the setting dictates how beautiful a ring looks. People often anticipate cocktail rings being cheaper than engagement rings, so I think that's part of the stigma. My sapphire flower ring has a beautifully cut sapphire with glorious color, 8 x 25 and 26 pt hearts and arrows E VS2 surrounding stones, and the setting was made by Steven Kirsch. It's a ring that definitely deserves engagement ring status! My engagement and wedding rings are both yellow gold. But when I want to wear a white metal, I wear this ring alone on my wedding finger. And believe me - nobody has EVER asked me if I was married while I was wearing it!

Good luck in making your decision; whichever way you go with it, I hope you love it!

ETA I just wanted to add 2 more photos of the ring as it was originally. I initially had a diamond center before I switched it out for a sapphire, and I think it looks *particularly* engagement-y! But then again - all taste is subjective.

 

[MrsT]

Hi Swaye:
Sorry for taking long to respond and thank you for the CAD. That is very helpful.

I took my DD and DH to see a ring like the Christopher with larger melee. Problem was the center stone was 2ct with 6pt so it's hard to visualize it larger. It had the scallop look but that's what I like. All very subtle.

The designer/company took my stone measurements and came back with how they would configure a duplicate of this ring.
They have to actually go down in ct. weight for the melee to have it fit properly. So, 3pt/2.00-2.20mm is what they advised.

Yet for some reason I panicked. I started to think it's going to be a huge ring and too much even on a sz 8 ring size.

They're going to create a mock-up CAD to help me see the proportions with my center stone. One thing I noticed about the ring that you mentioned is the halo angle down gently which I think is important.

I decided to go halo since I can't find a setting I like that is a solitaire with accent stones. Well I did find one but it was three times the cost of the most expensive designers. I can't see doing that knowing how much my tastes shift.

Thanks again for revisiting your post to help me out. I have always adored your ring set.
Best,
MrsT