Please help me design sapphire pear pendant

[Kay]

For our second Christmas together (dating), DH gave me a ring with an oval sapphire surrounded by 8 prong set diamonds on a very dainty yellow gold curved split shank setting. It was the first piece of jewelry he gave me, and has tremendous sentimental value for me. A picture is attached at the bottom of this post.

A few years later, he gave me sapphire drop earrings. Each earring has a pear shaped sapphire surrounded by 12 prong set diamonds, suspended from a gold scroll with 5 channel set baguettes. The setting is yellow gold, but the prongs on the diamonds are rhodium plated. The ring and earrings don’t exactly “match,” but I enjoy wearing them together. Every time I wear the ring and earrings, I wish I had a coordinating pendant. DH has agreed to let me create a pendant for Christmas.

(I don’t know how to post more than one picture per post, so I will attach the information and pictures in multiple posts.)

Here is the ring:

 

[Kay]

Here are the earrings:

 

[Kay]

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[Kay]

Here's an ear shot for scale.

ETA: Yikes, magnified pictures of body parts are scary!

 

[Kay]

The pendant design is giving me trouble. I know I want to use a pear shaped sapphire with diamond accents and yellow gold setting. My original plan was to copy the bottom part of the pendant (the sapphire and diamond cluster) on a slightly larger scale, with a fairly simple gold bail. Then I started worrying that the pear surrounded by diamonds would look too busy and dated (yellow gold cluster setting). It looks okay on the earrings because they are petite, but I worry it might be too much in a larger size. I shared my concern with the jeweler, and he said he would prepare CADs with smaller diamonds around the pear to see if I liked that look better.

Here is a picture of the earring worn as a pendant. I think the lower part is just a bit too small for a pendant if I attached a simple bail instead of the large earring top.

 

[Kay]

I am attaching the CADs. I like the bottom part of the left one and the center one. They look sleek and modern, but I worry they just look too different from the earrings. I would like the bail to somewhat reflect the soft scrolling look of the earring top, but am not sure how to do that without it becoming large and busy. I would appreciate any opinions.

 

[Kay]

Profile shot CADS:

 

[Kay]

Here is a Stuller pendant setting that looks more like my earrings (but I would want a different bail). Should I go with something like this since it looks more like my earrings, or go for a thin prong or channel set halo like in the CADs?

 

[eac]

Myself, I like the CAD drawings, but I also like your earring worn as a pendant. I prefer the sleeker halo setting of the CAD pendant to the Stuller pendant one. I don''t think you have to be 100% matchy to have a coordinating set.

The problem with the CAD design is that, to be proportional/attractive, it looks like it requires a fairly big sapphire, and big sapphires are expensive.

To bring the pendant more in line with the earrings, I would go back to the jeweler and say, "What can we do to customize the bail so that it has some of the curve of the earrings?" He or she should be able to do a curved bail or even what''s called a "slide", a piece designed to go on a thicker flat chain like an omega chain.

 

[Jypsie]

Kay, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE

the one in the first CAD that you posted that''s on the right (all the way to the right). It would be absolutely stunning and gorgeous!

 

[Catmom]

Kay, I love your earrings and ring!! I like the idea of matching the bottom part of your earrings with a swoopy bail. If you want a matching set but not quite, can your jeweler take off the diamond part of the earring and just leave the swoopy part as a bail? See how the top part seems to have two parts, the diamond part and the other swoopy part. I would have him replicate the non diamond part. I hope that makes sense, LOL!

 

[Kay]

Date: 12/6/2007 9:10:55 PM
Author: eac
Myself, I like the CAD drawings, but I also like your earring worn as a pendant. I prefer the sleeker halo setting of the CAD pendant to the Stuller pendant one. I don''t think you have to be 100% matchy to have a coordinating set.

The problem with the CAD design is that, to be proportional/attractive, it looks like it requires a fairly big sapphire, and big sapphires are expensive.

To bring the pendant more in line with the earrings, I would go back to the jeweler and say, ''What can we do to customize the bail so that it has some of the curve of the earrings?'' He or she should be able to do a curved bail or even what''s called a ''slide'', a piece designed to go on a thicker flat chain like an omega chain.

Hmmm, good point. This is a "for fun" project, and I do not want it to become too expensive. I was thinking of a sapphire in the 1-1.5 carat range. I have seen stones in that size range online for $200-$400. I am not concerned about heat treatment or origin, as long as the color is right.

 

[Kay]

Date: 12/6/2007 11:41:59 PM
Author: Jypsie
Kay, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE

the one in the first CAD that you posted that''s on the right (all the way to the right). It would be absolutely stunning and gorgeous!

Thank you, I am going to have to ask the jeweler what the edge detail is on that one, because I cannot tell if it is supposed to be miligrain or little balls.

 

[Kay]

Date: 12/7/2007 10:46:35 AM
Author: Catmom
Kay, I love your earrings and ring!! I like the idea of matching the bottom part of your earrings with a swoopy bail. If you want a matching set but not quite, can your jeweler take off the diamond part of the earring and just leave the swoopy part as a bail? See how the top part seems to have two parts, the diamond part and the other swoopy part. I would have him replicate the non diamond part. I hope that makes sense, LOL!

I know exactly what you mean. Do you think it would look okay for the bail to be asymmetrical, or should I ask if he can do the bail so that it has that curved scroll part on the end on both sides? (I''m having a hart time describing what I mean so I''m not sure if that makes sense.)

DH thinks I should just have him miniturize the whole top half of the earring (w/o diamonds) as the bail. The asymmetry issue isn''t a problem with the earrings, because they mirror each other, but I not sure how it will look on the pendant.

 

[Kay]

Date: 12/7/2007 1:52:05 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 12/6/2007 7:38:50 PM
Author: Kay
I am attaching the CADs. I like the bottom part of the left one and the center one. They look sleek and modern, but I worry they just look too different from the earrings. I would like the bail to somewhat reflect the soft scrolling look of the earring top, but am not sure how to do that without it becoming large and busy. I would appreciate any opinions.

They are timeless. I like them. Is Jeff doing it for you?

Yes, Jeff is doing them. I really like the CADs, and if I was just doing the pendant as a solo project & in white metal, I would be happy with any of the 3 designs he proposed. I''m trying to decide if I will like that sleek halo style in yellow gold, and how it will go with the other pieces.

Custom design is so hard because you can''t see what you are buying until it is too late to change your mind. LOL!

 

[Kay]

I was browsing a few web sites looking for inspiration and came across a pendant at Macy''s that has the halo separate from and a little larger larger than the gemstone center, so there is an "airline" between them. I think it is cool looking, but it might be too much / not a good match. Another option would be to skip having diamonds around the sapphire and just have a pear sapphire in a simple gold basket setting, with a couple of small diamond accent at the top of the stone or on the bail.

 

[Kay]

Okay, the photo from Macy''s isn''t showing up. Here is the link: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=240513&CategoryID=21243&LinkType=EverGreen I was just thinking of the bottom piece of this necklace.

 

[Catmom]

Date: 12/7/2007 9:09:48 PM
Author: Kay

Date: 12/7/2007 10:46:35 AM
Author: Catmom
Kay, I love your earrings and ring!! I like the idea of matching the bottom part of your earrings with a swoopy bail. If you want a matching set but not quite, can your jeweler take off the diamond part of the earring and just leave the swoopy part as a bail? See how the top part seems to have two parts, the diamond part and the other swoopy part. I would have him replicate the non diamond part. I hope that makes sense, LOL!

I know exactly what you mean. Do you think it would look okay for the bail to be asymmetrical, or should I ask if he can do the bail so that it has that curved scroll part on the end on both sides? (I''m having a hart time describing what I mean so I''m not sure if that makes sense.)

DH thinks I should just have him miniturize the whole top half of the earring (w/o diamonds) as the bail. The asymmetry issue isn''t a problem with the earrings, because they mirror each other, but I not sure how it will look on the pendant.

I actually thought about that when I was posting but when I looked at the pictures you posted I could envision it as asymmetrical and I liked it but it would really be up to you. I think it could be done either way. I wish I knew how to photoshop it for you so you could see different versions.