Setting help needed for ideal square radiant (H&A/ POH) diamond

[diamondhoarder]

So I'm trying to decide on a setting for my new H&A square radiant.



Its a GIA G colour with masses of fire and brilliance, and just under 6mm x 6mm.

I want to maximise finger coverage but I don't want to bezel it or have a diamond halo either. I still want the centre diamond to be the star of the show. I also want to emphasize the cut cornered square shape. I would really like a rose gold band but I'd prefer the prongs to be white gold. So there's quite a few criteria, some of which are probably conflicting

Its for a RHR and I'd prefer it not look too much like an engagement ring. So probably not a total solitaire. I like art deco angular designs so might end up with a 3 or 5 stone with baguettes of some sort, or to be completely different, a split shank with pave.

I've just got back from trying the stone out in a few different semi-mounts to narrow down what I like. My stone probably looks a bit hazy in some of the pics due to fingerprints and also being sat on a large blob of blue-tac in some of the pics to keep the diamond in place in the mounts

I was really drawn to this type of setting (below) because of the art deco type look and the fact that I think it plays up to the square shape of my stone:



The problem is that the baguettes end up being so small in order to get the right proportions with the centre diamond and with them being bezel set they ended up looking a bit flat next to the centre diamond - this next picture captures the "flat" look IRL:


Also the shank ended up being thinner than I prefer (in order that it would step down in size from the outer baguettes). I'm not sure how this kind of setting could be improved enough to get the side stones to pop a bit more, given their small size. I don't think claws would work for the baguettes??? And I'm not sure they could be any bigger without messing up the proportions with my centre diamond

Then there were options with double or single tapered baguettes:



I liked them both, but I'm not sure either of them gave me the wow factor. But maybe I just didnt get to find a setting with the perfect shape and proportions of tapered baguettes.

Then there's this split shank rose gold option. I would change out the basket and prongs for white gold though, which I think would complement the diamond better:


I kept coming back to this one again and again, its so different to any of my other rings and I loved the rose gold with the pave. The whole ring gave great finger coverage, but I couldn't decide if it made my centre diamond look smaller than the other settings did. Also I'm not sure if it emphasises the square shape of the diamond - does it look slightly cushion shaped in these shots? That could be the effect of the placement of the rose gold prongs though. The jeweller did say that he would use white metal prongs filed on the outside to an angle to match the cut corners rather than rounded prongs like in the photo. But more like eagle claw prongs rather than tab prongs.

Maybe it looks a bit more square in this picture ??? :




I would love to hear thoughts on the current options, and any suggestions for other ways to set it which would meet the criteria I posted above.

 

[SimoneDi]

Personally, I love everything about the first setting. The design is beautiful and I think that it very much compliments your beautiful diamond.

 

[mwilliamanderson]

You've got a lot of finger real estate to work with. How about with traps? ala Lauren B

 

[marymm]

In order to emphasize the cut-corner radiant shape, have you considered using a metal surround? I did a quick (and very very rough) mock-up to give you an idea of what I mean

 

[Lykame]

Oooh so exciting. I know you know it's your opinion that matters the most, so you should do what makes your heart sing!!! It seems like you like the split shank option the most? I do think that's beautiful. I also think it hides the cut corners. That doesn't mean it couldn't work with some careful metalwork? Perhaps the metal colour change and squared off prongs to perhaps emphasise that aspect of the stone? I know that @whitewave has a split shank assher ring... perhaps she could offer an opinion on what it's like having a squared stone in that type of setting???

As for the other two... interestingly the baguette setting makes your stone look nearly round, to me. My personal favourite is the first setting you posted, it's really beautiful to me and emphasises the most the shape of your central stone. It also makes the stone the star of the show and really feels subtly art deco in nature. I like it even with the bezels around the smaller stones and I think that visually helps with highlighting the shape of your central stone. However, you seem uncertain about it. I don't know quite what it would look like done with the side stones set in claws but I would have thought that would be possible too.

Such nice decisions to agonise over.

 

[LinSF]

I think that if you want to emphasize the square shapes, you need to add other angular shapes. The first setting is great for that! I know you don't want a halo, but there are some great deco halos that have baguettes/emerald cuts and really keep the clean lines.

https://n2h4v7n8.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/11776-TV.jpg

Something like this, more step cuts. I think that would look fabulous and maximize the size and showcase the stone at the same time. Otherwise, I love the first one you posted. Here's another which is gorgeous:

https://n2h4v7n8.stackpathcdn.com/w...Old-Mine-Round-Old-European-Cut-Ring-TV-1.jpg

 

[tyty333]

I love the first setting! It puts the right emphasis on your stone. I'm thinking it could be made with a hair bigger stones and still be good proportion
for your stone IMO. If the stones were a tad bigger you could have the band be a tad wider.

I do love it the way it is though.

 

[tigertales]

I love the baguettes too!
but, keep searching....I don't think you've found it yet. Your stone deserves center stage for real. Also, make sure the side stones aren't too 'cold' looking. Keep them G.

 

[diamondhoarder]

In order to emphasize the cut-corner radiant shape, have you considered using a metal surround? I did a quick (and very very rough) mock-up to give you an idea of what I mean

Thanks for doing this mock-up. I was wondering about whether something like this could work, but seeing this has helped me to realise that I don't want any kind of halo, even a small metal one as I prefer to see more diamonds and less metal breaking them up. So that's been really helpful

Oooh so exciting. I know you know it's your opinion that matters the most, so you should do what makes your heart sing!!! It seems like you like the split shank option the most? I do think that's beautiful. I also think it hides the cut corners. That doesn't mean it couldn't work with some careful metalwork? Perhaps the metal colour change and squared off prongs to perhaps emphasise that aspect of the stone? I know that @whitewave has a split shank assher ring... perhaps she could offer an opinion on what it's like having a squared stone in that type of setting???

As for the other two... interestingly the baguette setting makes your stone look nearly round, to me. My personal favourite is the first setting you posted, it's really beautiful to me and emphasises the most the shape of your central stone. It also makes the stone the star of the show and really feels subtly art deco in nature. I like it even with the bezels around the smaller stones and I think that visually helps with highlighting the shape of your central stone. However, you seem uncertain about it. I don't know quite what it would look like done with the side stones set in claws but I would have thought that would be possible too.

Such nice decisions to agonise over.

Ive been mulling it over some more and the setting that really wowed me was the rose gold split shank:



Much as the straight baguettes from the art deco style setting do emphasise the square shape of my stone it still feels a bit too much like a solitaire with a couple of tiny dull accents. Plus I have a couple of other rings with straight baguette accents (larger and more appealing than the ones from the ring mount I tried my stone with).

But the rose gold split shank is totally different from anything I already have, and I do love the overall look. It seems a bit less "engagementy" than some of the other styles Ive been considering. And this is going to be a right hand ring which needs to work well with my rose gold and diamond bracelets/ bangles on the same hand (some of which have similar sized pave to the pave in the split shank ring)

Lykame, I like your idea about some modifcations to the metalwork. So I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for small modifications on this split shank ring which might emphasise the square shape of my stone more. Modified prongs, a change to the angles of the split shank, more of a curve to the shank (or less) ??? Smaller gap between the two split halves of the shank? Bigger gap?

Would fine white gold tab prongs the same width as the cut corners of the stone help to add back an angular look rather than a cushiony look that overly large and rounded prongs are going to produce?

 

[mwilliamanderson]

I think so.

 

[diamondhoarder]

I think so.

Yes, I see what you mean. Tab prongs could definitely be an option to consider.

 

[Lykame]

Thanks for doing this mock-up. I was wondering about whether something like this could work, but seeing this has helped me to realise that I don't want any kind of halo, even a small metal one as I prefer to see more diamonds and less metal breaking them up. So that's been really helpful



Ive been mulling it over some more and the setting that really wowed me was the rose gold split shank:



Much as the straight baguettes from the art deco style setting do emphasise the square shape of my stone it still feels a bit too much like a solitaire with a couple of tiny dull accents. Plus I have a couple of other rings with straight baguette accents (larger and more appealing than the ones from the ring mount I tried my stone with).

But the rose gold split shank is totally different from anything I already have, and I do love the overall look. It seems a bit less "engagementy" than some of the other styles Ive been considering. And this is going to be a right hand ring which needs to work well with my rose gold and diamond bracelets/ bangles on the same hand (some of which have similar sized pave to the pave in the split shank ring)

Lykame, I like your idea about some modifcations to the metalwork. So I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for small modifications on this split shank ring which might emphasise the square shape of my stone more. Modified prongs, a change to the angles of the split shank, more of a curve to the shank (or less) ??? Smaller gap between the two split halves of the shank? Bigger gap?

Would fine white gold tab prongs the same width as the cut corners of the stone help to add back an angular look rather than a cushiony look that overly large and rounded prongs are going to produce?

I do the same thing you know. Give some suggestions about the various options available to me, but as soon as people start suggesting stuff, I'm like - nope, I know which one I prefer and this is just making that easier for me to realise! So I'm really glad, it looks like you know which one you're going to go for! And it is a very strikingly beautiful ring.

I think the squared off tabs will be the thing that really help emphasise the shape of your stone. Also having the basket in white gold or platinum with the shank in rose gold will provide some contrast between your stone and the rose gold shank, too. I think those two things will really help highlight the shape of the stone in the way the prongs in your pictures currently don't because they are in a rounded shape and obviously your stone was just sitting in the setting loose.

Can't wait to see the finished product!!!

 

[diamondhoarder]

I do the same thing you know. Give some suggestions about the various options available to me, but as soon as people start suggesting stuff, I'm like - nope, I know which one I prefer and this is just making that easier for me to realise! So I'm really glad, it looks like you know which one you're going to go for! And it is a very strikingly beautiful ring.

Funny you should say this - I'm now second guessing myself on the rose gold split shank, and wondering if I should try to find a way to make the art deco style work

Then I had this idea about putting a straight baguette on either side of the centre diamond (long side next to the centre diamond) maybe 3mm x 2mm then a rose gold pave shank of around 2.4mm wide (I don't want a shank any thinner than that). I cant find any photos of anything like this though, and I'm wondering if that's because it will look bad, which is why no one has done it.

I like art deco and I like rose gold, although I'm not sure that the two things combine very well because personally I wouldn't want to mount step cuts in a rose gold surround. All of the art deco designs with straight baguettes I like are in white metals, usually platinum.

The problem with taking so long to find my my perfect stone is that I'm terrified of not doing it justice with the right setting. Or making a choice which is too safe and doesn't "wow" me.

1st world problems i know........

 

[lambskin]

Love the double baguettes or traps.

 

[Lykame]

Funny you should say this - I'm now second guessing myself on the rose gold split shank, and wondering if I should try to find a way to make the art deco style work

Then I had this idea about putting a straight baguette on either side of the centre diamond (long side next to the centre diamond) maybe 3mm x 2mm then a rose gold pave shank of around 2.4mm wide (I don't want a shank any thinner than that). I cant find any photos of anything like this though, and I'm wondering if that's because it will look bad, which is why no one has done it.

I like art deco and I like rose gold, although I'm not sure that the two things combine very well because personally I wouldn't want to mount step cuts in a rose gold surround. All of the art deco designs with straight baguettes I like are in white metals, usually platinum.

The problem with taking so long to find my my perfect stone is that I'm terrified of not doing it justice with the right setting. Or making a choice which is too safe and doesn't "wow" me.

1st world problems i know........

Well, you seemed to have a strong reaction to the split shank in a way you didn't seem to have to the Art Deco styles?

I understand what you're saying about the baguettes long ways against the edge. My first instinct was that it would look slightly odd without one further step before the shank, but then I thought if the baguette is short enough and the shank wide enough (which actually it sounds like it should be), it may look awesome! Could you maybe draw with pencil what you are thinking about and see what you think? It's essentially @marymm's drawing but without the bezel type section. Perhaps she could redo that without the bezel?

 

[Lykame]

Funnily enough, I was browsing Pricescope and saw @JPie post about 'Eleanor':

I know it's not quite the right shaped central stone and I know it's bezeled, but it made think of you!!!

 

[diamondhoarder]

Funnily enough, I was browsing Pricescope and saw @JPie post about 'Eleanor':

I know it's not quite the right shaped central stone and I know it's bezeled, but it made think of you!!!

Yes, JPie's ring is amazing! I think the art deco look with the straight baguettes works so well with an elongated stone. If I'm honest I don't think it works as well with a square stone, especially one of my size. Part of the attraction of it is the way the design steps down from the centre stone and you need a good bit of difference between the stone sizes in order to get that stepped look. And in my case that translates to exceptionally small baguette side diamonds which I don't think are going to "do" very much in terms of performance.

So I'm back on the rose gold split shank idea. I wondered if a small tweak to the ring I tried on (in the photos in this post) might give me the perfect solution.

With the ring I tried on I don't really like how I can see metal between the pave in the "V" part of the split shank:



I feel like if the angle of the split shank was slight less dramatic or a little curved then this effect could be minimised. I'm also wondering if the split shank was slightly narrower where it joins with the centre diamond it might emphasise the square shape of my stone a little better.

I found this which illustrates the changes Ive described:



The centre stone in this pic is slightly rectangular and the cut corners do not look as large as my stone. But I feel like in this photo the setting enhances the square shape of the stone.

So my question is - would this kind of split shank design (but in rose gold) look better with my stone than the one I tried it with in the photos further up in my post?

I would love to get some more feedback on these split shank questions from anyone with the patience to still be reading my endless musings about how to set my stone

 

[mwilliamanderson]

I agree the metal showing where the shank splits looks very poorly done. I just looked at 50 other split shank pave rings and none of them had that. I also think there’s too much skin showing in between the bands.

I prefer the one you posted now and I like how it joins the diamond at the straight side not the angled corner. I found this version which is somewhere between the two. I prefer the straighter lines rather than the slight curve personally.

 

[Lykame]

Yes, JPie's ring is amazing! I think the art deco look with the straight baguettes works so well with an elongated stone. If I'm honest I don't think it works as well with a square stone, especially one of my size. Part of the attraction of it is the way the design steps down from the centre stone and you need a good bit of difference between the stone sizes in order to get that stepped look. And in my case that translates to exceptionally small baguette side diamonds which I don't think are going to "do" very much in terms of performance.

So I'm back on the rose gold split shank idea. I wondered if a small tweak to the ring I tried on (in the photos in this post) might give me the perfect solution.

With the ring I tried on I don't really like how I can see metal between the pave in the "V" part of the split shank:



I feel like if the angle of the split shank was slight less dramatic or a little curved then this effect could be minimised. I'm also wondering if the split shank was slightly narrower where it joins with the centre diamond it might emphasise the square shape of my stone a little better.

I found this which illustrates the changes Ive described:



The centre stone in this pic is slightly rectangular and the cut corners do not look as large as my stone. But I feel like in this photo the setting enhances the square shape of the stone.

So my question is - would this kind of split shank design (but in rose gold) look better with my stone than the one I tried it with in the photos further up in my post?

I would love to get some more feedback on these split shank questions from anyone with the patience to still be reading my endless musings about how to set my stone

Oooh I really like the one you've posted, with the curved bands, and the lack of that weird join. I think if you had something like that with squared tabs for the cut corners, that would be rather lovely.

I think it works because you have the juxtaposition of the curve of the bands with the straightness of the squared stone. But I can also see how having straight bands like the one @mwilliamanderson has just posted would also work.

 

[headlight]

You've got a lot of finger real estate to work with. How about with traps? ala Lauren B

Love this!

 

[diamondhoarder]

Love this!

I love it too, I was intially wondering about trapezoids. But with my stone which is just under 6 x 6mm and with cut corners the traps would be sooo small (long side only around 3mm) so I decided against them.

 

[diamondhoarder]

I agree the metal showing where the shank splits looks very poorly done. I just looked at 50 other split shank pave rings and none of them had that. I also think there’s too much skin showing in between the bands.

I prefer the one you posted now and I like how it joins the diamond at the straight side not the angled corner. I found this version which is somewhere between the two. I prefer the straighter lines rather than the slight curve personally.

Thanks for this - I agree that the extra metal was not a good look. As for the angles and the issue of straight Vs curved - its amazing how many different "flavours" of split shank setting there are around. Lots of different details and nuances to consider. I agree that seeing less skin between the bands will be a better look!

 

[diamondhoarder]

Oooh I really like the one you've posted, with the curved bands, and the lack of that weird join. I think if you had something like that with squared tabs for the cut corners, that would be rather lovely.

I think it works because you have the juxtaposition of the curve of the bands with the straightness of the squared stone. But I can also see how having straight bands like the one @mwilliamanderson has just posted would also work.

Thanks Lykame. I think that I'm going to end up asking my jeweller to come up with a version that combines the best aspects of both split shank designs - the larger pave (with less diamonds) of the rose gold version, and the way the white gold version only splits part way up the shank, showing less skin between the bands. The jury is out on straight Vs curved at the moment. I will see what he comes up with as a CAD design. He is suggesting eagle claws rather than tab prongs to emphasise the cut corners but obscure less of the diamond. Once I see the CADs hopefully it will come together, and if not it can be tweaked until it looks just right.

 

[OcnGypZ]

Thanks Lykame. I think that I'm going to end up asking my jeweller to come up with a version that combines the best aspects of both split shank designs - the larger pave (with less diamonds) of the rose gold version, and the way the white gold version only splits part way up the shank, showing less skin between the bands. The jury is out on straight Vs curved at the moment. I will see what he comes up with as a CAD design. He is suggesting eagle claws rather than tab prongs to emphasise the cut corners but obscure less of the diamond. Once I see the CADs hopefully it will come together, and if not it can be tweaked until it looks just right.

I was going to suggest the two claws as well for the corners. Doesn't necessarily have to be "claws" if you want a more deco look - which can be accomplished with fishtails.

 

[AV_]

WWW without the pave.