Setting ideas for three smaller & unmatched red spinels 0.5-0.75ct?

[asterisms]

Hi everyone,

First post and new account, but I've been a Pricescope lurker for years and your collective knowledge has been so helpful to me, so a belated thank you! Sorry in advance for the long post, but I'd love your thoughts... I have three smaller unmatched red spinels and I'm totally undecided on how to set each of them separately.

I'm based in the U.S. and so I'm open to going to David Klass if the design will be detailed or complicated to execute, but for now the easiest option is to have the settings done by my vendor's bench.

Vendor photos:

4.5 x 4.1mm, bright red with pink modifier



5 x 4.1mm, bright red



5.2 x 4.8mm, bright red with pink modifier



All three together (left to right: 4.5, 5, 5.2mm) for color/relative size/shape comparison:



I generally prefer more minimalist/sculpted/architectural looks and would prefer to avoid halos. Some initial ideas:

• Chubby/spherical bezel pendant in 18k yg
• Pendant in a celestial design in brushed/florentine 18k unplated wg or 18k yg (starlike sculpted bezel? four diamonds or pearls at the compass points?)
• Simple 4-prong (compass) pendant in 18k yg
• Stirrup, chunky bezel, or signet flush-set ring in 18k yg or rg (2.5-3mm minimum band width)
• Some other kind of ring

Thoughts, advice, and more inspiration photos or design ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Chubby bezel pendant inspiration:






"Celestial" inspiration:








Flush-set ring inspiration:

 

[kgizo]

Welcome! I would talk to your vendor about what to expect with a bezel. A few PSers have had spinels bezel set and noticed tone / color shift that they have not been happy with. Also, are you looking to do 2 pendants and 1 ring?

 

[LD]

I agree about the bezels - you may want to see if you can replicate a bezel look and then looking at them in all lights.

they are quite small stones (but very pretty) so have you thought about setting them into a pendant with the stones going down in a line?

 

[asterisms]

Thank you both for the responses!

@LD I did consider a three stone design! I love the thought of an articulated pendant for some movement. But I’m worried that the shapes, sizes, and colors aren’t mismatched enough to look intentional. If the colors were matched I’d be charmed by a wonky trio of slightly different shapes and sizes, but I suspect I’ll fixate on the slightly different shades of red with these.

@kgizo I’m open to two rings and a pendant as well! Considering sending the largest one to Cheyenne Weil. I hadn’t thought about color shift as a potential concern, thank you for pointing it out because color is definitely what I prize most about these. I asked for pictures of a bezel setting for a comparably bright stone and it looks like the example stone still performs well. I don’t have photos in indirect lighting or shadow, but the vendor tells me that color/tone performance don’t noticeably change for similar stones across lighting environments, compared to how they looked unset.

 

[maru8888777]

I love your spinels, but especially the one in the middle. GORGEOUS red. I'd probably have that set in a pendant or necklace like some of your examples above, and then I might also consider a moi et toi ring, maybe?

 

[Neptune]

Non-bezel and halo options, perhaps using different color metal prongs to play up the red and pink?

Melissa Kaye


Rahaminov

 

[CSpan]

My stones are much smaller than yours, but I had a mishmash of shapes and shades and did a cluster pendant.

 

[maru8888777]

OP, did you ever decide on settings? Red spinels are my favorite, and this looks like a fun project!

 

[T L]

I love your spinels, I just don’t like the idea of bezeling them as it can reduce the face up size. This is because some of the metal comes over the crown of the stones, and the gems are small to begin with. Of course if you use a top tier jeweler/artisan like David Klass, they can work wonders with bezels, but most benches seem to mess them up.

I would do a simple modern linear pendant with three stones. The fact they’re the same color family makes me want to separate them with some metal. That way you can look at the various shapes. They don’t all have to have the same shape.

 

[asterisms]

Belated thanks to everyone for the ideas! @Neptune I especially loved the Melissa Kaye ring and I think it’ll be a beautiful use for some spinel rounds that I have.

@maru8888777 Thanks for the nudge!
I’ve asked the vendor to just hang onto the stones until I decide on designs, but I’m set on two pendants and a ring.

@CSpan Those blues are so good. I thought about a cluster or a wwake-style choker-length necklace, but I think I’d get stuck on the shapes. Mixed rounds and cushions I can do, but the oval would bother me.

@T L I have whatever the opposite of shrinkage is! I’ve realized that I only pick up my lower-key jewelry to stack or layer for daily wear. I’m okay with tiny sizes relative to other PS jewelry. You’re right that the stones are already as small as I’d want to go for one-stone designs. Would a combination bezel with prongs still change the face up size? If I go the bezel route it’ll be with DK.

I just saw this antique ring yesterday and loved it:



It led me to more bezels / frames / halos with an air gap:













I like the idea of one of the stones prong-set with a frame for a pendant. I know I said I wasn’t a fan of halos but I love how dramatic that oxidized silver / gold design is. Anyway, I’m debating style and how I should communicate the design so the CAD doesn’t need many revisions. I would love any advice or input!

 

[maru8888777]

Belated thanks to everyone for the ideas! @Neptune I especially loved the Melissa Kaye ring and I think it’ll be a beautiful use for some spinel rounds that I have.

@maru8888777 Thanks for the nudge!
I’ve asked the vendor to just hang onto the stones until I decide on designs, but I’m set on two pendants and a ring.

@CSpan Those blues are so good. I thought about a cluster or a wwake-style choker-length necklace, but I think I’d get stuck on the shapes. Mixed rounds and cushions I can do, but the oval would bother me.

@T L I have whatever the opposite of shrinkage is! I’ve realized that I only pick up my lower-key jewelry to stack or layer for daily wear. I’m okay with tiny sizes relative to other PS jewelry. You’re right that the stones are already as small as I’d want to go for one-stone designs. Would a combination bezel with prongs still change the face up size? If I go the bezel route it’ll be with DK.

I just saw this antique ring yesterday and loved it:



It led me to more bezels / frames / halos with an air gap:













I like the idea of one of the stones prong-set with a frame for a pendant. I know I said I wasn’t a fan of halos but I love how dramatic that oxidized silver / gold design is. Anyway, I’m debating style and how I should communicate the design so the CAD doesn’t need many revisions. I would love any advice or input!

I think a lot of this depends on the vendor's bench... what can they make? What are their limitations/strengths? I imagine that they can work with inspiration photos or show you similar pieces they've completed...

 

[T L]

@asterisms,
To answer your above question, prongs do not affect the face up size as much as a bezel. Bezels are extremely less forgiving with sub carat stones. JMO

 

[dk168]

I would set them randomly in a cluster with some small diamonds in a convertible ringdant.

DK

 

[Mooshi]

Bario neal came to mind

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