setting my greenish cushion sapphire (part 2)

[minousbijoux]

Chrono: I like both your rings very much. What I see that makes a difference is that it doesn't appear that either ring has a great expanse where the melee rows come together, if you know what I mean. I think that when they run separately and then come together, it runs the risk of looking like a zipper...

 

[FrekeChild]

Examples of split shank with double rows of pave into larger single row.

 

[FrekeChild]

Chrono: I like both your rings very much. What I see that makes a difference is that it doesn't appear that either ring has a great expanse where the melee rows come together, if you know what I mean. I think that when they run separately and then come together, it runs the risk of looking like a zipper...

I think that the two rows of pave next to each other look more zipper-y, but I guess that's just a personal preference.

 

[sonyachancs]

Chrono, I just love your periwinkle ring - it made me rethink the ER a couple times.. the sapphire is 8mm square and 5.2mm deep. the melee are on the larger side (especially with compared with what she usually has on her store) and I think 1.3-1.5mm, but I will confirm this when I see her later and ask about making it even more delicate.

I forgot to mention in my last reply that their rings aren't bulky usually, but I haven't seen a stone the size of mine set there before, and the melee tends to be quite small and delicate (which wouldn't have suited my stone). does the higher weight of the melee and my stone require a significantly sturdier ring?

I have one more photo from my jeweller that probably shows more how bad the lighting is in the shop than a true indication of the metal color.. yg, my ring in unplated wg, and wg from left to right.

 

[chrono]

Minou,
Argh! Now I cannot unsee the zipper look every time I look at split shanks.

Sonya,
Thanks for the compliment on my ring. Yes, 1.3 - 1.5 mm melees is a bit large for an 8 mm stone but not overly so. Can she drop it down to 1 - 1.3 mm?

I forgot to mention in my last reply that their rings aren't bulky usually, but I haven't seen a stone the size of mine set there before, and the melee tends to be quite small and delicate (which wouldn't have suited my stone). does the higher weight of the melee and my stone require a significantly sturdier ring? I don't think your ring needs to be as bulky as shown. It is all about the comfort level and skill of the bench in pulling the design off.

 

[minousbijoux]

Minou,
Argh! Now I cannot unsee the zipper look every time I look at split shanks.

Sorry about that!

Yes, 1.3 - 1.5 mm melees is a bit large for an 8 mm stone but not overly so. Can she drop it down to 1 - 1.3 mm?

I forgot to mention in my last reply that their rings aren't bulky usually, but I haven't seen a stone the size of mine set there before, and the melee tends to be quite small and delicate (which wouldn't have suited my stone). does the higher weight of the melee and my stone require a significantly sturdier ring? I don't think your ring needs to be as bulky as shown. It is all about the comfort level and skill of the bench in pulling the design off.

So question for all of you that have rings made on a regular basis: it it common when having a ring made like this to just switch out the size of the melee? I would think that would require an overhaul of the ring? How does that work?

 

[minousbijoux]

Chrono: I like both your rings very much. What I see that makes a difference is that it doesn't appear that either ring has a great expanse where the melee rows come together, if you know what I mean. I think that when they run separately and then come together, it runs the risk of looking like a zipper...

I think that the two rows of pave next to each other look more zipper-y, but I guess that's just a personal preference.

Yes, this is exactly what I meant.

 

[FrekeChild]

Chrono: I like both your rings very much. What I see that makes a difference is that it doesn't appear that either ring has a great expanse where the melee rows come together, if you know what I mean. I think that when they run separately and then come together, it runs the risk of looking like a zipper...

I think that the two rows of pave next to each other look more zipper-y, but I guess that's just a personal preference.

Yes, this is exactly what I meant.

I'm so confused!!!!!!!!!!! I thought you meant the way I was talking about!

 

[FrekeChild]

Minou,
Argh! Now I cannot unsee the zipper look every time I look at split shanks.

Sorry about that!

Yes, 1.3 - 1.5 mm melees is a bit large for an 8 mm stone but not overly so. Can she drop it down to 1 - 1.3 mm?

I forgot to mention in my last reply that their rings aren't bulky usually, but I haven't seen a stone the size of mine set there before, and the melee tends to be quite small and delicate (which wouldn't have suited my stone). does the higher weight of the melee and my stone require a significantly sturdier ring? I don't think your ring needs to be as bulky as shown. It is all about the comfort level and skill of the bench in pulling the design off.

So question for all of you that have rings made on a regular basis: it it common when having a ring made like this to just switch out the size of the melee? I would think that would require an overhaul of the ring? How does that work?

Good question. I've always worked with CADs or waxes and made changes to those, never had a jeweler make the ring out of metal and then make changes like these.

You typically can't just switch out a bigger melee for a smaller melee, the space provided needs to have enough metal to hold it in, and enough space so that the stone fits in the setting.

Check out some of RDG's videos on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rdgdiamonds?feature=watch

This might look familiar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu-_sEkd_Yo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUnVoKdqI4OiyzX_tK5-MSOg

 

[minousbijoux]

Chrono: I like both your rings very much. What I see that makes a difference is that it doesn't appear that either ring has a great expanse where the melee rows come together, if you know what I mean. I think that when they run separately and then come together, it runs the risk of looking like a zipper...

I think that the two rows of pave next to each other look more zipper-y, but I guess that's just a personal preference.

Yes, this is exactly what I meant.

I'm so confused!!!!!!!!!!! I thought you meant the way I was talking about!

Hahaha, I finally confused you for a change! I guess the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the "zippery" part is the double row which is apart then comes together. If its two rows of small melee which, when they meet, become one bigger single row of melee, it doesn't look zippery.

 

[FrekeChild]

Sonya, when are you going back to the jewelers? Did you give the go ahead?

I'm excited to see everything together!

 

[sonyachancs]

thank you for asking, because I'd really like to share! I went to see the ring on Wednesday, and long story short: I gave the go-ahead after very minute changes..

the swoopiness of the split I kept, because the curviness seemed to match the roundedness of the halo outline, and the trellis/u-prong look I have in mind for my 5 stone. I still don't know what the size of my halo melee is (the 1.3-1.5mm I guessed, but I could be far of), but it looked proportionate so I'm trusting them to it.

I've also left it at the zipper-y two-row where the split meets, because the finger coverage is quite substantial and I don't see it much, and I've also reasoned out why they thought it was "weird" for it to culminate in one row.. they brought in single cut stones (I think it's the first time they've ever done it) for me, a tiny packet of tiny stones, and the larger ones in the packet are already going onto my halo, and I so they don't have larger single cuts to form the single row. so between mixing single and brilliant cuts, and going with a barely noticeable two-row, I picked the latter.

I think I'm really going to like it when it comes back polished and set with diamonds (I hope very much so), and the only thing that kind of bothered me was how substantial it looks. it's less bulky than it seems in the photo, but it's not a thin shanked delicate ring at all; but I've resigned myself to the fact that my centre stone is pretty large and a tiny ring isn't going to look proportionate (especially since my halo isn't small, neither).

sorry that this is so long, but I'm so excited, wish me luck! I'll be back directly when I get the ring in my hands can't wait to get it in front of a camera!

 

[sonyachancs]

I have photos of the nearly-finished, and I am in love! but they were wrongly set with brilliant cuts ( ), so she's going to reset them with single cuts before I get to see it next week.

but I am so excited! what do you think?

 

[chrono]

Looks good. Any profile view? I cannot believe how the bench made the simple mistake of using the wrong melees.
How is the workmanship? Does the prong work feel smooth to the touch? The melees are evenly set (height-wise and aligned)?

 

[sonyachancs]

Looks good. Any profile view? I cannot believe how the bench made the simple mistake of using the wrong melees.
How is the workmanship? Does the prong work feel smooth to the touch? The melees are evenly set (height-wise and aligned)?

I haven't seen it - the jeweler sent me these photos! I will only get to see the ring next week. Chrono, if you zoom in (or look hard at the second photo), you will see this strip of band/metal strip behind the stone - is that indication of windowing? not sure what I could do about it at this stage, but would appreciate the opinion!

 

[chrono]

Chrono, if you zoom in (or look hard at the second photo), you will see this strip of band/metal strip behind the stone - is that indication of windowing? not sure what I could do about it at this stage, but would appreciate the opinion!

My old eyes squinted but cannot make it out. If your sapphire does not have a window, then after being set, it will not show a window.

 

[carmen1]

Looks beautiful - quite an improvement over their first attempt - so happy they were able to get it just right for you and can't wait to see the final product on your hand