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Shared prong setting with cathedral mount?

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JoshM_DC

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
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Hi all,

I have received mixed advice from different jewlers about the feasability of doing a cathedral mount with shared prong side stones.

One jeweler said it would be difficult to have the side stones extend all the way along to the raised ends of cathedral parts (there''s probably a name for those, but i don''t know it - sorry it''s so vague).

Another said it can be done, but the ring would look "busy". (I have emailed and asked for clarification)

The third said it can be done, but she had never done it and so couldnt send me a picture.

I would appreciate any comments or advice from the crowd.

(particularly pictures of such a setting).

Thanks

Josh
 
hmm. not sure I''ve ever seen a shared prong cathedral. maybe sevens one will jump in later..she''s the setting queen and knows where all of them are.

here''s one that might be something like you are describing but it''s bead set, not shared prong..

tmb_big_0657-016.jpg.jpg
 
Scintillating''s gorgeous Leon is either bead-set or shared prong with a cathedral. Lots of pics of her ring are here. It''s one of my PS favorites!
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scint_cathedral.jpg
 
Date: 4/5/2006 4:58:00 PM
Author: albicocca
Scintillating's gorgeous Leon is either bead-set or shared prong with a cathedral. Lots of pics of her ring are here. It's one of my PS favorites!
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her's is bead set pave
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Thanks for your replies. Very pretty rings.

I''ve seen pictures of bead, channel, and pave set cathedrals, but no shared prongs. Is it because it can''t be done/difficult/is a bad idea, or is it just an uncommon style?

For those who know how the stones are actually set in the metal in the different settings, does it make sense that the shared prong would be harder or less stable?

Thanks again,

Josh
 
I honestly think it would look kind of funny. Most shared prong settings have a bubblegum wrapper side views and taking that up on a slope would look strange to me.

here''s a 5 stone but shows the "bubblegum wrapper" I was talking about.

tmb_big_0656-003.jpg.jpg
 
What about a shared prong with smooth sides?

I want the ring to be the same width all the way around, which may require the smooth sides anyway.
 
I haven''t seen a shared prong cathedral that I can remember ... but when I picture it in my mind - it does look "busy". Shared prongs have a lot going on on the sides of the stones, so in the side view ... sides sweeping up toward the center ... it wouldn''t be very "flowing". The clean solid part (which would be necessary for stability) would be around the finger itself and the "busy" part would be going up toward the stone.

Doesn''t sound pretty to me - there''s probably a reason its not done often (if at all). Keep in mind that the wearer sees the ring from the side view most of the time ... and really, most everyone else does too. Side view aestetics shouldn''t be ignored.

Did she asked for a shared prong for bling, but you prefer cathedral? What instigated this search? Jus'' curious!
 
Date: 4/5/2006 5:12:23 PM
Author: JoshM_DC
What about a shared prong with smooth sides?

I don''t think there is such a thing ... it kinda becomes channel-set with smooth sides ... is that what you mean?
 
Date: 4/5/2006 4:58:00 PM
Author: albicocca
Scintillating's gorgeous Leon is either bead-set or shared prong with a cathedral. Lots of pics of her ring are. It's one of my PS favorites!
30.gif
Aw - Thank you Albi!
9.gif
That's SO nice, that made my day!
I love
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yours too.
(I wish we had a blushing icon.)

Josh, yes mine is bead set. I've never seen a cathedral shared prong setting. It's a very interesting idea. Have you emailed WhiteFlash with your question.

Something like Bluej442's ring -
Aramis setting - could perhaps be adapted to a cathedral setting.
This is kind of what you were describing, with a cathedral.
What do you think?

ring422.JPG


Scintillating...
 
*Bump* Josh?
 
I have seen someone with a shared prong cathedral setting. It was made by Precision Set and it was in the SMTR folder. Let me see if I can find it....
 
Here it is. It is on page 11 of the E-ring/Eye Candy thread. The person''s name is Dandrop but I don''t think he posts here anymore. I had this one saved in my own eye candy folder for a while.
1.gif


dandropsring.jpg
 
Date: 4/5/2006 5:05:17 PM
Author: JoshM_DC


I''ve seen pictures of bead, channel, and pave set cathedrals, but no shared prongs. Is it because it can''t be done/difficult

maybe, but difficult styles are still done if worth it...



/is a bad idea,

IMO, yes... because the tapering elements extending from the band of the ring to the center stone would be very thick and relatively large compared to the center stone, and the diamonds set in them hidden from view.


or is it just an uncommon style?

I can remember having seen such a ring online. Maybe someone has posted it? Dunno... The diamonds on the tapering elements of the cathedral were progressively smaller and the band of the ring had a ''spiky'' look to it.
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Well - matter of taste though. You may well like it.

Aside looks, I wonder if the diamonds are held safely on the upper sloping shank. bead setting as it is done on the first two rings posted here is a tried and true solution, so is pave. I''d rather bet on them. Besides, what is he difference between shared beads setting and shared prong for small diamonds ?




For those who know how the stones are actually set in the metal in the different settings, does it make sense that the shared prong would be harder or less stable?

As far as I can tell, yes - because there is less support under it than the band of the ring provides - unless the ''arms'' of the cathedral are relatively massive.
 
Btw. On this one, the diamonds on the band line up upwards to ''meet'' the center stone w/o the difficult slope of cathedral bands. Would it do?

If the diamonds on the band should be smaller, than pave it is (either with a channel or not).

375x375.aspx


From te Photo Gallery of Pearlmans Jewelers here.
 
Date: 4/6/2006 3:45:05 AM
Author: pebbles
Here it is. It is on page 11 of the E-ring/Eye Candy thread. The person''s name is Dandrop but I don''t think he posts here anymore. I had this one saved in my own eye candy folder for a while.
1.gif

Good find Pebbles. Josh if you like that check out
Precisionset.com, then you''d save yourself the possible headache of custom.
 
Did she asked for a shared prong for bling, but you prefer cathedral? What instigated this search? Jus'' curious!

We both like the look of the shared prongs, and she''s on the fence regarding the cathedral. She wants to see more pictures of it before she decides, which is mostly what prompted this search. I''ll definitely show her these, to get a better idea of what she wants. (Some days, I figure I should have just picked it out myself, rather than let her start "changing her mind" like women do :).

Something like Bluej442''s ring -
Aramis setting - could perhaps be adapted to a cathedral setting.
This is kind of what you were describing, with a cathedral.
What do you think?

From these angles, it''s hard to see the cathedral section. That said, I like this ring a lot. Its very similar to other shared prong settings we''ve seen (and liked). Is there a name for the smooth sides, vs the ridged sides style?

Here it is. It is on page 11 of the E-ring/Eye Candy thread. The person''s name is Dandrop but I don''t think he posts here anymore. I had this one saved in my own eye candy folder for a while.

I''ll definitely show this to the G/F. One of her original requests was "less metal." Thanks for the picture!

>For those who know how the stones are actually set in the metal in the different settings, does it >make sense that the shared prong would be harder or less stable?

As far as I can tell, yes - because there is less support under it than the band of the ring provides - unless the ''arms'' of the cathedral are relatively massive.

I need to talk to the original jeweler and hear his reasons against the shared prong/cathedral. I think it''s something similar to this.

Besides, what is he difference between shared beads setting and shared prong for small diamonds ?

That''s a good point. I need to look at more bead set rings too. So much to do!

Btw. On this one, the diamonds on the band line up upwards to ''meet'' the center stone w/o the difficult slope of cathedral bands. Would it do?

Something else to show the boss :)

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions! I''ll report back with progress.

Josh
 
Thanks Matatora,

Is that considered a cathedral mount? I was under the impression a cathedral setting typically has a raised stone?

josh
 
Josh - Blue's setting isn't a cathedral setting, but it is a small shared prong with smooth sides - note the small amount of metal - I though it could be adapted to a cathedral setting.
Have you looked through the Eye Candy Folder for ideas?

The reason I went for a cathedral setting was - the ability to wear a wedding band flush next to it. A wedding ring slides under the head of the center stone. I don't think you could do that with the ritani, it looks more like the traditional shared prong setting.

I'm not sure that the precision set's qualify as shared prong. They look like 4 prong settings, 4 prongs around each melee - they don't share any prongs between them.

Scintillating...
 
Without going too far off on a tangent, 2 more questions:

1. what''s the consensus on custom-designed rings?
2. How much does the quality of the side stones matter?

I''ve been quoted a price range of 1k-1500 for a white gold shared prong ring (side stones going halfway around). When i pointed out that that seems high (I''ve seen platinum settings for about that price), she responded that the price includes FG/VS side stones and the higher quality of a custom made setting (vs a stock setting).

She said the custom ring is the way to go because I have very specific parameters for the setting.
(2-2.5mm thick, shared prong, w/g, 6 prong head..) It seems to me I''m just being specific to get the ring I want, but it shouldnt be hard to find. This jeweler was highly recommended by a close friend as a friend of his family, so I don''t feel like she''s trying to cheat me. On the other hand...

Thoughts?
 
Date: 4/6/2006 4:31:33 PM
Author: Scintillating
Josh - Blue''s setting isn''t a cathedral setting, but it is a small shared prong with smooth sides - note the small amount of metal - I though it could be adapted to a cathedral setting.

Scintillating...

Oh, I see. Yes, that''s exactly what I would like to have (I think, without having seen such a ring :)
 
Date: 4/6/2006 4:33:39 PM
Author: JoshM_DC
Without going too far off on a tangent, 2 more questions:


1. what''s the consensus on custom-designed rings?

2. How much does the quality of the side stones matter?


I''ve been quoted a price range of 1k-1500 for a white gold shared prong ring (side stones going halfway around). When i pointed out that that seems high (I''ve seen platinum settings for about that price), she responded that the price includes FG/VS side stones and the higher quality of a custom made setting (vs a stock setting).

I think you are probably the perfect candidate for a custom project. You know exactly what your want and since there isn''t any stock setting that we know of like that then I''d go for it. Does the jeweler do cad/cam drawings, a wax, or other things that you can look at before they cast the ring? that would give you a good idea of how it''s going to turn out.

the price seems about right for a WF shared prong ring and dealing with someone local would be worth a little extra if that''s the case IMO.

Please keep us posted on your project if you can. We''d love to see the progression and the outcome
1.gif
 
Date: 4/6/2006 4:33:39 PM
Author: JoshM_DC

2. How much does the quality of the side stones matter?

/QUOTE]

The quality of the melee does matter. I've seen many mountings where the melee looks dull and flat compared to the center stone. High quality "ideally proportioned" melee contributes to a setting that looks high quality.

I think she's right, custom is the way to go.
You have very specific ideas about what you want.
Have you seen her work - a portfolio? (This is really important to me!)
The price seems right to me. It seems inline with a high quality WG setting.
You'd pay $1000 more for a high quality platinum setting.

Scintillating...

If I were you I'd get a couple quotes.
I think you should email WhiteFlash.com and ask them for a quote.
I also agree with Mrs. Salvo, if you've seen her work, and are comfortable with her having a setting done locally can be worth a few extra dollars.

Mrs. S brings up a few good points.
How does she work? Cads? Waxes? Handmade or cast? Return/exchange/re-work policy?
 
I think you are probably the perfect candidate for a custom project. You know exactly what your want and since there isn''t any stock setting that we know of like that then I''d go for it. Does the jeweler do cad/cam drawings, a wax, or other things that you can look at before they cast the ring? that would give you a good idea of how it''s going to turn out.

the price seems about right for a WF shared prong ring and dealing with someone local would be worth a little extra if that''s the case IMO.


Please keep us posted on your project if you can. We''d love to see the progression and the outcome


Date: 4/6/2006 4:44:23 PM
Author: Scintillating
Date: 4/6/2006 4:33:39 PM
Author: JoshM_DC

2. How much does the quality of the side stones matter?

/QUOTE]

The quality of the melee does matter. I''ve seen many mountings where the melee looks dull and flat compared to the center stone. High quality ''ideally proportioned'' melee contributes to a setting that looks high quality.

I think she''s right, custom is the way to go.
You have very specific ideas about what you want.
Have you seen her work - a portfolio? (This is really important to me!)
The price seems right to me. It seems inline with a high quality WG setting.
You''d pay $1000 more for a high quality platinum setting.

Scintillating...

If I were you I''d get a couple quotes.
I think you should email WhiteFlash.com and ask them for a quote.
I also agree with Mrs. Salvo, if you''ve seen her work, and are comfortable with her having a setting done locally can be worth a few extra dollars.

Mrs. S brings up a few good points.
How does she work? Cads? Waxes? Handmade or cast? Return/exchange/re-work policy?

The jeweler is Sparkle Shop, in Houston, TX. Anyone know anything about it? What about Boone and Sons, in DC?

I have spoken with WhiteFlash. Sparkle Shop''s price quote is in line with WF''s, Boones is a few hundred dollars less. Being in DC, I prefer to see the ring in person and so like Boones. Aside from pictures on sparkleshop.com, I haven''t seen her work. I believe she does both handmade (custom) and cast pieces. She has offered to send me a wax, once I have committed to purchasing. I''ll have to ask about cad.


Having talked with g/f, we both like the Blue''s aramis style. But we can''t see how its different from a standard shared prong. Can anyone fill us in? It looks like that ring will not fit snugly against a second band. I assume the head can be changed so that a wedding band will fit snugly?

About custom made rings, is there a big difference?

Last question (for now): what about Palladium? Sparkleshop said they just started using it, and it does not require rhodium plating (but stayed white and shiny). Thoughts on that? How much does paladium typically cost? Sparkleshop said it would be some small amount more than stardard w/g, but can''t give me an exact number until the ring design is finalized.

THANKS!

Josh
 
If you are in DC then you might want to check on Quest! They have done some great custom projects for PSer and are in NOVA.
 
Date: 4/6/2006 10:29:54 PM
Author: Matatora
If you are in DC then you might want to check on Quest! They have done some great custom projects for PSer and are in NOVA.


I second checking with Quest. Several Pricescopers have had rings made by them, including me. you can see examples of their work here. they will also show you a cad/cam drawing, and the wax along the way. There pricing is very competitive. Worth a call at least I''d think.
 
Sounds good. I''ll give them a call.

Josh
 
Hi All,

Just a quick update for those following along at home:

Pending seeing a picture of exactly what we''re looking for (cathedral mounted shared prong), the decision has been made to go for a more "standard" shared prong ring.

She''s also decided to go with platinum, for the following reason. She''s worried that with w/g, the prongs (both those holding the main stone and those holding the side stones) may/will "yellow", and that will tarnish the look of the ring. She isnt worried about platinum''s patina, since the ring will have relatively little metal anyway.

I''d like to hear more about the aramis setting, above, if anyone knows anything. Is it a replica of a classic ring, or a style, or something specific that WhiteFlash does?

Thanks

Josh
 
Date: 4/9/2006 2:40:39 PM
Author: JoshM_DC


I''d like to hear more about the aramis setting, above, if anyone knows anything. Is it a replica of a classic ring, or a style, or something specific that WhiteFlash does?


Thanks


Josh

Hey Josh,
There are many shared prong versions or rings out there. The Aramis ring is a WF ring that they made and named that particular design. If she loves that ring, I suggest calling WF tomorrow and they can tell you all the details. they will also modify anything on the design that they can without affecting the integrity of the ring. i.e if you want a wedding band to sit flush they may have to change the head to accomodate one.
 
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