SHOULD I ADD ROUND SIDES TO MY SOLITAIRE?

[elle_chris]

Oh my goodness, I just found this set online and now I'm leaning towards Rounds! (Which seem to be the overwhelming favorite in the poll.) This is exactly the ratio I have in mind... The side stones are so subtle and do not take away from the center stone at all... And it is just so gorgeous with the eternity band! I wonder if .40s will give me this look?

How large is this center stone?

Here's a few pics of mine with .53ct sides and .70ct sides (all diamonds are ACA's)
When I have mine reset, it's going to be with my .70ct sides.

I couldn't place side stones perfectly but at least you can get idea how various carat weights look in relation to the center stone.

My solitaire is 3.76ct so similar in size to yours.

 

[AuntKiki]

Hi CharlotteYork! I love your solitaire and eternity combo!
Between rounds and pears, I think it’s personal preference. Both are classic, beautiful choices. If you were inclined to lean towards pears, I’d maybe say go for the hearts. It probably wouldn’t be very obvious they were hearts unless looking very closely. To a casual observer it’s the classic pear side stone setting. But up close it’s a unique surprise that they’re hearts. I love heart diamonds.
Good luck deciding!

 

[CharlotteYork]

How large is this center stone?

Here's a few pics of mine with .53ct sides and .70ct sides (all diamonds are ACA's)
When I have mine reset, it's going to be with my .70ct sides.

I couldn't place side stones perfectly but at least you can get idea how various carat weights look in relation to the center stone.

My solitaire is 3.76ct so similar in size to yours.

This is gorgeous, I cannot wait to see your reset!

 

[CharlotteYork]

Honestly, the side stones came a long time ago - several center stones ago I should say. This setting is from PrecisionSet and is a flush fit setting. WF was able to change the head to accommodate this larger center stone and the side stones were still small enough to satisfy the ‘accent’ stones that I wanted. I always want the center to be the star as you say so this setting just continued to work. The channel set band from Tiffany came later and worked because it was the same height as the bridge under the diamonds on the engagement ring. So this compilation was not by plan; it was rather pieced together and worked. I do much better with being able to see something on my hand than to try to convey what is in my head to a designer. Honestly though the rings are rather simple and could be duplicated by almost anyone.

My math is really bad, but I think a pair of .41s will give me approximately the same ratio as your ring? I would love to replicate your proportions!

 

[MissGotRocks]

My math is really bad, but I think a pair of .41s will give me approximately the same ratio as your ring? I would love to replicate your proportions!

Well your center is .48 larger than mine so .41 should be good I would think. I guess if you sent the ring back to WF they could take a picture of your center with sidestones to give you a good visual - if WF is doing the ring.

 

[blingmeupscotty]

Have you thought about just getting a guard instead? So you can swap it out if you get bored with the 3 stone?

 

[CharlotteYork]

OK... After MUCH deliberation, I have decided on Rounds!!! Here are the reasons why:

• I'm absolutely in love with the Butterfly setting @yssie designed with Whiteflash. It is just stunning, and the more I look at it, the more I love it. The soft, flowing romantic lines and the angled position of the sidestones... just gorgeous! I love the six prongs on the center and the slight pear/heart look the three prongs give the sidestones.

• There is something truly magical about ACA diamonds, sigh... Several people commented that pears and hearts just cannot match the sparkle of a round, and nothing matches the sparkle and brilliance of ACA rounds! I understand it is hard to match up diamonds for a three stone, but since my center is an ACA, this should allow a near perfect match.

• Whiteflash has a fabulous Lifetime Trade Up Guarantee. If I ever decide to go another direction, this gives me added flexibility.

• I've looked and looked and have had trouble finding hearts. They are harder to find because of their rarity, and finding a pair is really a challenge. I don't want to go through the extra expense of having stones custom cut, or risk having poorly matched or poorly cut sides that will take away from my center. I would also have to purchase at least .50 each sides to even be able to tell they are hearts. I can go smaller and save money with rounds... even ACA rounds!

• I'm also not excited about starting another custom project from scratch. The Butterfly has been perfected over a decade+ and I am looking forward to a quick and seamless reset.

• Expert Advice: Here are the current results from my Pricescope poll, and I trust your judgement!
  • Hearts: 22%
  • Pears: 25.4%
  • Rounds: 52.5%

I have two perfectly matched I colored .413 ACAs on hold with Whiteflash... @MissGotRocks, they confirmed this size gives me almost exactly the same ratio as your ring, which I adore!! I love the "accent stone" look vs. a traditional three stone, and I don't think I should go any bigger in order to keep everything on my finger as @yssie intended with the design.

@yssie and @MissGotRocks I would love your thoughts and any other suggestions! And Butterfly owners @Lvoeshinythings @Siamese Kitty @soxfan @GamGam I'd love to hear if you still love your ring!

@yssie, I did want to ask you about the height, as I know you had two renditions of this ring - each with a different height. I love your second ring, do I need to ask Whiteflash if they can slightly raise the height to achieve this?

Thank you so much everyone for your help!! Pricescope is truly the best, and I will keep you updated on my project!!

 

[yssie]

You've thought this through really thoroughly!! Seems like it's not possible that it's the wrong decision given that you've analyzed so many aspects of it!! And I'm selfishly super excited you're going with WF and with the Butterflies mount, it has a special place in my heart

I did ask WF to leave at least 0.5mm clearance between my stone and the bottom of the mount. That was paranoia more than anything else (I'd just had a totally unrelated issue with a totally different gemstone set too low by a totally different vendor) but I ended up really liking the way it looked!

You could also ask WF to take some photos/video of your intended lineup and with smaller and larger sides! If nothing else to make sure you LOVE your chosen proportions! FWIW that's about exactly where I'd go too, significantly smaller than the center. And they'll actually look pretty pear-like IRL once they're set, I think, tucked under the center with the single end-prong

 

[Lakefront]

I was admittedly team Heart but this ring will be amazing too!
So exciting! I can’t wait to see it

 

[CharlotteYork]

You've thought this through really thoroughly!! Seems like it's not possible that it's the wrong decision given that you've analyzed so many aspects of it!! And I'm selfishly super excited you're going with WF and with the Butterflies mount, it has a special place in my heart

I did ask WF to leave at least 0.5mm clearance between my stone and the bottom of the mount. That was paranoia more than anything else (I'd just had a totally unrelated issue with a totally different gemstone set too low by a totally different vendor) but I ended up really liking the way it looked!

You could also ask WF to take some photos/video of your intended lineup and with smaller and larger sides! If nothing else to make sure you LOVE your chosen proportions! FWIW that's about exactly where I'd go too, significantly smaller than the center. And they'll actually look pretty pear-like IRL once they're set, I think, tucked under the center with the single end-prong

Awww, thanks @yssie!! I'm so excited because I'm getting a custom ring with out all the headache, lol!! You have impeccable taste, and I could not be more excited about this setting! It is actually what made me even consider rounds! And with those three "pear-like" prongs, I'm getting the best of both worlds. Also, the way you designed the sides to "tuck under" and hug the finger is so scrumptious.

WF doesn't have a huge selection of ACA stones in the .40 range right now unfortunately. The only other pair was slightly smaller than my .413s and then it bumps up to just over .50, and I definitely don't want to go that big. It does make me a little nervous to not have other options to choose from, but of all the rings I pulled for inspiration, @MissGotRocks had the smallest sides ratio-wise, and the "accent" look she achieved was my favorite. So the fact that the .413s are the exact same ratio, I think is fate! Plus, my center is larger than all the others I pulled, and I want to make sure my finger does not start to look overwhelmed... so I think this size is perfect.

Regarding the height, here is what I found from your second ring SMTB post!
"..the stones are higher (centre is 0.6mm off the trellis bottom, sides are 0.8mm) - so I can see the culets of all three stones while wearing a wedding band."

And speaking of wedding bands, I love how they sit near flush with this setting!

You should be receiving commissions from WF with all these Butterflies you have sold!

 

[MissGotRocks]

@CharlotteYork - how exciting! I think it will be beautiful. Yssie did do a lot of leg work for this setting and you’ve got her expertise on your side. The only other thing I can think of - and it is just because folks have had prong preferences - is to make sure you either want claw or small prongs. If you want to duplicate hers exactly then you are all set. I think you will be delighted with the spread of ACA’s across your finger! I will tell you though that once you go with a three stone, it is hard to go back to a solitaire unless you were to go with a larger stone. For me, the three stone just gives a balanced look and while I love a beautiful solitaire, I don’t think I could go back. When I was younger, I probably could not have dreamed about having anything but a solitaire but now I don’t think I could give up the three stone look. I can’t wait to see this finished - I am delighted for you!!

 

[CharlotteYork]

@CharlotteYork - how exciting! I think it will be beautiful. Yssie did do a lot of leg work for this setting and you’ve got her expertise on your side. The only other thing I can think of - and it is just because folks have had prong preferences - is to make sure you either want claw or small prongs. If you want to duplicate hers exactly then you are all set. I think you will be delighted with the spread of ACA’s across your finger! I will tell you though that once you go with a three stone, it is hard to go back to a solitaire unless you were to go with a larger stone. For me, the three stone just gives a balanced look and while I love a beautiful solitaire, I don’t think I could go back. When I was younger, I probably could not have dreamed about having anything but a solitaire but now I don’t think I could give up the three stone look. I can’t wait to see this finished - I am delighted for you!!

Oh I love her prongs! But I'm starting to worry about how my eternity ring will fit with it. @yssie Do you remember if yours sat flush? It looked "almost flush" to me, and I'm wondering now if that will be enough. This tester just arrived from Amazon... It is a 2.5 center with .35 sides... Almost the same size as yours @MissGotRocks! I don't like the way it sits with my eternity ring. @MissGotRocks has a much tighter/overlapping fit that I love.

I'm also surprised at how large the .35 sides look with the 2.5! I'm thinking I might like .35ish instead of the .41s!

 

[yssie]

Alllmost flush but not quite 100%! I searched for some photos and I think this is the best that I’ve got, but I’m looking for more! https://www.pricescope.com/communit...one-in-unplated-wg.144010/page-9#post-2892413

I would definitely have WF do a couple of lineups for you with differently sized sides, to see what might work best You mentioned availability was a bit of an issue, maybe they’ll have more in stock shortly?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Believe it or not, my three stone setting was a completely flush fit and when I last upgraded, I asked WF to put a small donut on the ring so that there could be a bit of separation between the rings. I did not want my center stone to completely overlap and dwarf the channel set band. It comes to the bottom of it but is not longer than the band - if that makes sense!

Yes, by all means have WF take some pics for you with the side stones. I think you will like your .41's with the three carat center stone.

 

[Niel]

I think you’ve made the right choice and it’ll be classic and timeless and beautiful. Definitely ask for photos showing a handful of options. you’ve been so thorough so far I’d hate for you to have any doubts about the last detail.

 

[GamGam]

OK... After MUCH deliberation, I have decided on Rounds!!! Here are the reasons why:

• I'm absolutely in love with the Butterfly setting @yssie designed with Whiteflash. It is just stunning, and the more I look at it, the more I love it. The soft, flowing romantic lines and the angled position of the sidestones... just gorgeous! I love the six prongs on the center and the slight pear/heart look the three prongs give the sidestones.

• There is something truly magical about ACA diamonds, sigh... Several people commented that pears and hearts just cannot match the sparkle of a round, and nothing matches the sparkle and brilliance of ACA rounds! I understand it is hard to match up diamonds for a three stone, but since my center is an ACA, this should allow a near perfect match.

• Whiteflash has a fabulous Lifetime Trade Up Guarantee. If I ever decide to go another direction, this gives me added flexibility.

• I've looked and looked and have had trouble finding hearts. They are harder to find because of their rarity, and finding a pair is really a challenge. I don't want to go through the extra expense of having stones custom cut, or risk having poorly matched or poorly cut sides that will take away from my center. I would also have to purchase at least .50 each sides to even be able to tell they are hearts. I can go smaller and save money with rounds... even ACA rounds!

• I'm also not excited about starting another custom project from scratch. The Butterfly has been perfected over a decade+ and I am looking forward to a quick and seamless reset.

• Expert Advice: Here are the current results from my Pricescope poll, and I trust your judgement!
  • Hearts: 22%
  • Pears: 25.4%
  • Rounds: 52.5%

I have two perfectly matched I colored .413 ACAs on hold with Whiteflash... @MissGotRocks, they confirmed this size gives me almost exactly the same ratio as your ring, which I adore!! I love the "accent stone" look vs. a traditional three stone, and I don't think I should go any bigger in order to keep everything on my finger as @yssie intended with the design.

@yssie and @MissGotRocks I would love your thoughts and any other suggestions! And Butterfly owners @Lvoeshinythings @Siamese Kitty @soxfan @GamGam I'd love to hear if you still love your ring!

@yssie, I did want to ask you about the height, as I know you had two renditions of this ring - each with a different height. I love your second ring, do I need to ask Whiteflash if they can slightly raise the height to achieve this?

Thank you so much everyone for your help!! Pricescope is truly the best, and I will keep you updated on my project!!

I think you’ve made the right choice and it’ll be classic and timeless and beautiful. Definitely ask for photos showing a handful of options. you’ve been so thorough so far I’d hate for you to have any doubts about the last detail.

I just want to add my thoughts about my Butterfly ring . I’ve had it for 3 months now, and still get a warm thrill when I look at it. It is exquisite. The swoop and swirl in the basket is so delicate and beautifully intertwined. And for me, there is so many features which represent my shared life with DH. The 6 prongs on the middle stone each represent 10 years of our married life. ( This is my Diamond Anniversary gift). We have 3 children, and that fact is echoed in the 3 diamonds and the 3 prongs of each side stone. I also love being able to see each culet
. And the prongs on the large stone remind me so much of praying hands. My DH is Deacon in the Episcopal Church, and this side view of these prongs really touches my .
I will try to post a photo I took last Month. And I truly pray that your choice of this mounting for your gorgeous diamond will make your heart sing like mine does for me.
Best of wishes for your future.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I just want to add my thoughts about my Butterfly ring . I’ve had it for 3 months now, and still get a warm thrill when I look at it. It is exquisite. The swoop and swirl in the basket is so delicate and beautifully intertwined. And for me, there is so many features which represent my shared life with DH. The 6 prongs on the middle stone each represent 10 years of our married life. ( This is my Diamond Anniversary gift). We have 3 children, and that fact is echoed in the 3 diamonds and the 3 prongs of each side stone. I also love being able to see each culet
. And the prongs on the large stone remind me so much of praying hands. My DH is Deacon in the Episcopal Church, and this side view of these prongs really touches my .
I will try to post a photo I took last Month. And I truly pray that your choice of this mounting for your gorgeous diamond will make your heart sing like mine does for me.
Best of wishes for your future.

This is so sweet - I love the sentiment that you see in your new ring. Truly a special and meaningful ring for you - and it is beautiful!!

 

[CharlotteYork]

I just want to add my thoughts about my Butterfly ring . I’ve had it for 3 months now, and still get a warm thrill when I look at it. It is exquisite. The swoop and swirl in the basket is so delicate and beautifully intertwined. And for me, there is so many features which represent my shared life with DH. The 6 prongs on the middle stone each represent 10 years of our married life. ( This is my Diamond Anniversary gift). We have 3 children, and that fact is echoed in the 3 diamonds and the 3 prongs of each side stone. I also love being able to see each culet
. And the prongs on the large stone remind me so much of praying hands. My DH is Deacon in the Episcopal Church, and this side view of these prongs really touches my .
I will try to post a photo I took last Month. And I truly pray that your choice of this mounting for your gorgeous diamond will make your heart sing like mine does for me.
Best of wishes for your future.

What a beautiful story, I loved hearing this! Three stones are so meaningful and sentimental, which makes me love them even more! And this is really is such an exquisite ring. Wear it in good health!

 

[CharlotteYork]

Believe it or not, my three stone setting was a completely flush fit and when I last upgraded, I asked WF to put a small donut on the ring so that there could be a bit of separation between the rings. I did not want my center stone to completely overlap and dwarf the channel set band. It comes to the bottom of it but is not longer than the band - if that makes sense!

Yes, by all means have WF take some pics for you with the side stones. I think you will like your .41's with the three carat center stone.

Oh good, I was thinking the same thing about completely flush... a little separation is definitely a good thing! I just don't like the way this tester makes it COMPLETELY separate! Yours is perfect! Thank you so much for all of your help!!

 

[CharlotteYork]

Alllmost flush but not quite 100%! I searched for some photos and I think this is the best that I’ve got, but I’m looking for more! https://www.pricescope.com/communit...one-in-unplated-wg.144010/page-9#post-2892413

I would definitely have WF do a couple of lineups for you with differently sized sides, to see what might work best You mentioned availability was a bit of an issue, maybe they’ll have more in stock shortly?

This is perfect and so very helpful!! Almost flush is absolutely what I want! Just like @MissGotRocks rings as well. I panicked a little when this tester arrived... while I certainly don't want the three-stone to dwarf my eternity ring, I don't want them sitting completely separate either! These pictures are perfect... you designed a perfect ring! Thank you again @yssie!

 

[MissGotRocks]

@CharlotteYork, just checking in with you on the reset. Is it in production or did you decide to go a different route?

 

[Tayberry]

I think you need a larger center stone and side stones to go with your big eternity band

 

[CharlotteYork]

Apologies for leaving you hanging! I purchased testers for heart side stones and pear side stones and, though beautiful, I felt they dwarfed my round and made it look smaller. I guess I'm so used to the "pow!" effect of a large solitaire, lol! So I have been rethinking (i.e. obsessing over) other options and am now considering either tapered baguettes or teeny tiny round side stones... I have a ring from my grandmother with the sparkliest .20ish rounds you ever did see! I am leaning towards the teeny tiny rounds and have a design in mind. I'll post my ideas, but first I wanted to share my testers in case they can help anyone else who is in the same boat!
First, here is a three carat round with .50 carat hearts I had a lady from Etsy make for me to test out.


Here is a 3 carat with pears (not sure the exact size) I also found on Etsy.

I do love round sidestones and was two seconds away from buying a Butterfly setting from Whiteflash with .40ish sides, but I panicked at the last moment thinking that too would dwarf my center. Here is a 2.5 center with .35 sides I bought from Amazon to test.


2.5 round with .35 sides

Someone posted the image below, and I cannot find the original thread, but this is now similar to what I'm thinking for my reset... Love, love, love!!!



These tiny round sides act more as accent stones rather than as a traditional three-stone, and I do not feel take away from the center at all! But they would add that additional pop of sparkle I am craving.

I have saved a handful of vintage rings that have this look, but also incorporate melee on the band. More to come!!

 

[Slickk]

@CharlotteYork I once owned that exact ring pictured in the Tiffany blue background.
That was an 8mm with 4mm sides. So 50% of the center for your reference. Good luck!!

 

[CharlotteYork]

@CharlotteYork I once owned that exact ring pictured in the Tiffany blue background.
That was an 8mm with 4mm sides. So 50% of the center for your reference. Good luck!!

Ahhh! Thank you SO much!!! I was wondering who was the owner of this beautiful set! Do you have a thread on it by chance? I see you now have a round with tapered baguette sides, which is another option I'm considering. I would love to know your thoughts on both! Did you feel with either that the sides took away from the center?

 

[MissGotRocks]

This is my 2.53 ACA with .33 side stones. The 2.50 you posted with .35 side stones looks a bit off - maybe the way the stones are set?
Of course, all proportions can look good depending on your preference but your diamond is a three carat that should be able to carry the .30 - .50 side stones. If the .20’s hold sentimental value to you and you really want to use them, try taping them somehow beside your solitaire and see what you think.
Good to hear from you again - I wondered what you had decided!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Sorry for the duplicates!!

 

[CharlotteYork]

Here are some of the inspiration rings I have pulled... All are vintage and from Victor Barbone.





This!! Swoon!!! But with a 3.10 center instead of the .77 pictured. Video here, this one's a stunner!


Five stone with tiny sides is pretty too! source







(but with round center)

 

[CharlotteYork]

This is my 2.53 ACA with .33 side stones. The 2.50 you posted with .35 side stones looks a bit off - maybe the way the stones are set?
Of course, all proportions can look good depending on your preference but your diamond is a three carat that should be able to carry the .30 - .50 side stones. If the .20’s hold sentimental value to you and you really want to use them, try taping them somehow beside your solitaire and see what you think.
Good to hear from you again - I wondered what you had decided!

It definitely may not be the correct sizes... It was an Amazon purchase!

I'm going to take my Grandmother's ring to the jeweler this week and have them measure the stones... Here is a (terrible!) picture of my 3.10 next to one of the stones in her ring. This doesn't really give an accurate look though because there is a gold scallop around the stone that serves as a "halo" effect. So they are a bit smaller. I'm guessing .20-.25ish each... possibly up to .30 each. I would LOVE to use these... My grandmother wore this ring every day during the 50s and 60s and they sparkle like crazy!

 

[Slickk]

@CharlotteYork Sorry. I went back to my Loupetroop listing and found that the sides were ~.30 total so about 3mm with the 8mm center. Apologies.
I liked that ring but the 8mm center didn’t well work for me. Personally I love the baguette setting because I adore those long flashes of light beside the center.
What a great idea to have your inspirations made! Can’t wait to see where you end up!