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Size of melee question

floridajen

floridajen

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
8
I have been trying to get an idea of the size of melee and width of different halos. It is really hard to tell from photographs what it will look like on my hand. So to try to get perspective, I tried on a Tiffany Soleste. The salesman couldn't answer any of my questions but that's ok - I knew Psers would know.

What size melee is used on the Soleste halo?
What mm width is each halo?

Thanks so much.
 
I would think that would vary depending on the size of the diamond. Your best bet is to search for rings on here that have your size center stone and then ask about the halo size of the particular ring. People here that have had custom rings made can often tell you those details about their own ring.
 
diamondseeker2006|1350928664|3290297 said:
I would think that would vary depending on the size of the diamond. Your best bet is to search for rings on here that have your size center stone and then ask about the halo size of the particular ring. People here that have had custom rings made can often tell you those details about their own ring.
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Ditto.
 
I am having a ring made for my 10 year anniversary. Saving up the money to have a custom hand forged ring. I want to use existing stones for a 3 stone trilogy halo ring like the one that Victor Canera designs. http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/round-tri-halo-trilogy.html

The stones I have are family stones and would really like to make them work but am concerned about the proportions. Here are the specs ( don't have detailed info as they are my grandmothers):
Center stone - 1.65 RB
Side stones - .90 each OEC

I really want the center stone to stand out a bit more than it does now with the two .90 stones on each side. I thought of the idea of doing a double halo around the center to give it a bit of extra size and then just a single halo on the side stones. I want it to be seamless and delicate so I am trying to visualize the size of the melee/halo. As I said it is really hard to tell with the close up shots etc. I went to Tiffany's to try on the Soleste to get some perspective on both a double halo and melee size etc. I have read some complaints from people who feel that the melee is too small on the Soleste or in other designs where they refer to small melee as appearing as "grey dots" instead of that white sparkle. I was shocked too see how small it was in person vs. the pictures online etc.

I do not live near any of the hand forged designers I am considering so I am trying to do my research.

Just curious from the experts on here about recommendations for melee size or halo width. I have a 4.25 finger so I can''t go too big. Trying to balance having that wow factor vs. too much. I am not committed to wearing it as my e find either. Would be happy on either hand. My e ring is a art deco emerald cut piece that I will still wear.
 
floridajen|1350938581|3290391 said:
I am having a ring made for my 10 year anniversary. Saving up the money to have a custom hand forged ring. I want to use existing stones for a 3 stone trilogy halo ring like the one that Victor Canera designs. http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/round-tri-halo-trilogy.html

The stones I have are family stones and would really like to make them work but am concerned about the proportions. Here are the specs ( don't have detailed info as they are my grandmothers):
Center stone - 1.65 RB
Side stones - .90 each OEC

I really want the center stone to stand out a bit more than it does now with the two .90 stones on each side. I thought of the idea of doing a double halo around the center to give it a bit of extra size and then just a single halo on the side stones. I want it to be seamless and delicate so I am trying to visualize the size of the melee/halo. As I said it is really hard to tell with the close up shots etc. I went to Tiffany's to try on the Soleste to get some perspective on both a double halo and melee size etc. I have read some complaints from people who feel that the melee is too small on the Soleste or in other designs where they refer to small melee as appearing as "grey dots" instead of that white sparkle. I was shocked too see how small it was in person vs. the pictures online etc.

I do not live near any of the hand forged designers I am considering so I am trying to do my research.

Just curious from the experts on here about recommendations for melee size or halo width. I have a 4.25 finger so I can''t go too big. Trying to balance having that wow factor vs. too much. I am not committed to wearing it as my e find either. Would be happy on either hand. My e ring is a art deco emerald cut piece that I will still wear.
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I'll be honest with you. If I were working with Victor I'd send the stones to him, tell him the look I wanted, and see what he proposes. He's not a benchman, he's a designer. Designing is what you are paying for, so let him do his job. We're armchair quarterbacks in this case, he's the professional-- and he's proven he has earned that title.

I have 1/2 pointers in my halo, by Steven Kirsch, and they are top quality and look nothing like "small grey dots"! And I'm pretty sure I have the halo with the smallest melee on PS (outside of some tacori halos). They are bright and lively and amazing.

I don't know what Tiffany uses, but I am sure that whatever Victor uses is going to be amazing.

Also keep in mind MANY MANY MANY of the people who are wearing rings do NOT keep them properly cleaned and maintained. If you clean your ring regularly (I don't do anything special to mine and probably clean it once a week), wear it carefully (I only wear mine out of the house) then you will be just fine.
 
Thanks Gypsy!!!
 
So the center stone is a round brilliant and the sides are OEC's? Do they look right together? I second asking Victor for ideas. He has great ideas and does such a beautiful job. I don't think I would like a double halo on the center of a three stone ring, though.

I'd love to see a picture of your engagement ring, too!
 
The only double halos I like are ones where the first halo (closest to the center) has noticably larger melee than the outer one. So if you were going to do a double halo. I'd do a larger halo on the center. Then a smaller one. And then the same size melee as the smaller on the center, on the sidestones. But I do think that's just... a lot. I personally would do either or. EITHER a double halo on the center OR a three stone halo.

Also with 90 point sidestones... have you thought of making these into halo earrings? That's what I'd do with them.
 
HI floridajen,
I can't answer specifically- but I'd say in general the higher quality double halo rings will use stones in the 1mm-2mm range
2mm looks beefy- 1mm looks more delicate. Probably what you saw was closer to 1mm if the center wasn't a large diamond( over 1.50ct or so)
But really I'm speaking averages. A well made hand forged ring will likely have a few different sizes of diamonds used on one halo.


In terms of taste, I believe the type of ring you asked about has two halos of about the same mm size.....but many people do like different size halos as well.
 
I have a 1.87 ct. center stone and a 1mm halo. (Mine is half-pointers like Gypsy's, thanks to her advice!). I also have a 4.25 ring size. And I agree that a smaller halo "shows off" the center stone more, while a larger halo is typically more decorative and draws attention to itself. I think with a double halo, your center stone will become part of the larger whole, and though it may be bigger, it will likely stand out less on it's own merit. But if you choose to go that route, I like Gypsy's suggestion of the inner halo being slightly larger, and the outer halo being smaller and matching the halos of the side stones. That could be a really beautiful look!

Here are a couple of pics of my ring with the 1mm halo...




Good luck! And keep us posted! I am eager to see pics of whatever you choose!

img_1136.jpg

img_222.jpg

img_223.jpg
 
BTW... as I'm looking at my own pictures and re-reading your initial posts... I think a 1.65 center with a double halo PLUS two .9 ct. side-stones with halos would be MASSIVE on a 4.25 finger!!! That doesn't mean it would be bad... just really big!
 
Like Gypsy and Dougsgirl, my halo is approx 1/2 pointers, with a 3.02 center. My ring was custom, but I didn't know what size melee worked since I am not a designer or a bench! I had a discussion with the designer about a very dainty halo, he made the decision about the appropriate size, and it turned out perfect.

And sorry to threadjack but, Dougsgirl, I love your ring! It looks so delicate and yet sturdy at the same time :love:
 
Alexiszoe|1350963633|3290611 said:
Like Gypsy and Dougsgirl, my halo is approx 1/2 pointers, with a 3.02 center. My ring was custom, but I didn't know what size melee worked since I am not a designer or a bench! I had a discussion with the designer about a very dainty halo, he made the decision about the appropriate size, and it turned out perfect.

And sorry to threadjack but, Dougsgirl, I love your ring! It looks so delicate and yet sturdy at the same time :love:
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Thank you!! It is, of course, a little more delicate IRL than in pictures, but I chose the partial split-shank because it seemed to "hold on to" the head a little more. LOL
Yours looks like quite the stunner too! Oh to have a 3+ carat stone... :love:

Here is my SMTB thread if you are interested... And thank you for the sweet compliment!
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-avc-daisy-ring-and-6-stone-band.180579/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-its-here-my-avc-daisy-ring-and-6-stone-band.180579/[/URL]
 
Hi FloridaJen,

I have the same question as you as I am seriously considering having Victor make a halo for me. I also want to make sure the melee stones are small enough to really enhance the center stone. Sometimes they seem a little bigger than I would want on the halos. I have a Tiffany soleste double halo around a 2.44 carat aquamarine (about 9mm), which is what made me fall in love with halos in the first place. I tried to measure the little stones too, and I think they are at most 1mm, but just based on my terrible eyesight and the little ruler I used, I'm sure its a little less than 1mm. I would have thought a double halo is too much, but it works on the soleste.

Attached is a pic of the soleste. The ring size there is 6. My ring finger is a 4.5. On the ring finger, the coverage leaves about 1mm on each side.

aq2.jpg

Depending on the size of your stone, a double may look fine, if the melee stones are small enough.

Let us know what you go with. I won't be doing mine until summer of 2013, but I am trying to gather as many ideas as possible and figure out what I want.

Good luck!!
 
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