small paraiba tourmaline. thoughts?

[arabella]

What a beautiful stone!! LOVE IT! Great find blushpeony

 

[SparkliesLuver]

As an update, I have taken the stone to two highly rated jewelers who have experience setting colored stones, and both of them stated that I should have no problems setting it. The one that I will most likely use said that he will make sure his most experienced bench jeweler will be the one to set the stone, as it might require a little extra care. Now the fun part will be to find a setting for my stone!

Excellent news! Super exciting. I'm so happy it's a keeper. You'll have to let us know what you envision for the setting or, at the least, what your style is (so we can help).

 

[blushpeony]

Gorgeous stone. Love it. Keep us posted.

Thank you, will do!

That is wonderful news for you. How nice to have such a lovely surprise when you opened that box. It is phenomenal. I certainly hope I have the opportunity to scoop a nice one someday. Will you eventually reveal the name of the jeweler who will set your stone for you ? The reason I ask is that I too am in southern California and have a stone that needs setting but I have no known jeweler that I can trust to do the job. I am so thrilled for you !

Sure, it was David Levi & Sons in downtown SD. Though if you are closer to LA, you may find a lot more options up there. Good luck with setting your stone!

Jealous!! I would love a bluish paraiba with that glow and decent size. I was going to post earlier that it seems to me from PS photos that paraiba's from Paraiba International are much better IRL than their site. Glad it was the case for you!

Your paraiba ring is so beautiful, lilmosun! Yes, I'd noticed that too about PI's photos, which is why I took a chance with this stone.

Its beautiful! Glad it meets expectation. Hopefully you won't have any problems with setting (keeping my fingers crossed for you!)

Thanks, Arcadian! I will be keeping my fingers crossed as well until it's finally mounted

What a beautiful stone!! LOVE IT! Great find blushpeony

Thank you!

Excellent news! Super exciting. I'm so happy it's a keeper. You'll have to let us know what you envision for the setting or, at the least, what your style is (so we can help).

I'm envisioning setting it in 18K rose gold, but I would also consider platinum if I found an affordable preloved setting. I like antique styles, but I have also been looking at a few styles made by Yvonne on Etsy that she said she can make with paraiba melee. I am trying to keep the setting costs quite low if possible.

I would welcome any suggestions on setting styles for this stone. Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Acinom]

So happy for you that your stone is safe to set!
It will be a stunning ring.

Yet another example where PI underpromises with the photo's, yet overdelivers with the stones in real life.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I know you said rose, but I wanted to mention these (in case they're of interest and within budget):

http://loupetroop.com/listings/settings/antique-round-and-baguette-diamond-setting-14kt-50ctw

http://loupetroop.com/listings/settings/reduced-bgd-18kt-73ctw-e-f-graduated-diamond-setting

 

[blushpeony]

So happy for you that your stone is safe to set!
It will be a stunning ring.

Yet another example where PI underpromises with the photo's, yet overdelivers with the stones in real life.

Thank you for the kind words, Acinom! Also, Adam from PI has been as pleasant to work with as everyone said.

I know you said rose, but I wanted to mention these (in case they're of interest and within budget):

http://loupetroop.com/listings/settings/antique-round-and-baguette-diamond-setting-14kt-50ctw

http://loupetroop.com/listings/settings/reduced-bgd-18kt-73ctw-e-f-graduated-diamond-setting

SparkliesLuver, those settings are beautiful! They are both within my budget (the second one is right at my upper limit), however I have been leaning towards settings that have a halo or a little more metal surrounding the stone. I will be babying this ring, however I am clumsy at times and would probably benefit from a little extra protection around my stone. Thank you for the suggestions though!

Here are the settings by Yvonne I am considering:


I also love the shape of this halo:


Something like this David Klass ring would be nice as well:


Any thoughts?

 

[chrono]

I like the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pictures. Maybe it'll depend on the quotation from the jeweller you'll be working with?

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I prefer numbers 2 and 4. I agree with Chrono though - I think you need to get in touch with a jeweler and go from there.

 

[blushpeony]

I like the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pictures. Maybe it'll depend on the quotation from the jeweller you'll be working with?

I prefer numbers 2 and 4. I agree with Chrono though - I think you need to get in touch with a jeweler and go from there.

Thank you for the input, Chrono and SparkliesLuver! Number 2 was the design that initially caught my eye as well. It is affordable, so I will keep that as an option.

I've reached out to David Klass about having a custom ring made in a design similar to this:

It sounds like it will definitely be a bit over budget, but I may just bite the bullet and go for it if everything works out.
I may need some feedback from you all when I get the CAD.

 

[blushpeony]

Hi everyone---

Not sure if I should create a new thread for the design of my ring or just continue here.

I'm waiting for the new round of CADs from David Klass after a couple of small changes. In the meantime, I am trying to decide which color melee to use for my ring.

The three choices I have in mind are paraiba (my first choice but understandably the most expensive), very light blush pink/peach sapphire, or colorless diamond melee.

The paraiba melee I would have to provide myself, and I am working with another online vendor to source them. I will know in a couple weeks how expensive they will be, which will determine whether or not they will work with my budget.

I have attached very crude mockups of the ring with the different color choices (the pink I want is a touch paler than in the mockup).





Here is the first round of CADs:

I am asking for a thinner shank all around and slightly larger stones.

Does anyone have input regarding the current options or the CADs?

 

[elle_71125]

I love paraiba melee (seriously, who wouldn't) but I actually like the other two options better. The bottom one (diamonds) being my current favorite.

This ring is going to look gorgeous. I'll be following your progress.

 

[lovedogs]

I love paraiba melee (seriously, who wouldn't) but I actually like the other two options better. The bottom one (diamonds) being my current favorite.

This ring is going to look gorgeous. I'll be following your progress.

It's funny because I had the exact same thought! I also adore paraiba tourmaline as melee, but I think in this case the diamonds look best. They compliment the design very well and I can't wait to see your progress

 

[Acinom]

Ah, this is a very personal decision and I do whatever your heart tells you. Personally I love the version with Paraiba melee. It seems to give the stone even more oomph and the stone seem to look bigger.

My second vote goes to diamond melee.

 

[Lovinggems]

I can't decide all of them look good, maybe paraiba, pink sapphire then white diamonds.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Listen to what your heart and gut says, but my choice would be paraiba and then diamonds. The pink sapphires blend into the metal a little too much for me.

Can't wait to see what you decide!

 

[Hounddog]

How exciting! I'm for diamonds too, as I think they will look amazing. I'm not sure about the other two, after diamonds if I had to chose I'd pick the pink Sapphires.
However, I agree with everyone else that it's just what 'speaks' to you personally.
It will be lovely to see the finished ring, I hope you're enjoying the process.

 

[Arcadian]

Listen to what your heart and gut says, but my choice would be paraiba and then diamonds. The pink sapphires blend into the metal a little too much for me.

Can't wait to see what you decide!

Agree with this. If you're going to go pink, go strong pink, the ones you've used are way overpowered by the center stone.

 

[lilmosun]

I personally prefer the diamonds because they allow your gorgeous pariaba to stand out as the centerpiece/focal point without being overwhelmed. But I think your preference of going with paraibas looks fine too. Agree the pinks are too muted..the paraiba makes them look dull imo. As others said, you need to go with what YOU love

 

[chrono]

Lots of questions to be answered before I can make my recommendation:

1. What will be the ct weight and mm size of the melees?
Depending on the size, you may not be able to find barely pink sapphire melees. FCDs will kill your budget. David found me some light pink sapphires in Thailand (couldn't find them online) but even then, it is darker than your mockup. If they are larger than 1 mm, you might be able to find some online.

2. Have you found a source for the paraiba melees?
If you cannot find a good source, this might not even be an option. I think Yvonne is out of Paraiba melees (I snapped them all up). I don't know how many David will use but if I have some spares and they are the size you need, I don't mind passing them to you. However, they are 1 mm stones, which might be too small for you.

3. Is the gold option yellow gold or rose gold?

 

[blushpeony]

Ah, this is a very personal decision and I do whatever your heart tells you. Personally I love the version with Paraiba melee. It seems to give the stone even more oomph and the stone seem to look bigger.

My second vote goes to diamond melee.

I can't decide all of them look good, maybe paraiba, pink sapphire then white diamonds.

Listen to what your heart and gut says, but my choice would be paraiba and then diamonds. The pink sapphires blend into the metal a little too much for me.

Can't wait to see what you decide!

How exciting! I'm for diamonds too, as I think they will look amazing. I'm not sure about the other two, after diamonds if I had to chose I'd pick the pink Sapphires.
However, I agree with everyone else that it's just what 'speaks' to you personally.
It will be lovely to see the finished ring, I hope you're enjoying the process.

Thank you all for reminding me to go with my heart. I've been envisioning paraiba melee with this stone since I purchased it, so I think I have my answer

I love paraiba melee (seriously, who wouldn't) but I actually like the other two options better. The bottom one (diamonds) being my current favorite.

This ring is going to look gorgeous. I'll be following your progress.

It's funny because I had the exact same thought! I also adore paraiba tourmaline as melee, but I think in this case the diamonds look best. They compliment the design very well and I can't wait to see your progress

I personally prefer the diamonds because they allow your gorgeous pariaba to stand out as the centerpiece/focal point without being overwhelmed. But I think your preference of going with paraibas looks fine too. Agree the pinks are too muted..the paraiba makes them look dull imo. As others said, you need to go with what YOU love

Thank you for your input regarding the diamond melee! If my source for paraiba melee falls through, I think I may go with diamonds as my strong second choice. This has been one of the harder decisions I've had to make regarding my ring

Agree with this. If you're going to go pink, go strong pink, the ones you've used are way overpowered by the center stone.

Thank you, Arcadian. I was looking for a barely there, light pink to blend in with the rose gold metal, but you may be right that the strong color of the center stone needs melee with some more oomph to complement it.

Lots of questions to be answered before I can make my recommendation:

1. What will be the ct weight and mm size of the melees?
Depending on the size, you may not be able to find barely pink sapphire melees. FCDs will kill your budget. David found me some light pink sapphires in Thailand (couldn't find them online) but even then, it is darker than your mockup. If they are larger than 1 mm, you might be able to find some online.

2. Have you found a source for the paraiba melees?
If you cannot find a good source, this might not even be an option. I think Yvonne is out of Paraiba melees (I snapped them all up). I don't know how many David will use but if I have some spares and they are the size you need, I don't mind passing them to you. However, they are 1 mm stones, which might be too small for you.

3. Is the gold option yellow gold or rose gold?

Hi Chrono--- thank you for all of your knowledgeable insight regarding the melee! David did mention that I would need near-colorless pink sapphires to achieve the look I wanted. I forgot to ask how likely finding such stones would be They would be larger than 1mm, however---I am looking at 1.3mm and 1.5mm sized melee for the smaller and larger stones in the halo.

Yvonne said that she should be able to find Paraiba melee for me, but I have my fingers crossed anyways. I am hoping they are a good match in color and that she can find the melee sizes I need. That is so kind of you to offer passing on any spare melee to me! I will most likely need larger melee, but thank you very much anyways!

I will be using 18K rose gold to match some jewelry that I already have.

 

[blushpeony]

Hi everyone---
Thank you again for all of your input during my little journey with this ring. I am checking back in because I was hoping to get some assistance with the final CADs.

I have been deciding between two melee sizes (1.5mm vs 1.7mm) for the stones in the small diamond-shaped accents on either side of the halo, and I also wanted to see how the gallery might look with fewer 'leaves' so that the milgrain might show better.

David has sent me CADs showing the two options:

^^ Version 1 has the 1.5mm side stones and more leaves in the gallery.


^^ Version 2 shows the 1.7mm stones and fewer leaves.

I prefer the gallery design with more leaves because the other version looks a bit awkward to me. However, I cannot seem to decide between the 1.5mm and 1.7mm stones for the small diamond-shaped accents.

Could anyone please weigh in with their thoughts? Do you have any suggestions for the gallery, and are there any other details that might need tweaking before I give David the final okay?

Thank you

 

[Barrett]

At first I was disappointed.....
I saw the vendor pics and thought to myself....."Another person who got sucked into the "paraiba" madness and is going to overpay for a stone because of it's name". I figured it would be limpid in color and lack any pop, like the majority of cuprian stones being pushed online. Luckily I was wrong, especially after seeing your pictures! It looks so much better than what I expected! Great purchase and great stone!

 

[Acinom]

Pff. I find it so difficult to read CAD's...
Based on the pics, I prefer option 2 with the more open gallery and the larger sidestones. Both options will be amazing though.

 

[minousbijoux]

I agree with Acinom - I can't articulate why, but I like the 2nd better as well. I like the transition from the head to the shank on the 2nd.

 

[apacherose]

Gorgeous gem and ring! Another vote for #2- but either will be stunning!

 

[lovedogs]

I think I'm in the minority here but I prefer more leaves....can't exactly articulate why, but somehow the version with less looks like its missing something (at least to my eye). But I do prefer the larger melee. I don't know if its an option to do the larger melee + more leaves or if that would throw off proportions, but if you can tjat would be my vote.

But remember you can't go wrong here, both options will be gorgeous!

 

[pregcurious]

I like more leaves, and congrats on the color of your stone. I might have missed it in a post, but do you know who is responsible for the stone if it is damaged during setting? Will your insurance cover it, or will does your bench have insurance?

 

[blushpeony]

At first I was disappointed.....
I saw the vendor pics and thought to myself....."Another person who got sucked into the "paraiba" madness and is going to overpay for a stone because of it's name". I figured it would be limpid in color and lack any pop, like the majority of cuprian stones being pushed online. Luckily I was wrong, especially after seeing your pictures! It looks so much better than what I expected! Great purchase and great stone!

Thank you, Barrett!

Pff. I find it so difficult to read CAD's...
Based on the pics, I prefer option 2 with the more open gallery and the larger sidestones. Both options will be amazing though.

This is my first experience with CADs, and I've encountered a little difficulty reading them as well. Thank you for the input, Acinom!

Gorgeous gem and ring! Another vote for #2- but either will be stunning!

I agree with Acinom - I can't articulate why, but I like the 2nd better as well. I like the transition from the head to the shank on the 2nd.

I think I'm in the minority here but I prefer more leaves....can't exactly articulate why, but somehow the version with less looks like its missing something (at least to my eye). But I do prefer the larger melee. I don't know if its an option to do the larger melee + more leaves or if that would throw off proportions, but if you can tjat would be my vote.

But remember you can't go wrong here, both options will be gorgeous!

apacherose, minousbijoux, and lovedogs--- I appreciate your feedback! Perhaps I will ask David Klass for one more edit to the CADs to see if he can somehow make the leaves a bit fuller, as I agree that the version with the fewer leaves looks as if it is 'missing something.'

I like more leaves, and congrats on the color of your stone. I might have missed it in a post, but do you know who is responsible for the stone if it is damaged during setting? Will your insurance cover it, or will does your bench have insurance?

This is a great question, pregcurious, and something I was wondering as well. This is my first fully custom project, so I was wondering if anyone knew the policy for setting with David Klass. I have applied for coverage with Jewelers Mutual just in case.

 

[pregcurious]

I would just ask David. I insured my stone thru JMI also, when it went to him, but I don't remember his policy.

 

[chrono]

Sort of late but here's my 2 cents anyway - I prefer the larger melees but also more leaves. Perhaps he can make the leaves fewer but wider/fatter?