Carats for Engagement Ring

[crossy]

My wife has a tension ring from Steven Kretchmer. Its a round E-VVS2 .63 carat with a faint blue flourescence. That baby in the sunlight scintilates. It is called an ideal cut. I will shortly show off this ring in my gallery.

 

[rob_just_rob]

I'm dumbfounded by what is an ample amount of carats for an engagement ring without it looking gaudy. Any advice? And how the hell do I get her ring size without her knowing???

The 2 months salary thing is outmoded (and probably invented by Tiffany's or Cartier) but it's not a horrible starting point. IMO anything more than about 1.5 carats is a bit overgaudy, but it also depends on the cut - a square cut stone vs a round stone can look bigger.

Borrow one of her existing rings without her noticing and measure the diameter, or if you can, just take it to the jeweler.

Unless you want it to be a total surprise, you may want her to pick out the setting and you pick the stone. Settings are a big deal to some women, apparently.

Go to a reputable diamond merchant (try to get a recommendation from someone who buys or owns a lot of jewelry), and definitely not Zales, People's, Spence, etc. The super high-end stores like Cartier will charge you a lot more than a diamond merchant will (you'll be paying for the store's overhead) so avoid those as well.

Most importantly, learn your 4 C's. A good merchant will show you the difference between a fine stone and a poor one.

Good luck.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

I find my girlfriend to be VERY imaginative. However when it comes to jewelry she doesnt really wear any so the solitaire is based on simplicity. She is VERY understated when it comes to jewelry.

I must admit I like those first 3. I dont like the last one.

EDIT: That first one I would buy in a heartbeat actually...where is that from?

That can be found at this site:
Wood Collection   Mens Rings   Wedding Bands - MDTdesign, Melbourne, Australia

Be aware that this kind of band is very thick- it had to be very rigid to support the stone across a gap in the band-
This might not look right on a very delicate hand.. or might be uncomfortable on fingers that a chubby.

However... the band could be a quarter this thickness if two small bridges of metal connect across the gap below the rim of the stone.

This site has quite a lot of very unusual designs...
But there is a lot more out there....

Again... what is she into? what were the circumstance under which she and you first realized that what you felt was special?

Context. put your romance in context and let the design speak of that context.

 

[darkbond007]

That can be found at this site:
Wood Collection * Mens Rings * Wedding Bands - MDTdesign, Melbourne, Australia

Be aware that this kind of band is very thick- it had to be very rigid to support the stone across a gap in the band-
This might not look right on a very delicate hand.. or might be uncomfortable on fingers that a chubby.

However... the band could be a quarter this thickness if two small bridges of metal connect across the gap below the rim of the stone.

This site has quite a lot of very unusual designs...
But there is a lot more out there....

Again... what is she into? what were the circumstance under which she and you first realized that what you felt was special?

Context. put your romance in context and let the design speak of that context.

I like the wood ring because she is a nature person. She is all into green environment and saving animals and all that stuff. So the woodlike element of that ring is speaking to me right now. Not to mention I like the look of the tension ring and there seems to be practicality and flare to those rings. I found another site that makes tension rings and I can order one. Looks like that one but with just the 14K white gold look to it.

I think I'm ditching the solitaire and going for a tension ring. It kind of speaks to the both of us...you can get one simple like her yet it is a contemporary take on an engagement ring, something I personally identify with. I would love to hear a price on that wood ring though, however she loathes yellow gold so I doubt in the end she will like it. But the design is a keeper.

Thanks for the inspiration Phil

 

[2322]

The term, "solitaire," is like the card game. It means, "single," so even in a tension mount, so long as there is only one stone, it's a solitaire no matter what the mounting. Just a warning so you don't tell a jeweler you don't want a solitaire and then discover you've bought more diamonds than you bargained for.

Tension mounts are great. They make cleaning very easy and help protect the stone.

I would contact the jeweler and ask them if they have a US representative. Otherwise you may get socked for import duties by US Customs and they can be over 10%!

 

[Principessa]

She is thinking solitaire because she has no imagination over how distinctive a ring can be.[/quote] Or she is like me and finds too many stones to be gaudy for every day wear. :irked: That last ring looks more like a cocktail ring or one of those ridiculous 'right hand rings' they were trying to foist off on single women in the 1990's.

The term solitaire simply refers to a ring with a single stone.

That says nothing about design- most solitaire settings have a low band with TALL prongs holding the stone up vertical like a doorknob.
THIS is the kind of ring she will have to remove to do anything practical.

However channel set stones do not stick out at all- are more secure, and may result in a ring that she can wear daily.

If you want to go diamond, you might want to go for a VERY expensive and rare colored diamond, in which case a very small stone, that is very nearly perfect might work in your favor as it frees up design options and may result in a ring she can wear 24/7.

Agreed. Pale blue and pink are my fave colored diamonds. I know canary is popular as well; but I just don't like yellow stones much. :dunno:

Attached are some pictures to give you a very rough idea of the scope of what you could go for... and this was just a cursory search online... Custom designed jewelry can get WAY more unusual and distinctive than these...

And can just as effectively do something unique and special in a very understated way, if that is the kind of woman she is.

One of these looks like it is made of wood- its not- its two kinds of gold that are forged together like damascus steel- creating that pattern, which is called a damask.

Eeeww! Way too masculine and yes, I love nature too. My dream job is to be a park ranger, but I see no reason to look like a bull dyke doing it. :tongue:

No offense intended to any actual bull dykes on this site.

The one with green/blue accents is actually titanium, and shows how a small, very expensive stone can feature into an interesting result.

Now that, while still a bit masculine in general design, for me, I LOVE! It's probably because my last name is the interior color. :wink: I like the idea of taking on his name and starting a new life while maintaining a bit of the old me at the same time. See I have an imagination.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

I like the wood ring because she is a nature person. She is all into green environment and saving animals and all that stuff. So the woodlike element of that ring is speaking to me right now. Not to mention I like the look of the tension ring and there seems to be practicality and flare to those rings. I found another site that makes tension rings and I can order one. Looks like that one but with just the 14K white gold look to it.

I think I'm ditching the solitaire and going for a tension ring. It kind of speaks to the both of us...you can get one simple like her yet it is a contemporary take on an engagement ring, something I personally identify with. I would love to hear a price on that wood ring though, however she loathes yellow gold so I doubt in the end she will like it. But the design is a keeper.

Thanks for the inspiration Phil

If she prefers a white metal- you can probably find a jewelry designer who can do a Damascus steel look in nickel and platinum.

Try this place-
http://www.andrewnycedesigns.com/?gclid=CLXSpKDx8ZsCFRFMagodF13E-A
or do a search for Mokume Gane, or Damask engagement rings

Or You might even contact the jeweler whose site I first provided.

The thing about a tension mount is that the ring must be very thick or out of very stiff metal... the slightest spread on the ring, like a spring, will release the stone.

You can get a 'tension' look by hiding the metal connection beneath the stone
THis is called Channel set and is the most secure method of mounting round stones.
The head of the stone can be kept to the same level or a just a millimeter or so higher than the surrounding band- and THAT is a ring she can wear every day no matter what she is doing.

ETA
The site provided above has a huge variety of looks, including some very interesting Color mixes...
Keep in mind that if you like one of their rings, you can always ask them to make a version that will have a more flush mounted stone- and simulate a tension mounted look.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

PS Andrew Nyce has Both Damasus Steel and Mokume Gana rings.


if you go with something this dramatic- as in the Mokume Gana or Damscus - you will want a matching wedding band for her... And may want to get a wedding Set- so that your band will have the same look and pattern- or you may opt for her wearing the softer mokume gana, and you going for the bolder, more textural damascus.

And you can absolutely email the guy asking for a custom ring.
I would recommend a ring where the Mokume Gana band was interrupted- but had a platinum or palladium LINER that bridged the gap. ( look on the site for the lined rings )
The liner would have a conic hole drilled thru the center to accommodate the point of the stone- and either side of the Mokume Gana band would form the Channel for setting a single large stone- which could be as wide or slightly wider than the overall band...

you can send them this illustration as an explantion