Help me narrow down the setting for my sapphire e-ring

[chinadoll724]

The bf and I went to look at settings over the weekend and narrowed it down to 2 looks- A ritani with diamonds on the mounting, which would have set off the sapphire center stone we picked out . . . and our final choice of style, a memoire shared prong setting with 6 RB totally .43 cts. Here are my final picks for that look- all are in platinum:

The original Memoire setting (.43Ct, 6 stones- $3100 at Bailey Banks Biddle, $2850 at Mulloys- waiting to hear how much Pearlmans):
http://www.mulloysjewelry.com/memoire-18kw-043ct-diamond-engagement-ring-mounting/1252.html

Similar setting at Whiteflash (.28Ct- 8 stones- $1395- I love the legato setting, but i like the larger size of diamonds in the memoire)
http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagemen...tings/The--Legato--with-Shared-Prong_1058.htm

A couple Facets settings at Signed Pieces (love the sale prices and they have slightly larger stones than the Whiteflash):
http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=3837 (.45 Ct- 8 stones- $1548)
http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=3658 (.42 Ct- 8 stones- $1384)
http://www.signedpieces.com/item.cfm?item_id=2356 (.79 Ct- 28 stones- $1290)

A few questions:

Why do you think the last Facets is so cheap?! I realize it's totally different from what I'd decided on, but I put it in the running because it's just such a great deal. Do you think it might be uncomfortable?

Whiteflash uses ACA diamonds- would it make a difference in the setting? The facets ones use VS-VVS ones, but are the cuts as good?


Another problem is that our sapphire is too big- it's 9.5mm, 4.79 carats and it'll have have a special head mounted to fit. Whiteflash said that alone will cost $375+ $75 for setting a stone that isn't theirs. I still need to hear back from signed pieces/facets, too . . .

 

[burberryprncess]

With Memoire, you're paying for the name, which explains the price. All the settings you posted are beautiful. Because of the size of your sapphire, perhaps you should go with the more carats for a better balanced look. The last piece is a totally different setting (channel setting). I have one similar and is quite comfortable. ACA diamonds are quite exceptional and sparkle a lot (at least that's what the folks on Pricescope state) and are heart & arrows.

 

[smalls]

They are all beautiful! I think with that last Facets one you probably can't resize it since diamonds go all the way around, so if you are not a size 6, I don't think that one would work.

 

[rainrowan]

Why do you think the last Facets is so cheap?! I realize it's totally different from what I'd decided on, but I put it in the running because it's just such a great deal. Do you think it might be uncomfortable?

The carats on the last set (my favorite of them all), if I do my math correctly, will make each diamond roughly .03 -.05 (pts?)... sorry my math ability is poor. The diamonds may look out of proportion with your center stone. I think slightly larger diamonds even in the .10 -.15 (pt?) range would balance your sapphire better.

 

[PurpleRose]

First off, congrats on your engagement! Sapphires are such a beautiful choice for an e-ring. That's quite a substantial stone you've chosen, and you might want to consider having a piece custom made. In the end, it might be more cost effective to do so rather than choosing a pre-made piece and "fixing" it so it will fit the sapphire.

The settings that you're looking at are generally designed to hold diamonds, so they're usually used with diamonds anywhere from 1/2 to 2 carats (quite a bit smaller than your sapphire). I think of the settings that you're considering, the Memoire and Facets settings (shared prong) are the prettiest, and will probably compliment your stone the most.

The reason that the last Facets piece is cheaper, even though there's more total carat weight, is because the diamonds themselves are a lot smaller than in the other pieces. The carat weight is higher because there's more of them, since they go all the way around the ring in an eternity-band style. Those rings are pretty, but they're quite hard to resize.

HTH and good luck deciding! I'm sure your ring will be gorgeous no matter which you choose.