Shapes and settings: 2,538 Questions Buyers Asked (page 13 of 13)

One buyer said she paid about $650 roughly two years earlier for a basic 14k solitaire 6-prong setting plus having a 2+ carat diamond set, noting gold prices have climbed higher since then.

A trade member who has set several old European cuts in this Stuller mounting says customers love its vintage look; it is 2 mm wide and 1.8 mm deep.

The trade member suggests a thin diamond band of about 2 mm, such as French set; the seller found a curved diamond band too modern and would not go thinner than 2 mm.

Several buyers say the diamond itself is the lasting part, so it's fine to wear a simple or temporary mount now and plan a proper reset later, since sourcing or commissioning an authentic period-style setting can take real time.

Most buyers preferred a classic north-south orientation for a roughly square antique stone, though a few liked east-west for their own finger shape or to show off a radiating facet pattern.

One buyer felt her temporary 6-prong mount threw off the stone's proportions and left the girdle more exposed than she liked, and planned to switch to a many-prong setting for both looks and extra security.

Yes, one seller split her ring after it did not sell as a set, pricing the loose stone at $7,000 and the empty white-gold setting on its own at about $300.

One member pointed out that diamonds in common small sizes are often cheaper to buy new than the cost of a fresh setting, so it can make more financial sense to keep an old band as-is for a separate stack and simply buy or design a new band rather than paying to re-set the existing stones.

Often yes - one jeweler charged a $120 fee to set a customer-supplied stone, so buying online (e.g. a 1.31ct D VVS2 for $240) plus that fee still totaled about $360 versus $624 through the jeweler directly, though price-matching was only offered for GIA-certified natural diamonds.

A buyer believed the maker could remove the stone from the bezel setting without ruining the brooch, meaning the reset could be tried and potentially reversed later.

A buyer recommended specialty-cut jewelers such as Distinctive Gem, Diamonds by Lauren, Brian Gavin, Victor Canera and JannPaul, or using a seller focused on GCAL 8X grading like Adiamor and filtering for GIA-graded 8X ovals to find stronger faceting.

One collector paid $7,725 retail for a 1.21ct K/VS1 antique-style pear diamond, then listed it secondhand for $6,250 before dropping the price once to $5,500 when it didn't sell right away.

One buyer compared a vendor's own inventory and found roughly 500 modern round brilliants at K color, VS clarity and about half a carat started around 400 euros, while only a handful of similarly specced old-mine-cut stones ran about 650 to 700 euros, showing the antique-style cut commands a real premium.

Yes, the person asking planned to move her 6.05ct OEC diamond out of its current mount into a new vintage-style setting modeled on a 1915 design, using a 4-double-prong style to support the stone's size.

Buyers warned that a computer rendering can look better than the piece ends up looking once it is actually cast, so it is safer to judge a maker mainly by comparing past finished jewelry side by side rather than trusting the CAD image alone.

The seller took 9 diamonds totaling 1.50tcw from a plain-set band she'd bought in 2015 for over $4,000 and had them reset by David Klass into an ornate milgrain eternity-style band, then listed the finished piece for far less than her original cost, starting at $2,400 and cutting to $1,900.

A buyer warns that a pave-covered head with no solid metal support behind it can pop off entirely from even a light knock, and heavily paved shanks can dig in and feel uncomfortable for regular wear.

One shopper says a similarly encrusted setting made with lab diamonds runs about $3,000 at the online vendor With Clarity.

Buyers recommended viewing the stone under as many lighting conditions as possible and carrying it around in everyday settings before the return period ends, to judge its real-world sparkle rather than relying only on how it looked in the seller's video.

One seller's Victor Canera platinum trilogy, built around a 2.16 ct N-SI1 old European cut center plus 0.64ctw diamond baguettes, drew immediate praise from other forum members as a steal, showing how much demand there is for custom bespoke three-stone settings when they resurface secondhand.

Trade experts explain that rose cuts have shallow facets below diamond's critical angle for common oils, so unlike a well-cut round brilliant they behave more like a flat mirror or window pane and show surface grease, lotion residue and soap film far more visibly, rather than collecting more dirt than other cuts do.

Yes, one seller here offered to sell a 1.36ct lab diamond and its platinum hand-engraved setting either together or separately.

One owner was quoted about $2,000 for a custom 3mm cathedral tulip-basket setting in yellow and white gold to hold her existing 1.02 ct stone, after seeing similar ready-made settings advertised online for around $1,500.

A buyer says diamonds on the prongs don't really make the center stone look bigger and can loosen and get lost over time, while a diamond wedding band or halo adds more visual size if that's the goal.

The ring owner learned a hidden halo mainly adds interest underneath the stone without adding spread, so a traditional halo is needed if the real goal is making the center stone look larger.

Buyers suggested matching or staying below the height of the current setting, and one mentioned wearing a 1 ct solitaire set high in a bezel with no issues.

For an 8ct stone with feathers and indented naturals near the girdle, the owner chose a 10-prong setting with a near-solid gallery so more metal supports and protects the vulnerable edge of the stone.

Buyers explained that elongated fancy cuts rely more on gentle white-light return than the all-over flash of a round brilliant, and jewelry-store spotlighting is built to make almost any stone look dazzling, an effect that fades in ordinary daylight or home lighting.

Buyers said the uneven light return between the center and the pointed ends of an elongated cut is inherent to the shape itself, so buyers wanting more even brilliance may need a different cut rather than tweaking proportions.

One buyer figured their roughly 3.7 grams of 18k gold was worth about $400 at spot price but they paid about four times that for the finished setting.

The owner already had a loose emerald from an earlier purchase and sourced a second, pear-shaped stone from another collector who felt it was too small for her own ring, then sent both to a custom designer to be reset together in one new mounting.

A jeweler used long prongs plus a small dab of epoxy at the prong tips to securely hold a heavy, high-domed cabochon in place, giving extra peace of mind beyond the metal grip alone.

One buyer's fully handmade platinum halo setting for a 2.3 ct oval, built by a 47th-street NYC jeweler after she compared his pricing against online vendors, cost $3,600 for the setting alone.

A Paul Winston semi-mount with four side stones (about 1 cttw) bought from a local jeweler cost around $2,000, on top of the center stone bought elsewhere.

One buyer budgeted about $1500 all-in to reset her 1.23ct solitaire into a trellis-style three-stone ring with rounded trillion side stones, a budget tight enough that she ruled out named ring designers and looked at local jewelers and online setters instead.

David Klass came up repeatedly as a popular maker for custom three-stone designs, alongside mentions of White Flash, Brilliant Earth and Stuller mountings for buyers assembling their own settings.

It covers a ring vanishing with no clear theft or damage event, like being set down in a public bathroom and forgotten; some homeowners scheduled-item forms exclude this cause of loss, so it's worth confirming before buying a policy.

One buyer sourced the diamond from an online retailer and had a separate local jeweller set it, benefiting from a favourable exchange rate and ending up with an appraisal worth several times what he paid.

The buyers says people around her argued round is the more timeless, classic shape, but the large majority of buyers personally preferred how oval looked on her hand.

A buyer who deals in diamonds explains that at equal price, a solitaire puts more of the budget into the diamond material itself, while a cluster setting spends more of that same money on design and labor.

Buyers note a cluster setting spreads sparkle across more of the finger for the money, while a solitaire can be optimized for coverage instead with a six-prong or bezel setting even on a smaller single stone.

Buyers focused on visible inclusions and light spread rather than tiny spec differences, generally favoring the stone with the least noticeable inclusion for the money.

The overwhelming advice was to get on the same page about money through financial counseling or a financial advisor before the wedding, since mismatched spending habits are a leading cause of marital conflict.

One buyer suggests ordering the center stone from an overseas vendor and having a local jeweler make the setting locally to stretch the budget further.

Several owners say a bezel setting feels more secure and won't snag on clothing during daily wear, especially with a smaller stone, while a prong setting makes the same size stone look bigger but can shift around more on the body.

Most buyers suggest platinum or white gold for a star sapphire, though some prefer yellow gold for a richer, traditional look or rose gold for color contrast.

A hidden halo sits beneath the center stone rather than around it, adding extra sparkle without overwhelming the face-up view; owners of 2 to 2.7 carat stones with hidden or micro halos say they love the look.

Buyers say to search Kirk Kara's site for an authorized retailer near you; the brand offers a 30-day in-home try-on program, though you pay for the ring upfront, and an authorized retailer can order different diamond shapes directly.

Some couples split the setting cost 50/50 even when it comes in cheaper than budgeted, and one couple split a $2,200 setting after the groom's mother gave them the diamond to use.

A buyer said round cuts sparkle best due to how they refract light internally, with oval cuts close behind, and recommended discussing shape trade-offs with a ring designer if considering a square or princess cut instead.

Buyers say a 10x6.5 oval has a skinnier length-to-width ratio (about 1.5) than a 10x7 (about 1.42), but the on-finger size is similar — mostly the elongated look changes.

One buyer warns that ovals cut too elongated are more likely to show a bow tie shadow and can look flat at the top and bottom, recommending around a 10x7 ratio as a sweet spot.

Multiple buyers recommended visiting independent jewellers or jewellery-quarter districts like Birmingham's, describing prices around half of equivalent high-street pieces and the ability to haggle, especially when paying cash.

With a floating setting the pavilion sits more exposed, so knocks against tables, shopping carts, or pave side diamonds can scratch the moissanite, and the scratch's facet reflection can be hard to trace without a loupe.

One buyer suggested platinum prongs on a yellow gold shank so the yellow metal doesn't reflect color into the diamond, unless you actually like that warmer tint.

It depends heavily on carat, quality and whether the center stone is natural or simulant; buyers estimated a ring like the one pictured could run from about $50 for a cubic-zirconia version up to $50,000+ for a large, high-quality natural diamond in platinum.

Both are priced separately and can be bought apart; in one example a single-halo setting alone cost about $2.5k while the 1.25ct diamond added another $3.9k.

A halo or cluster design with many small stones can look busier but cost less than a plain ring, because it's the size of the single large center stone that drives price up, not the number of stones.

A CZ version of a similar cushion-cut double-halo ring was found on Etsy ranging from about $54 to $658 depending on size and metal.

A 'donut' is a round piece under the ring's head; a design with a flat, knife-edge look under the head sits closer to a classic Tiffany pave style than one with a rounded donut piece.

One buyer guesses the custom design used bigger pave stones in the shank than Tiffany's roughly 1mm stones, making the band look thicker than intended; staggering the stones tighter could bring the height down.

One buyer said her sub-$3,000 oval diamond ring in yellow gold, bought about 9 years earlier, had a weak prong-and-metal combination that eventually needed repair and replacement, and recommended insuring the ring and expecting it may need an upgrade over time.

Opinions conflict: one jeweler warned platinum prongs bend and need fixing more often, but several ring owners said they never had prong trouble with either platinum or white gold after years of wear.

One buyer described having her original 2012 center diamond reset into a new setting after years of issues with the old one, quoted at $500 for a 14k yellow gold setting with lab diamond accents.

A reviewer who checked video of the candidate stones flagged two with very strong fluorescence as showing strain and clouds, warning not to default to either just because the other two were milky.

One buyer paid $649 including shipping for a diamond-and-setting package from Blue Nile that retails around $1,000.

One jeweler said about $1,000 for a roughly 4mm platinum band with a small sapphire is reasonable, and that platinum or white gold men's rings realistically don't come in under $1k because of material cost alone.

Buyers quote roughly $300-400 a year through Jewellers Mutual for rings in that value range, close to the about $320/year the person asking was quoted on a $22,000 appraisal.

Yes, one buyer said Ivy and Rose will set a customer-provided diamond, moissanite or white sapphire into one of their settings for about a $120 fee.

Buyers describe these companies' cast, assembled settings (prongs soldered onto a separate band) as prone to failure, with several buyers reporting a stone and its whole head falling off within about a year.

Most buyers recommend having a trusted local jeweler reset the stone into a new, sturdier setting rather than trust the original online vendor's repair work.

The risk is usually small for a single-stone setting, but one buyer said it happened to them and blamed soft 22k gold prongs bending open, recommending 18k gold instead.

18k gold is recommended over 22k because the higher-purity 22k gold is softer, which can let prongs bend open and risk the stone coming loose.

Buyers explain that bands thinner than about 2mm are prone to bending or losing their round shape after a few years of wear, since thinner metal is inherently weaker, a known tradeoff on delicate pave-set bands.

A 3.23 carat asscher measuring 8.12 by 8.26mm looked closer to 10 by 10mm once set in a bezel, according to the owner.

Buyers name the Selene and Aria three-stone settings from Brilliant Earth as favorites, with some saying the setting mattered to them as much as the center stone itself.

Buyers warn a large emerald is more prone to chipping or cracking as a daily-worn ring than it was as a pendant, and that the prong basket holding a big stone can eventually break loose too.

The owner is happy with her 6-prong choice months later, saying it emphasizes the round shape better than a 4-prong setting, which can make a round stone look slightly square, and it stands out since most rings in her area use 4 prongs.

Grading labs use umbrella terms like 'square emerald' or 'cut-corner square step cut' for both, but trade terms split them: emerald cut is rectangular and asscher is square, and the two return light differently even though a certificate won't print 'asscher' by name.

One buyer recommended a Chinese vendor for the setting and said theirs cost $264, separate from the stone.

Most buyers called it overpriced for SI2 clarity, with one suggesting negotiating down to about $20,000 plus the setting, and another saying they wouldn't pay that much for an H SI2 at any carat size given the visible central inclusion.

One buyer said polish and symmetry grading matters less in an oval than people think, and that a cavity in a relatively safe spot isn't a big concern as long as it isn't at risk of further damage.

Buyers note pairing a band with a distinctive curved or pear-shaped setting can be a bit of a challenge, though a small ring size makes trying options on in store easier to find a good match.

A bow tie is a dark shadow that can appear across elongated cuts like oval, pear or marquise, and a well-cut stone should show minimal to no visible bow tie, which buyers can check by reviewing a video before purchase.

Opinions were mixed: one dealer said medium-to-strong fluorescence can look hazy along facet edges, while other buyers said blue fluorescence looks beautiful in daylight and comes with a value discount, and a third buyer said fluorescence only matters if it visibly reduces brilliance, which was not the case in this stone's video.

One buyer's local store offered close to a $1,000 discount on the setting if the stone was bought there too, but another buyer said that discount is often a wash compared to getting a better stone online instead.

Buyers pointed to Adiamor (about $3,392 for a similar ring with better center-stone specs), James Allen (roughly half the price with a comparable but slightly smaller halo), plus Ritani and Gemsny as cheaper places to compare.

One jeweler-buyer says a custom 14k gold setting runs about $780 versus roughly $1,000 for the same design in platinum, and notes many large online retailers charge $1,700-$2,000 for plain platinum settings, well above what a custom jeweler would charge.

One buyer with analysis paralysis over stone choice was advised to pick the one that felt right by eye, and personally preferred chunkier facets with a smaller length-to-width ratio around 1.1 to 1.

One dealer says a typical retail store marks up each diamond around 65% over his wholesale price to cover staff, rent, insurance and marketing.

Yes, a buyer recommended buying the loose stone unmounted, budgeting about 70-80% of the total for the stone and 20-30% for the setting, and noted online vendors are usually cheaper but require booking a viewing first.

Buyers called it normal for a roughly 0.12 ct stone plus prong work, citing a similar stone's retail listing around $291 and noting the quote likely also covers checking other stones and rhodium replating.

Buyers were split: some called an all-in ring quote around $4,600 (band, fees and taxes included) high and suggested checking online vendors for comparison, while others said it seemed fair and worth only a small negotiation.

An owner of a two-stone ring said small, flush prongs and a low profile setting mean hers never catches on anything.

The writer bought hers through Brilliant Earth, describing the side setting as a 'perfect fit pears' style.

Estimates ran about $500-1,500 for the mounting plus $150-300 to set the stone depending on cut and proportions, and real amounts paid ranged from $270 (a Chinese vendor) to $650 (a Las Vegas jeweler who set the stone for free).

Most buyers said you're mainly paying for the name since the settings are otherwise fairly simple, and recommended finding a similar design at a local or custom jeweler for less unless the brand itself is what matters to you.

One shopper found a Tiffany ring she wanted ran about $45,000 and was out of her budget entirely, while another bought a smaller 0.87 ct Tiffany Setting instead of a full carat to stay within budget.

One buyer went from 5mm to 4mm to finally settling on 3mm studs, saying stones tend to look bigger in person than in photos, especially in basket settings.

Buyers pointed away from typical diamond-ring buying guides toward antique/vintage specialists such as Ruby Lane, Etsy makers who reproduce period designs, or a local custom jeweler who can source and set the stone.

Buyers warned emeralds are softer than diamonds and prone to chipping, so a protective setting matters, and suggested durable green alternatives like tsavorite garnet or green tourmaline for daily wear.

A jeweler said price is driven mainly by the stone's quality and cut plus the daily gold price, both of which move constantly, so a custom emerald ring isn't the kind of thing that gets cheaper by waiting.

Owners overwhelmingly said no; most clean once a week to once a month (a few daily out of habit) and describe the stone as still sparkling and not dull between cleanings.

Several owners said the calmer, flashier-in-a-different-way look was actually the appeal and even a plus over a brilliant cut, though a couple admitted occasional envy seeing especially sparkly brilliant cuts.

Many owners confirmed smudges and fingerprints show up more visibly because of the large flat table, but said a quick weekly or biweekly clean kept it looking good.

Buyers say Ritani's diamonds are priced near wholesale because Ritani doesn't own its inventory outright, sourcing stones on demand from overseas vendors, while its settings are priced in line with other US retailers who can't match overseas wholesale margins.

Yes, buyers recommend buying the stone from one vendor and having an overseas or Chinese manufacturer make a semi-mount or custom setting, then having a local jeweler set the stone; one buyer said this saved a significant amount versus paying a single vendor's combined markup.

Opinions here split: some say marquise stones cost more because they're harder to cut and rarer at larger sizes, while others say they run 10-25% cheaper than round and face up bigger, letting buyers use a smaller carat for the same visual size.

Setting costs vary widely with workmanship and detail rather than just diamond count; one buyer's own setting holding 1.5ct of accent diamonds in 14k white gold cost about 2500 separate from any center stone.

Buyers found decent options from Etsy custom makers such as DiamondRensu (around $530 for a wider band) and overseas manufacturers, though quotes could run a bit above budget, like just over $600 for a similar custom band from Tianyu.

Buyers said a bezel setting protects a trillion's vulnerable corner points well, and that the small melee stones in a hidden halo are more of a durability concern than the center trillion itself.

A bow tie is a dark shadow band across the stone's center that most elongated cuts show to some degree; a prominent one, as flagged on this stone, is a cut flaw that makes an already-high price harder to justify.

One owner tried a wrap-around plastic adjuster but found it uncomfortable and prone to catching on things, and ultimately never got the ring professionally resized, eventually buying a replacement in the right size instead.

Buyers said there is no simple price check since two similarly graded stones can differ by thousands depending on the grading lab and inclusion details, so get the GIA report and compare stone-to-stone, and ask other local jewelers for a competing quote.

A buyer explained a hand-forged or hand-selected setting can justify part of a jeweler's higher price over a cast one; in this case the setting alone was quoted at $3,000.

Buyers agreed a bowtie shadow is essentially unavoidable on elongated shapes like oval and pear, and having a subtle one doesn't mean anything is wrong with the stone.

One buyer's jeweler said a stone that seems smaller when loose typically looks much larger once mounted in its setting on the finger, which matched what several buyers had experienced with their own rings.

The pricier listing had no real photo, only a rendering, so buyers couldn't judge the actual stone or setting quality before paying; a protective bezel-and-halo setting can also add cost versus a plainer mounting.

A buyer warned that style is fragile because little secures the small stones to the shank, so they catch on sweaters and hair, and suggested asking the jeweler for a sturdier build or looking at a brand like Laura Preshong instead.

Experiences varied: one seller got about $900 for a ring estimated to have cost $1,500-2,000 new, while another was quoted only around a fifth of the original purchase price and chose to hold onto the rings instead.

Yes, one owner who wanted her secondhand Cartier 1895 reset from platinum to yellow gold was quoted $6,000 by Cartier for that work alone.

Buyers say there is no real ring season, but recommend ordering at least six to eight weeks before a planned proposal since stores get backed up around holidays and shipping takes longer.

A buyer who has ordered seven rings from Ritani said quality is hit or miss: pricier settings were fine, cheaper ones weaker, and one uneven setting had to be sent back; a similarly priced platinum setting from Rare Carat felt noticeably heavier and better made by comparison.

Buyers say a basket setting can look bigger and stay cleaner and works fine at smaller carat weights, but very large stones around 3ct each can tip the earring forward in a basket setting.

Most buyers called $3k high for a custom setting even accounting for hand craftsmanship, though one jeweler noted this particular antique-style half-bezel design was unusually labor-intensive to make.

Both the original store and an estate jeweler here refused to buy the pave band, only making an offer on the loose center diamond.

One buyer said standard retail jewelry markup runs around 300%, which is why buyback offers land far below the original purchase price.

The person asking budgeted under $2,000 for a halo setting with pave stones running halfway down the band, made by a local jeweler, separate from the loose stone's cost.

Buyers described old European cut stones as rarer, pricier antique cuts with a different, less uniform sparkle than modern ideal-cut rounds.

Most buyers called $2,000 reasonable to low, sharing their own rings ranging from around $650 to $21,000; there's no fixed rule, and many argued the real issue is whether a partner prioritizes the other's wishes on a big purchase, not the dollar figure itself.

One buyer warned that lower-cost rings from chain or online stores are more prone to bent prongs, lost stones and metal wear over years of daily wear, arguing it is cheaper in the long run to buy once from a reputable jeweler.

INSIGHT: one buyer planned a three-stone anniversary ring combining a newly bought center stone with two heirloom natural 1 carat diamonds, one from his wife's original engagement ring and another from her grandmother's necklace.

One buyer chose an affordable simple 4-prong solitaire setting as a placeholder so his wife could wear the new stone right away while she picked out her own preferred setting locally.

One buyer said it's very common for antique settings to end up with their original diamonds removed and replaced with more modern stones at some point in the ring's history.

Yes, several buyers recommended buying just the stone from Ritani and taking it to a local jeweler for the setting, since Ritani's settings cost more and workmanship has reportedly declined.

Buyers said a quality pave halo setting typically runs about $3,000 to $5,000, and changing styles usually means paying for an entirely new setting rather than reusing the small accent diamonds, since removing and resetting tiny stones costs more in labor than just using new ones.

The buyer's jeweler offered to upgrade the center diamond for just the price difference between stones with no extra labor charge, but other buyers said a meaningfully larger stone usually still needs a new setting to fit and sit properly.

A buyer suggests picking just one of the two, saying a hidden halo plus a pave band together look busy and add unnecessary setting cost.