Vintage Style Engagement Rings In Rose Gold

Q:

Hi Liz,

I am in the market for a diamond engagement ring. My buddy contacted you earlier this year and got a great deal, so hopefully you might be able to help me out too. I’m in the market for both a center diamond and setting. For the setting, my GF likes the halo design or more vintage style engagement rings. She also likes the idea of rose gold. I have seen some good options online and most of the bigger online stores can make something work. For the center diamond, I would like at least an ideal cut, eye clean, and carat range from 1.0 – 1.2ct. I’m not sure if rose gold can help downgrade the color at all? Also with the halo, maybe a smaller carat would work… My total budget is about 10g’s for everything. Most of the settings I was looking at cost around $3000. I am pretty clueless when it comes to looking at the specifics of center diamonds (all the GIA details like angle of cut and table size etc) but realize that might be important.

Liz, if you can help me, I will be forever grateful. I think Laura would be too…

Thanks for looking at this.

Cheers,

Dan

A:

Hello Dan,

Thank you very much for detailing out your budget and diamond requirements. This helps me out a lot.

In your case, since you are looking for a more specific engagement ring style, I would suggest having a look at the actual ring first as opposed to picking out the diamond. Then, once we determine what kind of ring you think your girlfriend would like, we can focus on a suitable diamond. Does that sound ok?

Rose gold is becoming very popular again. It is a very feminine and soft look in jewelry that compliments almost every skin tone. There are some settings that immediately come to mind and I’ll list them out for you to take a look at. Please let me know what you think and then we can go from there. 🙂

Here are a few designs that fit your a) halo or b) vintage type setting set in rose gold:

Brian Gavin Halo Engagement Ring in 18k Rose Gold: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/halo-engagement-ring-18k-rose-gold-5441r18

What is special about this setting is that the 10 melee hearts and arrows diamonds on each side of the shank equal to .75ctw, which is pretty substantial. Lots of antique jewelry have this look and feel. By far antique jewelry is known for it’s attention to detail and this ring gives just that. The delicate diamonds are set within a milgrain design. Milgrain (tiny beads) often gives the look and feel of more expensive or luxury jewelry because it is a very fine detail and must be done right to look delicate.

Another option is this new ‘Lace’ ring in 18K Rose Gold: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/lace-18k-rose-gold-5934r18-1

Though this ring doesn’t have a halo, it is quite unique while also offering fine milgrain detail with delicate diamonds placed symmetrically around the sides of the ring. Definitely a show stopper meant for someone that can appreciate attention to detail!

Another gorgeous vintage look is this ‘twisted’ micro-pave engagement ring set in 18k Rose Gold: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/twist-18k-rose-gold-5440r18

This ring is more of a modern style but has lovely micro-pave diamonds set within the warm rose gold shank. It’s one of my favorite designs that will show off the craftsmanship of the ring while not taking away from the center stone.

And finally, this 2nd halo from Brian Gavin Diamonds is set in 18k Rose Gold: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/pave-and-side-stones/ella-sholdt-18k-rose-gold-5591r18

This ring has channel set diamonds around the center stone as well as on the shank of the ring. This is very reminiscent of the art deco period of the 1920’s. .39ctw of channel set melee diamonds surround the center stone, giving a very timeless classy look.

I could give you more suggestions, but I thought we’d start with these to see how you feel about them. Please let me know and I would be happy to suggest a diamond. Also, I do realize that these rings are all from the same diamond website, and that is because I just love the variety and styles that Brian Gavin Diamonds have. I can recommend others of course, but these are my top recommendations.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind Regards,

Liz

Q:

Liz,

This is great! Thank you so much for all your help.

When we looked at rings together, she seemed to like when the center stone was set above the halo instead of on the same plane, and I don’t think she liked thick channeling around the halo (she said it made it look like a button). She liked rose gold, but wanted to avoid looking too much like copper. I’m not sure how to avoid this, but maybe having the halo set in white gold and the ring itself in rose gold. In the past, she told me that she really liked the milgrain look which both of the halo diamonds had that you sent me.

So with all this said, I am wondering if you think it is easier to find a jeweler where I live to design and craft a ring based on what I’ve mentioned or, should I try and find the whole package online. What are your thoughts on the center diamond?

Best,

Dan

A:

Hi Dan,

You could go the custom route…for example, if you were to work with Brian Gavin Diamonds, they start off with some CAD drawings to ensure that you are happy with the ring from all angles. Once they get the go-ahead from you, they would then start manufacturing. It is a straightforward process that many people are taking advantage of now as they can personalize the ring anyway they want. I definitely think it is easier to order a custom ring and diamond from one place rather than buying the diamond online and finding a jeweler in Chicago. For only thing, many jewelers don’t insure your diamond when they are setting it for you. So you would need to obtain insurance for the loose diamond before handing it over to them. This isn’t the case when you purchase everything at the same retailer. They take on that liability.

Aside from that, the ring design that you are looking to achieve will probably be somewhere in the $3k-$4K budget area. This leaves about $6K for the diamond. Since you are looking to get a rose gold ring, you could still get a super-ideal 1.00ct in the I color range for that amount. So, overall, the ring will look quite substantial.

Take care,

Liz

Q:

Hi Liz,

Thanks for all the help, I really had no clue about any of this. Since my GF is particular about what she wants I decided I want to design my own ring and go the custom route. I will need to give it more thought but you have been a tremendous help, thank you soo much!

Dan