Good morning,
My future son-in-law came to me the other day and asked if I would
make an engagement ring for him to give to my daughter as he thought
it would be more special if I made it. He stated he did not want the
traditional diamond stone set in a ring but possibly some other stone.
Here is the question; my silversmithing capabilities are fairly
limited, I have done a fair bit of fabrication but no casting, does
anyone have any ideas that they have seen used in the past using
stones other than diamonds? Has anyone seen anything in the past that
is fairly unique and simple? I know this is asking a lot, but this is
such a great forum, I thought someone might be able to help me out.
Thanks in advance…
Gerry
You enquired about designs for an engagement ring set with a stone
other than a diamond. When choosing a stone and a design I urge you
to look at something which will endure for at least as long as the
marriage. Personally, I love a beautiful emerald, but as active as
my hands are, I couldn’t wear an emerald daily and still hope for it
to last. My grandmother had a lovely ruby in her engagement ring
which she wore until her death at age 95. (I think that diamonds may
be forever, but they haven’t been in engagement rings for always).
Another strong stone that would endure is the sapphire. Sapphire and
ruby, same mineral (corundum) different color, but strong either way.
I have used several different rings as my engagement ring, as the
years have gone by, including diamond solitare in platinum. But, my
favorite is still a small (approx 3x5mm) ruby, bead set into the top
of a heavy 18K gold band. Simpler is always better, the colors are
gorgeous together and it will outlast me.
Good luck with your project and best of luck to your daughter and
future son-in-law.
Laurie Broadwell
Prince Charles gave Diana a sapphire. The tradition of diamond giving
is probably a DeBeers marketing gimmick…
That said, many women may feel let down (regardless of the source of
the tradition) if they don’t receive a diamond. Their friends too can
often be less than understanding, and absolutely do not underestimate
the ability of peer pressure to get a bride to be down. This is her
big special moment, and if she has to spend any energy defending the
choice of ring, then things are going in the wrong direction.
I would really caution on this approach. If he does go down that
road, I would make sure that it’s super nice (go with quality over
weight!)
I just finished making an engagement ring for a friend of mine. The
classic and simple thing to me is a solitare with six prongs. If you
have the choice, use 22kt gold with a nice sapphire (deep blue, with
a touch of violet). The colors will be very complimentary and the
extra cost will not be that much.
It all depends on his budget.
Here’s Diana’s ring, BTW.
http://worldroots.clicktron.com/brigitte/diana_gifs/diana409.jpg
Gerry-- I know this is pretty late, but I’m just trying to catch up on
Orchid.
A friend of mine had an engagement ring that I always admired, and it
was not at all traditional. It was a wide gold domed band which I
would guess to be red gold, topped by an oval ruby, tube-set with the
long axis parallel to the band, and flanked by a pair of smaller,
tube-set diamonds. Good luck–its a big responsibility!