@151949wrote:
@OfCourse Why not see a jeweler and ask if you can get the middle stone changed out to maybe a sapphire or ruby or semi precious like amethyst.
@151949That's what I'm thinking about doing. I've never seen a setting like that and won't be able to find anything like it, I'm sure. I've done a lot of research in the past few days. I found Swarovski crystals sold for very modest prices at fusionbeads.com and beadaholique.com. Fusion sells single larger stones (called chatons) while many other sites sell then in sets of six, so I'll buy from them. They also sell the tiny pave.
I've started looking for jewelers and will be asking around. I'm not sure anyone would want to work on such a small, odd project. There's one I'll be e-mailing that's a family-owned business that has good reviews.
This is what I'm planning right now: A rich red with pink undertones for the center stone. I wanted a rasberry rhodolite garnet, but that's too expensive, so I'm looking for a Swarovski in a similar color. Alternatively, there's a crystal in a sort of dusty Victorian rose that I might consider. However, my heart and what I see in my mind's eye says it should be a deep red/pink like rhodolite garnet.
Then I was thinking about having the paves on the "leaves" of this flower setting done in green. The pave is 1 mm and 1.5 mm. I have to find the right green. I might post colors here if QVC would allow it and if you are all not sick of hearing about this for input on what colors go best. I don't want the ring to light up like a Christmas tree with the gree and red! I want to give it a bit of whimsy, almost cartoon-like quality but subtly and make it beautiful. The last thing I was thinking of was ruthenium plating because I just feel it should be black. I see that in my mind's eye. I've done some research and bookmarked an article that goes into the amounts of plating that are durable. Sometimes the plating can start wearing off within just weeks or months.
I'm not sure whether the jeweler would charge a design fee to help me choose the colors, but that certainly would be reasonable. I watched this ring for a year and just love that flower setting. My birthday is in eight weeks and I was thinking of justifying the expense that way. I've never dealt with a jeweler and feel like no one will want to be bothered with this, which is understandable. They're in business to make money, not cater to my odd obsession with this cheap little flower ring.
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