Wedding Blog

A few months into our engagement, I started getting a sinking feeling in my stomach: I realized I didn’t like the setting we had hastily selected. Admitting this to myself was tough; gathering the nerve to talk about it with Mr. Bruschetta was ridiculously challenging.

I’m already an over emotional little Bruschetta, so of course, halfway through the conversation, I was rendered incoherent by heaving sobs. I deeply regretted choosing a platinum style rather than a simpler (and much cheaper!) white gold design to act as a temporary setting. But, I also knew I wouldn’t be able to relax until we found a design that would accentuate (and not overwhelm) the Dream diamond.

Mr. Bruschetta was truly wonderful, agreeing on the aspects of the setting that bothered me, and silencing my self-deprecating comments (don’t forget — I’m actually the one who picked out the setting!). Together, we discussed what the ideal setting would look like — a prong, rather than cathedral, setting with a thinner band. But, after a visit to the jewelry store, we learned that my beloved Dream diamond posed a unique challenge: Its octagonal shape meant it could be twisted easily out of a prong setting, and so an “under gallery” was necessary to hold it firmly in place.

I combed websites searching for a gallery that wouldn’t obscure the diamond, but showcase it like I envisioned. Finally, I found a promising design from Ritani.

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See the delicate pave design on the band? These little sparklers also adorn the gallery, offering protection for the diamond, but not sacrificing style.

We took the time to really think about this setting — no more jumping into hurried jewelry purchases! — and ultimately decided to buy it. It didn’t come in prior to our engagement session, so several shots feature the setting I’m no longer wearing.

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Now for the bad news: We won’t recoup nearly enough of the cost of the first setting by selling it as scrap metal. If Mr. Bruschetta finds a Jeff Cooper wedding band he likes, we could exchange the setting to defray the cost of this purchase. But we also plan on pounding the pavement along Jewelers’ Row to see if we can find a retailer willing to discount a wedding band in exchange for the (very!) gently-used setting.

And, although I’m shopping around for a new camera, I did manage to capture a few shots of my engagement ring — a more classic setting paired with a (less traditional) square-shaped diamond. Hmmm… I’m sensing this diametrical theme taking hold on other elements of the Bruschetta wedding as well…

I can’t be the only indecisive bride out there. Did you opt for a second engagement setting? What’s your favorite aspect of your ring?