Is The Jeff Cooper Tracie Halo Better Than BGD’s Anita?

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August 30

“I’m trying to decide between the Jeff Cooper Tracie and Brian Gavin Anita Halo settings. The two rings look pretty similar, but the Anita halo is more expensive than the Tracie. Have you ever heard of Jeff Cooper engagement rings? I’ve only seen reference to him on Brian Gavin.

I read your review comparing the Ritani French Halo versus the Brian Gavin Anita Halo. That’s actually how I found your web site by the way. I was searching for reviews of the Anita Halo by Brian Gavin. The only Jeff Cooper reviews I can find seem to be catalog pages on retail jewelry sites.

The description for the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting indicates that the center stone is a 5.2 mm round. We’re actually trying to decide between two hearts and arrows diamonds that are larger than that. One is this 1.278 carat, H-color, VS-2 clarity, BGD Signature diamond. The other is this 1.342 carat, H-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond.

Which of the two settings do you think will look best with a center stone of this size? What do you think of the color difference between the accent diamonds and the center stone? The woman I spoke with at Brian Gavin told me that it will be fine, but I’m not sure.”

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Jeff Cooper Tracie Halo Setting Review:

Jeff Cooper Tracie halo engagement ring and wedding band

Jeff Cooper Tracie Halo.

Jeff Cooper is a very popular and well-known designer of engagement rings. I haven’t had a chance to see the Jeff Cooper Tracie Halo setting for myself. However, I spoke with Brian Gavin and understand that it’s a gorgeous ring!

As a matter of fact, Brian Gavin is thrilled to be able to offer Jeff Cooper Engagement Rings to his clients. While I haven’t seen the Tracie Halo Setting by Jeff Cooper, I am familiar with the quality of his work.

I had the opportunity to sit down and evaluate the line at a trade show a few years ago. Jeff Cooper has been designing jewelry for about 40 years now.

He got his start working in the New York Diamond District. Throughout the years, Jeff has made quite the name for himself. I have no doubt that this ring will be gorgeous!

Brian Gavin Anita Halo Setting Review:

Brian Gavin Anita Halo vs Jeff Cooper Tracie setting

Brian Gavin Anita Halo.

At the same time, I must admit that I’m partial to the Anita Halo by Brian Gavin. After all, this ring was custom designed on behalf of one of my clients.

The Anita setting is aptly named after the woman who commissioned the design. That is one of the hidden benefits of having Brian Gavin custom design your engagement ring.

Of course, that is not the only reason to do so. The fact of the matter is that the workmanship and attention to detail is exceptional. This was of primary concern to Anita, who had seen the Ritani French Halo setting and wanted something heavier.

She also desired a bit more carat weight, which is one of the differences between it and the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting. The Anita halo contains 0.53 carats of accent diamonds, versus 0.21 carats t.w. on the Tracie. The difference in carat weight creates dramatically different looks.

Which is not to say that is a reason to purchase one ring over the other, but rather explains the difference in price. From my perspective, the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting and Anita Halo by Brian Gavin are uniquely different.

The only similarity between these designs is that they are both halo settings. Each ring offers a completely different look, and features different design elements.

Jeff Cooper Engagement Rings:

As mentioned previously, Jeff Cooper got his start designing jewelry in the New York Diamond District. The principle behind his designs is that less is more, thus they tend to be very simple and traditional. Jeff Cooper is most widely recognized for the following collections:

  • Grace.
  • Heirloom.
  • Lumiere.

Each ring is handcrafted and made specifically to fit the center stone that you select. Thus you can be certain that the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting will look amazing with either Brian Gavin Signature diamond.

One thing I do want to mention is that the rings are not that different in price. The link you sent me for the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting was for the 18k white gold version.

The link you sent me for the Anita Halo Setting by Brian Gavin was in platinum. There is only a $350.00 difference between the two rings in platinum, and the diamond weight is more than double.

H-color center with F-G color accent diamonds:

Jeff Cooper Tracie vs Brian Gavin Anita Halo Setting, side view

Jeff Cooper Tracie Halo.

From the perspective of keeping things mind clean, I know that many people prefer that the color of the center stone match the accent diamonds. In my experience, the slight difference in diamond color is not readily apparent.

Due to the way our eyes work, they seem to be drawn naturally to the center stone. Perhaps it is because it offers a larger surface area, and thus that is what we focus upon.

Honestly, I don’t know the reason why this is. But in my experience, most people are not able to see a distinct difference under normal lighting.

In theory, this is because our eyes are drawn to the larger surface area of the center stone. Even when we try to focus on the smaller accent diamonds, our eyes want to go back to the larger diamond.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it is pretty difficult to grade smaller diamonds for color. After all, most accent diamonds are about 1.5 – 2.5 millimeters in diameter. How easy do you think it’s going to be to see the color once it’s set in a ring?

Just the same, using F-G color accents keeps things looking bright and white. Which is the reason why jewelry designers like Brian Gavin and Jeff Cooper use F-G color diamonds in their settings.

Brian Gavin Signature w/ Jeff Cooper Tracie setting:

Either of the Brian Gavin Signature diamonds will look amazing in the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting. At the same time, they will look equally as impressive in the Anita Halo setting by Brian Gavin.

One of the benefits of buying a Brian Gavin Signature diamond is the consistency of the brand. Every time I see one of Brian's diamonds, I am awestruck by the sparkle factor.

It is one of the most consistent brands of super ideal cut diamonds you will ever see. This is why I'm confident that either of these diamonds will look amazing:

Do you know the real difference between these two diamonds?

Jeff Cooper Tracie vs Brian Gavin Anita Halo setting, tilt

Brian Gavin Anita Halo Setting.

About 0.075 millimeters and $569.00 from my perspective. The diamonds measure 7.02 – 7.06 mm, and 7.10 – 7.13 mm respectively. That gives them an average outside diameter of 7.04 versus 7.115 millimeters.

The light performance of the two diamonds is in the same realm of super ideal. In this case, there is not a clear reason to choose one Brian Gavin Signature diamond over the other. Here again, it’s all just a matter of personal preference.

Do you prefer the look of the Anita Halo Setting by Brian Gavin? Or do you like the Jeff Cooper Tracie setting better?

With all other factors equal, do you prefer knowing that your diamond weighs 1.246 or 1.340 carats? It seems to me that at this level of the game, the difference in price is actually very slight.

About the Author

Dive deep into the glittering world of diamonds with Todd Gray, the CEO of Gray Matter Development, LLC. Todd has 35+ years of experience as a diamond buyer and trade consultant. He ghostwrites content for several online vendors and is an avid Freediver, currently exploring the Cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico. Dive into brilliance with Todd Gray!