3/4 pave vs. eternity?

[TruLuv858]

I am curious... I have a Tiffany and Co.Eternity Pave band as my wedding band and am planning on resetting my Engagement ring to a Pave Halo... it seems that the jewelers i have been corresponding with all recommend that I go 3/4 vs. Full eternity due to normal wear and tear, but in all honesty I've never had an issue with my wedding band? I prefer the look of a full eternity. Why is it more "acceptable" as a band than as an engagement ring? Does it have to do with the weight of the diamond? Perhaps this is a very dumb question, but I don't get it? That is one if the reasons I prefer custom- I like the look of it going all the way around?

 

[Gypsy]

Are you planning on having kids or prone to large swings in body weight?

 

[TruLuv858]

gypsy and calliecake- I have a 15 month old and am not prone to big swings in weight. We do not plan to have anymore children... I wear my band more often than my ER, to be honest and I take it off before bed, never shower with it or take it to the gym. I have very long skinny fingers, a size 4. If anything, my ring is a tad loose in the winter ( I live in New England).

 

[luvdajules]

FWIW, I had the same discussion with a jeweler and she really rec. the 3/4 style for durability and not having issues in the long run. But I hear ya, if you are really careful and take off your rings to keep them pristine, then I think you should be fine going full eternity. It sounds like you would enjoy it more and it would be practical for you.

 

[TruLuv858]

FWIW, I had the same discussion with a jeweler and she really rec. the 3/4 style for durability and not having issues in the long run. But I hear ya, if you are really careful and take off your rings to keep them pristine, then I think you should be fine going full eternity. It sounds like you would enjoy it more and it would be practical for you.

Thanks... Kind of how I feel... But if it's a significant price difference I could live with 3/4.

 

[luvdajules]

It shouldn't be too much more. Have you selected a vendor and your specs? Since you are going to wear by itself, not with an Ering, then you can go bigger! 15-20 pointers or more makes for a blingy look. If you are wanting something more traditional, I've heard IDJ or ERD can do excellent job at very competitive prices. Can't wait to see your finished ring.

Since I will be wearing with solitaire ring, I'm going to the recommended 5-8 pointer route, still blingy without over shadowing the larger solitaire. It's hard for me to design a ring with smaller melee like that, my natural inclination would be go bigger! But since I'm wearing with another ring, wouldn't look as proportionate.

ETA Did you see the size 6 eternity with 10 pointers being sold in preloved? She reduced to $1600.

 

[SB621]

If you want full eternity that is probably what you should do. Just accept that there might be a chance that down the road you will need to 'freshen up" your ring a bit if the bottom size gets torn up a bit more.

 

[VRBeauty]

Is it important to you that keep your engagement ring and be able to wear it "forever," or will you be satisfied with wearing it as is for the next 30 years or so? My totally unscientific observation is that often women's finger sizes do increase after a certain point - but it seems that point doesn't hit until your fifties or sixties. I'm not sure whether it's because of overall weight gain/redistribution, or because the joints swell. A few years ago I had to have the sizing balls removed from the first "significant" ring I bought, some 35+ years ago. A colleague recently had to have her e-ring cut off, even though she had only normal PM weight gain. But those changes might not hit you for two or three decades, if at all. If you're OK with the possibility that your e-ring might need major surgery when you're old enough to be a grandma, go for the full eternity.

 

[msop04]

FWIW, your ering is highly unlikely to spin all the way around... the most it will spin is a little more than 1/2 way, because the higher set, larger solitaire will cause it to stop when it hits the sides of your fingers. This would be another reason a 3/4 eternity in an ering is recommended -- it's kind of a waste of diamonds, since you won't see them... just my opinion though. Bands are totally different, as they are mostly the same height all the way around, hence the eternity being nice to have.

 

[missy]

This topic comes up from time to time and there are 2 very definite schools of thought. Those that love the full eternity (like me) and those that don't. I hate seeing metal on my diamond bands and yes rings can spin and yes 3/4 eternities can spin all the way around. It just depends. If your weight and fingers don't fluctuate much I say go for the full eternity. I have had my 2 eternity bands for more than a decade and so far so good.

I love bling all the way around. It's worth the small extra expense getting the full vs the 3/4 IMO. If your ring size changes that will be a problem though so keep that in mind of course. It might not be worth the risk or it might be. Only you can decide.

 

[msop04]

This topic comes up from time to time and there are 2 very definite schools of thought. Those that love the full eternity (like me) and those that don't. I hate seeing metal on my diamond bands and yes rings can spin and yes 3/4 eternities can spin all the way around. It just depends. If your weight and fingers don't fluctuate much I say go for the full eternity. I have had my 2 eternity bands for more than a decade and so far so good.

I love bling all the way around. It's worth the small extra expense getting the full vs the 3/4 IMO. If your ring size changes that will be a problem though so keep that in mind of course. It might not be worth the risk or it might be. Only you can decide.

missy, is your ering full eternity as well? I thought this was what the OP was referring to (instead of wbands...). I feel ya on bands, though -- it drives me insane to have to "adjust" all day long!!

 

[TruLuv858]

Hi All- thank you so much for all of the responses! I have a wedding band that us full eternity, but I also didn't consider that this is constantly spinning so any exposure on the bottom gets redistributed, while my ER would pretty much stay put... good point! I am going to discuss it with the jeweler... I am pretty set on moving forward with MH... thanks again everyone!