Birthday RHR bling - keep or exchange?

[gailrmv]

hi! Apologies in advance, I don't have my own pics yet.

My b-day was recently and DH and I selected my present together. I was trying to keep the budget relatively low. I have always liked the Etoile style bands, so I ordered this one from e-weddingbands.com:

http://www.e-weddingbands.com/store/product994.html

At only $419 it was much less than the Tiffany Etoile or WF scattered band. e-weddingbands.com was absolutely wonderful to work with. The band feels very well made. It is made by Benchmark. It is 4 mm, comfort fit, white gold, with 12 diamonds of .02 each. The pic shows almost a brushed finish but mine is a polished metal.

The overall quality seems good. It feels very heavy and well polished. I am not sure about the diamond quality though. In my H&A viewer I don't see arrows. The diamonds are sparkly, but I'm not sure if they are as sparkly as ACA melee would be. Should you be able to see arrows in 2 pointers?

I do like it, but am not as "wow"ed as I had hoped. I have always admired the Etoile pics, but have never spent much time with this style band in person. It stacks very nicely with another band I have, and it is comfy to wear. However...


My biggest concern is that from more than a few inches away, the ring just looks like a 4 mm wedding band. You really have to get close up to see the diamonds. It almost seems like they blend into the shiny metal. It doesn't have as much impact as a RHR as I had hoped. I wear a solitaire and plain band on my left, so my RHR should not be just another plain band!

So, what do you think? Should I...
- Order the WF version (about $225 more expensive) to compare diamond sparkliness?
- Send this one back and request a matte finish, so that the diamonds would stand out more?

- Return it and choose something else for my b-day gift? (but what?)

- Keep it, enjoy it, and feel happy that I got the Etoile style look at about 1/4 the Tiffany price?

Thanks for your feedback!

By the way, DH really likes it, but he is fine with whatever I want to do. We picked it together online so it's not sentimental.

 

[gailrmv]

Here is the pic from eweddingbands.com.
Again, they were a pleasure to work with. I''ve ordered two bands from them now. They answered my questions promptly and nicely, and they worked extra hard to make sure the ring arrived in time! I would definitely shop with them again. If I end up returning the ring, the return costs are less than many vendors.

 

[dani13]

Hi Gail!

Sounds like you really dont LOVE it. I would return it and get the WF one. There are many WF scattered band owners here that are in love with their rings...maybe the quality of the one you have is just not as good, you know?

 

[gailrmv]

hi Dani,
It is great to hear from you! It is hard for me to tell quality. I should have said this before, but the rep from eweddingbands.com said that the band has ideal cut diamonds... and Benchmark is a pretty good company. The quality of the metal and workmanship seems very good... I'm just second guessing the diamond quality.

Before it arrived I told myself that if I didn't LOVE it then I should try out the WF one. Still, I'm wondering if it is the overall style that I am not in love with. I'd like to figure that out before I order from WF, because it's more expensive to return things to them, if my memory is correct.

I love the style in pics, but not as much on my hand... mostly b/c the diamonds just seem to get lost in the white metal.

Not sure if this would be true with any etoile style bands. Would love to hear from someone that has one from WF or Tiffany.

I actually think this style would look fabulous in yellow gold because you;d get the contrast. I've thought about exchanging it for that, except that I don't wear a lot of yellow gold.

Ugh, decisions!

Gail

 

[mercoledi]

Would you be open to having a satin finish put on it? A lot of the Ettiene Perett (Ok, I know I butchered that) bands have a satin finish to help the little stones pop.

 

[february2003bride]

Happy Birthday TanDogMom!

I would first head over to Tiffany''s and try on the original. If that doesn''t wow you, then I don''t see how WF''s would either.

I have the 14KWG 3mm from WF and love it! I will say, the diamonds do sparkle. I like it so much, I''ve contemplated getting it in platinum and 4mm so it looks just like Tiff''s. WF''s is pretty substantial feeling, even for it being WG. It is a fun RHR, but it also looks sooooo good with solitare e-rings!!

 

[february2003bride]

Gail- I wanted to add one more thing. Regarding how it looks from a distance, I would say on mine you can tell that there are diamonds on it. It''s subtle, but they are noticable. Understated

 

[gailrmv]

hi!
Mercoledi, I HAVE thought about that - very good idea!
Feb, hi! I wish I could just go to Tiff and try it on, but the nearest Tiffany is maybe 3 hrs away! Bummer. That would really clear things up.
When you wear your WF ring, is it SUPER sparkly? If you hold your hand as far away from your face as possible, do you still see the diamonds clearly or does it look kinda like a plain band at a distance?
Thanks SO much!

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 1/23/2008 4:38:25 PM
Author: february2003bride
Gail- I wanted to add one more thing. Regarding how it looks from a distance, I would say on mine you can tell that there are diamonds on it. It''s subtle, but they are noticable. Understated

You were posting as I was writing... thanks. That helps. Mine is the same -subtle and understated. I will keep on wearing it around and see what I think. If I had seen the arrows I think I would be more convinced - but it is a mind clean thing.

I have been checking out the pics of your ring... sooo pretty!

I don''t buy a lot of jewelry so I always go through this little self doubting thing. Also, it is easy to build something up in your mind when you only see a highly magnified pic of it before you order it.

 

[motownmama]

In general I LOVE that ring as a WB, but I too like a little more sizzle for a RHR. I see one gal with it on as a WB and when I''m standing and talking to her I really admire it. I don''t think I would see the diamonds from further away though - speaking quite honestly.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ditto...I see that band more as an alternate wedding band, not as a right hand ring. If it was me, I''d return it and wait and apply that money toward something else I really wanted.

 

[gailrmv]

Thanks guys. I think it''s going back. Bummer. I had hoped to love it, but I just "like" it, and I really want to be more enthusiastic.

Problem is, what to buy in the same price range that WOULD make my heart sing. DH really wants me to have something for my b-day, and he doesn''t understand that the really fabulous jewelry comes with a really fabulous price tag too.

Maybe I''ll just hold out til something is just calling me. Nothing wrong with keeping that $$ in the bank!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yeah, I''m at the point that I''d rather combine money for a couple of occasions and get something I really want. I did that for my last birthday, Christmas, and anniversary as a matter of fact.

 

[diamondfan]

Get what you love. You can always bank this money, and add to it when you guys can, and then in the end get something you will just adore. I would not want to spend and be so so about it, so it seems worthwhile to return it. There are other fish in the sea!

 

[motownmama]

Out of curiosity how does it look with your solitaire?

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Pretty ring, and I also love eweddingbands.com. I was going to suggest YG for some contrast between the diamonds and the metal, but you said that you are not much into YG. I have a alternate wedding band that has diamonds set like that, all around the center, in YG...the stones do tend to stand out because of the contrast. Here is a picture...the lighting is horrible, and they are sitting on a wood desk picking up some color, but you get the idea.

 

[Diamond*Dana]