Cathy Waterman E-Ring

[ndnyhagen]

In your esteemed opinion, is it worth purchasing a designer ring with an alternative stone, such as an aquamarine, for a starter engagement ring and then upgrading to a diamond at a later date? My boyfriend is super overwhelmed at the prospect of the expenditures that "starting a new life together" entails. I saw a gorgeous Cathy Waterman East-West set aquamarine set in platinum today at: www.Ylang23.com . I actually stopped in to try it on. Does anyone out there have a Waterman wedding set? I love her jewelry, but have a competent jeweler who is very good with platinum. No doubt he could create something similar for me.
I''d appreciate any feedback on this topic and reviews of your Cathy Waterman pieces.

Thank you!

 

[bstraszheim]

I think that that is a great idea. There really are no fixed rules on this stuff. Just be aware that aquamarine is a much softer stone than a diamond, so you risk chipping, scratching, things of that nature to a far greater degree than a diamond. This is from someone with an aquamarine as a centre stone in her engagement ring : )

Another idea could be to purchase an eternity ring/ diamond band that you would wear as a wedding ring after the wedding and then later get an engagement ring with a diamond. That way you will wear the ring he proposed with always.

I don''t know anything about Cathy Waterman as far as a designer, so I can''t give an opinion on it.

I wish you well,

Bridget

 

[Kaili]

I agree- anything goes. I''d love to see a pic of the ring you are looking at

 

[MissAva]

Is it the middle on here?

 

[MissAva]

Or this one?

 

[AndyRosse]

Do whatever makes you happy! Anything goes!

 

[blueroses]

PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some folks never want to upgrade the stone, and others never want to change the setting. I''m of the latter camp (if I EVER get engaged, that is!!) so I''d be all for putting a sim or an "alternative" stone like an aqua into the chosen setting. My friend has the T&Co aquamarine "flower" ring as her permenant wedding/e-ring and it''s gorgeous!! I''m all for it!!!

 

[widget]

I think an aqua Ering would be great....and I wouldn''t worry too much about scratching/chipping it. There are lots of beautiful vintage aqua rings around that still look great.

Anyhoo, having the stone repolished once in a while is not that big a deal..

You might keep in mind that if you''re looking for a mounting for some future diamond, it would probably be best to choose a center stone in a shape that would be easier to replace...RB, perhaps...

widget

 

[MissAva]

I have an aquamarine ring that I would have loved to receive as an e-ring.
Thread Link

 

[Odilia]

I too think it''s a great idea. If my hubby couldn''t have afforded a decent diamond, I would have preferred a colored stone to a poor diamond. I don''t know anything about Cathy W either, and would love to see the ring you''re referring to, but it sounds like a good idea to me!

 

[ndnyhagen]

Matatora,
That oval cut Cathy Waterman aquamarine was the one I tried on earlier today. (I couldn''t figure out how to cut and paste from Ylang 23''s website, though....(copyrighted...)

) It''s a beautiful ring; not really my preferred stone shape, it would be ideal if it could accomodate an emerald step cut or an Original Cut Radiant. The nice thing about that oval Waterman is that any of her stack rings would nestle nicely against it. (Ie: wedding band, anniversaries, etc...

) Thanks for posting th picture of this little beauty.
I''m pre-E-ring shopping and trying to give my boyfriend as many options, and in as many price ranges, as I can.
Thanks to all for the kind words and advice!

 

[windowshopper]

i say no.........her stuff is ABSURDLY overpriced for what it is..........I would recommend you find a good jeweler do a copy or interpretation

 

[Kaili]

Ohhh, I love those rings! Gorgeous. I don''t know about price for what you get, but I do know that I would like to have a beautiful Aqua e-ring. I also like that you can add other stack rings to it.

 

[rosy]

OH, my coworker has a pink sapphire as an engagement ring & it''s just lovely! Kudo''s to your future husband for being smart about money as you start your life together. Sounds like the kind of guy that will buy you the biggest baddest diamond in the world somewhere down the road together if thats what you want.

 

[ndnyhagen]

Thank you Bridget S. and Rosy for the kind words and support. This guy is super. It''s exciting just thinking about what the future holds!

Best regards!

 

[MiniMouse]

Matatora, the rings you''ve posted are GORGEOUS. I would love any one of them as a starting point for an engagement ring. They are stunning.

 

[Mara]

I kind of agree with Windowshopper re: absurdedly priced designer rings, if you wanted to spend $3k (not sure how much that ring is?) you could get a decent diamond size(~.70c) in a solitaire setting to start out and get a vendor with an upgrade policy for the future so you have trade-in value. If you wanted a diamond and a simpler setting.

But if you think that you want a designer setting so that you can never switch it out and instead get a diamond to fit it, then doing something like an aqua designer ring makes sense and would be very beautiful and unique.

Regardless of the stone or designer this or that, just make sure that you shop with your heart but shop smart with your money. You may be able to find something non-designer that is a better VALUE or you may decide to build a ring from scratch with a smaller .70c diamond in a simple setting or something.

Good luck!!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 1/14/2006 6:16:01 PM
Author: windowshopper
i say no.........her stuff is ABSURDLY overpriced for what it is..........I would recommend you find a good jeweler do a copy or interpretation

I have never seen a Cathy Waterman piece in person to know if it''s worth the brand name premium or not. I do believe her peices are of very good quality and you wouldn''t be overpaying for crappy workmanship. I will be getting a daniel k ring for my new wedding set. Many here will say I am way overpaying that he is absurdly overpriced and I could go custom for a lot less. I for one believe there is some truth to getting what you pay for. I have been on this forum for over a year, done tons of research and visited a bunch of jewelers. When I saw the Daniel K ring I knew it was THE ONE. I would not be happy with something similar. I don''t care if I have to wait 6 more months to get it because it''s worth every penny. The workmanship was just amazing and I am very, very picky.
So, if you saw the cathy waterman ring and felt it is the one, you just can''t be happy with anything else, then I say go for it. I agree with those who said an aquamarine center would be just fine as a e-ring. If you think you would be open to something similar or even Mara''s "upgrading" plan then I would suggest looking around a bit more and see if something more cost effective might make your heart leap.

 

[valeria101]

Admittedly... 1k for a tiny gold KW ring sounds less hard to take than 7k for a 2 carat light aqua. It it was disposable pocket change for me, it may make sense - but this isn't the case. As far as I can tell, having a version custom made might not be that easy, unless you find a jeweler working in a similar style - which does not seem common. Otherwise, why not - get what you like. That it isn't likely to find dozens of knock offs walking by it could be interpreted as a bonus

Just make sure this isn't the case: I could be seeing things and Waterman rings be as commonly copied as the Tiffany solitaire

A couple of things to consider might be... that these rings may not be possible to resize (because the bands are paved all around) and at least in those with the prongs set with diamonds the stones may not be feasible to replace - if you wanted to set a diamond in there later. If this matters, you may want to ask a jeweler about this.

 

[MissAva]

In June of last year a gentleman came one asking about how a pink spinel would look in a legacy like setting, he did not want it as an engagement ring but the concept would be a great one.
Spinels are a lovely stone that come in a verity of colors, and a hardness between 7.5-8 on the Moh’s scale.
If you wanted to have a lovely stone for a more intricate setting I think a spinal would be a wonderful alternative, unfortunately the gentleman above never posted his finished product, but here are a few pictures of other spinel projects that Pricescope members have posted.

AGBF''s Red Spinel Ring DiamondLil''d Red Spinel Ring

Glitterata''s Spinel (Gray/Blue) and Zircon Ring Art Nouveau''s Red Spinel Ring ColorMyWorld''s Red Spinel Ring

My Blue pendent
If spinel doesn’t strike your fancy you might try visiting the Colored Stones E-ring/Eye Candy folder for some more colorful inspiration.

 

[koko]

Oh, I just love aquamarines, especially in engagement rings - they look so vintage. I wouldn''t worry too much about the hardness, they are a 7.5- 8 on the moh''s scale, a sapphire is a 9 & a diamond is a 10. I''m currently having a RHR made in white gold with a princess cut aquamarine, with cz baguettes. I had advised my dtr. to get an aquamarine e-ring when she got engaged because her fiancee also didn''t feel comfortable with a large expendature. He opted for a tiny princess cut with baguettes in white gold.....anyway aquas are gorgeous and if you wanted to put it in a RHR or pendant later that would be an option. I''d much prefer a good size aqua to a teensy tiny diamond......

I''ve heard you should get a deep stone, otherwise they show dirt through the stone and look dull.....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Matatora, your pendant is outstanding! I LOVE it!

I think those aquamarine rings are beautiful, too. But I think the aquamarine is part of the design and should never be removed. I think if someone wanted a diamond later, that ring should be left alone and used for a RHR. I wouldn''t take out the aquamarine. That, to me, would defeat the purpsoe of having a designer ring.

 

[Hest88]

I really like Cathy Waterman''s designs. However, if you choose a setting with a stone you think you''re going to swap out later, make sure the ring is of a design that makes swapping easy. For instance, the simpler pronged rings should be a cinch, but it would be a lot harder to swap a stone in the design where the prongs cover a substantial part of the stone.

 

[mrssalvo]

I agree with Hest. If you get a setting you are planning on swiching out the stone later definitely make sure it can be done with a reputable jeweler..

 

[ellie77]

I own a Cathy Waterman flower band and her stuff is gorgeous. She makes a very thin miligrain platinum band- no stones that I am interested in. High price. Can you share the name of your platinum jeweler who you think could copy? I''m in Dallas- can you email to me? Thanks!! [email protected]