shape
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DK/BGD Custom Setting...The Home Stretch

It looks absolutely gorgeous on her!! Congrats again!! You did a fantastic job!!!
 
What a roller coaster ride! Well done, sledge and all the best to you both on this next phase of your lives together! :appl:
 
Thank you all so much for the awesome compliments. Words really cannot express the proper gratitude that all of you deserve. It has been awe inspiring to see how my journey has affected so many people. And also kind of cool to see how many lurkers that I have as well, LOL.

Either way, I appreciate each and every one of you and the support you’ve shown throughout the entire process has just been humbling to say the least. My girl and I both think the ring is just awesome and beautiful. As many of you may recall, early in the journey I really doubted this design style. Now I can’t imagine life any other way.

While many of you have helped in so many ways, there are a few that have just been exceptional throughout the entire process in ways that I cannot even properly verbalize. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

@rockysalamander – I’ve said it so many times, but it’s worth saying again….you freakin’ rock! You have relentlessly helped me from day 1 when I didn’t even know what I was looking for through the diamond selection and countless revisions in the setting design process. Additionally I see you contributing and doing the same for many others on this forum. This community simply would not be the same without you, nor would my life or my fiance’s ring. Thank you so much for all you do. I greatly appreciate you and value your opinions.


@Lorelei – Early on, you recommended the BGD Blue stone that I ultimately ended up buying. Oddly enough I started with an pretty good JA stone, moved on to some superb choices from WF and then BGD with all it’s sexiness sneak in the for the win, LOL! So glad it worked this way. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Lesley and BGD and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Great people. Great product. Great prices. Top tier cut! Thank you so much for weighing in and making the suggestion you did. Truly, I am grateful!

@farrahlyn - You started chiming in early on as I initially started my journey here at PS. You’ve helped with diamonds, settings, etc. Plus you’ve been a voice of reason and support throughout the entire process. Always that person at the right spot and the right moment. Thank you so much, I am so grateful to have made your friendship and to have you throughout this process. It would have been an entirely different experience without you!

@blueMA - What can I say? Looking back through the older threads I see where you were always there, but where you really shined was during this build process. You and Rocky carried me when I was weak. When I needed support or a sounding board, I knew you would be there to help. You are like that great friend that doesn’t leave their buddy on the field taking fire. Nope. You carry them out on your back putting yourself in danger. Thank you for it all. You are an awesome person, and I am very thankful you’ve been a part of my journey.

Lesley @ BGD – Wow, just amazing in every regard. Love my diamond and love the customer service. Love the accent too, LOL. Thank you for delivering a KICK ASS diamond and having complete transparency with your images, videos, certs, etc. IMO, this is what separates the good from the best. BGD is definitely one of the best! I will send lots of people your way, and you have a customer for life!

Amy @ DK – You put up with me, and that is saying A LOT! LOL, seriously, thank you for your patience and never ending desire to deliver nothing short of exceptional quality. You and your design team really pulled this together at the end and I am forever grateful for all your efforts. Also, tell DK thank you for having the nerve to make me wait so everything was just perfect at the end. While I know I was anxious, it was the right decision and the ring just turned out BEAUTIFUL!

Several others come to mind as well, and I sure hope I’m not forgetting anyone as I know so many of you got invested.

@bludiva
@ac117
@bmfang
@tyty333
@SimoneDi
@mrs-b
@ringo865
@Bron357
@foxinsox
@the_mother_thing
@JDDN
@LLJsmom
@unsettled
@mrsgreeneyes
@diamondseeker2006
@Mturgeon05
@msop04
@CHRISTY-DANIELLE
@Matthews1127
@Acinom
@TreeScientist
 
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Her ring is beautiful because it’s absolutely stunning but also because of the love story behind it.
I am already looking forward to enjoy phase 2 (her matching wedding ring) amd phase 3 (your wedding ring).
 
Yah deets! Was she surprised? Did her brother tell her about the herpes cream? Does she want that smaller diamond? :lol::whistle:
 
So for the rest of the story….

As you may recall, several pages back I told you this wasn't much of a stealth operation anymore. Basically since our trip to Jared's, she hasn't always known the details but she knew something was up and that a ring was eventually coming. Several times she'd just mouth off and ask how the design was coming, when her bling ring would be ready, etc. I am normally pretty good at tricking and deceiving people when I need to, but she has magical powers. It doesn't help she's a behavioral therapist, we live together and I am literally her human study.

But there is some information I haven't shared with you all yet.

About a month ago we had a moment at the house. It was very ordinary and non-spectacular. Just the two of us about 2am goofing around and laughing. Then things got serious. I knew then was the perfect time to propose despite not having a ring. While I had planned a much more grandiose proposal, her personality simply doesn’t fit that style and I knew this.

Sooo….what did I do? I was me, and I improvised! I asked. She said yes! There was some sparkly ribbon laying on her side of the bed. I cut it to length and tied it around her finger. Actually did it twice, as the first time I cut the ribbon too short. Yes, I was nervous, lol.

Unluckily for her, I am a bit more of a show monkey than her and I wanted her to have the intimate private proposal and something more grandiose and memorable. So this past weekend, we were traveling back to our hometown to announce our engagement to about 30-40 close friends & family during a dinner event we had planned and I saw this as a perfect opportunity to let my inner show monkey run wild. :lol:

Hence, all the pressure to get the ring back when I did.

By the way, her family were total champs. Her dad was the main communicator with me, but then as I previously mentioned her brother sent me a funny message indicating my "herpes cream" had arrived, which was his code for the ring, lol. When her and I made it to their house, mom sneak me the ring and apologized for opening the package but they were all so excited and that "her brother" just couldn't wait to see it. Uh huh, lol.

By the way, that box is quite massive to stick in your pants pocket! I pulled my t-shirt down the best I could but I thought for sure I'd get busted. Nope. Made it to the hotel room where I excused myself to the bathroom and sneak a few preview photos for you guys, plus I was super excited to see the ring up close & personal.

We made it to the restaurant and had a full house. Even had to get some extra chairs and tables. In the mist of all this, her mom starts razzing me and saying, "what is that ribbon on her finger?". As you can imagine, the rest of the friends & family noticed and started joining in on the fun. While this wasn't how I planned to do everything, I once again improvised and took control of the situation.

I started my speech by telling them they had vastly underestimated how charming I was, and that I had managed to propose to her and get a YES with ONLY a sparkly ribbon! I went on to explain that there was a custom designed ring and that the purpose of tonight was to not only give her an intimate proposal but to give her a grandiose proposal before all of our closest friends & family and that I hoped she would say yes once more. I pulled the ring out, dropped to my knee, told her how much I loved her and couldn't imagine my life without her and asked her if she would marry me.

At this point I was convinced she knew the ring was coming, but I don't think she expected the proposal in front of everyone. She paused for a minute and had a surprised look and then smiled and laughed and said YES! She was enamored with the ring and made a point to tell the crowd how the box had it's own special light, lol. The small things, right?

Really, our thing is making each other smile and laugh together. And honestly, I'm pretty sure I nailed it as perfectly as I could.


Congratulations and can’t wait for hand shots!!

What are you going to do with all your spare time now @sledge? :lol:
@sledge will have to design his wedding ring!
And he’s still got to get her wedding band too!

As others have eluded. Part 2 is her wedding band. Part 3 may be my wedding band, although I've told her I want simple and inexpensive so I doubt there will be much production on that one. Also, I enjoy this community so I plan on sticking around for a little bit. ;)2


Gorgeous. Does she love it?

Yes, she loves it! We've had conversations about this because I told her we could still change anything she doesn't like. She said literally the ribbon made her happy because it was from me and that the ring is perfect as-is. She says, it was never about the perfect ring but rather about the fact I loved her and gave her the ring.

That said, I think there is one small element that would make it better for her. The last little twist going around the diamond kind of flattened out so it would be at the same elevation of the twist on the opposite side. Having it continue to rise would have been her preference, although it would have created an uneven surface and "connector" piece that I think might look odd.


It looks gorgeous! and I love your pup too!
STELLA!!!!

Sorry, I couldn't help it :oops:

Haha, thank you guys. If only I had a dollar for every time I've heard that. :lol:

Stella really has a personality of her own and it's rather massive. ;)2


Ahhhhh CONGRATS!!! It’s beautiful!! Glad she has a fresh mani too! Lololol

LOL, @farrahlyn also commented on this. In fairness to her, she gets her nails, toes, hair, etc. done on a regular basis. However, apparently I had shown some anxiousness in something I did and she told me (after the fact) she knew she was getting the ring that weekend.


Also I must say, the variety of pictures you've posted are great, especially considering how difficult it is to photograph rings! In terms of other pictures often it's also great to see either straight on profile pictures that are not angled and also what SHE sees, like what is the profile that she sees? I never realised how much time I would spend looking at the side of my ring rather than straight down views and it's often the view that is the least frequently photographed! :D
@sledge Congratulations to both you and your fiancé! The ring turned out fantastic and is just perfection! Have you shared your journey on PS with her yet?

There is an entire thread dedicated to taking pics of diamonds here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/how-to-take-good-photos-of-your-diamonds.102989/ but generally, natural indirect lighting is best (no flash), perhaps under a tree or just inside a window in your home where the light is behind the ring. Think of the positioning in this order: camera, then ring, then light ... if that makes sense (perhaps my avatar pic will better illustrate). That’s how I have best been able to capture the arrows. Capturing fire is a matter of having just the right amount of light hit the diamond from an angle usually, for me anyway. Good luck & have fun with it! :wavey:

Thank both of you! I will try to get some better pics taking the tips and that thread into consideration. Truthfully the night I got all those other photos I have to give her kudos as it was difficult and she was tiring of being a hand model.


Fabulous!! It’s just fabulous!!

Are you tempted to go to Jared’s and compare it :lol-2::lol:

Well done on an amazing job!
oh, it is just SO STUNNING! DK surely delivered, the pave and prongwork is just beautiful! :love: i'm super curious about what she thought compared to the Jared inspo ring! i would bet you didnt hear anythign about the stone being too large :lol:

ETA: her manicure is perfect, it's almost like she knew! ;-)

Funny you mention that. Yes, I am absolutely tempted to go compare it. From the pictures, it's obvious to me the DK setting is way more beautiful. I'd just like them to see how much better it can look when executed properly. :lol-2:


Wow sledge! Home effin run! That ring is so gorgeous. Has she said that the diamond is too big?:lol:

For arrows, the putting a toilet paper tube over the ring and shooting pics near a window.

Wow. Those prongs and delicate curves and diamonds everywhere. Wow. Congrats!!!
Sledge, thankyou for the additional photo shoot!!! Does your fiancée mind having a larger diamond now???!!!:dance::dance:

Nope, the diamond isn't too big. Although it doesn't keep her from making jokes about needing help to carry all the additional weight. :lol:

Oddly enough, at one point she told me, it's not really THAT much bigger than the 1/2 carat. She thought there would be more difference. Which tells me, later on a bigger stone may be in her future.


Beautiful! It's perfectly executed! Sooooo happy for yall!!! Did she read the thread yet?

Not yet. We have been super busy. But that is still on the agenda list. I'm going to try to get her to be more active in the design of her wedding band! So stay tuned. :cool2:


Looks great on her! Especially want to hear every detail about what SHE thought of the ring when she saw it, especially compared to the Jared ring she wanted and how you made the RIGHT decision, especially not downsizing the stone! Has DSS sunk in yet? :D
THIS! I want to know this too!
Thanks for the very nice acknowledgements but we all still need immense amount of the requested detail, Sledge!
=)2

Ahem. Read above. ;)2 :whistle:


Yah deets! Was she surprised? Did her brother tell her about the herpes cream? Does she want that smaller diamond? :lol::whistle:

LOL, I told her about the herpes cream comment! The message came through when she was around and I literally LOL'd. She asked what was so funny. At the time, I just said her brother had sent me a crude joke. She has more than one brother but had guessed who it was. So at the dinner party I saw him and said remember that message....and then brought her in on it.
 
Look at you, so romantic!! love that you proposed without a ring on the spur of the moment, way to embrace the moment! and the ribbon ring?! :love: you are QUITE the romantic @sledge! Definitely consider buying her a locket of some sort and putting the ribbon ring in it, especially if shes the sentimental type. That would be a beautiful wedding present to her. Congrats again! Now i'm gonna go back and look at the ring pics again. lol!
 
Thank you @farrahlyn! Such kind and sweet words. You guys give me all this credit but honestly it's her that brings this person out. I truly melt in her presence and try to give her the world.
 
:clap:Sledge,

Thank you for the blow-by-blow on the proposal!!! I love the story!!!How sweet of you to do the initial proposal with a ribbon!!!!

Reminds me of My DH proposing to me without the ring to make sure I was not saying yes for the wrong reasons!!!! ha ha!

So looking forward to seeing the wedding rings take shape!
 
What a special thread this is!! For me this is the heart of PS =)2.

I am thrilled for both of you, thank you for bringing us along on your journey Sledge.
 
Round two...

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Love, love, LOVE how this turned out!!! She now has the style she loves, but in an elevated, more refined piece with exponentially better workmanship and quality! ...and she owes it all to you, @sledge! You were adamant about staying true to what she loved, even when we suggested otherwise... you stuck it out, trusted the process, and saw this through like a champ!! Stories like this are what makes PS great! =) Congrats!!!
 
So glad she is as happy. This has been such a fun journey for us.

You must have a diamond band! I've already been mulling around design ideas. We need need more men's projects. Something with NESW set stones to show your direction and purpose, some linear texture along the band, clean but unique. We have to include a faint echo of the ring you designed for your FI. Come on...you gotta let us design something more with you. :pray:
 
Woot woot! DK knocked it out of the park! Kudos to your engagement and to your patience! Glad to hear she's thrilled with the ring!

Herpes cream, hahaha.
 
So glad she is as happy. This has been such a fun journey for us.

You must have a diamond band! I've already been mulling around design ideas. We need need more men's projects. Something with NESW set stones to show your direction and purpose, some linear texture along the band, clean but unique. We have to include a faint echo of the ring you designed for your FI. Come on...you gotta let us design something more with you. :pray:

Ditto to this!! You need to create something significant for yourself, to complete the set!! It doesn’t have to be fussy or blingy...but it needs to be significant! We need more MEN’S PROJECTS!!! Let us help you design your “forever” ring!!! ;)2
 
Congratulations on your engagement & awesome that the ring is the ring of her dreams. It looks great on her. :-)
 
Wow sledge I was bawling at the impromptu ribbon proposal. You write so eloquently and your love for your gal comes thru in every post.

Please continue on here as a contributor to others' posts. Your thoughtful replies and analysis are very helpful. Plus, you have a great sense of humor. You are an all-around interesting guy, and I enjoy learning things from and about you.

Thanks for taking us on your journey, but like rocky said, don't stop now. We need to help you design your ring :whistle:
 
Wow sledge I was bawling at the impromptu ribbon proposal. You write so eloquently and your love for your gal comes thru in every post.

Please continue on here as a contributor to others' posts. Your thoughtful replies and analysis are very helpful. Plus, you have a great sense of humor. You are an all-around interesting guy, and I enjoy learning things from and about you.

Thanks for taking us on your journey, but like rocky said, don't stop now. We need to help you design your ring :whistle:

Thank you @ringo865 for the sweet words. Glad my journey could touch your life and that the love for my girl bleeds out in my posts. I had zero idea my writing was that good and really all I know is I'm completely head over heels for her. But shhhhh, she doesn't need to know all my secrets, lol. ;)2

I've been lazy the last week or so, plus had some laptop issues. But we are back from Dallas and I'm ready to start up Operation Wedding Band (for her, still undecided about me). But more details on that in a forthcoming thread. :cool2:

And I absolutely plan to stick around. This place is awesome and I love helping others. I've learned so much in a short time and had some great teachers here. So glad I found PS and hope to pay it forward in some small manner.
 
@sledge I wonder if you could have a ribbon engraved on the inside of her band to “tie” the proposal in with her forever ring. :think: I love the proposal story, BTW. Sounds like it was perfect!
 
Such a sweet proposal story. My husband proposed without my ring too. It is a long-ish story. But he bought my ring online (15 years ago before people really did that sort of thing). And he wanted to propose on a certain day. He paid for Saturday delivery to my parent's house - not knowing that UPS didn't deliver on Saturday to their rural location. So the ring didn't come. That day, I was being baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church (as a convert) and he wanted me to have the ring for the ceremony so it could be blessed. But when it didn't show up, he wanted to propose that day anyway. So I said yes, of course. And the ring was being delivered on Monday. He left my parent's house when I left for work that Monday morning. The ring was delivered that day, and he called me and told me not to open the box. That I could just bring the whole box with me to visit him that weekend (we lived 4 hours apart). How was I supposed to not open the box that had my engagement ring in it? Well, when I got home from work he was there - he never left my parent's house - so he had already opened and inspected it and gave it to me. I think that's why I am not super sentimental about the ring. Because I said yes without it. And I would continue to say yes without a ring.

Congratulations on your engagement. I wish y'all a lifetime of happiness!
 
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You made DK’s IG today
Lololol I just screen shotted it too to post lol

LOL, thank you...I didn't realize it had hit but got an email notification last night from PS that @whitewave's had notified me with the screen cap. Very cool, so again, thank you making sure I was aware as my girl and I share an IG account but I'm rarely on it.

I was looking on IG and my girl asked why her ring was on there, all defensively. I explained. She looked at me with the pouty eyes and asked, "you mean someone can replicate my ring?". o_O :confused2:

It didn't cross my mind to have DK sign an exclusive agreement but I have asked Amy if they would consider such an option. Granted, so much of this was public on here, etc that it might be easy to do anyhow but I'd like to keep as exclusive as possible. Anyone have any experience with this? Or am I being too picky, as we refined Jared's design?

Also, asked Amy if she was ready to start on the wedding band. :cool2:
 
LOL, thank you...I didn't realize it had hit but got an email notification last night from PS that @whitewave's had notified me with the screen cap. Very cool, so again, thank you making sure I was aware as my girl and I share an IG account but I'm rarely on it.

I was looking on IG and my girl asked why her ring was on there, all defensively. I explained. She looked at me with the pouty eyes and asked, "you mean someone can replicate my ring?". o_O :confused2:

It didn't cross my mind to have DK sign an exclusive agreement but I have asked Amy if they would consider such an option. Granted, so much of this was public on here, etc that it might be easy to do anyhow but I'd like to keep as exclusive as possible. Anyone have any experience with this? Or am I being too picky, as we refined Jared's design?

Also, asked Amy if she was ready to start on the wedding band. :cool2:

I think you need to remember that you replicated Jared's ring. So no, the design is not exclusive. And I suspect a lot more people go into Jareds and could see it there than what come to PS or to DKJ's instagram.
 
I think you need to remember that you replicated Jared's ring. So no, the design is not exclusive. And I suspect a lot more people go into Jareds and could see it there than what come to PS or to DKJ's instagram.

This, plus posting something on here does run the risk that it becomes someone else's "inspiration." I think a lot of people feel protective of their custom rings but the designs are usually drawn from many places and the result of many people working together. I'd guess most jewelers feel it is fair game if they brought the idea to life and having them sign an exclusivity agreement would be quite expensive.

In any case, I highly doubt you will ever run into another one and if someone does use it for inspo, they would change enough of it that it is not a carbon copy. Don't let that affect your enjoyment of the ring!
 
First of all: Sledge- congratulations on the engagement to your love & best wishes to the happy bride to be.

Ditto what msop04 said: "She now has the style she loves, but in an elevated, more refined piece with exponentially better workmanship and quality! ...and she owes it all to you"

grin! . . . I knew the larger center diamond wouldn't overwhelm or look ostentatious. The ring looks amazing on her finger! --Great job--

and -love- the claw prongs, delicate
 
I think you need to remember that you replicated Jared's ring. So no, the design is not exclusive. And I suspect a lot more people go into Jareds and could see it there than what come to PS or to DKJ's instagram.
This, plus posting something on here does run the risk that it becomes someone else's "inspiration." I think a lot of people feel protective of their custom rings but the designs are usually drawn from many places and the result of many people working together. I'd guess most jewelers feel it is fair game if they brought the idea to life and having them sign an exclusivity agreement would be quite expensive.

In any case, I highly doubt you will ever run into another one and if someone does use it for inspo, they would change enough of it that it is not a carbon copy. Don't let that affect your enjoyment of the ring!

Thanks for the additional insight. I didn't mean I didn't want to share it on PS, IG or other sources. It truly does feel like "our" ring and if it can be an inspiration to others, then so be it. I'd just hate someone to say, "love it, copy it, thanks". I feel although Jared's ring was an inspiration, the changes that evolved with the help of this wonderful community made it special and unique. I understand my position is probably biased and unrealistic.

FWIW, Amy did respond back and say she wouldn't share or use this specific design but if someone came to her and asked to make something similar then they would oblige and while it may not be identical, it could be similar. That makes sense. And I can live with that.


@sledge I wonder if you could have a ribbon engraved on the inside of her band to “tie” the proposal in with her forever ring. :think: I love the proposal story, BTW. Sounds like it was perfect!
--love-- this idea

I love this idea too, and plan on talking with Amy about it. Thank you @ohsomethingshiny, much appreciated.
 
Excellent double proposal story! Can’t get enough :)
 
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