Engagement ring/diamond opinions and help needed!

[Sledneck27]

Date: 7/16/2007 4:49:05 PM
Author: jstarfireb
LOL, I love the muscle car analogy. I understand how you both feel about upgrades. I chose to leave room for the possibility, but my fiance is a sentimental value kind of guy and would be really upset if I decided to upgrade! He'd get over it, though.

As for settings, I like those Jeff Cooper settings SO much better than your original one! The only one I don't really like is this one, the one with both rounds and baguettes in the shank (not a Jeff Cooper anyway). I think my favorite is the R3107, but the R3101 really isn't bad at all. I think the Parade Designs ring would be a great alternative to the R3101...I don't know about you, but I couldn't justify buying a setting that's so much more expensive than the stone.

Yeah, I thought about that too, but the $3000 is for the Ring and the Band, from a local B&M as well. So basically I'd be paying $2150 for the stone, $1500 for the ring, and $1500 for the band. Also, my local B&M would likely charge at least a $1000 more for the stone that I got. It still bothered me a little bit though, the "best price seeker" in me will never rest. So, to that end, I just gave Solomon Brothers a call about the Jeff Cooper 3101 for two different reasons. First, obviously to see if I can get a better deal, and second, some very strange inconsistencies between the JC website and what I've seen in the store. I went to my local B&M, an authorized JC dealer, and they didnt even have a listing for the 3101! So, a big WTF! went off in my head. I was told that they have a listing for the 3100 and it showed a picture of that ring with a Round Brilliant, but on the JC website they show a Princess in that setting? I was told that there are two different size classes for this ring, 1.00-.80, and .80-.60ct. I dont know, I'm a little confused and hopefully Solomon Brothers can straighten everything out as my dealer doesnt even appear to have a current catalog for JC. Whatever, I'm getting that style of ring 3101 or 3100, I like it a lot, its timeless, and it just oozes quality. Man, researching things like I do can get tiring.

 

[spicyoctopusroll]

oof, tell me about it. Im exhausted. Im sure you will get things sorted and come out on top!

 

[Sledneck27]

Got the diamond in the mail yesterday! I ordered a nice necklace for my girlfriends birthday and I had them hold the stone until the necklace came in so that they could ship together. Well , the stone is beautiful, it really looks amazing. I''m gonna go to the jeweler tommorrow morning to settle on a setting. I still like the Jeff Cooper, but I found another JC setting on solomon brothers, thats not listed on the JC website. I actually kind of prefer it, hopefully my local B&M can figure out what it is.

 

[Harleigh]

Congrats!! Can''t wait to see how it all turns out!

Do we get to see the necklace, too??? (We''re greedy, ya know!)

 

[Sledneck27]

The necklace is no problem, I plan on sticking it in a Reed & Barton Jewelry Box I just bought her for her B-Day on the 9th of August, and I plan on proposing late Aug, early Sep. Heres the necklace, and the box.

Smokey Topaz , Pearl and Silver Necklace

Reed & Barton "Marie" Jewelry Box

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 7/22/2007 11:33:34 PM
Author: Sledneck27
The necklace is no problem, I plan on sticking it in a Reed & Barton Jewelry Box I just bought her for her B-Day on the 9th of August, and I plan on proposing late Aug, early Sep. Heres the necklace, and the box.

Smokey Topaz , Pearl and Silver Necklace

Reed & Barton ''Marie'' Jewelry Box

Wow! That necklace is really pretty! And I love the idea putting it in the pretty jewelry box!

You are a very thoughtful man! Your FF is one very lucky lady!

 

[Sledneck27]

Thank you! I''ll get pics up asap on the E-Ring.

 

[Sledneck27]

Ok guys, I know I originally was going with the Jeff Cooper 3101/B combo, but after looking at it with my diamond in there, it just didnt look right. That ring was really meant for at least a 1ct diamond. So, after a little more research, I found another Jeff Cooper that I liked, they even had the style in the store with a .6ct CZ mounted in it, and it was perfect. So, I ordered it. Unfortunately, there is no picture of the design on the JC website, so I''ll have to link you to the Solomon Brothers website.

Heres the E-Ring, Jeff Cooper R3111, and the W-Band, Jeff Cooper R3111B.

I can get them both for about $2500. Sweet!!!!


On a side note, I bought a Hastings Triplet 10x Loupe this morning, I tried to identify the inclusions in my stone, it was hard to pick them out, but I''m pretty sure I know where they are!! Very fun tool to have.

 

[Harleigh]

Sled,

Those are beautiful! Can''t wait to see pictures!

 

[Sledneck27]

Ok guys, sorry it took so long to get this together, but I finally have some pics for you.

First pic, a top shot of the stone before it was set.

Next, three shots of just the E-Ring.

And lastly, a picture of the little Limoges I made into a unique ring box. I cut out some thick card stock, just the right size so that I could fold an edge down about a "1/4 on each side, I then cut the ring hole in the middle of the cardboard, layed the satin over it, pushed the ring through the hole to the right depth, trimed the satin and taped it to the underside of the cardboard, held it all together while I pushed it into place in the Limoges. I actually cut it perfectly as the cardboard popped tightly into position, and the ring slot is the perfect width to hold the ring securely.

 

[Sledneck27]

BTW, I realy have to thank everyone, you saved me some cash for sure. I paid about $5000, and the ring and band appraised at $6100. Thanks again!!! Now all I have to do is give it to her!! I think I''m going to have it put into a museum under a glass case as one of thier "displays" with a nice little note next to it. Something along the lines of "This ring was given to Elizabeth on XX/XX/2007, by a man deeply in love with her". I dont know, anything silly and sappy, and from the heart will do.

 

[Sledneck27]

TTT for those of you that helped me, but might not have seen this post.

 

[Harleigh]

Great job, sled! You did a fabulous job with the box, and I love, love, love the museum idea! We''ll be looking forward to some handshots soon, I hope!

 

[Sledneck27]

Date: 9/12/2007 7:51:21 PM
Author: Harleigh
Great job, sled! You did a fabulous job with the box, and I love, love, love the museum idea! We'll be looking forward to some handshots soon, I hope!

Thank you, I must of tried 5 different ring holder designs before I came up with one that works. I even destroyed a beautiful James Allen ring box and tried to use its guts, to no avail of course. I bought all sorts of elaborate stuff to try and make a ring holder, in the end, the design ended up being extremely simple. As soon as I get it on her finger, we'll get some pics and I'll get them on here.