Hmmmm....What''s This?

[Small]

WOW

absolutely stunning! Lucky girl...I wish my man could let go of my first stone (I''m going through that now with my original e-ring that I have to wear every other day to appease him) so I could enjoy my new RB more!
I cannot wait to see it on your hand...it''s really a beautiful stone!!!! I love the new head design too...your ring is going to look fabulous

 

[Mara]

Date: 3/31/2006 2:35:07 PM
Author: mrssalvo
Negotiations are a must. I''m working on my own set to be discussed with hubby in the near future

Don''t sign anything.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/31/2006 2:37:38 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 3/31/2006 2:35:07 PM
Author: mrssalvo
Negotiations are a must. I'm working on my own set to be discussed with hubby in the near future

Don't sign anything.

Ditto! HEE HEE! I did ONCE and it took me a lot of fancy footwork, wheedling and charm to wriggle out of it - honestly!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 3/31/2006 2:37:38 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 3/31/2006 2:35:07 PM

Author: mrssalvo

Negotiations are a must. I''m working on my own set to be discussed with hubby in the near future

Don''t sign anything.

not to worry. I don''t plan on letting him put anything in writing. The wine will come first so any negotiations will be done when he wouldn''t even think of writing them down

 

[Mara]

yes and get out the tape recorder for while he is soused and then the next AM when he tries to deny it (since there is nothing on paper) just play the tape back.

 

[KristyDarling]

Mara, I keep obssessively checking this thread (and Mat''s thread)! It''s a little sad and pathetic to admit but I actually have butterflies in my stomach thinking about your and Mat''s new stones!!! And you''re so right about being parted from your ring...I miss mine SO much. I just realized that you and I (and maybe Mat too) will be getting our rings all around the same time! End of April, early May? It''s gonna be a big ole PS par-TAY!!!!

 

[mrssalvo]

ooo, that''s a great idea.

 

[jcrow]

consider the beans spilt!!

congrats on your wonderful stone. from one J lover to another.

 

[glitterata]

I can''t wait to see that monster on your lovely finger, Mara.

 

[Mara]

thanks gals!! i was so happy to be able to get another J SI and stay with the current tradition, and that picture they posted on the hand just captured my heart. those arrows! the blazing ICY WHITENESS.

i am going to ask WF as well when i talk to them about the head if there are any visual tricks to make the stone look even larger (not a halo or bezel, just with the head somehow!)...gotta eke out every last bit of size from this puppy.

kristy, oh yeah that will be lotsa fun to see everyone's new baubles/rings come May!!!

 

[PaulaW]

oh yeah... forgot to mention, um, you''re my IDOL!

 

[dani13]

Date: 3/31/2006 2:12:13 PM
Author: Mara
Dani...well yes Greg was sentimental about our first stone...because he proposed with it and we had chosen it together. I kind of was but the more dissatisfied I was with the cut quality, the more I knew I had to have something else. We HAD talked about me getting a bigger stone in the future, like year 10 but keeping that initial stone for a pendant or something.

I had to work on him for a good 9 months before I saw any ''progress''....but what really convinced him was the cut quality of the first stone vs the second, he knew that I wanted a more ideal cut stone and when he saw his own small ACA stone compared to mine and how his small stone blew away mine, he was like wow okay maybe you are right. I also knew once that first stone was gone, upgrades would be easier because he is not sentimental in general. So that was totally the truth, he has no emotional attachments at all to my stone now, but he does love the ring setting (which i kinda want to change too depending on the day and my mood!!) because it''s the original and it''s a matching set etc.

Anyway, IMO as long as the guys don''t feel like you are rejecting them or the stone they gave you from an emotional perspective, how Greg felt was that he was okay with it being a more ''technical'' thing aka cut quality improvement rather than bigger or whatever but then once that stone was gone, he didn''t care about changing the stone again and again because he had no emotional attachments.

Also I find that the more time that he has in general to get used to an idea (any idea, not just this), the more accepting or mellow he becomes about it. aka talking about painting or buying something for the house. At first he is like well do we need it or how much work will this be etc, but the more I talk about it like it will happen (aka when i paint the guest room or when i get that artwork i showed you for the dining room) then the more accepting he becomes and eventually he even says things like ''yeah that''s a good idea'' or when the stuff arrives he goes ''wow that looks great''...hahaaa. power of slow and steady suggestion? who knows! oh and lots of wine helps too.

Ok, Mara, I hear what you are saying- but what if we are pleased with the diamond quality, cut, etc (it is a beauty!) but I just want BIGGER!!! Is that b*****??? To be honest, I would be sad to see my original stone go, Brian and I picked it out together too, and it is so pretty, but I know in a couple of yrs I am going to want something else- prob still an EC, but bigger!! But I will be sad to know that my orig stone will be gone, the rock he got on his knees with....awww..ok, I will try not to be so sappy now....

 

[roppongi]

Oh Mara....

It is absolutely gorgeous. And what a great combination - nothing like a J / S1 to make for a stunning combination.

You could always take your earrings and add them to the side of the ring to make a 3 stone. That should hold you over for at least a couple of years. That way you could jockey for larger studs. That would make an awesome looking 3 stone ring. Sighhh, there is nothing like an upgrade.

I can''t wait to see the finished product.

Roppongi

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Lovely stone--congrats!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Stephan]

Date: 3/31/2006 3:14:02 PM
Author: Mara
i am going to ask WF as well when i talk to them about the head if there are any visual tricks to make the stone look even larger (not a halo or bezel, just with the head somehow!)...gotta eke out every last bit of size from this puppy.

Hey Mara, I think how thinner the setting, how bigger the diamond looks!
Another thing, if it''s set higher, it will also look bigger.
But you know all that.
I prefer the 6 prongs look for the elegant lady you are, but it should be more difficult to clean with your baby toothbrush.
However, as you clean it daily, it shouldn''t be a concern if you dry it well.
I use the new kind of toilet paper with a sort of bubble-relief and it''s the best I found, it absorbs all the water and doesn''t leave any dirt on the stone.

 

[bookworm21]

WOW MARA!!! That is one huge stone! It''s so clean, I can''t believe it''s an SI. Can''t wait until you get that, complete with handshots. How about taking tons of pics when you go to Texas just to give us more of a preview of your new lovely?

 

[Mara]

Date: 3/31/2006 4:09:14 PM
Author: Cinderella
WOW MARA!!! That is one huge stone! It''s so clean, I can''t believe it''s an SI. Can''t wait until you get that, complete with handshots. How about taking tons of pics when you go to Texas just to give us more of a preview of your new lovely?

Cinderella, just try and stop me!!! hehee.

Thanks gals!! Roppongi, you have a great idea on the side stones, I already was thinking that was a great idea, and then I wouldn''t have to get new stones...hehee. Even cheaper for Greg...!!

Thanks for the suggestions Stephan, what is the new bubble paper called, do they sell it in the US? hehe.

 

[Stephan]

Date: 3/31/2006 4:20:20 PM
Author: Mara
Thanks for the suggestions Stephan, what is the new bubble paper called, do they sell it in the US? hehe.

Here you are, Mara :

 

[Shay37]

OMG!!!!!! My mouth hit the floor and bounced twice. That is absolutely gorgeous. I think it may be prettier than your current lovely (if that were possible). I want to go to Texas too. Just don''t know when or how I''ll work it into my schedule. It would have to be a quick trip which means no visit to the rents, which means I couldn''t ever tell them I went to Houston. Arrgh, the dilemmas being diamond obsessed causes.

Sorry for the hijack... OH that diamond is just beyond gorgeous. What a great size and everything. PERFECTION!! !

shay

 

[pyramid]

Congratulations on your purchase. It is BIG.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Mara ~

Oh my .... Congratulations!

I am drooling here ... excuse me .... Wowzer!

Your new diamond is gorgeous, I can just imagine all the butterflies and you beaming with delight!

I think the J SI1 is a great combo

... and the specs are wonderful!

I am sure .... WE ALL ... will be waiting for all of the soon to be pix''s of your new Huge pretty!

Cangrats, and much happiness to you!

 

[MissAva]

Date: 3/31/2006 2:47:18 PM
Author: KristyDarling
Mara, I keep obssessively checking this thread (and Mat''s thread)! It''s a little sad and pathetic to admit but I actually have butterflies in my stomach thinking about your and Mat''s new stones!!! And you''re so right about being parted from your ring...I miss mine SO much. I just realized that you and I (and maybe Mat too) will be getting our rings all around the same time! End of April, early May? It''s gonna be a big ole PS par-TAY!!!!

He he, I am hoping to have mine back before passover...

 

[CareBear]

Date: 3/31/2006 3:14:02 PM
Author: Mara
thanks gals!! i was so happy to be able to get another J SI and stay with the current tradition, and that picture they posted on the hand just captured my heart. those arrows! the blazing ICY WHITENESS.

i am going to ask WF as well when i talk to them about the head if there are any visual tricks to make the stone look even larger (not a halo or bezel, just with the head somehow!)...gotta eke out every last bit of size from this puppy.

kristy, oh yeah that will be lotsa fun to see everyone''s new baubles/rings come May!!!

Mara, I find it so amusing that with a upgrade to this big of a rock you''re still looking for "visual tricks" to make it look even bigger! You are so cute!

 

[glaucomflecken]

OMG mara I am SOOOOO jealous! You are such a lucky girl to have such a beautiful stone and such a generous and loving (and understanding heehee) hubby. DH rolls his eyes anytime I mention anything about upgrades

can't wait to see your final product! Portia is gonna break a paw trying to hold that baby up for the ever famous Portia ring shots!!!

congratulations

eta i just reread my post and realized i called you missy and not mara because i was chatting with my friend missy at the same time, lol duh.

 

[Mara]

carebear i'm just being realistic!! as a self-confessed size whore honestly it's kind of scary to think that you can still experience shrinkage with a 2.32 but i know it happens!!

punchie..hee hee portia is likely to be as unimpressed with this new stone as she is with the current one!! dogs! where are their priorities?

keep working on DH, your time will come! remember wine is the secret weapon!

shay we'd love to have you come visit texas with us!!

paula, omg you made me laugh with that one!! esp since i'm avidly watching american idol!

thanks mrsDJ, sharon, small, glitterata...and anyone else i missed!

 

[heart prongs]

Oh Mara...that''s friggin'' fabulous!!! I don''t think you should add sidestones, let that beauty stand on it''s own! I cannot get over just how much bigger it looks than the 1.6 -- which is also a hughe diamond, you know?! I''m very happy for you, I know you''ve been working on making it over 2 carats. Nice work!!!

klr

prongs

 

[hlmr]

Holy....... Mara - that thing is huge!!!!!

Hey our anniversary is May 11th - 15 years.....perhaps I could convince DH that I have to have one just like it???!!!

Heather

 

[moon river]

Sneaky sneaky girl.

 

[headlight]

Congratulations, Mara!!!

Honestly, I don''t think you''ll have to wait 10 years until the next upgrade, as I''m sure you''ll be popping out a kid or two in the coming years and that is most certainly worth some added bling, if you asked me (as in a stone for each kid to flank each side of the center stone to create a three-stone???).

As for maxing out on size, I really think that the "insanity" will cease (or at least slow down!), so you can let Greg know that eventually he will be able to sleep soundly!

While I am certainly "used to" my 3.29 (9.59mm), I wouldn''t call it shrinkage in the sense that it seems too small. I guess it is "shrinkage" in that I am comfortable with it -- when I first got it I was totally freaked out but now it feels totally natural and right for me. If I went larger, I can''t imagine it would be that much larger. I was thinking that maybe I''d do an upgrade for our 20th (in 3 years), but even if hubby said today I could do an upgrade, I really have no idea what I''d want to change to, and it may have nothing to do with the size category, but probably more toward the shape or color, etc. I guess that means that I''m finally getting satisfied??? So, I think that you, too, will reach a point (carat/mm size) that will feel "right" to you and not an "intermediary" stone.

I do have a question for you, Mara:
What do your friends/relatives, but most specifically your in-laws think of your upgrades (not as far as if they like the rings or think they''re pretty, but rather about the whole concept of upgrading)?

Also, I initially thought your new avatar was icing... as in "icing on the cake"... as in your new rock!!!

 

[lizz]

Perfect. Good job, I''m so glad you found it!