I thought I had 6 months to save!!! Yikes!

[websailor]

>This happened a while back (~7 years ago /idealbb/images/smilies/appl.gif...don't know why I've been so itchly lately), but we just discovered this board...

When I got engaged to my now DW, I knew I was in trouble because she is a GIA Gemologist. I knew I couldn't surprise her with a ring because she was very picky about her jewelry. (Not to mention she's been known to razor blade open her Xmas presents and then re-seal them after you put them out under the tree.) She already had a 2.05 ct D-VS2 Oval that she wore on her right hand and she was definitely expecting something different/better. /idealbb/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif


So after I proposed (with no ring in hand), she called her jewelry supplier and told them what she was looking for: 3 cts, F or better (F to stay in the colorless range), SI1 or better (but not much better because you couldn't see the inclusions with your naked eye anyway) and a pear shape (to be different since only about 5% of brides wear a pear shape). There were some kind of length to width ratios she had in mind too, along with table %, and depth % to name a few. Let's just say there was stuff on the sheet I'd never even heard of!


I heard of the 4 C's before, but scheez, what was all this stuff??? I figured with all these requirements, that it would take at least 6 months (and maybe a year or two) to find the diamond that she wanted. Plenty of time for me to save up some (gulp)...


Well, surprise me, they called back the very next week and said they had found a stone that we might be interested in. After faxing us the GIA GTL lab report, she studied it like a hawk. We went in to look at the stone and to make a long story short she liked it so I had to borrow money from her to purchase it because I didn't think they would find the diamond so quickly.


Okay, okay, everyone wants to see pictures.... This is what usually catches peoples eyes:


/idealbb/files/small_P7110659.JPG


After they recover their sight, most people want to grab her hand to get a better look...

Here is the info from the GIA report (I had a bit of help here

) and then a better picture:

3.01 ct pear

Color F

Clarity SI1

Table - 57% (1A 55-60% in pears)

Depth - 61.1% (1A-2A 59-63% in pears)

L:W ratio 1.64 (1.50 - 1.75 desirable for classes 1A-2B)


/idealbb/files/small_P7110661a.jpg


Oh, the diamonds the clear one

Websailor


PS: BTW, I consider this a lethal weapon - it sticks up from her finger a good half inch and if raked across someone's face, it will do massive damage with that point... Probably loose an eye in the process!

 

[Fancy]

I also have a pear, and it's my favorite shape! I think the diamond is GORGEOUS!!!! More pics please!!!

Oh and more stats please (measurements of stone, etc...)

 

[valeria101]

I bet my boyfriend will find no trouble sympathizing... after a few years down the road with this gem freak.

The rock is very nice, and I am sure she knows this is a good purchase and so do you.

 

[icelady]

YYYEEEEEOOOOOWWWW! That thing is gorgeous! And blinding!

 

[pearcrazy]

Absolutely breathtaking! As you can see from my username, I'm a big fan of pear shapes too. It looks like you got a real winner. My jeweller convinced me to get a v-shaped end prong instead of a regular prong for two reasons, one because of the weapon factor, and two for security since the v-shaped is less likely to break if the setting is jarred. He reduced the height to make it less noticable. Just a thought, since that's a whopper of a diamond. I really didn't like v-shaped prongs, but he did a fantastic job on making it less conspicious that I was very happy he talked me into it.

That was a tall order topping a two carat oval!! I'd love to see a picture of that one too!!

 

[sevens one]

WOW! unbelievable. That's an amazing stone.
The woman knows what she wants.

 

[Mara]

thats a very beautiful stone!! congrats to you both on 7 years and also to her for having such a discrimating eye. if you stick around and read some of our posts, you will find that some here are probably just as picky if not more so than your wife when it comes to diamonds! scary, isn't it?

 

[Jennifer5973]

I prefer fancy shaped diamonds and this pear is just one of the most amazing stones I have ever seen... WOW!

I love it. What a rock!

 

[moremoremore]

Holy carp! That's a bug'un....FANTASTIC!!!! And you better watch your step or you're going to get injured by that stone!

Congrats!!! And p.s.- maybe she won't make you pay her back after you get married...hehehehe

 

[sluke]

WOW! What a rock! I'm drooling...

 

[websailor]

fancy: The measurements are 12.99 x 7.91 x 4.83 mm




pearcrazy: Sorry, we have no picture of the oval since she sold that stone




moremoremore: I paid her back. She made me sign a contract - she's a Judge Judy fan... saw too many cases where it didn't work out... i.e. "Is it a gift or is it a loan???"




I like the flash pictures so here is another one of those:


/idealbb/files/small_P7110655.JPG




And for the gem nuts (

) here is one:


/idealbb/files/small_P7110652.JPG




She is my Princess and as much as the above rock is nice, she is the real gem in my life....




Websailor

 

[rex_b]

Wow, that is a really nice stone. Congrats on the purchase.

 

[pearcrazy]

Just curious, does she wear a wedding band with the ring or is the diamond set with the sidestones an all-in-one? Just curious since my pear is set with 10 marquise sidestones and I can't decide if I like it better with my 7 stone wedding band or without it as an all-in-one. If she does wear a band could you post a picture?

 

[pearcrazy]

Websailor,

Awwww, I just noticed your last line. How sweet! She really is a lucky lady.

 

[cflutist]

----------------
On 7/12/2004 4:38:15 PM pearcrazy wrote:

Just curious, does she wear a wedding band with the ring or is the diamond set with the sidestones an all-in-one? Just curious since my pear is set with 10 marquise sidestones and I can't decide if I like it better with my 7 stone wedding band or without it as an all-in-one. If she does wear a band could you post a picture?----------------

This is wife of websailor here:
Sometimes I wear a plain 2 mm band with the ring, particulary in the winter time when my fingers are smaller and the diamond has a tendency to turn around on me. Having a wedding band on pushes the ring higher up on my finger so it doesn't do that. I have also have worn an eternity band (diamonds all the way around) with it but I think it makes it look too busy. During the summer I tend to wear the ring by itself since my fingers tend to swell up in the heat. Overall, I like the ring by itself since I like its simple design which shows off the center stone. I know several women, my mother included, who just wear one ring on their left hand. Its all a matter of choice and what you like.

 

[pearcrazy]

I know what you mean about the spinning part. My band does keep the engagement ring from spinning. I still can't decide how I like them, I know what you mean about it being a little busy. The receptionist at my kids' pediatrician saw it the other day (I wasn't wearing the wedding band) and asked me when the wedding was.

I was tempted to tell her that it only took 3 kids to help him make up his mind to marry me.

 

[researcher]

Your ring is BEAUTIFUL and the diamond...the diamond is spectacular!!!

 

[websailor]

Ya know, it's just sooo hard when gravity excerts such a pull on your rock that it keeps twisting it around to the lower side!!!!

I couldn't resist....




Since she let me alone for a bit (HAH, big mistake there!!!), I grabbed a few of our wedding pics - I made these small, but they do show our rings - the band with the row of diamonds is what she sometimes wears when she wants to get more dazzlely...




/idealbb/files/small_Wedding_Invitation_a.jpg




She has some other bands that she sometimes wears with her rings, but most of the time she just wears it by itself.




Mine I only wear on special occasions. I'm really rough on things, so I'm banished from wearing the "good" ring. Instead, I wear a relatively plain gold band (which now has gouges and scrapes all over it). She calls it "the replaceable wedding band"....when it gets too bad, she knows she can buy another one cheaply...




I'm sneaking in my favorite wedding picture:


/idealbb/files/small_Wedding_Fountain.jpg




Even in this one, you can see a tiny gleam from her ring (but that's not why I like it - just tying it back to the topic

Websailor

 

[cflutist]

My husband (websailor) should not have posted our wedding picture. This is a forum about diamond rings, not wedding pictures. He embarasses me all the time ... he did the same thing on the cruisecritc boards which we visit regularly. He also doesn't have the story straight.

He has 3 wedding bands, the one with the diamonds that he gets to wear when we dress up, a heavy comfort fit milgrain band which he wears most of the time (which is gouged up), and a light comfort fit milgrain band which he managed to scratch up the only time he wore it.

I have not worn the band with the diamonds in the picture above since our honeymoon. I just don't like the way it looks with my engagement ring. When I do wear a band with my engagement ring, it is a 2mm 14K band, or a 2mm platinum band (for a two-tone look), or my eternity ring (1 ct TW D/E-VVS stones) which I like better because the stones are smaller.

When I write this, all I can think is, how unromantic ... most people cherish their wedding ring ... and here we treat them like they are interchangeable ... that's sad.

 

[diamondlil]

Wow, that pear is just beautiful. I have seen few that can compare to that. I have a 2 ct, SI2, E pear that I almost traded in to get an ideal RB, but the more lovely pears I see, the more happy I am that I held onto it.




As far as the wedding rings go, I can relate. My husband and I were married 18 years ago and got 2-tone etched bands. Those are sentimental although neither of us wear them anymore. They are tucked nicely in the jewelry box. We also got plain gold bands shortly after the wedding just for banging around since I did not want the husband to ruin the "real" rings. Years later, we each got diamond wedding bands, and I recently purchased my husband a titanium/yellow gold band for our 18th anniversary. To top it off, I'm having a new diamond band and e-ring setting made for me right now. Let's see . . . that makes 8 wedding bands between us!!!!

DiamondLil

 

[Jennifer5973]

----------------
On 7/12/2004 8:07:33 PM cflutist wrote:



When I write this, all I can think is, how unromantic ... most people cherish their wedding ring ... and here we treat them like they are interchangeable ... that's sad.----------------

Hello wife of websailor...First of all, let me say again what a beautiful stone you have!

I don't think you shoulld feel this way about your rings. I collect wedding bands and I treasure each one, as most were gifts from my husband, who even has them blessed before he gives them to me. Of course, the original ring is most special (but I even had those stones re-set with the ering stone after 7 yrs) but all are special because they are representative of our relatiinship and his love for me. I think yours say the exact same thing and there is nothing wrong with switching wedding bands.

PS I also think it is VERY endearing how proud he is of you, as evidenced by his sweet comments and posting of your beautiful wedding pic... don't be too hard on him!

 

[Shay37]

Really beautiful set of rings. I love that pear. I love it that you included the specs for the pear your wife would find perfect as many people come here looking for pear specs and since they are fancy it is really tough to advise them. I certainly would never try. (big time rookie) Congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy life together.

Shay

 

[cflutist]

Jennifer5973: yes, websailor can be a real sweetie at times. Sometimes he does surprise me, but he has yet to go out on his own to buy me jewelry. It think it is because he is afraid to because of my backgroud. BTW I got my Gemologist Diploma in 1989 from the GIA through their "distance learning" aka Home Study program because I wanted to know what I was doing when I bought jewelry. Back then there wasn't that much info available on the Internet as there is today. I find this website just fascinating especially where the outline of the fancy shapes change by changing the length to width ratio. I actually work as a Consultant in the IT business but do keep up with the jewelry business by reading JCK and National Jeweler.

 

[Mara]

That is a beautiful wedding picture! I really love your dress even though it's not my style, you look lovely in it!! Very princess-like.




I also love the pic of the wedding rings! Very nice.




My thought on wearing the bands you were married with, that was VERY important to us. We had alot of time to figure out beforehand what we wanted to wear and wear forever. I don't mind if a ring gets gouged or torn up because to me that is how a ring should be worn! Then again I'm also the gal who wears her engagement ring kickboxing, gardening (with no gloves), cleaning out the pet litter tray, etc.

So when we bought our rings, we got rings that we felt comfortable with in terms of looks, feel, and for me, accompanyment to my engagement ring BUT versatile enough to be worn on it's own or with another ring style down the line (aka if we upgraded engagement ring). If the ring gets worn down or a diamond lost, it can be replaced...but I would rather wear it and wear it well and fix it down the line than not wear it and keep it to peek at sometimes.

For whatever reason the engagement ring is not as 'important' as the wedding rings are, maybe because the wedding rings were given in a special ceremony and the e-ring was not. Who knows!




I know I am in the minority though on the wearing the rings all the time and wearing them WELL...

 

[cflutist]

----------------
On 7/13/2004 12:30:32 AM Mara wrote:



For whatever reason the engagement ring is not as 'important' as the wedding rings are, maybe because the wedding rings were given in a special ceremony and the e-ring was not. Who knows!


I know I am in the minority though on the wearing the rings all the time and wearing them WELL...

----------------

Mara, I think you have your priorities in the right place. The wedding ring should be special because of the symbolism it represents. I know people who engrave their wedding dates on the inside. I also know women who wear their engagement rings for life even though they can well afford to upgrade to a better diamond. I actually admire those women for it, unlike myself who has gone through 4 diamonds - .73 E-I1 MQ (that inclusion has always bothered me, but at least it is under a upper girdle facet where it isn't too visible, now in a pendant), 1.47 F-VS1 MQ (now in a cocktail ring with 24 princess cuts), 2.05 D-VS2 OV (which I later sold, was from ex-husband), and finally the 3.01 F-SI1 Pear from websailor.

 

[Mara]

The funny thing is that I don't mind upgrading the e-ring stone (already did it once and planning to do it again later this year or early next) but the wedding ring seems more sacred to me.

 

[kkeen15]

Sorry to chime in late...but that pear is just breathtaking. I never knew a pear could look so gorgeous! Your pictures have really opened my mind about future purchases, like a y-necklace with a good-sized pear.

 

[cflutist]

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I do enjoy wearing my e-ring. The idea is for me to not get caught looking at it in the sunlight or under metal halide lights. I sneak peeks all the time.

 

[kpebbles]

i'm sure no one could blame you for looking..if it were me, i'd be staring at it all day..probably knocking into things and such..

 

[cflutist]

----------------
On 7/12/2004 10:01:03 AM pearcrazy wrote:

My jeweller convinced me to get a v-shaped end prong instead of a regular prong for two reasons, one because of the weapon factor, and two for security since the v-shaped is less likely to break if the setting is jarred. He reduced the height to make it less noticable. Just a thought, since that's a whopper of a diamond. I really didn't like v-shaped prongs, but he did a fantastic job on making it less conspicious that I was very happy he talked me into it.

I actually wanted a v-shaped end prong but there were two problems: 1 - the largest head they had in that style was for a 2 ct and 2 - that style of head was of the "basket" type where the pavillion of the stone was not as accessible - as in easy access for cleaning the stone with toothbrush and dishwashing liquid. I save the ultrasonic for only when the diamond is extremely dirty e.g. after kneading dough to make bread.