KristyDarling''s 3-stone by Leon Mege

[flopkins]

wowzas!!!! thanks for sharing. I love the clean, sleek look of it... yum. And, of course, I love the center RB w/pear sides look bc my ering is the same... except yours is on CRACK!!! wonderful, crazy beautiful CRACK!!!

congrats!!!

 

[cannuck]

 

[sarita]

Here at last! Wow, if I ever wanted to know what a 3.5ct center 3-stone ring would look like on my hand now I know! (we are the same ring size). I agree with the poster that called that a POWER ring. I hope you enjoy it - I think you will manage

despite the mixed feelings but I can understand where you are coming from. I am also a fairly simple non-showy type of gal and even though I LOVE diamonds and do not wear them to draw attention or look "big" to others I do sometimes find it hard to justify my passion. Anyway, of course you deserve it - you have a kind heart and a cool head on your shoulders, do not feel guilty for indulging in something that really makes you happy.

 

[cannuck]

Not sure what happened, but my last post didn''t come up.

Diamond seeker2006- I will be sure to post pics when the ring arrives. DH will have to help...i''m awful with pictures.

Kristy- No, LM is certainly not the warm and fuzzy type, but he''s more approachable than I expected.
LM Gave me a choice for overall height of the diamond/diamonds to be "as low as possible", "low", "medium", "high", etc. I told him to put the center stone at a medium height because I just didin''t know. Should the center stone be low rather than medium? Does it look different? I really want the center stone to stand out and not blend in with the side stones.

 

[dani13]

OMG, Kristy! That ring is BEYOND BEAUTIFUL! I am so happy for you! Enjoy it, it is GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[diamondfan]

Date: 4/28/2006 3:39:32 PM
Author: KristyDarling
And that''s all, folks! (for now) Now I have to attempt going about daily life in a normal manner. I''m huuuuungry and also need to shower! (funny how life''s little necessities take a backseat to diamonds!)

I''ll take more pics when we get some sun around here! Thanks so much for looking.

Is that a bad thing?! Boy, is the ring SPECTATULAR...Worth the wait and so amazing! Wear it in the best of heath...

 

[cpster]

It''s soooo fabulous!!!

LM did a great job and it looks perfect on your hand. I''m glad your dream ring came out just like you wanted it. Congratulations and enjoy wearing it!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 9:28:44 PM
Author: cannuck
Not sure what happened, but my last post didn''t come up.


Diamond seeker2006- I will be sure to post pics when the ring arrives. DH will have to help...i''m awful with pictures.


Kristy- No, LM is certainly not the warm and fuzzy type, but he''s more approachable than I expected.

LM Gave me a choice for overall height of the diamond/diamonds to be ''as low as possible'', ''low'', ''medium'', ''high'', etc. I told him to put the center stone at a medium height because I just didin''t know. Should the center stone be low rather than medium? Does it look different? I really want the center stone to stand out and not blend in with the side stones.

I think it''s all a matter of personal taste. I think all 3 of my stones are set as low as possible. In fact, the center stone culet looks like it''s only a few hair''s widths away from touching my skin! A lot of people think that setting your center stone up higher gives it the appearance of being larger...therefore yes, it will stand out. So maybe you''ll want your center stone set up at "medium" height and your sidestones lower in comparison. It will definitely stand out!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 7:14:54 PM
Author: ~*Alexis*~
wow! So how much did that cost? I am looking to get a ring custom and i figured its cheaper to buy a loose stone and go a custom route and i get what I want. Dang! He really must love you.... [$$)][$$)][$$)][$$)]

I want one now....

Unfortunately we no longer have private messaging.

I think in my thread called "Need help picking sidestones, please" in the RockyTalky forum, you''ll see in my first post what I paid for my pear sidestones. The mounting itself and all the work associated costed $1600. Leon is surprisingly well-priced, given that he produces what many consider to be high quality pieces. Warning: based on what I''ve read about other people''s experiences, he''s not super super interested in doing very intricate custom work that he''s not already familiar with. He''s very much an artiste and has his own strong ideas. So, something to keep in mind if you work with him. I was SO happy with him and his work though, so no complaints form me!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 7:14:56 PM
Author: Mara
Kristy sweetie WHERE in the BayArea are you?!?!?!?! SF?


It is a sunny-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky 88 degrees here in San Jose...I was just out for a walk and I think I got a tan!! But I''m not complaining after all the rain we had previously!!

Sometimes SF weather REALLY gets on my nerves! Yes, I''m in the city, in the Forest Hill neighborhood which gets A LOT of fog. More so than many other ''hoods in the city. Today was supposed to be partly sunny. Turned out to be totally foggy, cold, windy, and overcast! Yuck! Hoping for better tomorrow because I''m DYING to get some sun shots!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 7:23:45 PM
Author: teagreen
It''s ginourmous and beautiful and I LOVE the delicate little claw prongs. Leon''s platinum always looks so gorgeous and shiny in all his pictures too, more than any other platinum rings I''ve seen.


Can I ask you about the process of getting your James Allen stone? Is there any way to converse outside of the forum?


Thanks!

First, I contacted WF, GOG, and JA and let them know about my desired specs. They all displayed varying degrees of customer service, but all were perfectly nice. At this point, most people then choose ONE vendor to work with because it can be expensive for vendors to call in stones that they don''t have in stock, and they generally only do this for clients who have sort of verbally committed to buy from them only. But I couldn''t decide between GOG and JA because they each had a stone I was interested in. So, both called in those stones, and they sent them to an independent appraiser in my area, who I then visited. Together, we compared the 2 stones and decided that the stone from JA was the winner. I had to pay the shipping and insurance fees for both stones (NOT cheap!). I was happy about the JA stone because I found that Jim was the most responsive vendor, and he seemed to be working the hardest to find me the stone I wanted. Of course, MANY other people here have had great experiences with WF and GOG, but in my case, Jim really went above and beyond. And happily, he also gave me the best price.

I hope that helps!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 7:49:14 PM
Author: headlight
Being partial to the three-stone as I am, it is fabulous!

I am on my 2nd three-stone compilation and neither time have I worn it with a band -- just doesn''t look ''right'' to me. I like how a three-stone gives a banded look, anyhow. I personally find wearing two rings to be cumbersome.

ENJOY!

Just for fun, I tried pairing the ring with a wedding band, and it just didn''t look right. It sort of detracted from the 3-stone. So yes, I will stick with my first instinct and just let it speak for itself!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 8:51:07 PM
Author: MissGotRocks
Oh, my, it is just stunning! I knew it would be. I am so glad that you went with the larger pear sidestones. The lesser ones would have looked lost! He angled those sidestones so well - they are a beautiful accent but in no way overpower the center stone. The setting itself is fabulous - just love those claw prongs!


Please wear this ring with pride and enjoy it. You are very fortunate to have it but in no way have to feel that you don''t deserve it.


I am so pleased that you are happy with this ring. Please take as many pictures as you can - you know this is an insatiable bunch!

Thanks MGR! That means a lot! I too am happy with how the proportions and angling turned out. There isn''t anything I''d change about this ring, and I''m a pretty picky lady!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 4/28/2006 9:20:08 PM
Author: sarita
Here at last! Wow, if I ever wanted to know what a 3.5ct center 3-stone ring would look like on my hand now I know! (we are the same ring size). I agree with the poster that called that a POWER ring. I hope you enjoy it - I think you will manage

despite the mixed feelings but I can understand where you are coming from. I am also a fairly simple non-showy type of gal and even though I LOVE diamonds and do not wear them to draw attention or look ''big'' to others I do sometimes find it hard to justify my passion. Anyway, of course you deserve it - you have a kind heart and a cool head on your shoulders, do not feel guilty for indulging in something that really makes you happy.

Aw, thanks! I really hope that I can outgrow this "large diamond insecurity" sometime soon!

 

[KristyDarling]

To everyone else who wrote such sweet compliments, THANK YOU!

This was a special day and I was so glad to be able to share it with you all!

Keep an eye on this thread tomorrow....if the sun shines, for sure there will be more eye candy!

 

[leeenie]

Date: 4/28/2006 11:05:08 PM
Author: KristyDarling

First, I contacted WF, GOG, and JA and let them know about my desired specs. They all displayed varying degrees of customer service, but all were perfectly nice. At this point, most people then choose ONE vendor to work with because it can be expensive for vendors to call in stones that they don''t have in stock, and they generally only do this for clients who have sort of verbally committed to buy from them only. But I couldn''t decide between GOG and JA because they each had a stone I was interested in. So, both called in those stones, and they sent them to an independent appraiser in my area, who I then visited. Together, we compared the 2 stones and decided that the stone from JA was the winner. I had to pay the shipping and insurance fees for both stones (NOT cheap!). I was happy about the JA stone because I found that Jim was the most responsive vendor, and he seemed to be working the hardest to find me the stone I wanted. Of course, MANY other people here have had great experiences with WF and GOG, but in my case, Jim really went above and beyond. And happily, he also gave me the best price.

I hope that helps!

Kristy, thanks for the info! I''m asking because I''m hesitant to only get to look at one stone and Jim said he didn''t encourage sending a stone back if you wanted to see if you something else would be better (which I thought would be accepted practice from Matatora''s WF experience). I know you can try to get as much info as possible beforehand using Sarin reports and all, but I''d want to see it in person first and preferably compare more than 1 stone to make sure I was making the right choice. He did suggest that sending 2 stones to an appraiser but mentioned the appraiser would charge a fee, and you had to pay shipping and insurance also. I don''t think James Allen has an upgrade policy either, but I guess that doesn''t matter if you know you won''t be upgrading in the future.

Thanks again! I''m glad everything worked out beautifully for you.

 

[KristyDarling]

Actually Teagreen, JA does have an upgrade policy. I think you get back 80% of what you originally paid if you upgrade within 5 years. (but you''re right, I don''t plan to upgrade!) I believe that JA doesn''t keep as many diamonds in stock as, say, Whiteflash or GOG. That is why it''s not as easy to view and compare multiple stones with JA. I''d encourage you to check out WF or GOG!

 

[leeenie]

Date: 4/28/2006 11:24:56 PM
Author: KristyDarling
Actually Teagreen, JA does have an upgrade policy. I think you get back 80% of what you originally paid if you upgrade within 5 years. (but you''re right, I don''t plan to upgrade!) I believe that JA doesn''t keep as many diamonds in stock as, say, Whiteflash or GOG. That is why it''s not as easy to view and compare multiple stones with JA. I''d encourage you to check out WF or GOG!

Right, their upgrade policy is 80% instead of 100% which could make a big difference. But I''m actually looking to do a trade in and JA seems to have the only/best policy on that - so that''s why I might look at JA even though WF has more stones. Thanks!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/28/2006 11:27:46 PM
Author: teagreen

Date: 4/28/2006 11:24:56 PM

Author: KristyDarling

Actually Teagreen, JA does have an upgrade policy. I think you get back 80% of what you originally paid if you upgrade within 5 years. (but you''re right, I don''t plan to upgrade!) I believe that JA doesn''t keep as many diamonds in stock as, say, Whiteflash or GOG. That is why it''s not as easy to view and compare multiple stones with JA. I''d encourage you to check out WF or GOG!

Right, their upgrade policy is 80% instead of 100% which could make a big difference. But I''m actually looking to do a trade in and JA seems to have the only/best policy on that - so that''s why I might look at JA even though WF has more stones. Thanks!

Teagreen, Bill Pearlman will also do trade in''s. He and JA are the only ones I know of though too.

 

[leeenie]

Date: 4/28/2006 11:41:16 PM
Author: mrssalvo


Teagreen, Bill Pearlman will also do trade in's. He and JA are the only ones I know of though too.

Thanks for the tip Mrs. S.! I know they do consignment, but I didn't see anything on the website about a trade-in policy and I assumed their prices would be higher, but I'll look into it. (also, there aren't diamond listings on the website so it's harder to research over the internet)

Kristy, sorry for hijacking!

 

[KristyDarling]

Hijack away!

People here are more than happy to help!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/28/2006 11:45:42 PM
Author: teagreen

Date: 4/28/2006 11:41:16 PM

Author: mrssalvo



Teagreen, Bill Pearlman will also do trade in''s. He and JA are the only ones I know of though too.

Thanks for the tip Mrs. S.! I know they do consignment, but I didn''t see anything on the website about a trade-in policy and I assumed their prices would be higher, but I''ll look into it. (also, there aren''t diamond listings on the website so it''s harder to research over the internet)


Kristy, sorry for hijacking!

Here''s the
link on Pearlman''s trade policy. He doesn''t list stones on his site but can get in whatever you want. He does have them in stock as well as access to all the unowned virtual stones. It might at least be worth looking into

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/29/2006 12:35:28 AM
Author: KristyDarling
Hijack away!

People here are more than happy to help!

thanks kristy...now back to drooling over your gorgeous new ring

 

[kathleenmv]

(gaaaaaaaaaaaasp!!) Oh it is just breathtaking!! Beyond perfect. Oh my golly, I just love it.

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" src="http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/30.gif" border="0"> Okay, now I''m gushing. (It''s hard not to!) I''m so happy for you!

'');" alt="Insert smilie

" src="http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/36.gif" align="absMiddle border=0">YAY!

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Oh, Kristy! Wow wow wow! My favorite part are the prongs. Well, and that itty bitty diamond too

I missed all of this because it is my daughter''s first birthday and my in=laws are here and my cousin is here on her way back from Japan and I am watching a friend''s twins while she moves and that makes five adults and five kids in our little flat! No time for PS surfing, today...

But I kept thinking about you and you waiting for your new ring.

I live in Cole Valley/Haight and we had some sun and I was hopeful you would too...but there''s always tomorrow!

What does your husband think? Is he mad that your car will use up more gas toting around its huge heavy diamond cargo?

 

[Dancing Fire]

KD

WOW!!! congrats

beautiful ring

you''re one lucky girl

 

[Jelly]

OH my!!!!! That''s gotta be one of my all time favorite three stone rings! Congrats! love it!!!!!!!

 

[diamondlil]

Absolutely stunning!!!!!

 

[curlygirl]

Absolute perfection! I love it!!!

 

[KristyDarling]

Thanks everyone. I''m in love.

I woke up with prongs-full of blanket fuzzies.

I had a feeling that would happen with these prongs. Same thing with my JA custom solitaire too. And same thing with the 6-prong solitaire that my original e-ring diamond was set in. Only my Tacori e-ring has NEVER had a problem with prong fuzz. Interesting, huh? I guess prong fuzz is sometimes a fact of life.

Oh, I forgot to attach this photo yesterday. It illustrates how low the stones are set in the basket. Which I really like. I wish I could take more photos today but it''s even foggier and cloudier than it was yesterday!