Calexand
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2012
- Messages
- 36
First Crush: A Passing Infatuation
My soon-to-be fiance and I had been going back and forth since December about what sort of ring would make me happy. I had originally fallen in love with Steven Kretchmer’s design but ultimately decided against it since realizing—despite the amazing technology and craftsmanship—it was neither my style nor in our budget! In trying on Kretchmer’s omega-round with channel accent diamonds (the lowest quoted price of this setting is 6k!), however, my DB and I realized that we both loved the classic look of a center stone set in platinum with a single row of accent diamonds. So began our search for an affordable equivalent!
First Purchase: A Painful Learning Lesson
Our first purchase ended rather sadly—https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-perfect-ring-except-its-hollow-sleeve-fill-advice.171339/—we found a ring set that was below our budget and quite beautiful, but it ended up being the most painful ring I ever put on! I am exactly a 5.5, and this ring was a 5.5 that squeezed and pinched my finger in all the wrong ways. The diamond, though a .9 H color VS1, only had good polish, cut, symmetry, so it was a bit dull and small (relative to other .9’s) in appearance. After paying the restocking and shipping fee, we were a bit wary of our future online purchases.
The Right Diamond: Perfect in Person
I was ready to give up on finding an e-ring within our budget and considered getting a 4 mm faced princess cut band, but I realized that I would not like the bulkiness between my fingers. We ended up going with Blue Nile mostly because they had an amazing return policy and fantastic interest-free financing plan, which is great for folks like my DB and me who have not had time to save up because of pursuing PhDs. The specs on my lovely .97 H SI1 Blue Nile GIA certified diamond (and pictures of it not in its setting) are here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-first-diamond.172581/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-first-diamond.172581/[/URL]
A Pair Made in Heaven: Being Able to Afford My Dream E-Setting & Band!
I had been waffling for a few months on the setting of my e-ring. At first, I thought a plain setting would suffice if paired with a great channel-set band, but DB was worried that the band might not match and would not be easy/costly to return (if I bought it off Ebay as planned). With the help of Price Scope in identifying store-fronts, I scoured through all the usual suspects—Excel, White Flash, James Allen, Mark Morrell, Good Old Gold, Blue Nile, Ebay, Pearlman’s, TQdiamonds, and DiamondBistro as well as a few local jewelers. We had a very, very meager budget (because we blew a large portion of it on the diamond), so it seemed like it would be impossible to get both an e-ring setting and band… OR SO I THOUGHT.
I decided to take a chance on a relatively unknown jeweler… something I know many PSers *tsk* *tsk*. Elan, from 1-800 loose diamonds, a store based in the Los Angeles diamond district but with steadily increasing online presence, has truly amazed me (see: http://www.1800loosediamonds.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/pages/1800-Loose-Diamonds/185082481503861). Elan was one of several LA-based wholesalers I contacted after I realized that I would be better off creating a customized set. When I had made up my mind about a design, Elan set off working up the CAD and completed it in a day. I must admit that I don’t have a lot of knowledge with respect with the normal size of accent diamonds, tcw, band width, so I tortured Elan a bit for a week, going back and forth about the band width, beading, azures (PSers apparently also have mixed opinions on this, which only added to my indecisiveness!), accent diamond size, total carat weight, and the area that the accent diamonds would cover as well as the shape of the prongs. Initially, he created a CAD of a 2mm band width with forty or so .01 carat accent diamonds, but when he said that the diamonds would not need holes, I started to get very worried and realized the diamonds/band width must not be the right size. We finally agreed that the diamonds ought to be 2 mm in a 2.6 mm band.
During this whole time (nearly a week of going back and forth almost every day), Elan was incredibly patient, upbeat, and had this sort of infectious enthusiasm and humor. He was easily accessible and available at the office, by cell and at home. One time I emailed him at 10:40 pm at night, worried sick that I scared him away with my demands, and he actually emailed me back telling me to call him! At 10:40 pm at night!!! My DB thought both Elan and I were crazy, and he made me call in the other room.
What I appreciate the most about Elan is his honesty and straightforward style, including his desire to work with our budget. I knew Elan was the right guy for us from the get-go because Elan admitted that while he could beat the Blue Nile diamond price by $300, he could not offer the sort of financing plan they have, where they let you take the diamond home but allow interest-free monthly payments. Elan actually encouraged us to purchase our center stone from Blue Nile!
Further, when Elan quoted me for this set, I was surprised because I expected him to be a little above my range as many other jewelers have previously quoted me. Instead he respected our budget and told me what fit it. The most recent modification of upgrading the accent diamonds to 2 mm from 1.3 mm was done with a charge for having to throw out the earlier approved wax. But had the wax not been cast, partly because it had to do with a misunderstanding (my misunderstanding of how this whole accent diamond thing works) but largely out of his generosity and desire to keep me as his client, Elan was prepared to maintain his initial offer. This finished product is amazing and something that I think all of you will appreciate. Without further delay, here are the rings!
Because I am terrible at taking pictures, I also took a short video: http://youtu.be/4A-OkE_Y2L0
And now the specs on my beautiful ring set:
- 90% platinum/10% iridium alloy (not all jewelers are capable of providing this customized alloy, including Blue Nile and the Facets Collection)
- 2.6 mm each for band and e-ring
- 1.47 tcw of 2 mm VS2-SI1 (eye-clean) accent diamonds, F-G color, covering 70% of both the band and e-ring
- Twisty basket design, including four hidden accent diamonds
- Center stone prongs come together to look like hearts/little bees!
- Accent diamond prongs/beading below the channel for a smooth finish
- Prongs/beading between each accent diamonds offers protection as well as enhancing the natural sparkle of the diamonds
- Azures under all the accent and center diamonds
- Rounded edges like a comfort-fit band
- Size 6 on 5.5 finger (I like my rings loose)
The most significant detail for us, though, is that the cost for both the e-ring and band are competitive with the price of similar e-ring settings alone from many jewelers, while the quality and attention to detail is higher (note: twisty basket design with accent diamonds).
By the way, for anyone who is interested, since the CAD has already been created, you can probably benefit from it without having to spend all the time I did going back-and-forth on the design and get it at a great price. Elan is very good at giving you exactly what you want, but it’s really important that you know exactly what you want, including all the details, and to have all of it ready beforehand in a list. I was not exactly sure about what I wanted, and I was changing my mind as fast as Elan could create the CAD, which made the process a bit harder. The rings also took longer to make because I encouraged Elan to take longer and not rush since I was visiting DB in Northern California and knew I would not be able to pick them up right away. Otherwise, Elan has a great turnaround time, as evidenced by the first wax he whipped up.
I really can’t thank Elan enough for providing me with my dream set: a beautiful, tiffany-style (but more elegant) e-ring with perfectly flush w-band. I like that the band is thick enough to wear on its own but delicate at the same time. And again, delicate, but designed to be sturdy to suit my tomboy tendencies: beading between accent diamonds, accent diamonds under the channel, no accent diamonds on the very bottom, and the more resilient 90-10 platinum iridium alloy. I am very glad that I took a chance on a newcomer to the market!!! Here is a handshot!
My soon-to-be fiance and I had been going back and forth since December about what sort of ring would make me happy. I had originally fallen in love with Steven Kretchmer’s design but ultimately decided against it since realizing—despite the amazing technology and craftsmanship—it was neither my style nor in our budget! In trying on Kretchmer’s omega-round with channel accent diamonds (the lowest quoted price of this setting is 6k!), however, my DB and I realized that we both loved the classic look of a center stone set in platinum with a single row of accent diamonds. So began our search for an affordable equivalent!
First Purchase: A Painful Learning Lesson
Our first purchase ended rather sadly—https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-perfect-ring-except-its-hollow-sleeve-fill-advice.171339/—we found a ring set that was below our budget and quite beautiful, but it ended up being the most painful ring I ever put on! I am exactly a 5.5, and this ring was a 5.5 that squeezed and pinched my finger in all the wrong ways. The diamond, though a .9 H color VS1, only had good polish, cut, symmetry, so it was a bit dull and small (relative to other .9’s) in appearance. After paying the restocking and shipping fee, we were a bit wary of our future online purchases.
The Right Diamond: Perfect in Person
I was ready to give up on finding an e-ring within our budget and considered getting a 4 mm faced princess cut band, but I realized that I would not like the bulkiness between my fingers. We ended up going with Blue Nile mostly because they had an amazing return policy and fantastic interest-free financing plan, which is great for folks like my DB and me who have not had time to save up because of pursuing PhDs. The specs on my lovely .97 H SI1 Blue Nile GIA certified diamond (and pictures of it not in its setting) are here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-first-diamond.172581/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-first-diamond.172581/[/URL]
A Pair Made in Heaven: Being Able to Afford My Dream E-Setting & Band!
I had been waffling for a few months on the setting of my e-ring. At first, I thought a plain setting would suffice if paired with a great channel-set band, but DB was worried that the band might not match and would not be easy/costly to return (if I bought it off Ebay as planned). With the help of Price Scope in identifying store-fronts, I scoured through all the usual suspects—Excel, White Flash, James Allen, Mark Morrell, Good Old Gold, Blue Nile, Ebay, Pearlman’s, TQdiamonds, and DiamondBistro as well as a few local jewelers. We had a very, very meager budget (because we blew a large portion of it on the diamond), so it seemed like it would be impossible to get both an e-ring setting and band… OR SO I THOUGHT.
I decided to take a chance on a relatively unknown jeweler… something I know many PSers *tsk* *tsk*. Elan, from 1-800 loose diamonds, a store based in the Los Angeles diamond district but with steadily increasing online presence, has truly amazed me (see: http://www.1800loosediamonds.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/pages/1800-Loose-Diamonds/185082481503861). Elan was one of several LA-based wholesalers I contacted after I realized that I would be better off creating a customized set. When I had made up my mind about a design, Elan set off working up the CAD and completed it in a day. I must admit that I don’t have a lot of knowledge with respect with the normal size of accent diamonds, tcw, band width, so I tortured Elan a bit for a week, going back and forth about the band width, beading, azures (PSers apparently also have mixed opinions on this, which only added to my indecisiveness!), accent diamond size, total carat weight, and the area that the accent diamonds would cover as well as the shape of the prongs. Initially, he created a CAD of a 2mm band width with forty or so .01 carat accent diamonds, but when he said that the diamonds would not need holes, I started to get very worried and realized the diamonds/band width must not be the right size. We finally agreed that the diamonds ought to be 2 mm in a 2.6 mm band.
During this whole time (nearly a week of going back and forth almost every day), Elan was incredibly patient, upbeat, and had this sort of infectious enthusiasm and humor. He was easily accessible and available at the office, by cell and at home. One time I emailed him at 10:40 pm at night, worried sick that I scared him away with my demands, and he actually emailed me back telling me to call him! At 10:40 pm at night!!! My DB thought both Elan and I were crazy, and he made me call in the other room.
What I appreciate the most about Elan is his honesty and straightforward style, including his desire to work with our budget. I knew Elan was the right guy for us from the get-go because Elan admitted that while he could beat the Blue Nile diamond price by $300, he could not offer the sort of financing plan they have, where they let you take the diamond home but allow interest-free monthly payments. Elan actually encouraged us to purchase our center stone from Blue Nile!Further, when Elan quoted me for this set, I was surprised because I expected him to be a little above my range as many other jewelers have previously quoted me. Instead he respected our budget and told me what fit it. The most recent modification of upgrading the accent diamonds to 2 mm from 1.3 mm was done with a charge for having to throw out the earlier approved wax. But had the wax not been cast, partly because it had to do with a misunderstanding (my misunderstanding of how this whole accent diamond thing works) but largely out of his generosity and desire to keep me as his client, Elan was prepared to maintain his initial offer. This finished product is amazing and something that I think all of you will appreciate. Without further delay, here are the rings!
Because I am terrible at taking pictures, I also took a short video: http://youtu.be/4A-OkE_Y2L0
And now the specs on my beautiful ring set:
- 90% platinum/10% iridium alloy (not all jewelers are capable of providing this customized alloy, including Blue Nile and the Facets Collection)
- 2.6 mm each for band and e-ring
- 1.47 tcw of 2 mm VS2-SI1 (eye-clean) accent diamonds, F-G color, covering 70% of both the band and e-ring
- Twisty basket design, including four hidden accent diamonds
- Center stone prongs come together to look like hearts/little bees!
- Accent diamond prongs/beading below the channel for a smooth finish
- Prongs/beading between each accent diamonds offers protection as well as enhancing the natural sparkle of the diamonds
- Azures under all the accent and center diamonds
- Rounded edges like a comfort-fit band
- Size 6 on 5.5 finger (I like my rings loose)
The most significant detail for us, though, is that the cost for both the e-ring and band are competitive with the price of similar e-ring settings alone from many jewelers, while the quality and attention to detail is higher (note: twisty basket design with accent diamonds).
By the way, for anyone who is interested, since the CAD has already been created, you can probably benefit from it without having to spend all the time I did going back-and-forth on the design and get it at a great price. Elan is very good at giving you exactly what you want, but it’s really important that you know exactly what you want, including all the details, and to have all of it ready beforehand in a list. I was not exactly sure about what I wanted, and I was changing my mind as fast as Elan could create the CAD, which made the process a bit harder. The rings also took longer to make because I encouraged Elan to take longer and not rush since I was visiting DB in Northern California and knew I would not be able to pick them up right away. Otherwise, Elan has a great turnaround time, as evidenced by the first wax he whipped up.
I really can’t thank Elan enough for providing me with my dream set: a beautiful, tiffany-style (but more elegant) e-ring with perfectly flush w-band. I like that the band is thick enough to wear on its own but delicate at the same time. And again, delicate, but designed to be sturdy to suit my tomboy tendencies: beading between accent diamonds, accent diamonds under the channel, no accent diamonds on the very bottom, and the more resilient 90-10 platinum iridium alloy. I am very glad that I took a chance on a newcomer to the market!!! Here is a handshot!
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