My Mini Upgrade from Good Old Gold!

[3shebabes]

Impatient One! Wow! We''re nearly the same age. I always make the silly assumption that most everyone on this site is in their 20s and getting engaged for the first time -- though I knew your ring excitement was due to an upgrade, not an original e-ring. I''ve been married for 10 years this time, actually. I was once a young 23 year old bride (in 198, married until 30 yrs old to my high school/college sweetie (had one daughter) but then called it quits. Married again at 32 to an old friend who turned out to be the love of my life & with whom I had 2 more daughters! And now, as unbelievable as it seems, I am 42. Time flies!

So your hubby is in the Middle East? You say he''ll be home in March to visit - but does he know yet when he''ll be home for good? Our next door neighbor returned a year ago from his year in Iraq. Very difficult for his wife and 4 kids. From one American to another ...let me say thanks to you and your husband for the sacrifices you both are making in his absence. I know it must be so tough.

I know I missed this somewhere in your posts, but how long till your rings arrive? Was it 3 weeks? I have read so much about Signed Pieces/Facets using such well cut, sparkly stones. I was so tempted to order from them but I ended up showing my local jeweler some pictures of heads/prongs I like and he said he could do something very similar. I have been impressed by other work of his I''ve seen -- but it is scary to custom order anything.

My stone was ordered from James Allen. It is an AGS Triple 0 cut round brilliant - which I believe you said yours was also. It is so incredibly sparkly -- in a way that my original e-ring I wear now ( 1 carat pear, E VS2, GIA very good cut) just simply isn''t -- even though it is a G color and an SI1 clarity. The cut just made all the difference!

Like your username, I too am feeling impatient these days. I am trying to "time" my regular manicures so that my nails will be extra spiffy around the time that I think my hubby will give it to me, finally. It is hard to wait...but I keep reminding myself how fortunate I am to be receiving such a fabulous bauble!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 1/24/2008 12:50:27 AM
Author: 3shebabes
Impatient One, I giggled when I read that you wore the new one around the house today -- I have been doing that since I received my upgrade stone back in the fall! I even try to bend my arm around and look at it as if it was someone else''s hand so I can admire it that way. I''m warped, I fear.

I just hope once I am wearing it, I can refrain from doing that semi-obnoxious-but-we''ve-all-done-it awkward, forced over-use of my left hand while talking in order to make sure others notice the new rings! I know I did it years ago when first engaged (who doesn''t? It is SO exciting!) -- but since I am now 42, I will try to be more grown-up this time! (Or at least I''ll try to be more subtle!)

HAHAHA! I especially love your description of the over-use of the left hand! HILARIOUS! I''ll be honest...I caught myself doing this a few times right after I got engaged!

Slightly embarassing but true!

 

[ImpatientOne]

Date: 1/24/2008 3:55:11 PM
Author: 3shebabes
Impatient One! Wow! We're nearly the same age. I always make the silly assumption that most everyone on this site is in their 20s and getting engaged for the first time -- though I knew your ring excitement was due to an upgrade, not an original e-ring. I've been married for 10 years this time, actually. I was once a young 23 year old bride (in 198, married until 30 yrs old to my high school/college sweetie (had one daughter) but then called it quits. Married again at 32 to an old friend who turned out to be the love of my life & with whom I had 2 more daughters! And now, as unbelievable as it seems, I am 42. Time flies!

So your hubby is in the Middle East? You say he'll be home in March to visit - but does he know yet when he'll be home for good? Our next door neighbor returned a year ago from his year in Iraq. Very difficult for his wife and 4 kids. From one American to another ...let me say thanks to you and your husband for the sacrifices you both are making in his absence. I know it must be so tough.

I know I missed this somewhere in your posts, but how long till your rings arrive? Was it 3 weeks? I have read so much about Signed Pieces/Facets using such well cut, sparkly stones. I was so tempted to order from them but I ended up showing my local jeweler some pictures of heads/prongs I like and he said he could do something very similar. I have been impressed by other work of his I've seen -- but it is scary to custom order anything.

My stone was ordered from James Allen. It is an AGS Triple 0 cut round brilliant - which I believe you said yours was also. It is so incredibly sparkly -- in a way that my original e-ring I wear now ( 1 carat pear, E VS2, GIA very good cut) just simply isn't -- even though it is a G color and an SI1 clarity. The cut just made all the difference!

Like your username, I too am feeling impatient these days. I am trying to 'time' my regular manicures so that my nails will be extra spiffy around the time that I think my hubby will give it to me, finally. It is hard to wait...but I keep reminding myself how fortunate I am to be receiving such a fabulous bauble!

Thanks, 3shebabes! Yes, my old stone was a 1.51 VG SI2 and everyone who saw it just drooled. But after hanging around here on PS, I knew I could get a much better stone for the same price I paid. The WG setting I had was already bugging me - both the issues with having to have it rhodium plated several times, and the fact that the stones were only SI1-2 Good cut. I was originally just going to get a new setting, and keep the old stone. I ordered the setting from Signed Pieces, then talked to Bill @ Pearlman's about selling the old setting on consignment. Bill said I would get a quicker sale if I sold it with the diamond in, so I started looking. I was fully expecting to get something in the 1.5 to 1.6 ct range, but when I saw this one I snapped it up.

My setting should be here the first week of Feb. I'm hoping it comes sooner, but not counting on it. With the size of your new diamond, I think the 10 pointers will really set it off and your rings will be AMAZING! I'm hoping that the 10 pointers won't distract too much from my stone...

My hubby will be coming hope for 18 days in March, just in time for our anniversary. He won't be home for good until December

Yeah, it's tough, but it is what it is. We are both just trying to stay strong. The sad thing is, he is missing so much this year. My dh is my 2nd husband, so not the "biological father" of my kids, but they all refer to him as "dad" and miss him like crazy. He will miss our yuongest daughter's graduation from High School and her subsequent departure for college. He is also missing the first year of our grandson's life - the bab was born a few weeks before dh left

Oh, well, I realize somebody's got to do it, and I am very proud of my hubby and my Marine son. When it's all said and done, he will have been gone for along 15 months!!!

Can't wait to see your's when it's done!!!

 

[3shebabes]

Impatient One,

When I read about what others are going through during this time of our involvement in Iraq, I could just kick myself for ever complaining about anything in my life. I am in awe of all of the military families who are having to miss loved ones and worry about their safety.

Interestingly, I remembered that my neighbor (the Mrs.) who I mentioned in an earlier post received a terrific diamond upgrade upon her hubby''s return from Iraq. I think there are a number of others on Pricescope in a similar situation - where they have received or are receiving an upgraded ring before, after or during the absence of their deployed husband. I think it is a wonderful time to receive such a gift - because among other things it symbolizes the strength of the connection between two people and maybe even a renewed and strengthened appreciation for each other,I would imagine. My neighbor (in her mid 40s) had worn her original e-ring for 22 years and since she and her hubby married fairly young and were students at the time, her diamond was definitely on the small side. Not sure how small - but I think something in the .15 size range. I know many of her close friends and let''s just say she is often surrounded by friends with downright BLINGY baubles - and yet she would giggle about her small rock and would laugh that hers was as small as most of her friends accent stones around their center stone. But she would always say that it meant too much for her to really replace it. When he returned from Iraq, he called me and asked for diamond advice (my hubby told him we''d gotten a stone online) and I suggested he use her current stone as a side stone for a larger center e-ring stone - but he ended up getting her a totally new 3 stone ring with a 1 carat center and 1/2 carat side stones I believe. Beautiful and she loved it -- and seriously sparkly. Funny thing though -- she obviously really meant it when she said her small e-ring meant the world to her because she still wears it with her wedding band on her left hand and wears her blingy new ring on her right hand.

yes - I am anxious to see how the 10 pointers set my center stone off. I had seriously considered using smaller side stones for several reasons (money, making my center stone look as lareg as possible, etc) but finally decided to use the 10 pointers. I tried on some bands with that size stone and while I really liked the delicate look of smaller side stones with my center stone, I also really liked the slightly chunkier look too! I had 6 10-point stones in a diamond wrap my hubby gave me for our 5th anniversary that I wasn''t wearing because the wrap was digging into the prongs of my solitaire pretty badly - and I was told by the jeweler that they were nice stones..so I figured why not use them in the setting? I hated that they were sitting in my jewelry box, as they have meaning to me also. So I ended up going with that size stone for all the stones in both rings. My rings will also be platinum like yours, which I wear now and really like. I didn''t want to think about rhodium plating either -- but eek it''s a bummer to pay that platinum premium for metal, isn''t it?

UGH! Talking about it is making me more nutty about it! Please post pictures of your beautiful new rings as soon as possible! I will be looking for them. Snap pics of all angles -- closeups and whole hand shots. Your pictures may "tide me over" for a few more weeks...

 

[3shebabes]

Impatient One -- Here it is Jan. 31st -- and I bet you''re REALLY IMPATIENT by now!

Please humor me and post pictures as soon as your new rings are gracing your fingers. Mine are still easily 2 weeks away (if not more, so I''m told) and I am itchin'' for some beautimous jewels to oogle. Any news on your new sparklies??

 

[ImpatientOne]

Date: 1/31/2008 4:18:41 PM
Author: 3shebabes
Impatient One -- Here it is Jan. 31st -- and I bet you're REALLY IMPATIENT by now!

Please humor me and post pictures as soon as your new rings are gracing your fingers. Mine are still easily 2 weeks away (if not more, so I'm told) and I am itchin' for some beautimous jewels to oogle. Any news on your new sparklies??

LOL, 3sehbabes! In true form I am living up to my screen name and I called Signed Pieces yesterday to check on the status! My rings will be here Monday, but I will have to drop it off at my local jeweler to be set. Unfortunately, the jeweler will be out of town for a couple of days so it won;t be ready until the 13th But, I'll take some pics with the stone sitting in the setting before I drop it off

At this rate, you'll probably get yours before mine is ready!!!

 

[Lv2shopp]

CONGRATS, it is lovely. Both of us had great days today with our new bling!!

I agree about the color, it is really hard to tell the difference. Post more pix when she is in her new home.

 

[Skippy123]

Congrats on the beautiful stone!

Can''t wait to see it set!

 

[3shebabes]

Well -- at least by Monday (wow -just 3 days!) you''ll have your new set in your hands so you can admire the diamonds and see and feel the workmanship. (That''s part of what I am anxious to do -- to see whether my little "tweaks" that I requested of the jeweler making my set were accurately brought to life...) - but enough about me - this is your thread!

I can just see you now -- trying to balance the loose stone on the prongs while you take pictures!
I have read many times that Facets/Signed Pieces uses gorgeous, sparkly, well cut stones in their settings - so I am anxious to hear what you think when you get your rings!

I know they''ll be beautiful. I look forward to hand shots! Please do your darndest to post pics on Monday!

 

[door knob solitaire]

I see nothing MINI about that upgrade! Can''t wait like the rest of the gang for the PHOTOGS!! Woo Hoo!

 

[Cleo]

Wow! That''s absolutely gorgeous!

I would never have guessed your stone was a J, it looks so white ... and what an amazing size!

Actually, I really like that temp setting... heheh

x x x