The Elegant E-ring... 3cts. or don''t bother?

[theinquisitor]

My mother always taught me that the definition of elegance is someone who is at home in their own skin and who is thoughtful of others. Being thoughtful of others is, after all, the whole point behind etiquette -- or it's supposed to be. Sounds like this author could use a few lessons; everyone is entitled to their opinions, but attempting to impose them on others? That's quite another thing!!

I'd take that whole book with a huge chunk of salt.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 4/7/2005 10:47:25 AM
Author: fire&ice
I''m confused. Are you saying that vintage jewelry has smaller sizes? If so, that is definitely the case. People had tiny ring fingers earlier in the century.

Yes, I think she''s saying this. . .I found this true, as well. There''s an antique jewelery store I browse/play in occasionally and nearly every ring they have fits me. I''d buy all their stuff if they didn''t overprice everything by a riduculous amount. . .I ended up purchasing my wedding band there, though, lol. . .(I just tried to find the web site, but cannot locate it, which doesn''t suprise me as I cannot remember how to spell the name

- oh well!)

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 4/7/2005 12

7:27 PM
Author: innerkitten
Grace Kelly was so pretty, great rings and she''s so good in Rear Window. I love Audrey Hepburns three ring idea so she could pair it with different outfits. She had a simple elegant style that people still imitate to this day. And of course Marylin Monroe''s ring is lovely. Did you know it sold at auction for about $750,000 not too long ago and her happy birthday mr. president dress sold for over 1 million dollars.

A while back I was looking at photos of Audrey online and found one of her posing with just one band on and she was utter perfection. She was beyond cool in Breakfast at Tiffany''s too, so she will always be one of my favorite actresses.

Grace Kelly is breathtakingly beautiful in all photos I''ve seen of her, but I''m not sure if I''ve ever watched her in any movies. . .I''ll order Rear Window from netflix

.

 

[JessesGrl]

Is it better to do without than to have a small diamond??? is this for real???
NO of course I do not agree with that!!! I have a .87 carat modern asscher in an antique repro plat. setting w/bead set stones (.45ct)...I am sure this is what she was describing as a "baby" diamond drowning in a sea of platinum. I LOVE my ring...I will NEVER upgrade it, my fiance and I got engaged shortly after we graduated college....it was basically his life savings that bought me this ring and it is beautiful not only b/c of what it looks like but more importantly what it stands for!!!! Plus it was 6500 dollars....in my book that was far from him being cheap...especially at 23 years old!

 

[innerkitten]

Jessesgrl your ring sounds beautiful. Have you posted any photos of it here?

 

[kaylagee]

F&I - Yes, I meant that the vintage shops have smaller sizes. It''s much easier buying w/o resizing hassles!

Movie Zombie- Thanks for the MM link! Cool page! Must have been interesting to be so associated with diamonds!

Shoemortgage- I agree, Dariaux is super harsh and a bit scary. I don''t agree w/ her but it gave me a zing because usually I read/hear women say that ''anything over x amount of carats is just atrocious/ostentatious'' etc. I''d never heard anyone come out and say, in so many words, that too small stones suck. It was extra-shocking coming from a French woman. LOL! be at happy you''ve got a man. That''s the truth!

Christy - Yes, finger size is a huge variable that I don''t think Madame considered.

Mara- re: your co-worker with the 9.5..reminds that i forgot to mention that my mother wears the same size a... 9.5. So a 3ct RB for her is good fit..for me it''s total diamondpig bliss(now i want to change my UID from kaylagee to something like diamondhog or diamondpig).

MicheleCarmen - We''re almost the same size, so you totally understand. Vintage is great, isn''t it?! Rear Window is excellent. Have you seen High Society yet? I''m the least likely Bing Crosby fan on earth probably, but he was one of the best. *swoon*

Innerkitten - I''m starting to get into jewelry books too. I want to get the other Prodow books. Do you know who wrote the Tiffany book? Sounds awesome! ..I''m also ordering the Dariaux book about men. It''s going to take a few weeks though, I guess it''s published in the UK and has to be special ordered??  I can''t wait. Since my dh is French, maybe she has some special insight I can use. LOL! ...$750,000 for the MM ring..wow!

I *love* A. Hepburn''s bands. I wish I''d done that instead of buying that round brill right away. Oh well.

Inquisitor- Grain of salt def. taken. Maybe an entire salt lick. LOL!

JessesGrl- Were you a Rick Springfield fan or is your guy named Jesse? Both? Your ring sounds gorgeous, I love antique styles. You know, I was tempted not to post the Dariaux quote but it was just too outrageous to keep to myself...esp. considering how popular the upgrade has become.  That''s awesome that you''re not going to upgrade your e-ring. It''s excellent to get what you want the first time! I''m quite fickle, so I''m not so lucky.

Even so, I didn''t want to use my first as a trade-in partly because I thought that it might hurt dh''s feelings & I''d miss it or change my mind *again*... also thinking I could eventually pass it down to one of my kids too. Honestly though, since I got the new set, I haven''t worn the first rings very much at all.
***
Yes, perhaps i should change my name to diamondhog.

 

[JessesGrl]

Inner kitten, I have posted it...under "show me the ring"...in many many mannyyy topics..

 

[JessesGrl]

Not a Rick Springfield fan per say...my fiance''s name is Jesse and since my name is Pia and I always liked when girls had songs w/their names in it...and Pia was never a "song name"....i was glad to finally have my song...I think the song came out the year I was born (81) but I am not sure...

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I know I''m coming in late on this discussion, so maybe this has already been broached, but between the "3-carat rule" and "2-month salary rule" it''s amazing anyone would be able to get married before the age of 30!!! Who at the age of 25 would have the like of money to purchase a 3-carat diamond?? And one of decent quality at that??

Okay...I''ll stop being sarcastic now!!

 

[kaylagee]

AChiO,

I wonder the exact same things! I wish I could learn more about her background... maybe she''s from aristocracy? She certainly seems to have an interesting worldview.

 

[Bagpuss]

This woman is a French Parisian from another era. To my mind, this explains everything that she's said - Parisians of her age and class are complete snobs and think they know everything when it comes to being 'fashionable' and 'elegant'. Anyway, I'm quite sure that she wasn't aiming her comments at the normal woman in the street (far too plebian to be of interest to her) but at the super rich at the heart of Parisian and international society.

If I were a young woman (prospective bride to be) I'd take no notice of these pronouncements - they may be of interest to film stars, minor royalty and the like, but to the rest of us mere mortals, they're utter rubbish.

 

[Kaleigh]

Bagpuss,
Well said!!

 

[kaylagee]

BP,

That makes sense! To be fair, there is some sound fashion advice about buying quality over quantity, evaluating trends, color coordination, beauty regimen etc. It's not all so high-handed.

ed. to add: I'm also thinking that maybe she married well/married up. If she was truly "to the manor born", then what would she know from tiny baby diamond solitaires?

 

[Bagpuss]

I have to admit I''m biased against the people from the north of France, Parisians, in particular! Every time I''ve been there, I''ve found them to be rude and elitest. Not true of all the French, I know, the southern French and those from Brittany are much nicer, but I swore after the last time I was in Normandy, that I''d never go back.

 

[kaylagee]

((laughing)) *gulp*my husband is Parisian.

I do know exactly what you mean! I've heard a lot of friends & random people from here say the same about Paris. It is not a friendly city by any stretch.

They aren't even very kind to each other unless already acquaintances or pals.

I think I do skate by being a bit of a noveltly - being brown and 'exotic'

from the USA. Some residual Josephine Baker credit? ((laughing)) but nearly all of my Euro-American(and one multi-friend who appears Euro) have given Paris a definite thumbs down. Italy got raves tho'.

Strangely, I read an article about an African-american/'black' woman from the US who lives there. She said that the kid gloves came off once her French improved and she was mistaken for Caribbean. Weird! So, when she needs anything important she has to dumb down her French and play up the Americaine aspect.

I don't think my French will ever get that great! I've got the dumb part well under control!

 

[kaylagee]

Yes, the south is much friendlier! Reminds me more of California too!

 

[Bagpuss]

Well, Kaylagee, maybe I just had the bad luck to meet only the rude ones.

I''m sure that your husband is the excpetion that proves the rule and is extremely polite and friendly!

 

[WFPaveChampagne]

i think it''s crap too.... i read on here once...this guy didn''t have a lot of money and he could only afford a .23carat and someone told him, "This is to represent your love and dedication to her, it could never be considered small"
I thought that was AWESOME!

 

[kaylagee]

BP - LOL!

Still giggling because I've been trying to drag him to the US since we got married(It's finally working!). Paris is great(well, okay for some folks) to visit but living there with small kids?!

I Heart WF - I don't read into the rel'p from a ring either way. In fact, as much as I love jewelry, I'm super irritated at the whole 'The guy's love for the woman is connected to the size of the diamond' idea that bubbles up occasionally. I think that's ridiculous and even emotionally dangerous for engaged couples.
***
The design of the ring itself is a huge factor too. Without interesting details, e-rings can start to look generic-rock-on-prongs... leading people to focus mainly on size differences.

Yes, my personal preference is changing to larger(and LARGER) stones(this was pre-"Elegance") but I still tend to notice the overall style first/how it fits on the hand, etc.

Of course, there's always that heavenly convergence of design and size. Like xraydoc's ring. I'm still reeling from that one!

 

[kaylagee]

Still reading through the book... the entries are in alphabetical order (the first passage was from the Jewellery section) and I read this one last night.


RINGS

"A diamond ring is the only form of diamond that can be correctly worn before lunchtime. Since it often happens that the only rings a woman possesses are her diamond engagement ring and a wedding band, it is well worthwhile selecting them with the greatest care. Sometimes it is advisable to modify the original design or even to replace the stones or setting entirely, as one''s taste and finances improve throughout the years and as fashions change.

Diamonds may be set in either gold or platinum with equal elegance, and the wedding band should of course match the setting of the engagement ring. A diamond may be cut in various ways
: generally speaking, the marquise (boat-shaped), emerald-cut (square or oblong, with squared-off corners), and pear (teardrop-shaped) forms are more flattering to short fingers, which they appear to lengthen and slenderize.

The beauty of brillant-cut (many-faceted, requiring a high setting), and square-cut stones is best enhanced by long, slender hands. But it is also true that the design and setting can often create miraculous optical illusions in adapting a certain stone to a certain type of hand. Moreover, a rather small solitaire is always more elegant when it forms part of a composition with other gems or brilliants, than when it stands rather forlornly all alone.

The mode in rings has followed the trend of all jewellery, and it is fashionable to combine two or more different kinds of precious stones, such as sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds: rubies, sapphires and diamonds: or - the ultimate in elegance and luxury - canary yellow and white diamonds.

A solitaire ring of a stone other than diamonds is somewhat risky. The truth is that an enormous topaz or aquamarine is never supremely elegant though I have seen them worn by some very fashionable women - and even though topaz is one of the loveliest gems of all. On the other hand, a large star sapphire is a jewel of great beauty and elegance.

It is unwise to wear more than a single ring on each hand (with your wedding and engagement rings counting as one). And it is only sensible to realize that a ring becomes soiled more quickly than any other piece of jewellery and that no amount of scrubbing with a toothbrush can replace a professional jeweller''s cleaning and polishing once a year."

 

[kaylagee]

bump... she didn''t mention ovals.

aargh! I think I''m overdosing on ''expert advice''.

 

[MissAva]

Oh I dont know I think it is funny, absolute rubbish and way outdated but for amusments sake still fun to read.

 

[kaylagee]

mmmm. I'm having a fit of diamond hunger lately..and kind of wishing I'd waited a few years to go larger.

Maybe if you cut through the snobbery of Dariaux.. the over 3cts(or whatever your personal threshold is) line advice is sound for avoiding shrinkage.

Dh would have a fit to even hear the word 'upgrade' right now, so my only option is to work hard at losing weight after the baby's born. Maybe I can get back down to a 4,25 (for the illusion of a 'larger' diamond heehee).

Funny how I used to measure by clothing size but now it's ring size. straitjacket please?

 

[MINE!!]

I can only imagine what she would say about a gemstone as opposed to a diamond e-ring

 

[kaylagee]

LOL! Well we''ve established that she''s a bit of a conehead, so it''d probably be something snide.

I had a red garnet(don''t know which ''breed'' it was) e-ring first...I love yours Mine.. also Nicole Richie''s.

I think I''ve got rock size/finger coverage/cut, sparkle/setting issues more than anything. I do love how diamond is neutral and so twinkly..goes with everything.

I''m also considering Moissanite in a vintagey setting. Maybe that would satisfy me for a while?

 

[kaylagee]

bump

o/~ "You''re a mean one, Madame Grinch..." o/~

Actually DS is spellbound by the cartoon on television right now(giving me a chance to stroll down memory lane of interestin'' threads here)...

Boy do I feel old, I remember watching this as a child. OMG, Cartoons at night were such a thrill!

 

[goldengirl]

I don''t understand the baguette thing (and I certainly don''t agree with the 3ct+ thing)... I don''t *like* baguettes. My mom loves them, but I just don''t get it.

 

[monarch64]

I find this whole thread extra hilarious. We live on this earth for a hundred years, if we''re lucky, and use up so much of our energy on pursuing happiness through the gain of material wealth. While I love diamonds as much as the next PS''r, I''d gladly pay what I''ll make in wages in a lifetime for one more lifetime with my loved ones. That''s just me. My mother put it really well last fall when my family and I were deciding whether to take my father off life support or not, since he had left no will and hadn''t signed anything regarding his wishes for the hospital. He''d been in cardiac arrest for 30+ minutes and they had managed to revive him but he was being kept alive by machines. My mom looked at me and said, "cars and diamonds and things don''t really matter much at times like these, do they?" I''ll never ever forget that. Seriously, what does it matter in the end how many carats your diamond is, and whether you feel insulted by some small-hearted woman who actually got a book based on her petty, snobby opinions published? I am just ever-grateful for the fact that I have a little 1.5 carat piece of carbon on my hand that symbolizes the support and love from my wonderful husband I will have for the rest of my life, and that my dad is still alive, not thanks to money, but thanks to a family who cared enough not to pull the plug.

 

[kaylagee]

Date: 12/15/2005 3:09:11 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady
PISHAW!!! I think she''s full of beans.. for those of us who cannot afford to wear a 3ct stone.. NYAH!

My fiancee bought what he could afford, and I love him for it.. and MAYBE someday we''ll upgrade.. but if we don''t, its ok.. because I know how important it was to him..

And btw.. fakes? Yeah buddy.. there are some very pretty ones out there, and yes I would wear them.. happily so. I''m not so snotty as to think I could actually afford huge pieces on a cop''s salary, and it would be fun to be blingy sometimes too.. even if it was just for me to have fun.. yanno?

LOL@ ''yeah buddy''. Wow! A guy in my history class in high school used that expression all of the time. His family was from Illinois or somewhere? He''s the only person I''ve heard use it with frequency and ferocity. It always made me giggle.

I''m still on my fakes quest(I returned those HSN Absolute canary pears after all, they turned out bit too grand for my tastes!)i i''ve been drooling at the Carats site but not sure if I want to spend so much on cz.

Yes, methinks m. dariaux forgot about fun. maybe, for her, fun just isn''t compatible w/elegance. (laugh snort)

 

[kaylagee]

Date: 12/15/2005 3:26:55 PM
Author: goldengirl
I don't understand the baguette thing (and I certainly don't agree with the 3ct+ thing)... I don't *like* baguettes. My mom loves them, but I just don't get it.

Baguettes can be so darned *subtle*, not my cuppa either. For now, I prefer pave. It might be a personality thing. My mother(a classic, tailored type) prefers baguettes, ECs over the sparklier cuts and pave.

maybe it's not so deep and just an aesthetic preference like matte vs. glossy? satin vs. polished?