Help me decide please! Three wedding bands

[Choose Ring Soon]

Hello everyone,
Have only been lurking for a short time and am blown away by the expertise on this forum. I need advice, please! Apologies in advance for the longish post. I need to choose my ring this week and have no experience with rings whatsoever. Started off wanting something very simple, plain with no stones ("I''m not a ring person", she said), and now I''m looking into diamond wedding bands (albeit modest ones)! Initially, I was most attracted to pavé but now I''m considering princess diamonds in a channel setting. Here are the 3 rings I am considering. Can someone help me decide which one I should get?

1)
Semi-eternity band (right term?)
14K white gold
Pave diamonds on 3 sides (it''s not rounded, more like 3 straight sides of diamonds - have only seen one of this style - looks great because you see diamonds from whatever angle you are looking at)
Total weight: 0.75 ct, SI, G/H
Price: $1900 Cdn
No guarantee

2)
Semi-eternity band
18K white gold
7 Princess diamonds (excellent to ideal cut, according to saleslady)
Total weight: 0.50 pts, VS2, G/H
Price: $2,150 Cdn
5 year guarantee
(similar to attached pic except princess diamonds and a tad wider)

3)
Semi-eternity band (same look as the 2nd)
Platinum (PT 900)
10 Princess diamonds (at this size, the type of cut doesn''t matter, according to the jeweller)
Total weight: 0.51, F, VS1
Price: $2,350 Cdn
Lifetime guarantee (includes cleaning and polishing)

They all look great on my hand and all feel good. I wear a size 6.25 and am medium-boned with largish joints. The ring widths are all similar and in proportion to my fingers. The first ring really appeals to me because it''s a bit different from what I''ve been seeing. I think the second rings shines the most and guess it''s because the diamonds are bigger than the third''s. The third ring feels really good on my finger but the diamonds (as clear and shiny as they are) do look a bit tiny.

I''m thinking the 3rd ring offers the most value for the money, but, I really like the style of the first. Should I forget the idea of most value for the money and go with what strikes my fancy more? Should I look into modifying the design of the 2nd or 3rd ring and see if we can incorporate pave diamonds on the sides? Should I ask the 3rd jeweller for an estimate on the same ring with 7 larger diamonds rather than 10?

Ack! Can someone guide me? Any other factors I should consider?

Any advice will be VERY appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Doing her best to choose ring soon in Montreal.

 

[belle]

hey choose ring soon! welcome to ps

those all sound like very simple and classy designs, i would say go with the one you like best.

 

[marvel]

Hi...Obviously, your budget is important. But you must choose something that you LOVE! Do not comprimise. Keep looking until you are happy...it could take months, but the searching and deciding will be fun. Good luck!!

Edited to add:
"The third ring feels really good on my finger but the diamonds (as clear and shiny as they are) do look a bit tiny. I'm thinking the 3rd ring offers the most value for the money, but, I really like the style of the first."

I can tell by this statement that you should NOT go for 3. You would only be doing it for the cost savings and I think you would always regret it. It sounds like you LOVE the first one...and you should pick what you LOVE!!

 

[mrssalvo]

i personally would probably stay away from the 14K WG. but I agree with Belle, choose the one that you really love, they all sound very nice.

 

[Choose Ring Soon]

Thank you Belle, Marvel and Mrssalvo for your advice. Question for Mrssalvo, why would you stay away from the 14k wg?

Actually, budget is not my main priority, but I do want to be sensible about it and not just buy the most expensive ring or buy at the reknowned retailer for the name.
Never thought such a purchase would obsess me as much. I bought my car in 15 minutes and spend considerably more than 2K on it!

 

[mrssalvo]

I have a 14k whitegold 5mm wedding band that has a yellow tint to it. It''s not worth the $$ to have it re-plated because it''s my pool/yard work ring but it definitely has a yellow look and it would bother me if it were my everyday e-ring. My sister has an 18K WG wedding set and is still White as can be after almost 2 years. That''s just my own personal experience, others may not have problems, I just wouldn''t want to risk it.

 

[Choose Ring Soon]

Thanks for the info, Mrssalvo! That''s my fear with white gold.

Searching the board for info on pave rings, I found a link to a picture of a ring similar to my ring #1 (it''s the band in this picture): http://www.billbarnes.com/product.asp?Product=6850
The difference is that the ring I''m contemplating has 3 sides rather than 2. It sparkles in a subtle fashion and I really like that. I''m more drawn to the pave band than the channel set anniversary band (attached a pic of one with princess diamonds, like my rings 2 and 3). I guess the reason I''m hesitating is that the first shop doesn''t offer any guarantee beyond if a diamond falls out in the first 3 months, they''ll replace it. (when we asked about a guarantee, the saleslady shrugged)

So perhaps I should have asked where should we buy my ring?

The more I think about this (and the insomnia helps in that vein), the more I''m leaning towards customizing one of these rings. If I could up the quality of ring 1, I think that''s the one I want.

 

[mrssalvo]

when i clicked on your bill barnes link i immediately thought of ladylovesluxury's new pave wedding set custom made my WF. just imagine in WG or Plat

link to original thread

bill barnes ring:

 

[mrssalvo]

Are you looking for an e-ring like the picture of the bands with the princess channel set stone you just posted?

Whiteflash

 

[pebbles]

When choosing a wedding band you have to decide if this is going to be a stand alone band (i.e. wear it by itself) or are you planning on pairing it up with your e-ring? If you are wearing it with your e-ring, then I would want to know what kind of e-ring you have before I give my choice.

ETA: Mrssalvo - i love the new picture of Zoe!

 

[Choose Ring Soon]

Oh my goodness, people. You are so great and helpful! I can''t get over the quality of the rings I see on this board. Mind boggling. Ladylovesluxury''s set is quite gorgeous!! Thanks for posting the link and the pic, Mrssalvo.

Apologies for forgetting to specify: this ring will stand alone. Solitaires don''t suit me and when I tried on plain bands (as in without stones), they lacked pizzazz. As soon as I started trying on diamond bands, I realized that I couldn''t resist the lure of diamonds. I''m torn between choosing a channel set band that really sparkles and going with a knife edge (that''s the term that describes the straight side, right?) pave band that is more subdued but just feels more me. Everyone tells me that I''ll get used to the sparkle soon enough though!

I should just get both! Let my fiancé buy one and I''ll buy the other as my right hand ring. That would solve the problem, wouldn''t it?

I guess my hesitation stems from the fact that I''ve never bought a ring before. Never owned one. Never wore one. While I know that these rings are not investments nor are they of the caliber that requires appraisals and cut analysis, I want to make sure I''m getting my money''s worth. Correction: my fiancé''s money''s worth.

Question: how often can I go back to try them on before someone commits me or expels me from the store?

 

[mrssalvo]

you might want to check out signed pieces to see a ton of eternity/half eternity rings with different stone shapes. etc.
go to the facets collection and you'll see what i mean

ETA: here's a few channel set princess rings like the pic you posted..

 

[decodelighted]

Have you seen this one?

 

[decodelighted]

Or this one ... that''s three sided from dimend scassi? They have others like this too ...

 

[ame]

I am going to vote whatever isn''t a full eternity and fits in your budget. If you plan on wearing this puppy every day and using your hand at the same time, I don''t advise a full eternity to anyone. No one sees the palm of your hand, so no one is going to even know if you have a full or half. If it sparkles, that''s the decider. Don''t buy something poorly cut just because it''s cheap.

 

[Choose Ring Soon]

Oh, my goodness, Decodelighted! That''s it! That''s perfect. Those are pave diamonds on the sides, right? I wanted to combine both styles but hadn''t seen any pictures of it (much less any actual ones). I''m afraid to go check out the site lest I be tempted by more eye candy!Thank you so much everyone!! Your input is amazing.

Now, I need to find a reliable jeweler in Montreal who can create this for me. Any referrals? I''ll ask in another thread.

I''ll keep you posted on my progress and will post pics of the ring I get. I am SO excited.

 

[mrssalvo]

Don''t know any jewelers in Montreal but you might want to give dimend scassi a call or email and ask for a quote. custom can be very expensive, sometimes more than just purchasing the actual piece

 

[Choose Ring Soon]

Totally agree with you, Ame. That''s what I was planning on doing. Tried on several full eternity and didn''t like the feel of the stones on the sides. The rings look amazing in pictures, but the effect does get lost once on the hand.

 

[pebbles]

OK...seeing that this is a stand alone ring, it seems like getting something with diamonds on 3 sides is what you are leaning toward. I really like the one that Decodelighted posted.

I too shared Ame''s feeling on the eternity band issue. Having problems with my own right now...I wear it maybe once a week now. What a waste of $.

 

[Choose Ring Soon]

Date: 10/19/2005 4:53:38 PM
Author: pebbles
OK...seeing that this is a stand alone ring, it seems like getting something with diamonds on 3 sides is what you are leaning toward. I really like the one that Decodelighted posted.

I too shared Ame''s feeling on the eternity band issue. Having problems with my own right now...I wear it maybe once a week now. What a waste of $.

I''m so sorry to hear that Pebbles. How disappointing!

After more pondering, I have more questions for you guys...

I checked out the Dimend Scassi site and realized that the ring that Decodelighted posted (thank you DD, thank you!!!) has Asscher diamonds and not Princess. Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between the 2 styles?

I went to the jewelrer who had my 3rd ring and asked if he could create the channel-set with pave sides HALF eternity band that I now covet. We came up with 7 Princess diamonds for a total of .56 and .60 of pave. All diamonds would be VS1, F and the setting platinum (I debated between the white gold and the platinum but decided that I preferred the muted grey that platinum becomes than seeing a yellow tinge in the wg). Quoted a price of less than $3K. Anything wrong with this picture?

One last question about cut: at what size does a diamond''s cut matter?

Thanks again everyone!