Calling Sapphire experts- help with sapphire eternity band

[WBPF]

Looking for some advice from any Sapphire experts out there....I am looking to buy 2 very thin sapphire eternity bands. I likely will wear them as "bookends" with a pave diamond 18k white gold eternity band I currently own. I may also mix them in with some other platinum stacking bands I have.

I attached a few pictures of what I am looking for and I have several questions I am hoping someone out there can answer. Here is what I am looking for:

* Very thin bands, 2mm in width or less
* Bands can be all sapphire or a combo of sapphire and diamonds
* I especially like baguettes, princess cut or french cut but wondering if the latter would blow the budget...(damn budgets!)
* Prefer something with a slightly vintage feel, maybe milgrain, etc
* Bands definitely do NOT have to be the same...I think I prefer 2 different but complementary bands
* My ring size is 5.75 but could wear a 6
* Hoping to pay under $800 per band

Here are my questions:

* Is this price range realistic?
* What do people think of buying a vintage piece vs something new? I am open to both but would love to hear the pros/cons. Is it cheaper to go vintage?
* I know I can wear 18k with 18k, but is it bad/damaging to wear platinum next to 18k or 14k next to 18k?
* Any recommended vendors that have these types of items?
* I have seen some on Etsy...can anyone recommend reputable vendors who sell on Etsy? (I am a little leery of Ebay...unless someone convinces me otherwise.)
* I have never owned a sapphire...anything specific I should look for and/or avoid? Honesly, I dont know what I dont know

Thanks for reading this super long post and I appreciate any advice!

 

[freezing_in_MO]

Re: Calling Sapphire experts- help with sapphire eternity ba

I am FAR from an expert, especially compared to the very knowledgeable people here. However, I do have recent experience with quotes on a thin eternity band. I too was looking for a very thin band, around 2 mm. I was looking for rubies, rather than sapphires, but I can imagine that the prices would be similar in this tiny size range. The caveat is that I was looking for a channel-set band, which probably fits fewer stones.

For a 2 mm half-eternity band in size 5.5, platinum with channel-set rubies, the quotes I received ranged from $650 to $2500. White gold will be less expensive.

There is a sticky topic on this forum (Colored Stone) that lists a number of reputable Etsy vendors.

Finally, I wouldn't wear platinum next to gold, especially 18K gold. A harder metal next to a soft one means that the soft one will get scratched.