My Michael E masterpiece

This post is about 5 months late but at least it finally exists!

The background:  About a year ago I got tired of searching for an engagement ring and was waiting very impatiently for my boyfriend to give me one, when it occurred to me that I could go out and create a sparkly of my own. 

When I was 17 I got engaged to my 19 year old boyfriend.  It was a rocky relationship to say the least, filled with jealousy, anger and constant drama.  After almost 3 years together he broke up with me and asked me to move out of our shared apartment.  At the time I was devastated but quickly came to realize that he had done me a great service that I probably wouldn't have had the strength to do for myself.  It didn't take me long to stop resenting him and we maintained a civil friendship for months afterward. 

Due to the fact that he officially ended our engagement and also owed me some money, we mutually decided that I would keep the engagement ring.  It sat with my other unworn jewelry for 3 years before I considered having it reset.  As familiar as it was in its yellow gold eternity band setting, it was time for a change.  I was ready to move on.

My original "maul" store setting:

As an Internet research addict I spent tons of hours trying to determine exactly what I wanted in a right hand ring.  I was a bit self conscious about the appearance of the stone on my chubby size 8.5 fingers (thanks a lot for passing those on to me grandma!) so I fell instantly in love with a Ritani that showed a number of small diamonds encircling the center stone.  I had no doubt it would complement my 1/3 ct quite well.  I contacted a reputable jeweler for a price quote and was surprised with the numbers they returned to me.  I was still determined to find a similar setting but hoped for something more in line with my budget.

I contacted Michael E and sent him a photo of what I had in mind.  It wasn’t long before he responded with a photo of an adwar setting that was much more in line with my intended budget.  Unfortunately I had emailed him at a time when a number of companies shut down entirely for a summer break and I was forced to wait a couple of weeks for the setting to be ordered.  If nothing else, it gave me time to mail my diamond to Michael and build the excitement about my soon to be ring!

Since my original engagement ring was purchased back in 1997 from an overpriced mall store that sold very few certified stones at the time, I had absolutely no idea what color or clarity my diamond was.  I asked Michael to give me his best guess and I must admit I was shocked to learn it was an I in color (although I believe it has very strong fluoresence since it glows very brightly under a black light) and an I1 in clarity!  It always looked so white and although I had spotted a wispy black carbon thread inside I had never really considered what that would mean for it’s clarity.  Regardless of it’s poor appearance on paper, my sentimental attachments make it much more valuable.

Michael and I emailed back and forth throughout the entire process.  When he received the new white gold setting, both he and I were surprised to find that there were openings for additional diamonds on the gallery sides as well.  Since he was unable to work with the teeny tiny diamonds in my original setting, he made a deal with me and exchanged my yellow gold and small stones for enough of his stones to fill the new ring.  He even went the extra step to add star engravings around the side galleries to help the little diamonds to “pop”.

The day before he shipped my new pretty he was kind enough to take some photos to squelch some of my curiosity but it wasn’t until I opened the box and held it in my own hands that I realized just how beautiful it was.  I am ecstatic with the wonderful job that he did and I would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone.  Every day since August I have looked at this new ring and smiled.  It is a symbol not only of how far I’ve come but a reminder of my strength and ability to grow.  I am so grateful that Michael was able to provide me with such a wonderful ring.  I apologize for taking so long to post these, but here goes:

"People who possess great qualities, do not need to show off".

icelady

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DFW PS GTG Planner Extraordinaire :)

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"You kept making all the stops?"
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**ls gift**

Josh Rioux
Haines, Alaska
*The Colored Gemstone Nut*

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