Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

A case of the Green Eyed Monster

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
Tmissy

Tmissy

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
57
Is it just me....do any other posters ever find themselves experiencing just a touch of the GEM?? Specifically when posters are looking for guidence either for themselves or for family/friends in sourciing for a diamond, and when they share the budget parameters you are left slack jawed?

I do have a case of GEM, but to be more accurate I really am in awe...a budget of 20K...30K....50K...100K leaves me with my mouth open catching flies.
6.gif


Then do you play the what if game? If I have XXX dollars of completely discretionary income just hanging around with nothing to do..what would I do with it?

Just a case of awe, wonderment and a little GEM at work thinking of those with the good fortune to have 20K ...30K....50K...100K just kinda hanging out looking for some action.

Kudos to those that can manage to save that kind of mad money and still stare down and kick butt when real life stuff happens...again was wondering is it just me?
 
31.gif
I guess that''s what a good income and smart savings can get you. At this time, my budget is no where near 20K with 3 babies and especially since I decided I wanted an upgrade pretty much on a whim. But we are really really good savers. I told my hubby that I wanted to start saving now for my honker.
30.gif
So give me a few years and watch out!
27.gif
 
Ha, maybe, but definitely not out of envy at the idea of using it to buy a new ring/stone (even though I don't even have a diamond!) or anything....I just honestly would not be comfortable spending that amount on a ring even if I had the money to spare (unless I was a billionaire and had more money then I knew what to do with...not likely to happen anytime soon!) but I sure do admire the rings of those who have!

I see that sort of money and want to ask if they would consider paying off my student loans!
5.gif
 
Terrymissy,

I feel the same way. I had a hard enough time trying to justify the 7K my husband originally paid (back in 2003). I have over 100K in student loan debt (down from 160K+). I am 10 years down and 6 more to go. I want to upgrade my ring, but looks like I will have to wait until the debt is paid off, sell my current ring (which doesn''t look like a good option), or win the lottery. So, right now I am hoping that I have a long lost great Aunt that''s got me at the top of her list for a large inheritance!!!
25.gif
 
Generally, I''m a bit jealous of people that can buy/do what they want without considering money. It would be nice not to have to worry about it. :)

But, you have to put it into perspective... there will always be someone who has more (and less) than you. We all do it, but honestly, this is why trying to satisfy yourself with material objects never works. We always want more, bigger, better.... It''s a cycle. Sorry if this is a bit preachy
1.gif


Anyway, there are a lot of people out there that have a lot of money. And there are also a lot of people out there willing to save, sacrifice other things and/or go into debt for jewelry because they really like it. It''s sometimes just a matter of what people choose to spend their money on.
 
Sometimes I get a case of GEM when I reflect that I had to spend thousands of dollars just for the privilege of dating my SO. We''re STILL hemorrhaging money for it (another $545 this summer, with possible $200-300 extra) and sometimes it grates on me to think that other couples get to spend what is swiftly becoming 4+k on sparklies instead of just on being allowed to be together.
7.gif


-But- I also think I have the most amazing SO in the history of SOs, so I still think I got the better bargain!
9.gif


(but 4k would have got me a nice little ring!
2.gif
)
 
yes, i
21.gif
envy all the PS ladies.
 
Date: 3/26/2010 4:21:29 PM
Author: RaiKai
Ha, maybe, but definitely not out of envy at the idea of using it to buy a new ring/stone (even though I don''t even have a diamond!) or anything....I just honestly would not be comfortable spending that amount on a ring even if I had the money to spare (unless I was a billionaire and had more money then I knew what to do with...not likely to happen anytime soon!) but I sure do admire the rings of those who have!

I see that sort of money and want to ask if they would consider paying off my student loans!
5.gif
Click to expand...
Ha! DITTO to the whole thing.
 
You know, I honestly don't?

I definitely felt that way about other things in the past: I grew up pretty poor, so I was jealous of the kids whose parents could send them away to ritzy schools: and when I was in grad school, I was jealous of the kids whose parents paid their rent. Once you're a grown-up, and you earn what's yours? The GEM sort of stops for me. I don't know quite what the psychological disconnect there for me is, but while I freely envy what people are given, I can't bring myself to envy what they earn. Maybe it makes it more of a goal, something I *could* conceivably achieve?

Now, as to what I would do if I *had* earned the money - that's an interesting thing to think about! I am going to have to give that some serious thought.
41.gif
 
Honestly I think it''s fun to try to help posters at all budget levels. Their finances do NOTHING to me - just look at what people spend on shoes & purses - crazy time - how about these INSANE weddings on TV - not my values, but to each his own!!!
 
This post makes me feel bad about spending money on luxury items
7.gif
 
I think I was more inclined toward the GEM when I HAD money to allocate to luxury purchases than I am now that I''m broke-a$$! I really am not affected by seeing all the lovely things people on PS are able to buy for themselves at this point; I am happy for them that they are enjoying the finer things in life and it''s fun for me to live vicariously through them a little. Sure, it''d be great to have a 20/50/100k budget for things, but I wonder if I wouldn''t just start lusting after 200/500/1million items and still feel unfulfilled. Probably not, ha!

My employers are people with lots of money--the owners are wonderful people who are self-made millionaires, and the wife has more diamonds (and beautiful ones) than she can wear in six months without repeating--not kidding. She''s very modest about them but it''s easy to see they make her very happy and she loves her jewelry. We don''t really discuss jewelry but I love to admire her pieces when we''re working together. One of their biggest clients is a jeweler, the luckies!
 
i get a twinge of GEM sometimes, bc i don''t have a huge rock on my hand, or a big budget to do whatever i''d like with.
but i do know that my ring was given to me from my DH from is Gma with great love, so that usually can outweigh the fact that it isn''t big.

i''m just really proud of what i CAN have, and what i DO own. it feels so much better to spend money on me when i know that i have that money to spend.

PS isn''t the "real" world for me, and the diamonds on here are RARELY if EVER seen in real life in my area. my boss got an upgrade that had to be around 1.3c, and you''d think she has the biggest diamond in the world with the way everyone was whispering about it. so i guess i''m more jealous if it is people i actually know with the big rocks to flaunt around with.
 
Date: 3/26/2010 5:12:35 PM
Author: LadyJane83
Generally, I''m a bit jealous of people that can buy/do what they want without considering money. It would be nice not to have to worry about it. :)



But, you have to put it into perspective... there will always be someone who has more (and less) than you. We all do it, but honestly, this is why trying to satisfy yourself with material objects never works. We always want more, bigger, better.... It''s a cycle. Sorry if this is a bit preachy
1.gif



Anyway, there are a lot of people out there that have a lot of money. And there are also a lot of people out there willing to save, sacrifice other things and/or go into debt for jewelry because they really like it. It''s sometimes just a matter of what people choose to spend their money on.
Click to expand...

Good post, and ditto!

I have more of the GEM with people I know personally, rather than the budgets I see here. On PS, I can just enjoy the gorgeous pieces. Though I am a bit jealous IRL, I have learned to be happy for the wonderful ladies around me who are getting large(r) rings. Everyone is different, and I appreciate what I have for what it is, a heartfelt gift from my awesome husband!
 
I''m kind of glad you posted. In looking at all the beautiful pieces here and realize the budgets most are totally out of my range. But I am saving, just wish I had the funds NOW to buy...but unless I win the lotto soon (which I''d have to buy a ticket) that''s not happening...

back to pinching pennies...
 
Sometimes I think I would love this or that (mainly just a quantity than anything in particular) but the fact is I *could* get quite a bit of it and am surely tempted to blow money on it sometimes, but other things always reign me in. Right now, where I live, the economy keeps me in a reality check every day. I was talking to my driver last night and he wants a tattoo and he said oh the one he wants would be like 1000 rmb and I said that''s only like $150. But he said no that''s a lot! and I realized that his base pay without overtime for 60 hours a week is just over that. I have no diamond here and now that I''ve lost or had stolen the one ring I did bring, I am wanting something so bad. I keep telling myself - get something small like a gold band. It will tie you over until you''re back in the states. But then I think no, just a little bling... maybe a little bigger... and pretty soon I''m considering spending 10k and I think wait - that''s a family vacation to Japan! This whole topic has me in a bit of a mess right now lol I was just looking at a 1.5 carat oec stone thinking, eh, I bet I could convince hubby to buy that... but it would be for a pendant and I still wouldn''t have a ring lol I think if I had a bill gates amount of money I would have a lot more but I would still have pangs of - geez, this is ridiculous, you could feed a poor family for a year for that! I love diamonds and luxury but I have too much guilt associated with it.
 
Every once in a while, sure. But for the most part, I myself had a pretty nice and flexible budget when I was hunting for my upgrade diamond so I''m content. I am thrilled for others when they buy big rocks.
31.gif
 
No, I actually don't really get jealous about stuff like that. I'm used to people with expensive jewelry, houses, cars, etc... idk, it must be because of my family and the way I grew up (I guess I should say the environment I grew up in).

ETA: Ditto to LadyJane, I agree :)

I guess family is a little different... I will say that there has always been competition between my sister and I--I'm not really sure why that is, I'm five years younger than her and not super competitive but she definitely is. It'll be interesting to see if a case of the GEM occurs in ten years or so... I really hope it doesn't though
8.gif
 
I too chose to impose a budget under what was actually available for us (~3 weeks salary rather than 3 months). I am so happy with what I got and I can''t imagine having something significantly more because for me, I get really stressed about having to keep up with stuff. You pay more in insurance, you have to worry more about drawing theft or opinions, and as someone else said you still have to make a trade off somewhere. Even a billionaire could figure out other uses. Any extra is cash that we save.

In fact, I don''t even enjoy owning lots of shoes, clothes, or bags. I have one black mini Dooney satchel that I wear every day and one other larger leather satchel for travel. A few years ago I got rid of all my plastic shoes and now have fewer, quality shoes: pumps in black and neutral, a sandal, pair of keds, evening shoes, my workout shoes, and some basic flat boots. I live in FL and I got rid of all my old cheap bikinis and just kept my favorite- a Poko Pano. And I enjoy the brands for the quality, not the branding.

It''s just so much easier to keep myself organized and in check this way. I feel like I have an identity rather than the things being the identity for me. I hate that feeling. With that being said, I don''t have GEM but I am not against large purchases either. That''s just what works for someone else. My lifestyle is moving more and more towards living below our means, which makes me feel happy. I did purchase a second solitaire for myself just under .5 carats for travel and right hand use. I know that wasn''t a necessary purchase but there is just something so classy about it and it provides good versatility.

What I''m really trying to say is that no one, anywhere, at any time, can have it *all* so try to remember that when you have GEM.
 
of course - sometimes... but I know with my values, even if I had limitless money I wouldn''t spend much of it on objects. I enjoy my diamond studs, but am perfectly content to drool over other people''s jewels for the next year or two before deciding to spend any more money
 
Not me: life is too short to let the GEM steal any of my precious time.
 
Sometimes I get a little GEM (nice acronym, eh?) when I see people who can just buy any old thing and not really think much about it. I'd love to be rocking a Chanel bag or a Burberry coat, but I have a child and made the decision to be a SAHM. So we work on one income. We're still comfortable, but other than my engagement ring (which we saved for 3 years to buy) those items just aren't a priority. Someday that will change, but for now it's the way it is.

But I don't let myself get anywhere near upset about it. I have a husband who loves me and a healthy, happy daughter. We live in a tiny house, but we can walk to the beautiful ocean whenever we want. So while I might be poor in the luxury department, I'm rich in everything else.

If I had a massive chunk of money, it's either going into retirement or my daughter's college education fund.
 
I wouldn't use the word "jealous."

I think that when I see someone with a budget way in excess of what we could afford, it is more a thought of "oh, I wish we could afford that."

It is more wishful thinking really. As others have said more eloquently than me, we all have different lives and different priorities.

I would like to also say that I find PS very different in their approach than other forums I have participated in. On here, the facts and figures are spoken about in such a matter of fact way, it is not offensive. Not bragging, no na na nana na's here!!! I don't think the huge budgets and proportions are given any more priority than smaller ones. In fact i have seen some our experts go over and above the call of duty to find an exceptional stone for a poster with a very limited budget. The community here just seems to relish a challenge and wants everyone to share in the delights of a beautifully cut diamond. In fact it is my on personal belief and I say it often it is never size that is important it is how the diamond behave thats matters. Now, we know that applies to even the smallest of melee stones.

I have seen beautiful rings on PS from 0.10 to 22 carats and lots more in between, each of them love and adored by many. When I posted my set, far from a perfect PS concoction I was given lots of very kind and thoughtful comments that made me look at mine in a new sparklier light!

I think it is one of the few places that you can admire other peoples diamonds without it becoming a "mine is bigger than yours" type of activity!
 
Never really get GEM. When someone has an outstanding $$$ piece, it just makes me happy to see a zillion pictures of it, since normal internet browsing of expensive jewels only gives you 1 or 2.
 
Date: 3/26/2010 7:31:47 PM
Author: CharmyPoo
This post makes me feel bad about spending money on luxury items
7.gif
Click to expand...
Awww...I don''t think you should! If you''re in a point in life where you can do it, then you should!

As for the original questions, I''ve lurked for a long time before posting, but oddly enough, I''ve never had the GEM! In fact, I think it''s kind of cool to help others who have that much to spend for their rings and other bling.
 
I just honestly can't justify spending 20K+ on one piece of jewelry, even if it's an e-ring. Now 20K+ in a lifetime, sure. But that's just my personal preference. I'd rather search high and low and wait months, even years until I find a great bargain on a stone or piece of jewelry.

Sometimes I feel that twinge of envy when I see a poster with such a high budget, and like others have said, it really does make you fantasize about you would get. Then the twinge goes away when I think about what kind of car or house I'd be able to get for that price. Or just the security of having a comfortable savings account.

I do, however, love drooling over the eyecandy when that piece of jewelry is finally in existence. So many style ideas, so much inspiration!
3.gif
 
Not over diamonds...I sometimes get it over travel. I would love to be able to go to Dubai, Paris and Thailand all in the SAME year but that is not our lifestyle. I really try to focus on what I have and how blessed I am...can be tough sometimes but I try.
 
CharmyPoo, did not intend for anyone to feel sad...just thought to myself does anyone else ever think that?

Of course social convention prevails thus I censor myself and refrain from speaking on it. So, I thought hey! I am just going to put it out there.

My GEM passes quickly though LOL! I go back to thoroughly enjoying all that I am blessed with and my own just shy of 3/4ct sparkler.
 
I don''t get a case of the GEM, no, not even when I see people with budgets that are so large they blow my mind.

Circe''s post resonates for me. I grew up with considerably less than most of the families in our town, and I do remember being really upset that I didn''t have the Keds and cool Jansport backpacks that the other kids had. As an adult, though, I''ve never felt that.

I think my career has something to do with it. I work with people who have had considerably fewer opportunities and privileges in life than I have had, and knowing them is a constant reminder of how lucky I am, and how grateful I should be. I''m also just the second generation off the boat for my family, so they constantly remind me of just how much I do have.
9.gif


I rarely feel like there''s anything I *don''t* have, even when I see people on here with so much luxury.
 
I don''t get GEM about diamonds and sparklies, or cars, houses and handbags. I get GEM about people who have functioning families, good relationships with their fathers, and no depression. Of course I''m happy for them, but I throw a pity party for myself in the same instance. At the same token, I''m certain others have GEM for me because I have the ability to go buy groceries and fill my refrigerator and pantry without a second thought.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top