As we get older, smaller or larger stones for rings?

[beaujolais]

As we get older, smaller or larger stones for rings?

Yes, I know, people vary, but your opinion.

I'm not young (50) (cough) (sigh). Unfortunately hands age and get not so pretty. I'm finding I like smaller stones (6 mms or so and under) on the not-so-young looking hands. It adds a bit of refinement to what has gotten a bit rough looking.

Say, when you list something for sale, do you try to find a friend who has pretty & young hands to use for your photos? (I do.)

Thanks.

 

[MollyMalone]

I've gone in the opposite direction -- as I've grown older (I'm 10 years older than you), I prefer bigger stones. Dainty rings used to be the only kind I'd wear, but I've given most of those away and almost never "fly solo" with the few I have left (will wear some as stackers). Think it's because I'm not as shy as I was when young.

I am generally choosing softer/more neutral colors for nail polish because it seemed that, e.g., dark red polish "ages" my hands even more. But perceiving nail polish color as making a difference is more likely wishful thinking on my part. And I'm making a conscious effort to drink lots of water; my hands definitely look better, smoother, if I'm well hydrated.

 

[beaujolais]

dark red polish "ages" my hands even more

Very, very true.

 

[katharath]

I prefer gems on the smaller size in general, and most of my favorite gems are in the 5.5-6.5 mm range. I've done some experimenting with size and for awhile, I felt like anything above 6.5 mm was too big for my comfort zone. (I'm speaking specifically of gems intended for rings - for pendants I love much larger gems).

But lately I've found myself starting to go after slightly larger gems - I bought a 7 mm spinel and then an 8.2 mm spinel, both of which I'm planning to set as rings. I'm very excited to see how the 8.2 mm round looks set I do intend for these rings to be RHR. My ering has a relatively smaller 6.44 mm sapphire (it's in my avatar), and I think that's about as large as I want for my ering to be. Although never say never...

I'm still on the younger end I suppose (I'm 33), so it will be interesting to see how things change as I age.

 

[ilovegemstones]

Overall they are getting larger because my budget is increasing. I am also in my mid 30's. I am also wearing a lot of gold which makes me a bit sad about my silver jewelry just sitting. I know there will come a day where I where that too though! I used to wear a lot of large chunky gemstone silver jewelry (lots of moonstone, labradorite, dendritic agate and turquoise) so compared to those stones my gemstones are getting smaller and faceted!

 

[T L]

I like 'em larger when I get older, since the bigger the gem, the more it covers my ugly wrinkly fingers. LOL!

I'm middle aged too, so it matters.

I've seen people use fake hands to sell rings, which is a nice touch. I try to avoid showing my hands in photos because I hate them, and that's why I also blow up the gem and crop it so the less you see of my fingers, the better.

 

[innerkitten]

Well as I get older ( I'm turning 43 ) my eye site has gotten worse so visually I like to look at larger stones. But with my skinny wrists and long fingers a medium sized stone or multiple smaller sized rings actually looks better on me. Plus because I have big knuckles and have to size up, if a ring is top heavy it spins on me.

 

[innerkitten]

Overall they are getting larger because my budget is increasing. I am also in my mid 30's. I am also wearing a lot of gold which makes me a bit sad about my silver jewelry just sitting. I know there will come a day where I where that too though! I used to wear a lot of large chunky gemstone silver jewelry (lots of moonstone, labradorite, dendritic agate and turquoise) so compared to those stones my gemstones are getting smaller and faceted!

You will wear it again. I know I go through phases with my jewelry.

 

[katharath]

Overall they are getting larger because my budget is increasing. I am also in my mid 30's. I am also wearing a lot of gold which makes me a bit sad about my silver jewelry just sitting. I know there will come a day where I where that too though! I used to wear a lot of large chunky gemstone silver jewelry (lots of moonstone, labradorite, dendritic agate and turquoise) so compared to those stones my gemstones are getting smaller and faceted!

That's a good point - maybe a bigger budget is why I'm liking my gems slightly bigger too, lol!

Like you, I used to have a lot of bigger moonstones, labradorites, etc too, mostly pendants, set in silver. I've sold a lot of my earlier pieces but I have a few silver pieces that I've kept bc I know I'll wear them again - like innerkitten said. Sometimes I'm just in that mood for wearing those pieces - it is rarer now but it happens

 

[deskjockey]

I'm only 35, but as I've gotten "older" I've definitely gone bigger. I was always a tomboy though, spending a lot of time outside getting dirty, so jewelry was never on my list of things I cared about. When I did wear rings, they tended to be pretty minimalist. For years I thought the diamond on my mom's old ring was the biggest stone I'd ever wear (it's less than 4 MM). The few gemstones I owned were TEENY and shallow, it's only over the last year I've gotten comfortable with anything bigger that might sit up a little bit off my finger.

There's still a point where it's too big, though. I've been looking around for a nice topaz (golden or imperial or anythingbutblue) for a birthstone ring, and the nice ones I've been able to find are just too big for me. I also have narrow fingers so I think things that look nice on other people would be too much on me. I will probably feel differently when I am a crazy old cat lady though.

 

[JewelFreak]

DJ, you're gonna be a crazy old horse lady.

I used to wear smaller stones but mainly because I couldn't afford anything bigger. Now that I'm older & have icky wrinkled dry gardening hands I like larger ones, around 7 to 8.5 mm. Gave my adorable heirloom little diamond ring to my niece -- that sort of thing looks better on the young, like small tiaras (not that I'd know from experience!). Too large if you're not young & you look like you're seeking a boy toy, but small stones on me would be in stackers.

--- Laurie

 

[FrekeChild]

Lol! I probably watch too much Dexter, but I've found the fake plastic hands to be so creepy!

http://dexter.wikia.com/wiki/Prosthetic_Arm_(Ice_Truck_Killer)

 

[deskjockey]

DJ, you're gonna be a crazy old horse lady.
--- Laurie

A girl can dream... haha.

 

[distracts]

I thought your gemstones get bigger as you get older!

 

[dk168]

My hands and fingers have increased in size over the years, along with my body, and small delicate jewellery do not suit me, and I am 50 next year.

DK

 

[VapidLapid]

Lol! I probably watch too much Dexter, but I've found the fake plastic hands to be so creepy!

http://dexter.wikia.com/wiki/Prosthetic_Arm_(Ice_Truck_Killer)

I don't think one can watch too much Dexter, though I'm not sure Im comfortable with what that may say about me.

I like larger stones now, but more than that I prefer better stones of any size.

 

[FrekeChild]

Lol! I probably watch too much Dexter, but I've found the fake plastic hands to be so creepy!

http://dexter.wikia.com/wiki/Prosthetic_Arm_(Ice_Truck_Killer)

I don't think one can watch too much Dexter, though I'm not sure Im comfortable with what that may say about me.

I like larger stones now, but more than that I prefer better stones of any size.

Too much Dexter=watching any of the last season, especially the finale.

<----none of those are meant in a happy joking manner

(I probably watch too much Dexter too. I even read a few of the books! Don't plastic hands make you think of The Ice Truck Killer?!)

Always bigger on stones btw. But I am in my low 30s, so who knows. But I think, at my core, I'm a size ho.

 

[missy]

Lol! I probably watch too much Dexter, but I've found the fake plastic hands to be so creepy!

http://dexter.wikia.com/wiki/Prosthetic_Arm_(Ice_Truck_Killer)

I don't think one can watch too much Dexter, though I'm not sure Im comfortable with what that may say about me.

I like larger stones now, but more than that I prefer better stones of any size.

Too much Dexter=watching any of the last season, especially the finale.

<----none of those are meant in a happy joking manner

(I probably watch too much Dexter too. I even read a few of the books! Don't plastic hands make you think of The Ice Truck Killer?!)

Always bigger on stones btw. But I am in my low 30s, so who knows. But I think, at my core, I'm a size ho.

Yes, yes, yes. Plastic hands=Creepy! I am sad Dexter is over though. It was a delicious creepy (but I could not watch the bloody scenes ugh).

Older=Bigger IMO. The bigger the better. Love those big beautiful gems. Plus it does distract from the hand wearing them I think.
Plus, as innerkitten points out. my vision has gotten worse as I get older so easier for me to enjoy the bigger gems!

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,


I have a sterotype in my head. As you get older and richer, the rings increase in size. I know I used to think that it was a shame that young women couldn't have those big rings, but i associated it with wealth. after all, Joan Crawford and others used to sport big rings in the movies. I associate her with a large emerald cut citrine ring.

I like large rings, although I have come to like stackers, but don't wear them myself. I only buy small stones for side stones.


Annette

 

[movie zombie]

larger.
when I was younger I followed custom and was not marching to my own drummer......smaller stones/rings.
when I got to my late 30's evolution into my own happened and rings I bought got larger.....
I do not like the look of small stones/rings on my fingers at all.

 

[periwinklegirl]

Definitely bigger as I get older.

I'm not yet 50 but it's coming. In fact this is the exact mid-point of my life, if I follow in the traditions of my grandparents (who lived to be ninety!).

I find though, it's not so much because of age, but rather getting used to larger stones (and discovering PS!).

Five years ago I got a 4.5 carat sapphire when I finished grad school (following a literary tradition where a masters get you a sapphire). I wore it constantly and got used to the size. (Now I find that anything smaller than that looks too small and I end up putting them in halos.)

Then I got my first asscher, an 8 carat ceylon sapphire. Initially I thought it was huge, now it's my go-to right hand ring.I do have long fingers though and I wear a size eight ring, so I like bigger stones for the hand presence/finger coverage. When I used to do a stack, five rings fit no problem.

 

[RSargent]

Be proud of your hands, be they wrinkly, spotted or knobby! They show the work you've done in your life.
The size of your bling matters only if it's what you love. I agree that with my eyesight not what it once was, I like bigger gemstones.
Also, as I have gotten older, I can afford them better!

 

[beaujolais]

Be proud of your hands, be they wrinkly, spotted or knobby! They show the work you've done in your life.

Awww, that was nice, Sarge, thanks ! !

The size of your bling matters only if it's what you love.

This, too !

Peri, your sapphires do sound awesome. Links?

Last year I sold a pretty & quality 2 ct. "can't talk about them here" in a JKT setting as it was just couldn't get used to this size. People vary. (I miss Kenny.)

 

[koolchicken]

I'm 29 and I do feel like I wear bigger stuff now than I did when I was in my early 20's or teens. I'm 5'10" and have really long thin hands and fingers, I actually get a lot of compliments on them. So I can carry off a larger ring stone, for reference I wear a ring size 6/6.5.

 

[endless_summer]

So, I guess I'm reviving this thread from having missed it

Well as I get older ( I'm turning 43 ) my eye site has gotten worse so visually I like to look at larger stones. But with my skinny wrists and long fingers a medium sized stone or multiple smaller sized rings actually looks better on me. Plus because I have big knuckles and have to size up, if a ring is top heavy it spins on me.

I have this problem too!!! To get a ring over my knuckle, I usually need a quarter size larger than I would actually wear - I don't have massive knuckles (size 6), but the spinning drove me nuts - enter the bridge, and life is soooo much better now! It's like a little half-moon of whatever metal placed into the bottom of the ring shank - you can have then in quarter or half-sizes or whatever you need, but it will allow you to jigger the ring over your knuckle and have it fit properly around your finger without spinning

In response to the thread - when I was younger, smaller pieces looked HUGE to me, but now I find that I really like the look at larger stones. In part, I got spoiled bc my FI gave me an incredible e-ring (7mm x 9mm), so all of my rings that were given to me in younger years look small by comparison (I was very lucky growing up bc my father gave my mother one nice piece of jewelry each year for Christmas, so for a few years there, my parents included me in the tradition, so I wouldn't feel left out ). Slowly, I've been re-sizing them to fit my right hand, so they never sit near my e-ring. However, I find that in browsing and searching for new CS's, my eyes gravitate towards the 8-ish mm range - large enough to not look 'small' by comparison to the e-ring, but not so large as to out-do it. For example, the yellow pear was around 8mm x 11mm, and absent a complement to what I'm wearing that day, I always go to put that ring on before any other because it just makes me feel special, for lack of better words, to have the privilege of wearing such a pretty and generously sized stone.

 

[bright ice]

I'm going bigger as I get older. I just turned 59, have earned every wrinkle my hands have because I have done a variety of jobs over the years. Plus my eye sight has gotten worse which is just a fact of getting older. Both are better than the alternative for sure

 

[Indylady]

I've been wearing the same size stones for years--5mm is my sweet spot. I think it looks nice on my hands. I do go to 6-7mm for pendants though.

 

[NKOTB]

I used to wear big silver jewellery, too, and I've only been in this gem hobby for a few years, and I've been all over the place in terms of preference. I have a hard time going below 6 mm, but I have a couple of small stones that are my favourites, and a couple of very large that are my favourites, and a few in between. I like to wear the smaller ones to work, and the bigger ones out for dinner/to parties/etc. (though if I'm not seeing clients, I wear big ones to work, too). Like VL, if the quality is there, the size isn't as important, but also, like someone else mentioned, I like to be able to see all the facets as much as possible. And I agree, be proud of your hands, whatever they look like!