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Beyond your wildest dreams ....

Circe

Circe

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
8,087
Which of your pieces is so beyond the scope of your wildest dreams that you just sort of ... blink ... at it periodically? This can be either a piece you already own, or a piece you dream of someday acquiring. Pics welcome!

P.S. - Yes, this means I found my upgrade. Yes, it means I found a good deal. :mrgreen:
 
I expect pictures STAT Circe.

I think for me it is Princess Margaret's Cartier Rose Brooch.

Princess%20Margaret%20cartier%20brooch_0.jpg

I love roses. SO gets me roses of different sorts a lot. I have one of palm fronds, one of copper, several silk, one of feathers, one of gold plated glass, two gold dipped and painted. This is just dreamy.
 
Ohhh are you just going to hint at it or are you going to drop the details :naughty: I can't wait to see/hear all about it!


I have 2 pieces that are beyond my wildest dreams. The first being my 1.64 H VVS1 RB engagement ring. When I stumbled upon it on the site that can't be named for the price it was I went :o :o :D and we jumped on it. It was a risk but it turned out to be better than we thought and because of that deal I ended up with a piece that is just amazing.


My newest one is my sapphire and diamond vintage watch. I've been hunting for about 6 years for one but they are hard to locate with the original band that is solid gold, most are gold filled or have a silk cord. If you DO find one with the band it usually isn't running or it's crazy expensive (like 2-5k depending on who's listing it). The one I located has a platinum case with 14k WG band and is running for...1300.00 ::) The seller also agreed to take pieces that I no longer wear as trade in value towards the price of the watch (~700-900.00 in value), clean it and do dealer pricing on engraving it (it's a wedding gift). I'm pretty stoked :appl:

Here are vendor pictures and I won't have my own pictures until Dec because I'm getting it on my wedding day. Totally worth the wait considering I've been hunting for years for the right one. Another one taken off my list-yay!

sapphire diamond watch.JPG

watch3.JPG

watch4.JPG
 
Circe|1316528431|3021302 said:
Which of your pieces is so beyond the scope of your wildest dreams that you just sort of ... blink ... at it periodically? This can be either a piece you already own, or a piece you dream of someday acquiring. Pics welcome!

P.S. - Yes, this means I found my upgrade. Yes, it means I found a good deal. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

do share your upgrade & the deal! :bigsmile:
 
I would say that it would be my ering. I remember when we started looking, I thought I would maybe be able to go 1.5 carats and although that wasn't what I REALLY wanted, I thought I could be happy with that. My first upgrade stone was a 1.7, and I love it, then
I thought maybe 2.2 would be awesome. When Brian came up with a 2.57 in my price range I couldn't believe it. I never thought I would
own a stone that large. I know for some here, that is not all that big, but it was beyond what I was dreaming of.
 
Here, I'll start (although, any thread begun that way just begs for the inevitable cross-posting).

For me, it's my engagement ring and my pendant.

When my husband and I got engaged, I proposed to him, spontaneously: after we got the "yes!" and the hugging and the squeeing and the "rest of our lives!" together-ing out of the way, I asked him what sort of a ring he wanted. He didn't, as it happened (I got him one, anyway: his people follow the tradition of both partners wearing a simple matching band, so, being a silversmith, I made a delicate braided pair up to surprise him, and he loved it, and wound up modeling his wedding band on his). But he did want to get me one, and thus began our pattern of our agreeing on a budget, and my being let off the traces like a hunting hound to find the best deal.

Our budget was 5K, which seemed astronomical to me: I mean, I was in my final year of grad school, and I was living off of 20K a year. I figured I wanted something between a carat and a carat and a half: G to J; VS2 or higher. And after a couple of weeks of searching, I found exactly what I wanted, juuuuuuuuust at the outside of the budget - I figured we could wait on the setting. But my generous fiance saw how much I loved the setting the dealer showed as an example, and, boom! All of a sudden, I had a rock on my finger.

I think I spent the next couple of months staring at my hand basically in my every free moment. Aside from just plain being beautiful, that ring symbolized, oh, everything! to me. I felt cosseted and cherished and taken care of: I felt like I had somebody who would do anything to make me happy; I felt like it signified a future of, well, prosperity and generosity and happiness. And it has, and it does, which is why, though I might use the PS terminology of "upgrade," you will pry my original e-ring from my cold, dead hands.

The pendant? That, we got with my husband's first big-business bonus. I'd been wanting a pear pendant for the longest time - something about having an engagement ring PLUS another big stone just seemed unspeakably luxe to me - and I already felt really lucky to be looking with my original budget. I was hoping to find a J stone with strong blue fluor around .60-.70, and I'd actually started looking, when my husband quadrupled my budget without any prompting. Hold the phone! I wound up getting a stone twice the size I'd originally been hoping for, and an old fashioned "blue-white" at that. What made it even better was that, even by the scope of the generous budget, I got a fabulous deal - I found a stone that was 1K less than every other rock on the market with comparable specs. Glee!

And, again, somehow, that piece signifies a lot more than just decoration: it's resources and the ability to find a deal and sheer, simple, joyous extravagance; it makes me happy every time I get a glimpse of it.

And then, of course, there's the new mystery anniversary stone. But more on that later .... :twisted:

So, your turn! What are the pieces that just sort of make you look at them and go, "Wow, I never thought I'd have ... this" - whether the "this" is the physical parameters, or what the piece signifies? Like I said in the original post, pieces you have, or pieces you crave, anything goes.
 
Heheheh - I did, as usual, write a novel, and I did, as usual, cross-post! All will be revealed in time (i.e., once I figure out how to download photos from my phone): in the meantime, tell me more of yours!
 
Hey Circe,

I'll play your game (and I can be as coy as you are!!) :Up_to_something:

These are my dream earrings. I've been oogling them since they were posted at JBEG....and I may just be one BIG step closer to getting them. I *think* I may have found a great steal this morning and am anxiously awaiting my package. *IF* it pans out, I'll have earrings made that look like these, but are a bit larger.

dream%20earrings.jpg
 
My 1.81 ctw H VS2 ACA AGS 000 diamond stud earrings are beyond my wildest dreams--i never expected to own anything like them, was amazed my husband bought for me, and never expect to own anything that perfect (and in that price range) again.

I have them in the bank right now--I do that periodically because when they come out I am amazed by their beauty all over again.

Another thing I am amazed by is my 1.19 center stone marquise ring. I can't believe what a steal in price it was, how blingy it looks and that I managed to find such a thing for that price.

I also have my grandmother's rose gold bangle. I NEVER expected to be the one she left this too. I have a lot of older female cousins who didn't get anything, a sister, younger female cousins, my MOTHER didn't get it; my grandmother only had two significant pieces of jewelry to leave, the bangle and her art deco filigree diamond ring--my oldest aunt got the one and I got the other, literally from her deathbed--it was unbelievable to me and still is.

And, to top it off, a couple of years ago I was walking by a jewelry and saw a ring that was the twin of the art deco filigree diamond ring (just smaller, so more suitable for me, since I am smaller) which had been lost to the family by my aunt, I had exactly the right amount of money, went in and bought it and still treasure it greatly. Can't believe I found it.

I also have to say, in spite of the fact that people are sniffy about the size and style nowadays, my e-ring is my absolutely most precious piece of jewelry, after my wedding ring and it was beyond my wildest dreams to get it. I had been dating my husband for seven years and did not think he'd ever propose at that point. Then I went away and came back and he did, and it was perfect! Then he took me to the store to pick the ring out and I did. I always remember this when I look at it (I ALWAYS wear it) and think it is a beautiful, perfect diamond (it is very white and sparkly and clear, in spite of the fact that diamond cutting styles have changed). I continue to think.38 is great size, too--and actually, I'm amazed that other people don't think it's a great size. It looks perfect on my size 6 1/2 finger! And in 1982, it was admired as a significant sized stone--I only knew one person in my peer group who got a larger one--but that's not why I loved it then and it's not why I love it now. It represents that I got the man who was beyond my wildest dreams and he still is!!!
 
Circe...I cannot WAIT to see what you found :)

for me...honestly, although it is not big by PS standards...I love my ering. My mom never got an engagement ring so it was something that I always wanted (plus growing up in the US doesn't hurt either). It was my first diamond and even though I have had it for a year now I still look at it all the time.
 
I enjoy reading everybody's stories, especially since so many of us are wearing our dream piece.

Mine is my e-ring, which I found prior to PS at a high-end jeweler in Boston. I fell head over heels for the ring (even tried to go custom and replicate it), but the pricetag was astronomical and I wasn't going to be ripped off by a high-end jeweler. Long story short, many months later, the jeweler went up for sale and sent their pieces off to auction and D had them find it and ship it to him. The price at that point had dropped by more than half and it ended up being an amazing deal. I always tell D that the ONE good thing about him dragging his feet to propose is that it enabled me to get my dream ring...for a great deal, even.

This all happened prior to finding PS. Now that I've found PS, my "dream" RHR is a 2.5+ carat transitional or OEC. I can't find a way to justify the cost anytime soon...maybe once our mortgage is paid off. So for now it lives in my dreams!
 
There was recently a seven stone ring on SMTB a man did for his wife for their anniversary...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-7-stone-whiteflash-motherhood-ring.164798/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-7-stone-whiteflash-motherhood-ring.164798/..[/URL]. :love: :love: :love: I loved it... and since I have been lusting for a five stone.. it was of particular interest.. it was so beauitful.... but..... :Up_to_something: Boom's new ring... is to die for... it's amazing.. I am not sure I can even imagine anything that size actually sitting on my hand... :confused:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/4ct-cushion-in-steven-kirsch-halo-setting.165905/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/4ct-cushion-in-steven-kirsch-halo-setting.165905/[/URL]
 
Circe|1316528431|3021302 said:
Which of your pieces is so beyond the scope of your wildest dreams that you just sort of ... blink ... at it periodically? This can be either a piece you already own, or a piece you dream of someday acquiring. Pics welcome!
Click to expand...
My e-ring for sure. And assuming it ever happens in my lifetime, some kind of luxury watch OR a 3 stone version of my ring.
 
OMG Circe! You're *killing* me. Spill already!!!

As far as my jewelry- well, all of it boggles and amazes me still, really. I grew up in a family that didn't "do" jewelry- my mom didn't even wear a gold wedding band. When she got remarried she chose a sapphire. My MIL wears a gold band (and they could afford, well, flippin' *anything*). And so forth. So, I never even really thought about fine jewelry as an option for many years- I was married with a .10ish center stone in a '40s wedding set, and wore it happily for about 7 years, and never thought about changing it.

Then it needed more work than it was worth- all the stones needed retipping. Then it stopped fitting (erk, I used to be a size 2.5!) and then I lost it. DH suggested replacing it sometime around 2007- I really do NOT think he knew what sort of evil would be unleashed after I started researching old cuts :devil: ! I got the 1.22 ct OEC as a replacement wedding ring, and it (and it's big sister!) still blows my mind with how awesome it is on a daily basis. If you'd told me I'd wear a 3.39 ct OEC on a daily basis to me when I was 19, I wouldn't have believed you.
 
All of it is beyond my dreams, I never thought I would have any diamonds at all. High karat gold is our family's tradition, not diamonds.
 
I love reading everyone's stories. Yenny -- I love those earrings too! :love:

There are many things on my wish list, but I'm not sure when or if they'll appear on my doorstep someday. One is a gorgeous aquamarine ring that I saw here a while back. It was the perfect color -- just like the sea in Bermuda. I WISH I had saved a pic of it but I didn't, and of course, I have NO IDEA whose it was.
 
Dragonfly - OMG, that is a gorgeous piece. I don't think I've ever seen that one before! That's just gorgeous. Reminds me of the ones VC&A did with invisible set shortly thereafter - but somehow, I like this a lot more. The jeweler's art vs. the lapidary's ....

VintageLover - did I ever tell you you were one of my deal-hunting heroine's? The bargain you got on your e-ring - from one deal-hunter to another, I salute you! And SUCH beautiful results: fishtail settings are basically my favorite things in the world, and that stone is a stunner. Your new watch is another case in point - I can't wait to see wrist-shots!

MinMin - oh, I will. I have the sneaking suspicion that eventually, y'all will just want me to SHUT UP about it already! My husband said he'd help me get the damned photos off my phone tonight, so ... shortly!

Luv2Sparkle - I don't know WHO could think a two and a half carat stone wasn't all that big - by any standard, it's amazing! And especially given the quality - between the cut and the setting (yes, I totally went and checked out your thread again) - YUM.

Yenny - oooo, swap you for details! I've been eyeballing those earrings for, like, a year myself - I hope your package contains the perfect mate or pair!

Black Jade - do you have pics of your gorgeous pieces? They sound amazing, and I would love to see them - did check your back-posts, but I couldn't find images. I am a technophobic nitwit, alas.

SLG, your ring is gorgeous! I'd be looking at it all the time, too. Heck, in point of fact, it's exactly what I did do with mine! And for much the same reasons ... while my family is big on jewelry, never diamonds. Up until I got my engagement ring, I didn't even think I liked them!

NEL - that's what I like, too! I mean - I bet a large part of it is the process of self-selection, and that a lot of us FIND PS because we're so enchanted by whatever piece it is that tips us over (and sells us on bigger dreams, of course), but it also feels kind of ... encouraging. :halo: I also love your ring, and your story - totally meant to be!

MayK - you have some GOOD taste, and some mad enabling skillz: I'd somehow managed to miss those! Wow. The proportions on the mother's ring are TDF, and that cushion is going to haunt my dreams ....

Ame - so with you! What kind of luxury watch is on your ultimate dream list?

LGK ... heheheh! I figured I'd wait until I could lift my photos, but methinks my next post will have the deets. Suffice it to say, I am following in your esteemed footsteps - I've been covetously eyeballing your ring since I found PS!

Rosetta - excellent point! Very similar here - for me, it's colored stones and not diamonds, but the sentiment holds.

Zoe - could it be Ellen's asscher aqua? That thing was like my Platonic ideal of what an aqua ring should be ....

And now, a sequel to my novel, forthcoming - let's see if the internet can coach me on phone-to-PS picture transfers ....
 
this :D it is a 1920's Art Deco Platinum brooch from England. It belonged to hubby's favorite aunts. it is tcw of 5.5 It always takes my breath away ::)

IMbskippys384.JPG
 
Skippy, might that be yours some day?????
 
Soooooooooooo ... I've been plotting for a five year anniversary ring for, oh, a while now: I think plans got concrete somewhere around the turn of the year. My husband and I kidded back and forth for a while, and then we started talking ideals - he apparently is Not a Fan of emerald cuts or fancy yellows, but grew into my size-queen mentality somewhere along the way. :lol:

So, we set a budget with plans to buy when the yearly bonus came in, and ... prices started to rise. And rise. And rise. Y'all, my heart has been in my mouth watching things get priced out of my reach - when we set the budget, that gorgeous 4.20 N-colored AVC with the strong fluor was hypothetically only just out of reach. Now it's almost twice the budget! Yeesh.

I'd been getting a little nervous that prices would go so high that I'd be incapable of getting anything on a par with my e-ring, much less anything "more" ... but, hey, I like a challenge, so I kept hunting and hunting. I figured an old cut would be my best bet: while I adore the fancy branded cuts, methinks I'll wait until prices stabilize a bit before I dip a toe into those waters! And, frankly, knowing myself, I'd want to get an upgradable stone for a less sentimental occasion: if I got it now, I'd pay the premium, and then clutch at it in horror at the notion of ever letting it out of my grubby little paws. But y'all know how tough even the vintage market is getting these days: even there, it looked like it would be a tight squeeze to get what I wanted - two carats or more, in the territory of near-colorless to faint-yellow, SI1 or higher.

Except. I. Got. Lucky. I remembered this ring I'd been eye-balling in a window, oh, last year even, that I'd finally tried on this year, back before I could even think of affording it ... and I remembered that the dealer made a habit of honoring his original quotes.

I now have a 2.75 J VS1 on reserve. I won't come into full possession until, you know, the anniversary and the baby and the bonus, and all I have to keep me warm in the meantime is a couple of crappy cell phone pics, but ....

Can somebody make me a .gif of Snoopy doing the dance?
 
Circe -- Ellen's ring is absolutely beautiful but it wasn't the one I was thinking of. I do love that one though.
 
Now, I know dealer estimates can very slightly, but, I've bought from the guy before, and he's been both accurate in his estimations, and fair in his pricing. And by the standards of today's market, the ring is such a deal, that even if it comes in a couple of color grades lower, I'll still feel VERY good about things. It measures 9 mm and change (I felt comfortable bringing my gauge, but I figured I'd look quite the freakshow if I brought the micrometer), has a lovely table facet of what I'd estimate to be 54%, give or take, looks nice and deep, has the prettiest snowflake pattern of chunky facets ....

... oh, and did I mention the strong blue fluor? :mrgreen:

Below, find a blurry, blurry cell-phone pic (and give me a slow clap for finally figuring out how to get photos off my phone):

iPhone photos 152.jpg
 
Aaaaaaaand here's a comparison photo with my e-ring: as you can tell, I have unusually consistent taste in settings. Fishtail prongs again! But this setting is original to the stone, and has the loveliest little bezeled marquise on the sides. Not sure if I'm going to keep the setting intact, have it restored, or go for something new - figure y'all can tide me along!

P.S. - The lighting here is TERRIBLE - my skin is not that ruddy, and neither is the stone! But, hey, it gives a sense of scope.

PS - iPhone photos 147.jpg

Comparison shot - Anniversary Ring 021.jpg
 
So, yeah. In short: I CANNOT BELIEVE I GET THE OLD CUT OF MY DREAMS! ALMOST THREE CARATS! W00T!

Ahem. I will now return to being dignified. ;)
 
My ERing. It's not huge at 1.55 ct but it's away bigger than what I was initially expecting. Also it's my first diamond and it shows the love
And effort FI put into find it.


Circe--- tell us more about this new stone!!!!
 
Fine, you be dignified! I'll be crazy on your behalf! Yay Circe!! Doing the Snoopy dance for you! Can't wait til that baby is all yours! Yippee!! It is gorgeous!
 
Circe, your new ring is just gorgeous!

I guess my 'wildest dreams' piece is my AGS0 1.8 carat ideal cut round. My very first e-ring from my ex fiance was only a .33. My second e-ring from my hub was a .98. I'd say that 1.8 is a great jump in size!
 
Circe- I am in awe of you! That ring is so lovely, the setting just made me smile it's so beautiful :love: . I am really happy that you found one with blue flour.

By the way, how on earth did you convince a Swede to find that type of beauty's doable? Heck, mine still can't believe the size of my 1.07ct and it's a year after the fact :lol: . He kinda goes from eyes glazing over to shaking his head to grinning because he did good and back to the glazed eyes, pretty cute actually.
 
Circe! Your new ring is AMAZING. I can't wait for lots and lots of pictures. Seriously. Please don't make me wait long. I can't handle it.

My upgrade ring is beyond my wildest dreams. So was my original e-ring. I never thought I'd own a large diamond, and certainly not one so beautiful in such a beautiful setting. I feel this way about almost every aspect of my life--it is all beyond my wildest dreams. I feel so lucky to experience all of it.

My upgrade ring:
TableShot.jpg
 
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