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Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/CvB)

Veltiesmom

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 18, 2015
Messages
165
* Leave it to me to post this in the wrong forum! Having it moved now... :wall:

It took nearly a year (!!) but my 10 year upgrade project is finally done. :appl: The details are endless and I won't bore you with the nitty gritty, but suffice it to say I purchased and returned 9 (no that is not a typo) OECs before finally changing gears and deciding on an MRB. I never thought I'd end up with a modern round - I love the charm of antique cut stones and was sure I would go that route. But in the end I had trouble finding my "holy grail" OEC - higher color, 3+ carats, flowery patterning, minimal obstruction, AND on budget - and the search was starting to consume far too much time and energy. So I ended up changing my search to an MRB hunt, and I'm so glad I did! The various OECs I owned were all lovely and charming, but none WOWed me almost all of the time the way this stone does. Hooray!

The specs:

3.23 J VS2 MRB
GIA Ex-Ex-Ex
Strong Blue Fluorescence
9.46 - 9.50 x 5.86 mm
Depth 61.8 %
Table 56 %
Crown Angle 34.5°
Pavilion Angle 40.8°

A few much-deseved thank yous before I get to the photos:

Adam at Old World DIamonds I'm not sure I've ever encountered customer service (in ANY aspect of my life) like that which I received from Adam at OWD. Suffice it to say that I drove poor Adam absolutely INSANE with emails and calls for months trying to find the perfect stone. He was always gracious, patient, kind, and responsive. And funny! Adam sent nine. Yes, NINE. Different stones across the country for me to try out. And was always good-humored and understanding each time when I inevitably called and said, "Sorry, not the one for me!" When (after MONTHS of obsessive OEC searching), I decided to switch my search to an MRB, he didn't blink an eye - he just said, "sure, let's do it." (I'm not sure it's well-known around here but Adam has access to an inventory of modern stones as well as antique diamonds.) When none of his in-house modern rounds fit the bill, he went searching elsewhere to find me a diamond with the exact specs I was looking for. This guy is the real deal! I couldn't recommend Adam more highly. I wish Adam could also be my dentist, my car mechanic, my insurance broker and my lawyer; life would be so much more pleasant that way!!! Thanks Adam! :love:

Erica from LAD and Caysie from CvB I had in my head that I wanted to set my MRB in a 5-stone ring with traps and bullets. The inspiration came from a Leon Mege 5 stone ring (set with a cushion cut center) and from Erica's absolutely drop dead asscher 5-stone ring. However, I could find almost NO examples of round diamonds set with traps and bullets. I was discouraged from pursuing the combination because "rounds look better with rounded side stones" and was told I should consider setting it with half moons or round side stones instead. Those combinations have never appealed to me, but I did doubt myself for a bit. However, I kept coming back to the idea. Some may not like the combo, but for me, it's the shape contrast - rounded center versus wide angular traps versus thinner angular bullets - that makes the ring. After one PS vendor I contacted told me I should consider another design, I decided to contact Caysie and Erica with my idea. To my surprise, they responded almost immediately and were as excited about the concept as I was. After that it was smooth sailing. Both ladies are so lovely to work with. I had the most direct contact with Caysie, and I can say that in addition to being just a lovely human being, she has an amazing eye and is so dedicated to and enthusiastic about her work. She's really a joy to plan a project with. The ring itself took 7 or 8 weeks to execute once the design was final, but the end result is impeccable and was well worth the wait. The custom cut traps and baguettes that Caysie used are absolutely perfect and really make the ring - I'm so glad she suggested going that route. Thanks Caysie and Erica! :love:

Diamondseeker! Jan AKA DS is a saint! She's so knowledgeable about, well, pretty much everything diamond and jewelry-related and she helped me so much with this project. She's also a lovely person. Thanks DS, could never have done it without you! The same is true for this forum in general - I just love you PSers. :love:

Here is the thread with the CADs and design inspirations to the extent it is of interest to anyone ... https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cad-help-5-stone-ring-rb-w-traps-and-bullets.221642/

Photos to follow...!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Some glamour shots from Erica followed by 3 million taken by me - it was too hard to weed them out! Sorry for the overload...

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Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

More...

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Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

And more... including some of the diamond pre-set. Phew! Lots of photos! Thanks for looking! :wavey:

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Inspiration rings...

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Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

What an amazing result :love: :love: :love:
And good for you that you had this vision and sticked to it. You cannot post enough pics in this thread. Caysie did an amazing job and the ring looks stunning on your finger. I can see why you are thrilled with it. Enjoy wearing your ring. Both the setting as well as the center stone is amazing.
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Veltiesmom said:
I wish Adam could also be my dentist, my car mechanic, my insurance broker and my lawyer; life would be so much more pleasant that way!!!

:lol: This is the best and highest praise you could give someone!!!

And OH MY GOODNESS, THIS RING!!! I'm so impressed you stuck to your guns with the unique design. This is an absolute masterpiece!! :appl: :love: :appl:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Congratulations on a beautiful upgrade! The stone is beautiful and I'm so glad you got the setting of your dreams! It came together beautifully! Tell me though - will you wear a band with this ring? It can certainly stand on its own but I was wondering if a band was in the plan.

Enjoy - I love when we get lots of pictures but you know we would take a lot more!!!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

luckyblackcat|1470039652|4061241 said:
Veltiesmom said:
I wish Adam could also be my dentist, my car mechanic, my insurance broker and my lawyer; life would be so much more pleasant that way!!!

:lol: This is the best and highest praise you could give someone!!!

And OH MY GOODNESS, THIS RING!!! I'm so impressed you stuck to your guns with the unique design. This is an absolute masterpiece!! :appl: :love: :appl:


Haha yes I agree completely. Adam is the best. :appl:

And OMG your upgrade is amazing. Gorgeous! :love: :love: :love:
I love everything about your ER. The diamond is beautiful and your setting so elegant and fluid and stunning. :love:

Congratulations on a perfect upgrade and on your 10 year anniversary! :appl:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

What to say? This is SPECTACULAR!! I saw your ring a little while ago on CvB's instagram and was instantly intrigued! Your ring is so gorgeous and unique - Pricescope FAV. BOOM :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

What a remarkable journey and gorgeous final result! :appl: Congrats to you on your new upgrade--I hope you enjoy wearing it for many years to come! :wavey:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Your ring is just so beautiful, fluid, stunning... and your diamond is amazing! I love everything about it! :love: :love: :love:
Congrats on 10 years!
Enjoy!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Wow, wow, wow! Breathtaking! I'm so glad you went with your gut-- the design is beautiful! I love the contrast! I think it emphasizes and complements your center stone so well! Enjoy!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

This ring is beautiful! I love the design and your right, it's perfect.
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Congratulations! It's lovely!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

:love: :love: Absolutely gorgeous! Congrats on the final result as well as the anniversary! :appl:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Unbelievable ring. I cannot actually think of enough accolades for your determination to find the perfect stone and a perfection setting.. it is a stunner.. It's beautiful, I love it.

:clap: :clap: :love: :love: :love:



Veltiesmom|1470034006|4061222 said:
* Leave it to me to post this in the wrong forum! Having it moved now... :wall:

It took nearly a year (!!) but my 10 year upgrade project is finally done. :appl: The details are endless and I won't bore you with the nitty gritty, but suffice it to say I purchased and returned 9 (no that is not a typo) OECs before finally changing gears and deciding on an MRB. I never thought I'd end up with a modern round - I love the charm of antique cut stones and was sure I would go that route. But in the end I had trouble finding my "holy grail" OEC - higher color, 3+ carats, flowery patterning, minimal obstruction, AND on budget - and the search was starting to consume far too much time and energy. So I ended up changing my search to an MRB hunt, and I'm so glad I did! The various OECs I owned were all lovely and charming, but none WOWed me almost all of the time the way this stone does. Hooray!

The specs:

3.23 J VS2 MRB
GIA Ex-Ex-Ex
Strong Blue Fluorescence
9.46 - 9.50 x 5.86 mm
Depth 61.8 %
Table 56 %
Crown Angle 34.5°
Pavilion Angle 40.8°

A few much-deseved thank yous before I get to the photos:

Adam at Old World DIamonds I'm not sure I've ever encountered customer service (in ANY aspect of my life) like that which I received from Adam at OWD. Suffice it to say that I drove poor Adam absolutely INSANE with emails and calls for months trying to find the perfect stone. He was always gracious, patient, kind, and responsive. And funny! Adam sent nine. Yes, NINE. Different stones across the country for me to try out. And was always good-humored and understanding each time when I inevitably called and said, "Sorry, not the one for me!" When (after MONTHS of obsessive OEC searching), I decided to switch my search to an MRB, he didn't blink an eye - he just said, "sure, let's do it." (I'm not sure it's well-known around here but Adam has access to an inventory of modern stones as well as antique diamonds.) When none of his in-house modern rounds fit the bill, he went searching elsewhere to find me a diamond with the exact specs I was looking for. This guy is the real deal! I couldn't recommend Adam more highly. I wish Adam could also be my dentist, my car mechanic, my insurance broker and my lawyer; life would be so much more pleasant that way!!! Thanks Adam! :love:

Erica from LAD and Caysie from CvB I had in my head that I wanted to set my MRB in a 5-stone ring with traps and bullets. The inspiration came from a Leon Mege 5 stone ring (set with a cushion cut center) and from Erica's absolutely drop dead asscher 5-stone ring. However, I could find almost NO examples of round diamonds set with traps and bullets. I was discouraged from pursuing the combination because "rounds look better with rounded side stones" and was told I should consider setting it with half moons or round side stones instead. Those combinations have never appealed to me, but I did doubt myself for a bit. However, I kept coming back to the idea. Some may not like the combo, but for me, it's the shape contrast - rounded center versus wide angular traps versus thinner angular bullets - that makes the ring. After one PS vendor I contacted told me I should consider another design, I decided to contact Caysie and Erica with my idea. To my surprise, they responded almost immediately and were as excited about the concept as I was. After that it was smooth sailing. Both ladies are so lovely to work with. I had the most direct contact with Caysie, and I can say that in addition to being just a lovely human being, she has an amazing eye and is so dedicated to and enthusiastic about her work. She's really a joy to plan a project with. The ring itself took 7 or 8 weeks to execute once the design was final, but the end result is impeccable and was well worth the wait. The custom cut traps and baguettes that Caysie used are absolutely perfect and really make the ring - I'm so glad she suggested going that route. Thanks Caysie and Erica! :love:

Diamondseeker! Jan AKA DS is a saint! She's so knowledgeable about, well, pretty much everything diamond and jewelry-related and she helped me so much with this project. She's also a lovely person. Thanks DS, could never have done it without you! The same is true for this forum in general - I just love you PSers. :love:

Here is the thread with the CADs and design inspirations to the extent it is of interest to anyone ... https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cad-help-5-stone-ring-rb-w-traps-and-bullets.221642/

Photos to follow...!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Ahh-ma-zing! And what wonderful praise and recommendations for all involved! Your ring is absolutely scrumptious!!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Stunning! Breathtaking!! Perfection!!!

What else can I say? I love it! I have been waiting to see you post an update of your finished ring and was worried maybe you weren't happy with the setting. Obviously not the case, thank heavens! You waited and worked hard to get both the stone and the setting right.

I, too, am wondering if you are going to wear a band with it? If so, what type?
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Gorgeous stone, and I am glad you stuck to your idea because your setting is AMAZING!!!! Congrats!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

It's a gorgeous stone and the setting is just perfect. I'm glad you are happy with the results! That's a finger full of bling :love:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

I absolutely love it! Angling the traps the way they did was perfect! The ring flows beautifully! Congrats and enjoy her for many years to come!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

All I can say is WOW! Your ring is STUNNING! :love: :love:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Oh wow, they completely nailed the proportions of the sides....it's absolutely stunning!!! One of my all time favorite settings!!! Looks perfect on your hand too!!! Congratulations on an amazing upgrade!!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

OHMIGOD this is stunning. STUNNING!! Congratulations a million times over!! You made such a good decision on the setting, CVB is just killing it these days.

Slightly off topic but tacking on to what you said about Diamondseeker- I have been on these boards for several years, don't post too much but read a lot. Of all the "prosumers" I have always felt that DS is truly amazing- honest and incredibly helpful but sweet and never condescending Or pushy. I can see why you called her out for being so awesome.

Now more pics please! :love: :love:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Your new ring is amazing! :love: I'm so happy to see this combination done so well! It was definitely worth it to stick to your vision. It's so fluid and the sidestones are perfectly done to enhance the beauty of your center stone. Cassie executed it brilliantly! Congratulations! :clap:

Btw, I love the fantastic amount of pictures in this thread! I enjoyed all of them! :appl:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

This is SO stunning! The result is breathtaking and that diamond is just lovely. Congratulations!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

Magnificent stone in a perfect setting! Congratulations!!!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

My goodness, you kinda made me tear up a little! I absolutely loved every minute of helping you with your search! The finished ring is just outstanding! You waited until you found an outstanding diamond, and as much as I love OECs, too, you were SO wise not to just settle for one that was too low in color or especially not well cut. I am so glad Adam was able to find this beautiful diamond, and I am so happy for the bonus fluorescence! Caysie is amazing. She just "gets" design and proportions so well. I just love it! I look forward to seeing it paired with a wedding band, too!
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

HOLY... GOOD LORD -- GAWD!!! :shock: This ring!! It's exquisite!! :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: I'm seriously dying over this... and it looks HUUUUUGE on your teeny tiny finger!! UGH!! I adore this! So happy for you!!! :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl:
 
Re: Finally! My 10 year upgrade! 3.23 J/VS2 MRB (OWD + LAD/C

This is one of my favorite pieces posted this year! It's perfection! :love:

Congrats on the 10 year anniversary as well.
 
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