has pricescope ever gotten out of control for you financially?

[whitby_2773]

Date: 4/17/2009 10:58:58 AM
Author: risingsun
Thanks for starting this thread, Whitby. I am a counselor and I have had to take a good look at my own behavior. I''m not a compulsive shopper, but I struggle on this forum, at times. When I joined, I was already planning an upgrade. I had looked at HOF and knew I wanted an ideal cut/performing stone. I wanted to upgrade from a .80ct to a 1.25ct. I found a beautiful WF ACA 1.23ct and bought it. Within a year, I was dissatisfied. My latest upgrade was to a 1.62ct HOF [long story]. This upgrade was deifinitely PS driven. I got it into my head that I ''had'' to have a center stone >1.5ct

Now I''m getting the impulse to upgrade again. My latest upgrade was 7 months ago. The size/stats I would consider/could afford has not been available or I would have already done it. I have always loved jewelry and this site has opened up that part of me that my family and friends just don''t get. I''ve gotten some things I might not have done, but I haven''t gone OTT. I''ve traded in jewelry I no longer use to help fund purchases. I am aware, however, that I need to be mindful of my affinity for all things sparkly.

really interesting post, risingsun - thanks for making it and i totally hear you.

my deal with the devil is that i have till the end of next year to get whatever jewelry i want - then i''m done and i really do have to start looking towards retirement and setting aside money more actively. i turn 50 next year, so it seemed like a sensible time to call it a day. consequently, new purchases are coming hot and fast for me at the moment, and sometimes i raise my eyebrows at the mad scramble i see going on to pad my own jewelry box and wonder ''why?'' an eye opener for me was an experience i had at the airport once. i was sitting across from a woman and her husband. and, as i so often do, i was surreptitiously checking out her rings. but i was just a tad too far away to be able to make them out clearly (my eyesight is also not great past a certain distance for small things - i wear glasses for tv watching and driving, for example). the lighting wasn''t great and it was a dull day. the lady in question was about 30/35 and an average person travelling on a plane - wearing sweats, runners - and she had average coloring - a little bit mousey (bit like me, in fact), pale skin etc. from about 15 ft away, all i could make out of her rings was a grey strip on her hand. that was it. i could see a ring, but couldnt make out anything about it.

later on, we boarded the plane - with that perfect jewelry viewing lighting - and i passed her again and looked at her hand. her ring was lovely, large, sparkly. but a light went on for me. i thought "i need to remember this day. if from 15 ft away it just looks like a grey metal something or other, how much do i really want to pour into this ongoing obsession??" i''ve bought new rings, gone out with close freinds who know me WELL, and had them not even notice what was on my hand because they were looking into my eyes. so if i just really am buying it for me, so i can see something beautiful whenever i want to, why not just take a weekly trip to the jewelry store and look in the window? or am i really more competitive and materialistically driven than i want to admit to myself?

ok - this is only ONE part of a multi-faceted topic. but it IS one part, and worth holding in balance - for me, anyway - when i make my jewelry purchasing decisions. no ring i buy will be seen by everyone -not even everyone i''m with. very few rings are noticeable from much of a distance. and the setting/lighting/outfit is rarely right to show my jewelry to best advantage. my mortgage, on the other hand, is eternal...

just more positions on a wide ranging topic...

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Date: 4/17/2009 11:43:57 AM
Author: whitby_2773

Date: 4/17/2009 10:58:58 AM
Author: risingsun
Thanks for starting this thread, Whitby. I am a counselor and I have had to take a good look at my own behavior. I''m not a compulsive shopper, but I struggle on this forum, at times. When I joined, I was already planning an upgrade. I had looked at HOF and knew I wanted an ideal cut/performing stone. I wanted to upgrade from a .80ct to a 1.25ct. I found a beautiful WF ACA 1.23ct and bought it. Within a year, I was dissatisfied. My latest upgrade was to a 1.62ct HOF [long story]. This upgrade was deifinitely PS driven. I got it into my head that I ''had'' to have a center stone >1.5ct

Now I''m getting the impulse to upgrade again. My latest upgrade was 7 months ago. The size/stats I would consider/could afford has not been available or I would have already done it. I have always loved jewelry and this site has opened up that part of me that my family and friends just don''t get. I''ve gotten some things I might not have done, but I haven''t gone OTT. I''ve traded in jewelry I no longer use to help fund purchases. I am aware, however, that I need to be mindful of my affinity for all things sparkly.

really interesting post, risingsun - thanks for making it and i totally hear you.

my deal with the devil is that i have till the end of next year to get whatever jewelry i want - then i''m done and i really do have to start looking towards retirement and setting aside money more actively. i turn 50 next year, so it seemed like a sensible time to call it a day. consequently, new purchases are coming hot and fast for me at the moment, and sometimes i raise my eyebrows at the mad scramble i see going on to pad my own jewelry box and wonder ''why?'' an eye opener for me was an experience i had at the airport once. i was sitting across from a woman and her husband. and, as i so often do, i was surreptitiously checking out her rings. but i was just a tad too far away to be able to make them out clearly (my eyesight is also not great past a certain distance for small things - i wear glasses for tv watching and driving, for example). the lighting wasn''t great and it was a dull day. the lady in question was about 30/35 and an average person travelling on a plane - wearing sweats, runners - and she had average coloring - a little bit mousey (bit like me, in fact), pale skin etc. from about 15 ft away, all i could make out of her rings was a grey strip on her hand. that was it. i could see a ring, but couldnt make out anything about it.

later on, we boarded the plane - with that perfect jewelry viewing lighting - and i passed her again and looked at her hand. her ring was lovely, large, sparkly. but a light went on for me. i thought ''i need to remember this day. if from 15 ft away it just looks like a grey metal something or other, how much do i really want to pour into this ongoing obsession??'' i''ve bought new rings, gone out with close freinds who know me WELL, and had them not even notice what was on my hand because they were looking into my eyes. so if i just really am buying it for me, so i can see something beautiful whenever i want to, why not just take a weekly trip to the jewelry store and look in the window? or am i really more competitive and materialistically driven than i want to admit to myself?

ok - this is only ONE part of a multi-faceted topic. but it IS one part, and worth holding in balance - for me, anyway - when i make my jewelry purchasing decisions. no ring i buy will be seen by everyone -not even everyone i''m with. very few rings are noticeable from much of a distance. and the setting/lighting/outfit is rarely right to show my jewelry to best advantage. my mortgage, on the other hand, is eternal...

just more positions on a wide ranging topic...

Great post, Whitby! The highlighted part really reasonated with me because I have the opposite problem. Any time I wear anything other than my original wedding set I get interrogated by friends/family. I have different "sets" of rings that I wear on my wedding finger - invloving different bands, and even different e-rings, and whenever I decide to switch it up I get the glare because my friends /family assume that it''s new pieces when it''s not - just the same pieces that I rotate. When my DH got my Lucida band my MIL was all tsk tsk tsk about it and probably lectured him about it when I wasn''t around

 

[FrekeChild]

I keep thinking about this topic. Recently I started selling off a few of my loose gemstones because the idea of the economy really going down kind of freaked me out, even though our financial status hasn''t changed at all. And instead of putting that money from selling the gemstones into my account, I''ve actually gone ahead and spent it on other jewelry purchases instead. But I am in no way in danger of going into debt over jewelry because I don''t have a credit card, and the money I do spend on gems comes out of say, the grocery fund. So I can still easily get by when I cut back on other things.

PS just helps me find settings for my stones, and get ideas for WAY in the future projects. Since it''s mostly diamond based, it helps cut down on my lusting a lot, since color is where it''s at for me. I still have yet to find the settings I''m looking for though...

In the end I''m just grateful that I have wacky taste (gray gemstones), and and certainly a bargain hunter. And that my interest is gemstones and not diamonds. That helps out a lot in the wallet department.

 

[Lynn B]

Interesting thread.

I have always LOVED diamonds, and while we have been able to pay cash for all my PS-inspired purchases... and I certainly don't regret any of them... I'm 100% sure that had I never found PS, I wouldn't have a killer 2+ carat diamond... the studs... the RHRs... etc. I'd also have WAAAAY more money in the bank!!!

Hanging around PS makes me see things (up close and in glorious technicolor!!!) that I wouldn't probably normally *see* in my everyday real life... so "seeds" are planted and the Wish List grows. (Upgrade??! 3-stone? 5-stone?! Leon solitaire? Upgrade?! Maytal? Halo? Bangle bracelet? Upgrade?!! Pendant?! Tennis bracelet? Colored stones?! UPGRADE???! You get the idea!!!)

I love PS but sometimes I just HAVE to make myself Take. A. Break., to get some perspective back into my (VERY MIDDLE WORKING CLASS!) life!

 

[zhuzhu]

Actually I think PS has helped me SAVE money! I have always been a jewelry-person. Prior to joining PS I have bought many things that were expensive but not so high in quality. Post PS I have learned the tools and knowledge to shop intelligently. Seeing all the beautiful things you all have help me decide in advance what I want, do the research, and then spend the money.

As a result, I get a few pieces of really good ones, instead of many pieces of "mall quality" jewelries.

So THANK YOU PS!

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 4/17/2009 7:26:12 PM
Author: zhuzhu
Actually I think PS has helped me SAVE money! I have always been a jewelry-person. Prior to joining PS I have bought many things that were expensive but not so high in quality. Post PS I have learned the tools and knowledge to shop intelligently. Seeing all the beautiful things you all have help me decide in advance what I want, do the research, and then spend the money.

As a result, I get a few pieces of really good ones, instead of many pieces of ''mall quality'' jewelries.

So THANK YOU PS!

Yes, Zhuzhu makes a good point. I have NO DOUBT whatsoever that what I now own is MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL and of much higher quality than what I would own if I hadn''t found PS. Absolutely! On the OTHER hand, however, I probably own FAR MORE than I ever would have had I not found PS. But, back to the OTHER HAND

I MAY have spent as much as I have (at over-inflated mall prices) and had far fewer, less quality items. So it''s actually probably been a wash, financially; but a HUGE ADVANTAGE quality-wise. Did that make ANY sense at all???!!

 

[risingsun]

Date: 4/17/2009 11:43:57 AM
Author: whitby_2773

Date: 4/17/2009 10:58:58 AM
Author: risingsun
Thanks for starting this thread, Whitby. I am a counselor and I have had to take a good look at my own behavior. I'm not a compulsive shopper, but I struggle on this forum, at times. When I joined, I was already planning an upgrade. I had looked at HOF and knew I wanted an ideal cut/performing stone. I wanted to upgrade from a .80ct to a 1.25ct. I found a beautiful WF ACA 1.23ct and bought it. Within a year, I was dissatisfied. My latest upgrade was to a 1.62ct HOF [long story]. This upgrade was deifinitely PS driven. I got it into my head that I 'had' to have a center stone >1.5ct

Now I'm getting the impulse to upgrade again. My latest upgrade was 7 months ago. The size/stats I would consider/could afford has not been available or I would have already done it. I have always loved jewelry and this site has opened up that part of me that my family and friends just don't get. I've gotten some things I might not have done, but I haven't gone OTT. I've traded in jewelry I no longer use to help fund purchases. I am aware, however, that I need to be mindful of my affinity for all things sparkly.

really interesting post, risingsun - thanks for making it and i totally hear you.

my deal with the devil is that i have till the end of next year to get whatever jewelry i want - then i'm done and i really do have to start looking towards retirement and setting aside money more actively. i turn 50 next year, so it seemed like a sensible time to call it a day. consequently, new purchases are coming hot and fast for me at the moment, and sometimes i raise my eyebrows at the mad scramble i see going on to pad my own jewelry box and wonder 'why?' an eye opener for me was an experience i had at the airport once. i was sitting across from a woman and her husband. and, as i so often do, i was surreptitiously checking out her rings. but i was just a tad too far away to be able to make them out clearly (my eyesight is also not great past a certain distance for small things - i wear glasses for tv watching and driving, for example). the lighting wasn't great and it was a dull day. the lady in question was about 30/35 and an average person travelling on a plane - wearing sweats, runners - and she had average coloring - a little bit mousey (bit like me, in fact), pale skin etc. from about 15 ft away, all i could make out of her rings was a grey strip on her hand. that was it. i could see a ring, but couldnt make out anything about it.

later on, we boarded the plane - with that perfect jewelry viewing lighting - and i passed her again and looked at her hand. her ring was lovely, large, sparkly. but a light went on for me. i thought 'i need to remember this day. if from 15 ft away it just looks like a grey metal something or other, how much do i really want to pour into this ongoing obsession??' i've bought new rings, gone out with close freinds who know me WELL, and had them not even notice what was on my hand because they were looking into my eyes. so if i just really am buying it for me, so i can see something beautiful whenever i want to, why not just take a weekly trip to the jewelry store and look in the window? or am i really more competitive and materialistically driven than i want to admit to myself?

ok - this is only ONE part of a multi-faceted topic. but it IS one part, and worth holding in balance - for me, anyway - when i make my jewelry purchasing decisions. no ring i buy will be seen by everyone -not even everyone i'm with. very few rings are noticeable from much of a distance. and the setting/lighting/outfit is rarely right to show my jewelry to best advantage. my mortgage, on the other hand, is eternal...

just more positions on a wide ranging topic...

Please excuse me if I repeat myself. I've been on a medical leave...and that's another story...and one of of meds makes me lose my words somtimes

If you click on my avatar and then go to my gallery, you can see upgrades 1 & 2. I have a fairly blingy set so it can be noticed....and it is. My co-workers are divided about jewelry. There are a group of us who are really interested in diamonds and other pieces. The rest think we're crazy. I didn't tell anyone about the second upgrade. I was embarrassed. I was talking to one woman and a couple of others overheard and said that they already knew about it because it looked bigger. They were waiting for me to say something. The culture in my area is not to do upgrades and I took a lot of friendly teasing. I most likely will be retiring unless my medical condition improves. That is going to change my jewelry buying habits. To me, that will be another loss. I know how that may sound to others, but that is how it feels.

 

[LadyBlue]

Not realy, I enojoy looking all the beautiful stones here, but that''s it

 

[luvmyhalo]

Date: 4/17/2009 7:26:12 PM
Author: zhuzhu
Actually I think PS has helped me SAVE money! I have always been a jewelry-person. Prior to joining PS I have bought many things that were expensive but not so high in quality. Post PS I have learned the tools and knowledge to shop intelligently. Seeing all the beautiful things you all have help me decide in advance what I want, do the research, and then spend the money.

As a result, I get a few pieces of really good ones, instead of many pieces of 'mall quality' jewelries.

So THANK YOU PS!

DITTO!!! Since finding PS, I really make sure I'm getting exactly what I want for a fair price. It's spilled over into other things that I purchase too. Purses, clothing, etc.... I often think of MrsSalvo's tag line before shelling out my cash!!!

I also find that I spend LESS on things that I used to buy pre PS and save that money for jewelry purchases!

 

[LaraOnline]

My idea of a 'fair price' for jewellery has increased markedly though, along with an increasing finicky-ness regarding quality.

Neither myself or my DH come from a wealthy background at all, so have never had the experience of discussing, viewing or wearing fine jewellery (until my e-ring upgrade post-PS!

When I first started shopping around, I was pretty surprised at what a 'proper' diamond cost.

Now, I have been well 'edjimicated' by PS, and can look at a price tag of, say, $14,000 (as an example, the sky being the limit) for a diamond ring without even cracking an ignorant smile!

Is that a good or bad thing? *shrugs*

 

[Dandi]

Date: 4/17/2009 7:50:43 PM
Author: Lynn B

Date: 4/17/2009 7:26:12 PM
Author: zhuzhu
Actually I think PS has helped me SAVE money! I have always been a jewelry-person. Prior to joining PS I have bought many things that were expensive but not so high in quality. Post PS I have learned the tools and knowledge to shop intelligently. Seeing all the beautiful things you all have help me decide in advance what I want, do the research, and then spend the money.

As a result, I get a few pieces of really good ones, instead of many pieces of ''mall quality'' jewelries.

So THANK YOU PS!

Yes, Zhuzhu makes a good point. I have NO DOUBT whatsoever that what I now own is MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL and of much higher quality than what I would own if I hadn''t found PS. Absolutely! On the OTHER hand, however, I probably own FAR MORE than I ever would have had I not found PS. But, back to the OTHER HAND

I MAY have spent as much as I have (at over-inflated mall prices) and had far fewer, less quality items. So it''s actually probably been a wash, financially; but a HUGE ADVANTAGE quality-wise. Did that make ANY sense at all???!!

ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

[jess1981]

I have a perfectly beautiful diamond that my FI saved up to buy me and the fact that I know it does not have the perfect stats gnaws on me. I would have never known what perfect stats were if I had not found pricescope. Now I think about ways I can switch the diamond with out him knowing. I don't want him to know that he spent too much for a less than perfect diamond. I thought about asking for a pendant for my graduation gift and then putting my current diamond in the pendant and putting the new perfect diamond in my e-ring. I don't even want a diamond pendant. I have just become a little obsessed with finding the perfect diamond. If I stop and think about it, I think it is saad that something that is meant to symbolize our love and commitment has become an object that I think needs to be perfected.

 

[Imdanny]

I'm still in the planning stages of various projects, but I honestly believe that pricescope is helping me to make better decisions about how to spend my money on diamonds and other jewelry than I would be able to make on my own. I don't consider myself addicted to shopping at all. I only buy jewelry with cash and I'm old enough at this point in my life to be able to decide how to spend money if I choose to spend it at all in ways that make me satisfied.

Now, if you had asked me this question 20 years ago, I couldn't have given you this answer.

 

[Rhea]

I''ve been thinking a lot about this thread. In some ways I agree that PS has saved the money. I''m more focussed in what I want. I feel confident that I can find what I want, spend less than I would at a mall store, and get a better quality stone. I also think that being around like-minded people means I don''t save any money. I may save money on each particular item, but overall I think that the money saved just gets transferred into another project. I''ve always wanted jewellery so I don''t think I''ve wanted anymore since being here; I just want slightly different things now.