Have you been PS brainwashed?

[Maisie]

Oh, yes. Absolutely.

But not the sparklies - I have always loved those. My 'must-have' list has gently expanded, not really in terms of quantity, but quality. For instance, I now know that when I - one day, a million years from now - get my 1ct yellow pear it won't have a bowtie. PS has opened my eyes to how to refine my 'must have' list.

Well, on the sparkly side of things, that is.

However... Everytime I see pictures of B.E.G's cats or someone mentions a Yorkie, I have to physically restrain myself from getting in my car and driving to the nearest place I can adopt a pet. I know we can't have a cat right now, and I know our back yard isn't nearly big enough for an English pit bull or a lab, I know we won't be able to spend 2x 30 minutes a day walking a big dog, but for some reason I find myself trying to justify a Yorkie. He's just a little dog, I tell myself. Our house really is too big for just the two of us. The back yard is the perfect size and shape to play catch with a little dog. He really won't eat all that much. Yes, his coat is expensive to maintain, but he's so beautiful it more than makes up for that... Everytime I think of one reason not to have one, it is shot down by the other part of my brain.

It's insane.

Can someone please talk me out of it?

Nope! I think you should get one!!!

The number one danger of Pricescope - enabling!!!

I know! And I love being an enabler!!

 

[yssie]

athena - lol! The bling on some of the ladies where we live is truly astounding, my ring is positively puny in comparison


trekkie - I'm sending you stray yorkie dust. Though you may not want it. Because if you just happened upon a stray yorkie that needed a home, well... we didn't plan for three cats, but once we found her we *couldn't* say no...


lkn - I gotta say, that's exactly why I only shop online with a few vendors who I know are used to dealing with picky customers. I expect the person I buy from to know more about the product than I do, especially big-ticket items, and when that's not the case I can't help but feel mistrustful of the transaction.

 

[gemgirl]

Pricescope hasn't changed my "wants" at all. I was learning about and collecting diamonds and gems long before I ever found Pricescope. It's just more fun sharing now.

 

[rosetta]

I'm now the owner of diamond studs, pendant and two engagement rings since joining PS. So, yes. But I'm now DONE for a long time.

 

[violet3]

nope. and i don't know why, because i certainly LOVE looking at everyone's new bling on here....i mean i LOVE looking. In fact, I love looking in jewelry stores too and trying things on maybe i am deceiving myself and i actually DO want all these things But then, aside from my engagement ring, i'm always happy to leave whatever it is behind at the end of the day.

Perhaps someday when the funds are more stable, i will be more likely to REALLY want some pieces for myself....

 

[violet3]

I'm now the owner of diamond studs, pendant and two engagement rings since joining PS. So, yes. But I'm now DONE for a long time.

Rosetta, that's some serious PS damage in less than a year!!!

 

[oranges]

I have always been a huge jewelry gal ever since I was a toddler-- so my general style has not changed since joining pricescope. The women in my family (other than my awesome mother who wears a plain gold band) are very into expensive jewely and have massive engagement rings-- so that has been the norm for me throughout my life. I've always been a blingy girl at heart What has changed is that I am a much more informed consumer-- before PS Tiffany was the "be-all-end-all" of jewelry for me. PS also introduced me to "new" styles of jewelry and I discovered that I am completely and totally in love chunky cushions and french cut diamonds (hadn't seen either before PS). A lot of the jewelry that PSers have are not mainstream-- and i LOVE that.

 

[ksinger]

Umm....ermm....I just bought a new 1.5 carat RB. I was having a bad month. I AM actually having a bit of buyer's remorse. Not because the stone itself isn't all that, it's just yummy, but I'm kinda like, wow! What was I thinking?? I didn't overspend on it at all, yet...well....

BAD KSINGER!!!

But I don't really blame PS.

 

[rosetta]

I'm now the owner of diamond studs, pendant and two engagement rings since joining PS. So, yes. But I'm now DONE for a long time.

Rosetta, that's some serious PS damage in less than a year!!!

Too true violet. And I forgot to count the diamond jewellery my in-laws and parents have given me as wedding gifts recently. (yes photos are coming soon) I really AM done. Bad Rosetta!

Ksinger, as part of your punishment you must post photos!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I admire a lot of jewelery here, but mostly I think PS helped me shop smarter for things I wanted anyways.
Although they did introduce me to tsavorites and now I have a mild obsession..

 

[LGK]

I'm not sure if it's PS or just being around estate jewelry every day at work, lol. I'm gonna say the worst contributor to me stalking and acquiring antique jewelry is just seeing it every day- I've collected antiques for years and I collect antique jewelry the same way I do any other variety of antique. It is *very* hard to be good with all sorts of gorgeous antique jewelry in your face constantly!

But honestly one of my "rules" is that I don't buy anything (major) that isn't antique or 2nd hand, and it has to be priced in such a way that I could resell it for, at minimum, what I paid and preferably for a profit if I have to. That rule has actually held up pretty well, and it isn't a bad place for some of our money to be parked. (And when I decided to get rid of my 2 ct transitional cut, I did make money on it- same with a few of the antique watches I've gotten rid of.)

 

[Dreamer_D]

I admit, sometimes I do contemplate selling it all and just living a more ascetic life

 

[MichelleCarmen]

PS has been a really great place for me. I have made some wonderful friends. The only part I didn't seem to handle so well was the bling side of it. I went really crazy upgrading and upgrading. I ended up selling every piece of jewellery I owned because I knew I had gone too far.

If I was ever going to get engaged again I would let him choose the ring and never change it. I want a ring that has sentiment and joy attached to it. Not jealousy and greed.

Maisie - have you kept anything at all?

Not a single piece. But its ok. I have brain space to think about really important stuff now

I think that's great. Some people have memories attached to jewelry and it feels better to purge and move on! I'm selling a few things because I've pretty much settled on my staple jewelry wardrobe and don't rotate around. I'm fine with my ACA studs, my TBTY and my wedding set.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I got sucked in and had a diamond buying spree right after I got married (dual income, a besotted newlywed DH, Pricescope, and my natural magpie tendencies created the perfect storm ) which resulted in my bezel ACA leverback earrings, antique five stone, bezel BGD signature ideal pendant, and rose gold bezel milgrain eternity band. I am done buying diamonds for a long, long time, although I'd love to get an antique cushion or OEC at some point.

I do want to get a nice pearl set, but that will probably have to wait for a while as DH is laid off/going back to school and all our extra money is going into our adoption fund right now to adopt a child/children If we get stuck financially during the process, I'll sell some of my jewelry (everything except my wedding set is fair game ). I got amazing deals on each piece, so I should be able to sell each at the same price, or more, than I bought them....so, we'll see what my jewelry wardrobe looks like at this time next year

 

[Indylady]

Not at all.

I do love jewelry, and I always have. I like what I see on PS, but it doesn't make me reach for my credit card.

 

[deja_entendu]

Hmmm I guess I want a larger, higher quality stone than I did before I found PS, but I didn't really know what I wanted or what was out there before. I am guilty of coveting a lot of the beautiful piece I see on here, but I haven't gone so far as to actually purchase any of my wants. Sadly, as a grad student I don't exactly have a large jewelry fund so my collection is almost non-existent. Some day...

 

[reader]

I need to modify mine a little bit. PS has brainwashed me into thinking I need to take better care of myself. The threads on eating right, skin care, hair care are inspiring. In real life, I don't have a lot of female friends, and the ones I do have are all some distance away. (They are more into cars or the hippie lifestyle.) Since I've started coming here, I try to choose my non work clothes more carefully and I've lost some weight.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hmmm I guess I want a larger, higher quality stone than I did before I found PS, but I didn't really know what I wanted or what was out there before. I am guilty of coveting a lot of the beautiful piece I see on here, but I haven't gone so far as to actually purchase any of my wants. Sadly, as a grad student I don't exactly have a large jewelry fund so my collection is almost non-existent. Some day...

With the primary want I had, I did purchase (my ACA studs) and I'm so glad I found PS and learned about well-cut stones. Actually, I had bought a pair of studs on eBay and did a search on diamond studs and stumbled upon PS and within a few years upgraded the stones. I did learn that I lucked out with my eBay studs and they were high-quality by eBay standards I eventually sold them after they had been sitting in my jewelry box for a couple of years.

 

[Steel]

I admit, sometimes I do contemplate selling it all and just living a more ascetic life

Would you take $50 and a used tube of pre-seed? Go on.....

 

[Steel]

I need to modify mine a little bit. PS has brainwashed me into thinking I need to take better care of myself. The threads on eating right, skin care, hair care are inspiring. In real life, I don't have a lot of female friends, and the ones I do have are all some distance away. (They are more into cars or the hippie lifestyle.) Since I've started coming here, I try to choose my non work clothes more carefully and I've lost some weight.

This is one of the nicest posts I have read in a long time. I'm glad your PS experience has been so positive and changing. Good for you.

 

[bricklayer]

I did in the very beginning when I found this board, but I have definitely calmed down. I think really what I would like is a fancier setting sometimes but I don't want to have to baby a ring.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am certainly thankful that I found PS when first researching for a new diamond for an anniversary! I knew my first diamond was only average, and I knew I wanted the best quality within our budget. PS introduced me to well cut stones and honest vendors who had what I wanted to buy at a fair price. I wear very classic jewelry, so even though I love to look at all the things on here, it never caused me to buy things I shouldn't have. However, the one thing I regret is that my intent was to buy a stone around 1.4 carats and because of great enabling and encouragement on here , I ended up with a 1.63! It is a gorgeous, perfect stone, but I have thought about upgrading to higher specs but a smaller weight since the very beginning. My sisters and sister's in law wear from .75 to 1.2 carat diamonds, and I have no close friends who wear over a carat. It just does not please me to have a stone so much larger than the people I am around most of the time even though the size is pretty average for PS members. I have also felt that my studs at .75 each were a little too blingy for my everyday, very casual lifestyle. My other consideration is that I don't see my daughters getting an e-ring larger than a carat, so I didn't want to leave one a stone a lot bigger than the one their husband gave them. So I may be the very first PSer to downsize, but I am considering doing it! No regrets on the Tiffany Legacy band..it is perfect and I anticipate never changing it!

The things I still have on my realistic wishlist are small diamond bezel studs and the matching dby necklace.

The things I would love to have if I had plentiful extra money after the kids are all finished with school and weddings and our new house is completely furnished are August Vintage stones from GOG, perhaps a sapphire, and either Van Craeynest or Singlestone settings.

 

[missydebby]

Well,m you know how I wrote up a whole thread of Perry/Leon sourced antique cushions vs the GOG AVC? After I wrote that up, I was feeling sorta bla, cause comparing them brought out some dis-satisfactions that I had in both. After a month of just having the AVCs in my eras (they are studs) and the ring on my finger I am happy and fully satisfied again.

One thing I can say is that when I read about others' projects, I want to be doing a project myself!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

I love browsing jewelry on SMTR/B and Timeless Classics, but I'm happy with what I have (which is an e-ring, wedding band, and that's it ) I feel excited for people when they find new stones & pieces of jewelry to add to their collections.

If ever I feel a bit green with envy I just stay away from the blingy-threads for a little while.

Eventually I would like to add to my collection, but it would be silly for me to do that any time soon. I'm just glad to know that PS & PSers will be here to help when the time comes... even if it's 10 years down the road!

 

[anitabee]

in one word? YES. can't deny it.

 

[risingsun]

Pricescope hasn't changed my "wants" at all. I was learning about and collecting diamonds and gems long before I ever found Pricescope. It's just more fun sharing now.

This is true for me, as well. I was in the process of an upgrade when I found PS and have been here ever since. I have learned a lot from the research threads and my knowledge base has increased, as a result. I have also received a great deal of personal support during difficult times. This has been a wonderful community in many ways.