Help Finding Padparadscha (Or Spinel) for E-Ring

[austinj]

So now I'm an idiot. Cool. Well Marlow I say Seeing as I'm an actual customer that my opinion trumps yours. And I think calling people names is a direct violation of PS rules.

 

[Marlow]

So now I'm an idiot. Cool. Well Marlow I say Seeing as I'm an actual customer that my opinion trumps yours. And I think calling people names is a direct violation of PS rules.

READ MY POST!

YOU asked me whether I bought something from this vendor and my answer was:

"No, because I (!!!) would be an idiot buying a gem I could easily get for 10-15% of the asked price!"

My english is terrible I know...but not that bad!!

What you post sounds sometimes like a shill job ( remember your first topic!) - if we are talked about PS rules violation...

I wish this vendor health, success and many many happy customers!!!

But if he would would be the last vendor I would stop collecting....

 

[austinj]

Furthermore, I never pay full price for a stone. He has 20% off birthstones every month, and if you become a member you get 5-25% off plus he sends emails every month with 33% off coupons, and if you do bank wire transfer you can get another 10% off on top of that! Plus with my topaz he sent lab report, a loupe, a gemstone metal instrument for holding the gem, a really nice gemstone box, a book, and free shipping. I don't think I am an idiot at all for buying this.

 

[austinj]

And now I am accused of shilling again? Seriously?? If anything you sound way more emotional than I do! Is there someone behind you??

 

[austinj]

I don't know why we can't just agree to disagree and move on. This is getting crazy. I do apologize for getting worked up. I just don't want this negativity. It's my husbands birthday today and I have my son and I just feel like this is really affecting my mood. I don't think I should be made to feel bad for my purchases. That's not what this forum is supposed to be about. And sincere apologies to OP!

 

[minousbijoux]

Austinj: I have no horse in this race so I'll tell you what I see, whether it is intentional or not. This thread was for the OP to find an e-ring. It somehow got derailed into a discussion of certain vendors, one of whom is WFG, commonly known - and accepted - to have some of the highest, if not the highest, prices around. You have bought from him, had good transactions and appreciate the things he says he does to give back and help the environment. Not everyone feels that way - either because they would rather not rely on a third party to do it and would rather donate directly themselves, or because they don't like his stones/find them too expensive even with the added charity aspect of his stones.

But as I read the thread, it seems as if others were happy to move on. You seemed to want to move on too, but before each plea to move, you would take the opportunity to make more positive points about WFG/Ed, in a way that made it hard for others to just let it go, as you indicated you wanted.
You said: "Let's just agree to disagree and respect each other's individual opinions on the vendor."
But then right after, you continued your discussion of him, even accusing others of inappropriate conduct: "But I think all this speculation when nobody knows his overhead costs for everything he does and therefore bashes him is not very good energy at all." You ended that post with: "So please please please can we drop this and get back to the original topic?"
After which you went on to make comments like "Well i think if anyone actually took the time to read his site then almost every one of those points is mute" and "My simple point is that Ed is a great vendor in every other way. He is fair trade, sells untreated gems exclusively, all with lab reports, and seems to be a very honest guy. I don't get why he's being slammed so hard simply because he is expensive. There are many others out there with similar prices to his".

I honestly didn't see anyone slamming or bashing him, just questioning his photos and pricing, and wondering out loud how to measure the veracity of the actions he was taking to give back.

I love the spirit you bring and your commitment to the philosophy of what goes around, comes around. I love the passion you show. I can't remember the stones you bought from Ed, but the best way to promote him is show us his gorgeous stones and remind others that he is a reliable vendor with some excellent quality stones. I hope this comes across kindly and shows the good intention with which I wrote it. You add a lot to our community, as do others with differing opinions. Maybe in Pie's thread we can speak about ethical treatment in the gem trade, and identify methods by which it can be known for certain whether they are truly ethical or just give the appearance of so doing. If we have any luck with this, then we can bring whatever methodology is created and use it as a tool to measure our vendors buy - including Ed and Wildfish Gems.

 

[austinj]

I appreciate that post. It did come across kindly so thank you for that! Yes I guess every time I asked it to be dropped there would be more negative comments for which I felt I had good points. But I see where your coming from! So I will officially post no more about Ed. Apologies to Marlow! I do appreciate your input. I guess we both know where we stand on the issue! Lol.

 

[minousbijoux]

I appreciate that post. It did come across kindly so thank you for that! Yes I guess every time I asked it to be dropped there would be more negative comments for which I felt I had good points. But I see where your coming from! So I will officially post no more about Ed. Apologies to Marlow! I do appreciate your input. I guess we both know where we stand on the issue! Lol.

What a great way to handle it, Austinj! Thank you for being so receptive. I really am serious about seeing your stones and continuing the dialogue of what is ethical and "fair trade," however those terms might be applied to gems.

 

[austinj]

No thank you for making me feel better! You are a great person on this forum. I will post again in the other thread but maybe not for a while I feel kind of silly for my other posts now. But this is a subject near and dear to me so I will later maybe!

 

[chrono]

Minou,
Thanks for clearing the air. I don't know how to step in to mediate without fanning the flames further but you did a great job! I know everyone meant well and are good-natured at heart.

 

[iLander]

So did we find a pad or spinel for this e-ring?

I've lost the Point of the thread now.

Someone please repost the last on-point post so we can start again from there.

 

[chrono]

The 1 carat MC stone is a beautiful shape (it says oval, but looks a little more cushion-y to me). The color even looks nice to me, but it says it's pinky-purple, which I'm not into. I would have to see it in person.

I don't really want a solitaire; I'm leaning more towards a halo. I know the budget seems lean for that (and I agree that it is), but my plan would be to find a cheaper stone and go with a LOGR setting until we are in a better position to upgrade. I am pretty set on WG, *maybe* RG if it was the right match with the stone.

I think I would be able to baby a garnet enough to keep it in good shape--at least I hope so. I was hoping that a halo would be a little more protective.

I am not as picky on the shape. Cushion is what I want, but I realize I have to give somewhere. Ultimately I would be fine with oval, round, cushion, or even something like a fat pear.

As far as expanding my color selection: I love the peachy pinks, and peachy colors. I am not a bubblegum pink girl, and I don't like pinky-purple. The garnet that I posted was a mauve-y with flashes of melon to me, which I liked (and I love the fiery red, although I don't see myself wanting a straight red stone, like a red spinel). I enjoy stones with a color shift to them, or flashes of different color, but I'm not a huge fan of zoning. I don't want brown, and I really like things on the less saturated side (though I am more open on saturation). The Jeffery Davies peachy orange spinel seems so brown to me--does anyone else agree?

I am DEFINITELY open to something preloved. I believe my ring is 7-7.5.

Thank you to all who are helping me. It means a lot!

 

[upcyclist]

Thanks to minousbijoux for her deft diplomacy, and Chrono for reestablishing where we left off!

I think I would be able to baby a garnet enough to keep it in good shape--at least I hope so. I was hoping that a halo would be a little more protective.

Definitely make sure LOGR, or whereever you go for the setting, is aware of that need. That'll make sure they don't elevate the table of the stone too far beyond the halo. It probably goes without saying, but I said it anyway

The garnet that I posted was a mauve-y with flashes of melon to me, which I liked (and I love the fiery red, although I don't see myself wanting a straight red stone, like a red spinel).

Good--it sounds like you have enough budget pressures without adding in the "pure red" pricing!

 

[Lovinggems]

I really like the JuliaB rings, great pricing, pretty precision cut spinels in gold and within budget. Are you sure you don't like rose gold?

 

[iLander]

OP= Consider getting your stone set by IDJewelry in NYC. Many PSers use them, and I have used them to set my colored stones in halos. I've purchased a LOGR setting in the past, and even with upgraded diamonds, it really didn't have a lot of sparkle. I had IDJ set a small sapphire oval in a halo using 5 pointers, and the cost was only about $300 more than LOGR. It was WELL worth the difference. Granted, the LOGR setting was a full carat of diamonds, and the halo only about 1/2 carat, but the beauty of the high quality diamonds compensated for the fact that there was less of them.

I think you could set the stone for under $1000, and that leaves you a nice amount of budget for the stone itself.

At least let them quote you a price, and ask for a built setting, one they have to make themselves, and they will hand pick spectacular diamond melee for your halo.

 

[minousbijoux]

So did we find a pad or spinel for this e-ring?

I've lost the Point of the thread now.

Someone please repost the last on-point post so we can start again from there.

Okay, islander, I love you so much! You made me laugh so hard! Sorry for the major threadjack - but thanks to islander, we can get back on track...

 

[chrono]

Hi NKOTB, that is a lovely stone; unfortunately, our budget was decreased to $1,000 for stone + setting.

iLander,
I think the total budget is now stone + setting = $1000 total, which is a huge challenge as it does not leave much for the stone, probably $200 to 300 max?

Option 1
http://www.ajsgem.com/gemstones/spinel/spinel-1.46-carats.html
It is round so you can find an off the shelf halo setting easily. Colour isn't overly pink but could brown out at times. The only iffy part is that it is probably not eye clean from certain angles and under certain light conditions.

 

[ejacobson]

Hello guys,

Thanks for getting the thread back on point. After several months of being unemployed, I was recently offered a job in my new field, so my days have been filled with pre-employment duties, taking care of an energetic preschooler, etc. I was quite surprised to see the direction this thread had taken!

Anyway, now that I have work, my BF is comfortable spending a little bit more. Would it be reasonable to get stone + setting for $1500? There is a stone that someone mentioned in this thread not too long ago that I am considering. I don't want to say who it's from bc I don't want it snatched from a lurker...

Can people tell me what they think of this 2.6ish carat Malaia Garnet?

Austinj (I believe it was you who purchased the pad spinel after I declined it): THANK YOU so much for your kind offer. I was touched that you would offer to do such a thing, not knowing me. Did you purchase the stone for the listed price of $1,000? Since our budget has decreased, I'm not sure that spending $1,000 on the stone would be wise, even with $500 for a setting.

Another PSer asked about rose gold. I definitely don't love it. I do love the way that the pad-colored stones pop in white gold.

Someone else mentioned a New York jeweler who was priced minimally higher than LOGR. It is good to have a resource like that and I will check into it. I do not want to order something from LOGR that looks cheap, or that doesn't sparkle. I would choose less diamonds with more sparkle any day.

What do you guys think of this garnet?

 

[chrono]

I took a look at IDJ and saw that their halo setting is around $1K, which leaves you $500 for the stone. I'm not sure how it costs to customize the setting to fit the non-standard size of 8 x 7 mm. Stock sizes are usually 8 x 6 mm.
http://www.idjewelry.com/engagement-rings.html

Why not order the stone and view it in person to decide whether it is the right one for you?

 

[austinj]

Hey Ej! Yes I did get it for 1000$. I felt kind of bad buying it when I knew it's the one you originally wanted. Well the offer still stands! And I said it twice already, but I really love that garnet. I think it is beautiful! And he's got a great return policy too. Glad you were able to up the price a bit!

 

[minousbijoux]

If you are ready to go for a garnet, then I might consider it, but be aware that you are straying into brown territory with that stone. Yes, it has an orangish/melonish color, but that photo makes it look like it also has a good dose of brown - nothing wrong with that, but just know to expect it.

 

[ejacobson]

Hi minous, do you feel like I'm straying into brown territory even with the 2nd garnet I posted? I feel like I want to stay away from brown.

I am seriously considering your offer, Austinj. If I was going to purchase that spinel, though, I wanted to ask him if he would take a lower price for it. Now I'm not quite sure what to do. $1000 for the stone is a bit more than I wanted.

 

[ejacobson]

Also, Austinj, THANK YOU for being so kind. No need to feel bad about buying it after I said I couldn't afford it!

ETA: Austinj, do you have the stone in hand, or are you still finishing your payments with him?

 

[minousbijoux]

Hi minous, do you feel like I'm straying into brown territory even with the 2nd garnet I posted? I feel like I want to stay away from brown.

I am seriously considering your offer, Austinj. If I was going to purchase that spinel, though, I wanted to ask him if he would take a lower price for it. Now I'm not quite sure what to do. $1000 for the stone is a bit more than I wanted.

I'm not sure at this point what is the second garnet you posted, but if you are referring to the 2.68ct stone you posted on p. 4, then yes, I see quite a bit of brown in that one - even more than the one just being discussed, unfortunately.

 

[LoversKites]

Hi minous, do you feel like I'm straying into brown territory even with the 2nd garnet I posted? I feel like I want to stay away from brown.

I am seriously considering your offer, Austinj. If I was going to purchase that spinel, though, I wanted to ask him if he would take a lower price for it. Now I'm not quite sure what to do. $1000 for the stone is a bit more than I wanted.

I'm not sure at this point what is the second garnet you posted, but if you are referring to the 2.68ct stone you posted on p. 4, then yes, I see quite a bit of brown in that one - even more than the one just being discussed, unfortunately.

The way I understood it is that the second garnet posted is the one above, on this page. I think it looks far better than the one on page 4.

 

[Lovinggems]

My avatar is a Malaya garnet, it is a cognac brown in certain lighting. I still love it a lot though.

 

[minousbijoux]

My avatar is a Malaya garnet, it is a cognac brown in certain lighting. I still love it a lot though.

Wow, LG, yours looks so saturated that its hard to believe that it even shifts to brown.

 

[austinj]

Hey again! No I don't have the stone in hand yet. I only paid him $500 and was going to pay the other half before May 16. My original offer was that you can just pay him the other half of what I owe and you can have the spinel. I usually do one big pay it forward thing a year. This was going to be my big thing! If your not comfortable with that then you can always contact him and ask about price, he wasn't willing to budge for me though! It would make me happy to do this for you though so please consider it. Like I said I have enough stuff to play with anyways

 

[LoversKites]

Hey again! No I don't have the stone in hand yet. I only paid him $500 and was going to pay the other half before May 16. My original offer was that you can just pay him the other half of what I owe and you can have the spinel. I usually do one big pay it forward thing a year. This was going to be my big thing! If your not comfortable with that then you can always contact him and ask about price, he wasn't willing to budge for me though! It would make me happy to do this for you though so please consider it. Like I said I have enough stuff to play with anyways

This is incredibly generous of you. Can't say I'd offer something like this to someone I didn't know. You'll make OP's week, if not month!

 

[mochiko42]

Hey again! No I don't have the stone in hand yet. I only paid him $500 and was going to pay the other half before May 16. My original offer was that you can just pay him the other half of what I owe and you can have the spinel. I usually do one big pay it forward thing a year. This was going to be my big thing! If your not comfortable with that then you can always contact him and ask about price, he wasn't willing to budge for me though! It would make me happy to do this for you though so please consider it. Like I said I have enough stuff to play with anyways

Austinj, that is one of the most kind and generous things I've heard on the Internet.. Pay it forward. It's very inspiring! Thank you.