Hubby is buying me an eternity band for Xmas!:) Have a question...

[laila]

Hi all - I mostly just lurk here and really enjoy this website & the forums! My story is my husband and I married while we both were in grad school, so we had no money, therefore I didn''t get a diamond in my engagement ring. We''ve been married for 5 years now and we''ve been talking about buying an e-ring, however, it will take a while to save up for that. So my husband wanted to buy me an eternity band that I could wear alone for now, and then later when we get an e-ring, I can either wear it with the band, or if it doesn''t match/fit well then I can switch it to my right hand.

This is my problem - I have big hands - prob about an 8, so it''s hard for me to try things on in jewelry stores. Nothing fits and it''s kind of embarrassing. I do have a thin band that I measured and it''s about 3mm (seems so thin to me, but I know that many here like much smaller bands! Wish I had tiny fingers). Since I like the 3mm band I have in terms of width, do you think I should just order an eternity band that is about that width? Do you think I absolutely need to go try some eternity bands on? I just don''t know that that would help since I can''t get any samples on my ring finger anyway.

I''ve searched the forums here again and again and looked at the many pics of eternity bands but since it seems everyone''s fingers here are smaller than mine, I''m having a hard time picturing how big of a band and diamonds I will need to make the eternity band look right as a stand alone ring. I think I remember seeing a pic of an ebay ring Mara had w/ 10 point stones and I thought it looked really good on her finger, but if I recall correctly, her fingers are a few sizes smaller than mine

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated! I know that ultimately I''ll have to make the decision, but I would love to get some reassurance and input.

 

[Kaleigh]

Even though they may not fit on your ring finger, you can still go and try some on to get an idea of what size stones you want in your eternity band. Take a look at www.signedpieces.com to get some ideas. Do you have a budget in mind???

 

[laila]

Hi kaleigh - thanks for the response I don''t have a set-in-stone budget, but I''d probably like to keep it under $3000. I have looked at signedpieces.com a million times and just love the rings! I have also been to whiteflash.com and looked at the eternity bands in their gallery section. I emailed both of them to get an idea of what it would cost for a 3/4 eternity band (I''m worried about sizing issues), but I just did that today, so I imagine I won''t hear back for awhile. So you think maybe I should just go into a B&M store and try some on my pinky? I probably should do that, I just get embarassed, like I have gargantuan hands or something. I always feel uncomfortable going into those stores.

 

[Kaleigh]

I would just to get an idea. I would give both vendors a call this week. It''s still a very busy time for them, emails may take a while to get answered. A half eternity is a wise way to go if you are concerned about sizing issues. $3000 is a very nice budget!! 10-12 pointers would be very pretty.

 

[laila]

Kaleigh - can I ask what size diamonds are in your wedding band? Is yours a half-eternity? What is your ring size, just for reference?

I was thinking the same thing - should probably call them instead of email. I have been reading on here that email is sometimes a problem, even with normally great vendors. I will try to call on Tuesday

 

[Kaleigh]

My eternity band in my avatar is a full eternity band. The stones are 18 pointers, and is 3.38 CTW. I wear a size 5. Isaaac is very nice at SP, call and talk with him. He was very nice to work with when I bought my ring. Also WF makes very nice bands too. Can't go wrong with either. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[laila]

Thanks for the info and support kaleigh! Beautiful rings by the way

 

[Mara]

hmm my suggestion is that if you feel like you have larger hands, go for larger stones if you want them to stand out and not feel too ''thin'' of a look. maybe 3/4 eternity or even 1/2 to get larger stones...i really wanted a 10 stone ring so i got a 1ctw one and found that the ring felt very small and unsubstantial on my hand, i am now looking to flank it with 2 other eternity rings for a stronger look. so yes going into the stores will also help you figure out what you like on your hand, even if it''s just tried on a pinky. good luck!!

 

[laila]

Hmmmm..thanks for the input Mara...now I''m wondering if it would be better to go with 2 thinner bands and stack them? Shoot, it sounds like I am really going to have to go try some on. What was your ring size again Mara? I think I remember the pic of your 10 stone 1 ctw ring. Do you wear it alone or w/ an e-ring right now?

 

[bstraszheim]

Hi Laila,

I am including a link for you of my wedding band. It is a 7.75, so that will give you an idea of what it will look like : ) Those are .08 pointers. If it would help you, I have a 5 stone 1.5ct ring that I could take pictures of. It''s at least a 7 or 7.5.

Good luck on your endeavour. You definitely will have a superb ring with the knowledge you will gain about diamonds here.

I wish you well,

Bridget

 

[bstraszheim]

Oh, and you might want to read up on various posts that deal with eternity rings vs. half eternity bands. Pro''s and con''s both ways. If you do half eternity that translates into the same amount of money for fewer stones = bigger stones : )

 

[laila]

Ooooh - thank you for the link Bridget! I love your ring! And to see it on someone with similar sized fingers is great. I really want the ring to "look" like a full eternity from the top, so that has also been a concern of mine (worried that my fingers will be too wide for a half-eternity, so I was thinking I should do 3/4). Do you ever wear your band alone, or do you always wear it with your e-ring? Do you feel it is substantial enough to wear alone?

 

[bstraszheim]

Hi Laila,

I always wear that band alone. My ering is "fancy", engagement ring link and it''s too much to wear them together. I really like the width of the band (3mm) which I think is perfect. It''s not too big and not too small (for me.) The 10 stones span my finger very well and it looks like an eternity band, except when my hand is in a fist. Oh and Whiteflash was a dream to deal with and the ring was finished a few days before promised, which I loved - who wants to wait for pretty things?? : )

I wish you well,

Bridget

 

[gailrmv]

hi Laila!
I have found that things that I like in photos can look different on my hand... and vice versa! I''d go into the jewelry store with the most selection in your town and try on eternity band after eternity band... see what is comfortable (this will help you decide if you want full eternity) and what looks good. Even if it is on your pinky, I think it is a worthwhile thing to do. There is no need to apologize for your size 8 fingers, we all come in different sizes/shapes! The family ring I inherited was size 11!

I think you are smart to think of 3/4 eternity or sizing bar because you never know what could cause your finger size to change - pregnancy, weight gain/loss, random other factors! Practicality aside, for myself, I would probably go full eternity just because I always have trouble with rings spinning and with an eternity you don''t have to worry.

I''d try to get as much info as I could about durability of the different setting styles. It may even be worth considering (gasp) buying at a B&M that can warranty prong work/loose stones, just because with that many stones, odds are you''ll need something tweaked over time.

Then again, the low price and top quality of Signed Pieces makes that a great option as well.

Good luck!!

 

[laila]

Thanks so much for all the input Bridget - your e-ring is beautiful! Very unique Glad to hear the feedback on whiteflash. I have heard many good things about both WF & SP. Hoping there''s a big price difference between the two so that the decision between them is easier to make.

gailrmv- thank you for the reassurance about my big hands!! I know I should just be grateful to have hands & fingers that work, but the more vain side of me has always been self-conscious, even before I came on this forum

I guess you''re right about seeing if I like it on me as much as I like it in pictures- I would be so sad if I didn''t like the eternity band style on my finger because I''ve been drooling over them for awhile now. I really hope I like them on!

Oh - and I am very pregnant right now - 8 months, so as much as I want the ring asap, I don''t know if I should wait until the baby is born, or go try them on now? Hmmm...don''t know if I have the patience to wait!

 

[Mara]

I would wait until the baby is born and any swelling in your fingers is gone...you don''t want to have to get the ring resized right after you get it!

My finger size is 6 and the 10 stone spans my finger just a tiny bit too much, the 1/2 eternity style actually kind of irritates the sides of my fingers somewhat, I think I would almost rather go 7 stone again if I did it. Just make sure also that you like the ring as in comfortable...I loved the way a 10 stone LOOKED on my hand in the store but wearing it all the time...it''s totally not my thing after all!! Not by itself that is...I wouldn''t mind stacking it eventually as well. But right now I am trying the diamond wide band thing for a while.

 

[valeria101]

I don''t know quotes or anything, but if you wanted a wider band, pave would probably be less expensive and just as spectacular as larger single stones or multiple stacked bands. Perhaps three rows of 2mm diamonds half way around the finger would work out the look, and the cost.

This one comes from Wink Jones:

The ''wave'' ring to the left is size 8 and under 3k.


I can relate to your wanting wider rings too.

 

[laila]

Mara - I am definitely swelling with the pregnancy and weight gain, etc., so I''d have to order a size that would work for post-pregnancy. I just don''t know if I can wait a few months until the baby is born and my weight goes down - seems too long! But you''re right - I wouldn''t want to have to resize right away. I can still wear the rings I wore prior to pregnancy, depending on how loose they were before. Sigh...will have to figure out how to go about all of this.

valeria - thanks so much for the ideas and pics! Those are very pretty rings. I still think I have my heart set on a shared-prong eternity band right now, but I''ll have to try some of the pave ones on as well and see what I think in person.

Thank you sooo much for all the input everybody! I really appreciate it