I am SO bad! I am seriously considering changing my setting...

[DonaBella]

I just got back from the Caribbean and while there, I saw a ring set that simply caught my eye...it was three rings. The two wedding bands were prong set and I think 3/4 around with pretty good sized diamonds. The e-ring was a three stone diamond dazzler that was a knockout. The two WBs and the e-ring were some serious blingage...I am SO in trouble...

Now, after seeing this ring set, that''s all I think I want. What on earth is wrong with me??? I have a great three ring pave set with a beautiful sparkling 1.21 cushion. Yes, I plan to upgrade but...now this???

I know that prong set rings are easier to keep clean and less worry and...why am I doing this to myself?

Help!

My DH would lose what''s left of his hair if he knew I felt this way!

The thing is, I REALLY liked it...Does anybody out there have any advice? And why is this happening to me?

 

[Jelly]

Welcome to diamond addiction!!!!!!!!

Deanna, out of all the beautiful things you must have seen on your trip, this is the first thing you report back to us?

Was it a designer piece? Post pics of what it looked like!

 

[Shay37]

Hi, my name is shay and I''m a diamondholic. I see we have someone new here tonight. Do you want to say something? You don''t have to use your real name. We''ll understand. Won''t we Mara, Alj, Jelly, Belle, Ana, etc. etc.

shay

 

[Lorelei]

Hi my name is Lorelei and I too am a diamondholic. I have refused rehab and all treatment. Nice to have you with us Deanna!

You have just joined the club! No cure my dear. The phenomenon of diamonds is you can never have enough, want more, bigger.......

 

[mrssalvo]

hehe, well Deanna, you''re definitely not alone. I am currently in the process of my own upgrade. hubby told me to put together a folder with my favorite settings and we''d look over them every so often to see if i''ve changed my mind, since I''ve done so probably 50 times since finding Pricescope. I too went from wanting pave, to shared prong, back to pave, to a solitaire, backed to pave, to a 3-stone etc...

Anyway, I think the grass is always greener. We always seem to want something different than what we have. I totally know what you are talking about when you say the bling of the shared prong is so alluring. Pave is gorgeous, but subtle. There are a few Pricescopers who have been through a couple of settings before getting it right. Have you tried on a set like the one you saw? That might help if you go and try some on and see how they look on your hand compared with you beautiful new set. If not, setting upgrades are allowed

 

[belle]

Date: 3/8/2006 6:50:30 AM
Author: Shay37
Hi, my name is shay and I''m a diamondholic. I see we have someone new here tonight. Do you want to say something? You don''t have to use your real name. We''ll understand. Won''t we Mara, Alj, Jelly, Belle, Ana, etc. etc.

shay

lol...you''re too funny shay. yep, we all understand!

welcome to the club deanna

can''t wait to see your new set

 

[kittycatsmac]

My name is Amanda they call me kittycat around here, my doctor has had me in treatment for awhile know but over a month ago I found PS and the doctor has from that time removed me from my treatment, so yes I am to a diamondholic, and yes it does sound like the crew that shay listed are the ones that you do need to talk to also with Lorelei and Mrssalvo and few more. So do you have a ann. or birthday coming up? It might be a good time to use the old line, I want ask for anything else for a lllooonnnggg tttiiimmmee !!! Oh yeah it works ( sometimes ) lol !!!

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/8/2006 2:52:17 AM
Author: Jelly
Welcome to diamond addiction!!!!!!!!

Deanna, out of all the beautiful things you must have seen on your trip, this is the first thing you report back to us?

Was it a designer piece? Post pics of what it looked like!

I know, I know...and we had a phenomenal trip...but before I get into telling you about the trip, I have to confess, I convinced my husband to get me another diamond piece. A beautiful pendant...

I am waiting for the pictures(we used disposable cameras and wore out both batteries for my digital) to come back to post pics of it.

If that wasn''t enough--and apparently it wasn''t--I went shopping to check out some china pieces at a store closing in our area at my hubby''s request, and bought a 5 carat tennis bracelet!

DH does NOT know about this purchase and I will need to break it in gently, like around my birthday(the 23rd of this month!

)...

See? I told you I am SO bad!

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/8/2006 2:52:17 AM
Author: Jelly
Welcome to diamond addiction!!!!!!!!

Deanna, out of all the beautiful things you must have seen on your trip, this is the first thing you report back to us?

Was it a designer piece? Post pics of what it looked like!

On the design of how this looked...

I didn''t want to seem obvious---which I guess I should have asked to see it---so I will describe it as best as I can.

2 WBs, prong or shared prong
about 5 stones each, pretty big stones, maybe 4 pointers(she also had little hands compared to me, maybe a size 6.

The e-ring was a three stone diamond ring which I had never even considered when doing my own upgrade

...The stones were all RB. The center stone was about 1.75 or so flanked by RBs that were 2/3 the size of the center stone...does that make sense to anyone?

Again, this young newlywed was too busy hugging her new husband and taking pics on our excursion so I didn''t feel too at ease to go up and say, "excuse me, may I see your ring?" But now I wish I had. Oh...and it was made either out of WG or Platinum.

I am pathetic...

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/8/2006 6:50:30 AM
Author: Shay37
Hi, my name is shay and I''m a diamondholic. I see we have someone new here tonight. Do you want to say something? You don''t have to use your real name. We''ll understand. Won''t we Mara, Alj, Jelly, Belle, Ana, etc. etc.

shay

Good one, Shay...

I honestly did not think I would become this way...but...I did...and am...omg!

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/8/2006 7:49:43 AM
Author: Lorelei
Hi my name is Lorelei and I too am a diamondholic. I have refused rehab and all treatment. Nice to have you with us Deanna!

You have just joined the club! No cure my dear. The phenomenon of diamonds is you can never have enough, want more, bigger.......

You know, my DH is not the easiest person to convince that diamonds are essential...this news must be delivered to him v-e-r-y slowly and v-e-r-y gently...one serving at a time....who am I fooling???

He is never going to understand!

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/8/2006 8:18:33 AM
Author: mrssalvo
hehe, well Deanna, you''re definitely not alone. I am currently in the process of my own upgrade. hubby told me to put together a folder with my favorite settings and we''d look over them every so often to see if i''ve changed my mind, since I''ve done so probably 50 times since finding Pricescope. I too went from wanting pave, to shared prong, back to pave, to a solitaire, backed to pave, to a 3-stone etc...

Anyway, I think the grass is always greener. We always seem to want something different than what we have. I totally know what you are talking about when you say the bling of the shared prong is so alluring. Pave is gorgeous, but subtle. There are a few Pricescopers who have been through a couple of settings before getting it right. Have you tried on a set like the one you saw? That might help if you go and try some on and see how they look on your hand compared with you beautiful new set. If not, setting upgrades are allowed

Thanks mrssalvo...

I don''t even mind the joint snickering here cuz I didn''t see it coming...oh...so you too? Wow...this can be an expensive habit/addiction...

You are SO right...the grass is ALWAYS greener...I swear, I really didn''t see this coming...

The talk here on PS about diamond shrinkage has happened but I thought, ok, I know I plan to upgrade and I will be ok, but this? I even tried to convince myself, well maybe I just want a bigger center stone or more rectangular or a different shape(the center stone the gal had was a RB) or whatever...

And no, I haven''t and didn''t try one of these combos on. I guess I need to do that, huh?

And if that wasn''t enough, yesterday when I delivered flowers to someone from my flower shop, the lady got talking to me and said she works at Robbins Brothers Jewelry in Fulllerton and would love to help me if I ever wanted to upgrade...can you believe the timing of this?

OMG...I am in SO much trouble!

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/8/2006 9:45:42 AM
Author: belle

Date: 3/8/2006 6:50:30 AM
Author: Shay37
Hi, my name is shay and I''m a diamondholic. I see we have someone new here tonight. Do you want to say something? You don''t have to use your real name. We''ll understand. Won''t we Mara, Alj, Jelly, Belle, Ana, etc. etc.

shay

lol...you''re too funny shay. yep, we all understand!

welcome to the club deanna

can''t wait to see your new set

You are bad, belle!

 

[DonaBella]

My trip, BTW, was heavenly...I plan to start a new thread when I get the pics. DH arranged for a wonderful surprise of us renewing our vows...can you believe it???!!!

It was breathtaking and emotional...I fell in love with him all over again...

I didn''t want to come home...

I will go more into detail in my new thread...but we got the ceremony on video and I had my hair done island style, with a gorgeous bouquet of eleven flowers(a sign I feel--there is eleven people in my family, 9 kids, 2 parents...)...

I will stop myself now...

 

[Mara]

hahaha oh you got it bad that is for sure...there is definitely no cure. the only treatment is to stop coming to PS forever...yeah right like that''s going to happen!

now i am definitely a diamond psycho like the rest of them....no one can debate that. BUT you gotta be smart about it. i personally don''t think you should act on anything yet with this other setting. i see a few settings i adore every year and it gives me serious setting doubt with my own setting etc. but my darling husband is only SO understanding, and i have to choose and pick my ''diamond battles''. you just finished a huge upgrade for you with a whole new set etc. i''d just let it calm for a while. take it from me that you will always see something you didn''t think of whether it''s now or a year later or two years later and you just have to be patient and think on things...i always tell myself well if you still want it in about a year or so, then you must REALLY want it and then we can talk (this is me to my self..hahaa). i am in love with classic solitaires right now with blingy eternity rings. but am i going to get it? no way....my husband would flip. so i have to consider him as well, and what seems ''reasonable'' and go from there.

not like this is a huge comparison but last nite i was watching secret lives of women on WE (what a wacko show but it''s like a train wreck you have to watch) and there as a show on addicts to plastic surgery and there was this youngish couple, she''d had about $100k in surgeries, some had been botched and she had to go in one last time to have it all ''fixed'' for another $55k. she and her husband lived a decent live in the santa cruz mountains, they were totally in debt from all her stuff, but she just had to have the last surgery to ''fix'' everything. her poor husband..he was like i love you and i don''t want you to be unhappy but we are totally already in debt and where are we going to find 55k more etc. she was like well i don''t want to feel selfish but i really want this and want to do it so we have to make it work somehow. the poor husband (who was sweet but seriously had to have a screw loose to be with this wacko and go along with this all) let her do it and in the end they had to sell their beautiful house to pay off their debts then moved to texas. the gal obviously had huge issues.

anyway i told Dem that there should be a secret lives of women show on diamond addicts!! i felt so normal after watching that show...haha...but anyway i thought wow that''s kind of like how we diamond nuts can get when we REALLY want something, obviously no one is going into debt for this stuff, well i hope not, and i certainly hope not to the tune of 55k or whatever, but it''s still a ''want'' and something you feel like you ''need'' to have. it''s kind of interesting.

i digress but i just think you should take a chill pill and relax, come down off the euphoria of your fabulous trip and maybe in a few years you can do a 3 stone setting. i plan to do one in the next few years as well to give me more finger bling til year 10 when i can upgrade again, but it will be really sad to get rid of my solitaire!

welcome home!

 

[Kaleigh]

Yup, I have it too. But as Mara said I''d hold off doing anything now. I can''t wait to hear about your trip!!!

 

[Sundial]

Deanne it sounds like you had a wonderful time on your trip and I look forward to seeing your pictures! We all understand your feelings about the ring. It would be nice if there was one perfect ring for everyone, but the reality is that most of us have many different styles that we like. Mara is right though you need to pick and choose your diamond purchases. Savor the beauty of your latest upgrade for a while and don''t make any changes too quickly.

 

[marvel]

Date: 3/8/2006 6:50:30 AM
Author: Shay37
Hi, my name is shay and I''m a diamondholic. I see we have someone new here tonight. Do you want to say something? You don''t have to use your real name. We''ll understand. Won''t we Mara, Alj, Jelly, Belle, Ana, etc. etc.

shay

Welcome, Shay!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 3/8/2006 1:02:57 PM
Author: Mara
i was watching secret lives of women ... in the end they had to sell their beautiful house to pay off their debts then moved to texas. the gal obviously had huge issues.

I SAW that episode. That was TRAGIC!!! Her poor husband & kid!

Deannabana ... I think, like others have said, what you''re going through is perfectly natural, but don''t do anything hastily. The key word you said "vacation" ... so many impulse diamond/jewelry purchases are made ON VACATION. People are relaxed, away from their lives, away from financial pressures & worries & the day to day grind. PLUS, they''re surrounded with other people''s bling & supposed "good deals" on the islands. It''s a living "dream", and stuff you see takes on magical qualities. I doubt that if you saw the exact same set in your local jeweler''s case on a rainy Tuesday, that it would have the same "hold" on you.

My advice: take a little break from serious diamond shopping ... keep looking around at stuff you like & don''t like ... and see how your tastes change over the next 6 mos. to a year. Try on everything you can, wherever you can. And then broach the upgrade discussion.

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 3/8/2006 1:02:57 PM
Author: Mara
...but anyway i thought wow that''s kind of like how we diamond nuts can get when we REALLY want something, obviously no one is going into debt for this stuff, well i hope not, and i certainly hope not to the tune of 55k or whatever, but it''s still a ''want'' and something you feel like you ''need'' to have. it''s kind of interesting.

Well, *I''M* in debt. Not to the tune of $55k, but I did have to put my diamond on a credit card. Fortunately it''s almost paid off, but oh yes, when we get a serious jones for a particular diamond it can be so hard to use self discipline. Especially if you get a really good price and you feel it''s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I can relate to someone becoming so addicted to something they could ruin their finances, although I can''t see it happening to me (and my husband would definitely not let it get that far, thank goodness). The plastic surgery is especially heartbreaking, IMO. What that woman must be going through in her own mind to put herself under the knife so many times and do that to her family. It''s a great tragedy. I can only imagine what her children''s childhood memories will be like. So, so sad.

Anyway Deanna,

I''m glad you had fun on your trip. Here''s my 2 cents. It''s really easy to get into an upgrade pattern or a new setting pattern. It was a big stretch for your hubby to do this and you do have a fabulous set. You haven''t had it all that long, so wear it awhile and just enjoy it the way it is. You already know you are going to upgrade the diamond centerstone, so I''d just wait and when you get that diamond, you will have seen all kinds of settings and rings on this board, so hopefully you will have a really good idea of what styles you consistently go back to. I speak from experience when I say the more times you change your setting or center stone, the less special it is. And it''s not like getting new fashion jewelry, it''s your BRIDAL jewelry. And it''s not like it''s inexpensive to change, unless you go for a really simple solitaire setting with no diamonds. Even then...

Of course, I''m no real help. If you do change your setting or centerstone and post pictures, I''ll be drooling all over them, LOL! (But don''t do it! But if you do post pictures. But don''t do it, LOL!)

 

[Rod]

You have Diamond Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (DOCD), an illness many of us suffer from on this forum. DOCD, discovered by Dr. Brillianteering in the early 1900''s, is a manifestation of mental anomolies when perfectly sane individuals become the owners of high quality diamonds. What typically occurs for an accurate DOCD diagnosis is euphoria upon the purchase of a nice gem, followed by self doubt, and ultimately downright concern that the purchased stone has somehow magically changed in appearance while the owner slept. The illness has been known to migrate to the settings diamonds are often set in which are worn on a finger, on a necklace, in a pin or even an earlobe.

While there are no known medications available to combat DOCD, many people have reported the symptoms are reduced or completely eliminated by visiting chain jewelry stores, such as Zales or Kay, or having lunch with a friend who has a stone or setting of poorer quality than the DOCD sufferer.

 

[Lynn B]

Deanna,

Welcome to my world.

Lynn

 

[Odilia]

Deanna, I agree with all those who say don''t do anything hasty. You have a gorgeous set; enjoy it for a while and see what happens.

In the meantime, I thought Rod''s post was funny, particularly this part: "many people have reported the symptoms are reduced or completely eliminated by visiting chain jewelry stores, ...or having lunch with a friend who has a stone or setting of poorer quality than the DOCD sufferer."

(Although I''m not sure that would cure it either, but it did make me laugh!)

 

[Lynn B]

Haha, forgot to comment on Rod''s post. HILARIOUS! And sooooooo darn true. I think it should definitely be included in the next revision of the DSM!

Lynn (who can never seem to get past about step 2 of the 12 step self-help program...)

 

[Mara]

Don''t worry Lynn...I''ve got your straight jacket right here, my dear!

Along with mine, and Dem''s and everyone else''s of course. We could all fill up a nursing home quite nicely in about 20-30 years..

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 3/8/2006 1:02:57 PM
Author: Mara
not like this is a huge comparison but last nite i was watching secret lives of women on WE (what a wacko show but it''s like a train wreck you have to watch) and there as a show on addicts to plastic surgery and there was this youngish couple, she''d had about $100k in surgeries, some had been botched and she had to go in one last time to have it all ''fixed'' for another $55k. she and her husband lived a decent live in the santa cruz mountains, they were totally in debt from all her stuff, but she just had to have the last surgery to ''fix'' everything. her poor husband..he was like i love you and i don''t want you to be unhappy but we are totally already in debt and where are we going to find 55k more etc. she was like well i don''t want to feel selfish but i really want this and want to do it so we have to make it work somehow. the poor husband (who was sweet but seriously had to have a screw loose to be with this wacko and go along with this all) let her do it and in the end they had to sell their beautiful house to pay off their debts then moved to texas. the gal obviously had huge issues.

I saw that episode a few months ago, and it was MESSED UP. It was a beautiful house in a beautiful location....all for her to get a surgery so she felt she looked better. So deep into debt they had to sell the house. And she had a small child. Talk about priorities.

Anyway, it''s true the grass is always greener. When I had a smaller diamond I wanted a bigger one. When I had a solitaire I wanted a halo. Now I have a beautiful thin halo and I see huge honkin settings and I want a big ole setting too. I finally realized that you always want what you don''t have! My DH said that in a while I can upgrade to a 2ct from this 1.5 ct. I said y''know, while I''d love it, there are other things I think we should spend the money on that are more important. The thing that snaps me back to reality is looking at the bottom line price of some of these things...upwards of $30K? Do I need that on my finger? Not really. If you''re independently wealthy and don''t have other, more pressing uses for the money, I''m sure it''s fine. But I know that there are other things I need to be spending the money on. Am I diamond crazy? Yes I am. But once in awhile, I give myself a reality check.

 

[woobug02]

Oh my goodness I am with you all. I am a loone!!! I too look all the time. I will think I am satisfied and then find something new.... I went from a huge marquise to a beautiful 1.10 RB and then today my jeweler called and said he had just received a beautiful stone soooooooooooooooo off I went to look and ended up putting the 2.36 RB I/S12 IDEAL CUT in Layaway !!!!!! THIS IS CRAZY!!! WOOO GOOD LUCK

 

[Shay37]

Date: 3/8/2006 4:30:26 PM
Author: woobug02
Oh my goodness I am with you all. I am a loone!!! I too look all the time. I will think I am satisfied and then find something new.... I went from a huge marquise to a beautiful 1.10 RB and then today my jeweler called and said he had just received a beautiful stone soooooooooooooooo off I went to look and ended up putting the 2.36 RB I/S12 IDEAL CUT in Layaway !!!!!! THIS IS CRAZY!!! WOOO GOOD LUCK

WHERE ARE THE PICS? Woo, you are as nutty as the rest of us.

Congrats.

shay

 

[Mara]

Date: 3/8/2006 4:30:26 PM
Author: woobug02
Oh my goodness I am with you all. I am a loone!!! I too look all the time. I will think I am satisfied and then find something new.... I went from a huge marquise to a beautiful 1.10 RB and then today my jeweler called and said he had just received a beautiful stone soooooooooooooooo off I went to look and ended up putting the 2.36 RB I/S12 IDEAL CUT in Layaway !!!!!! THIS IS CRAZY!!! WOOO GOOD LUCK

Wow that's even nuttier than any of us, you definitely win the prize for impulse purchase AND double the stone size. Did you tell hubby yet? It was sure nice knowing you!

FG...I know I was so disgusted by this woman..she obviously had serious body issues and her husband was just a total enabler to allow her to keep doing that! He LOVED that house and had done all this work to it, and she was like yeah I'm sad about the house but I have to take care of my body. I didn't even know she had a kid til they showed the child playing outside. Jeez. Talk about messed up priorities. And all those scars she had from the surgeries? Not even remotely appealing or attractive and after all that money, what a waste. She probably looked fine to begin with. She didn't even have a big 5c honker or anything to make herself feel better, just a bunch of scars!

 

[woobug02]

I am a NUT CASE!!! I want you all to know I wasn''t this crazy the first 20 years of our marriage....HE THINKS I AM A DIAMOND LOONE.... You all know the story that I just purchased by beautiful 1.10 RB.... When I did I told the jeweler to keep a look out for that perfect 2.0ct. I explained that hubby had agreed to an upgrade in a couple of years not weeks.....OH NO!! Well he called and said "He found me a perfect stone".... I thought what will it hurt to stop by....................OH MY, never should have stopped. It is TO FABULOUS!! So after looking at it and falling in love my jeweler said I could put it in layaway until summer and wear the beautiful 1.10ct. Then trade the 1.10ct back in and pick this beauty up... SO I went for it! Here is the kicker, hubby is out of town so I can''t share this fabulous news until next week (Wonder if he thinks it is fabulous news, HEHEHEHE). So my big stone is a nice safe layaway box. I will try and get a picture soon.

2.36 ct
8.71X8.61X5.19
Cut IDEAL
SYM EXCELLENT
POLISH EXCELLENT
FLor: None
Color J (I wrote I before by mistake) NO Yellow all WHITE...
Clarity SI2

OH MY IT SPARKLES....