I didn''t think it would happen like this!

[Lanee]

OMG, The Boy asked me last night to be his wife! We have talked about and everyone who is familiar with my posts knows that I know he''s the one and likewise on his part. But, I thought that it would come sometime next year when we can afford a ring. Don''t get me wrong, I''m ecstatic-even without the ring-even knowing he was going to ask me at some point. He still has every intention of buying a ring and mentioned as much but said he couldn''t wait and just felt last night that he had to do it. He couldn''t help himself.

Maybe I''ll buy a synthetic in the meantime and keep it for travel once I have the real deal. I almost feel extra lucky because I think he''ll plan something special for the unveiling of the ring and I''ll get this feeling all over again. I want to scream and cry and I''m so overwhelmed. I would have called in sick to spend the day with him but I have a staff meeting and I have a scrapbook class tonight. AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a less chipper note. My sister just got married April 5 and I would feel like I''m stealing her thunder by announcing this right now so I have to keep it to myself. I just told a few people I can trust not to let it slip and of course you guys!

BTW, any synthetic recommendations? I really am leaning towards this idea because it will also let me try a setting out similar to what I like and see if I get sick of it. Maybe I''ll just buy a synthetic solitaire. Any suggestions? I don''t know what to do here.

 

[pqcollectibles]

WoooooHoooo Lanee!!!! CONGRATS!!!!

Diamond Talk (www.diamondtalk.com) has a forum for sythetics. The folks there luuuvvv Van Graff. You might check out that forum and the website. Van Graff synthetics have been tested by Rhino at GOG with very good reports. They even perform well in the "Torch" test as compared to other synthetics. www.van-graff.com

Just checked DT and Juan has been on vacation. Some of his stuff is for sale by individual owners on eBay. Synthetics listings on DT are found under the Gemstones heading in the Forums categories.

 

[AGBF]

Lanee,

I wish you every happiness! If you know you want a simulant, go for it. I was also engaged before we bought a ring and we had very little money then. My engagement ring was a lovely 18 karat gold ring. It had a very, very thin, delicate band and a little gold oval that held two 1-point diamonds. I loved having real diamonds and a beautiful gold ring.

If you choose to go that way you can have a real diamond ring for your engagement and still buy a larger diamond one day.

Again: the very best of luck to you and your fiance.

Deborah

 

[Lanee]

Thanks for the congrats, ladies!

Thanks for the info pqcollectibles.

AGBF, I have no intention of not having a real diamond engagement ring but we decided on a ring budget back in January and we are only half way there. I didn't expect a proposal and he didn't expect to propose so soon. Also, I'm so mixed lately about what I want in terms of design and shape that I don't think I'll want us to run out shopping once we have the budgeted money saved because I'm scared to make an impulse decision. So, in the meantime I would consider a simulant to have something on my finger so that we don't buy something out of my impatience. You know, once you make it official, you want to ring on the finger or it doesn't feel official.

 

[pqcollectibles]

I saw your post in one of the other forums and realized you already knew about Van Graff. I feel embarrassed for posting about the site now.

LOL

Your post got me to looking for Van Graff rings. I did see a deal on DT but it went earlier today on eBay. It was very pretty 1 carat RB Van Graff with real baguette side diamonds. $280. What a deal! You couldn't buy the set for that! I was even tempted to bid, but I forgot about it until it was too late, and the auction closed.

Oh well.

I'm still Woooohoooo for you!!! Take your time picking your style. There is soooo much to choose from. You'll know it when you see it. I am certain!

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Poste by Lanee:
BTW, any synthetic recommendations?

Hi Lanee-

First Congratulations....Yeah for you...

2nd: As mentioned previously in this thread VanGraffs are very nice simulants. I just wanted to direct you to also consider or check out the asha simulants too. I am sure you will get varying opinions on both from people that own one or the other. Both come highly regarded in the world of simulants. You might want to try emailing Bob Bookman (Rodentman) who post on this sight. He owns a asha simulant and he might give you his input on how the stone performs. One sight that does offer Asha sim's where you can kind of gauge a price is at www.betterthandiamond.com

-Good Luck And Congrats Again-

Josh Rioux
Sitka, Alaska

 

[Lanee]

Thanks Josh,

I've been dying to have something to say to you. I'm torn about the simulant thing. I want to do it but some of them get costly and tha takes away from my real e-ring budget though, I'm still considering. I have decided on a ring and it's going to run over our budget so we wil be saving for a little longer before the purchase so maybe I will get a simulant. See what I mean? I'm a mess. However, I have been dying to ask you, what's Alaska like?

 

[Mara]

Lanee--your sis got married on April 5 and you feel like you would be stealing her thunder how? She's already married..its done, over with, end of story. If this was like a week before her wedding or at her wedding, that'd be different. But its been almost a month since her wedding, does she have any thunder left to steal? Maybe I am missing something, but I think you are FINE to tell everyone you want to and shout it from the rooftops. It's a happy occasion and I don't believe in that whole 'stealing thunder' thing anyway. As family or a friend you should be happy for someone else you love who is happy as well. Congrats!!!

On the synthetic thing, get a big honker of a synethic, that would be FUN. You could get a more expensive setting if you want, that way you can keep the setting when you get the real stone, but in the meantime wear the synethic for fun. The only people that would know are the ones you see all the time, and they probably know the whole story anyway. Have fun with it!

 

[Lanee]

Thanks Mara but you don't know my sister. I take that back, I don't think it's just my sister but all brides suffer from wedding withdrawal.

As for the simulant, I go back and forth and yes, everyone familiar with us would know it's just temporary.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

----------------
On 4/28/2003 11:33:37 AM Lanee wrote:

Thanks Josh,

However, I have been dying to ask you, what's Alaska like?----------------

Hi Lanee: Just wanted to tell you I posted some pictures of Sitka where I live in the thread below in the diamond hangout.
You can click on the underlined link below and it will take you directly to it:

Vaction View

Alaska is a beautiful place. Sitka is located in SouthEast Alaska. The advantage is we do not get the extreme temperatures. When I say extreme for example Fairbanks dips into 60 below in the winter and the summer it reaches the mid- 80's to even 90 degrees. Where Sitka is it stays mild. Would you believe me if I told you it only snowed a total of 4 days this Winter. Thats right Sitka is right off the Ocean so the temperatures stay in the 30's to 40's in the winter and the summer stays into the 60's & 70's. Very seldom does it go below 30 degrees in the winter here. It's a nice mild climate with lot's to do.

Siince Sitka is located on an island there are limits on things to do like driving the coast for miles and miles. From one end of the road to the other it is a total of 14 miles. The other drawback is that there are no really big shopping outlets here or a large diversity of places to go. Example restaurants & themeparks...etc...etc...

However Sitka has the small town feel. Everyone knows Everyone in a town that houses about 7,000 people year round. The majority of revenue that is brought into Sitka is from the fishing industry both commercial & the sports fishing for thos charter outfits that just come up for the summer season to take people fishing. The town generates alot of revenue from the Cruise ships that come here during the summer months. If you like outdoors there is fishing sandy beaches hiking galore. Tons of trails here and day hikes all the way to a couple day climb up Mt. Edgecumbe. Edgecumbe is a dormant Volanoe located a boats ride from the island. I will say what draws me most to staying here is the people. People here are very very friendly and down to earth. When they ask you how your day is and how your doing it is not just out of courtesy, but because they really do give a sh*t.....I drive Semi's (Tractor Trailer) here and it is not really my ideal job, but a place and name I have made for myself in this community and the pay and benefits are competetive. There are always tradeoffs in life, I guess its how much your willing to sacrifice in order to stay in a place you really love.

Contrary to alot of peoples beliefs: People do not live in igloo's here...lol....Houses and property is a little on the high side here. The cost of living is high compared to the lower 48, but the wages are also higher. I think if you find a decent job and do what you enjoy you will actually surpass income wise what you might make down south doing the same profession compared to the cost of living. I have talked to several people that have been here for 20-30 years. They all tel me a very similiar stoey. They came here to see what Alaska was like and 20 years later they are still here. There a certain appeal that comes with living in Alaska and it's not a load of crap either. I have experienced in Alaska you can pretty much do what ever you want whenever you want without limits and certain restrictions you would have if you were living in the city.....There's certain liberties I see you experience. Hard to explain, but if you lived here you would know what I mean. Liberty in a sense of feeling free'er in a sense that you can let alot of your inhabitions and anxieties down that you would normally have living in a crowded area or big city. The sun is up until 9

0 tonight so I am going to go walking with the fiance, but I look forward to talking with you again....

Till Later-

Josh Rioux
Sitka, Alaska

 

[pqcollectibles]

Great country, Alaska! Not to mention the male to female ratio in the state is quite high!!!

LOL Easy pickin's ladies!!!

 

[Heyjud]

Congratulations Lanee
Enjoy your happiness today
I'd go with the synthetic stone
Till the real thing comes your way!

You sound sweet and level-headed
That should take you far in life
May you sparkle like the diamond you'll wear
When you become his wife.

 

[Lanee]

Wow Josh, I checked out the pictures, it looks so back to nature, though "Insomnia" comed to mind. The weather sounds much better than here in Chicago. How long have you lived there if you're not a native? What made you want to check out Alaska? Is the fiance a local?

 

[Lanee]

Thanks HeyJud!

 

[slmulkey]

Congrats on you're engagement! I too had a ringless engagement as my now husband was unemployed at the time. The worst part was when I would tell people that I was engaged, I would usually be asked to show my ring. I hated explaining that I didn't have the ring yet, that got real old! I'm glad that he didn't wait to ask me until he got the ring though as I was ready to be engaged and wanted to start planning. I ended up getting the ring about 8 months after the proposal, and I think that it made me appreciate it even more. Plus, that way I got to pick out my own diamond and setting, a definite plus!

I would have gotten a fake ring, but I just knew that it would make my man feel bad that he couldn't afford to get me the real thing. Not all guys would be bothered by that though.

 

[Lanee]

I'll have to ask him if he'd feel bad if I wore a fake until the real deal but I don't think so because originally when we discussed engagement we both knew financially we were on our way but not there yet. Though I keep going back and forth with the simulant idea, only one person has asked to see "the ring" but I did feel silly for a moment. Like Mara said, it doesn't feel official without the ring and though I have decided on a ring (finally) I am thinking about going with cushion cut instead of asscher. I'm trying to get someone to sketch my ideas for me to get an accurate visual for Carlos since the setting will be custom made by a friend.

 

[Nimyane]

Happy to hear your news!!!

I have had a few rings so far....

For my first I went to www.gemstones.com (they are also local to me, and they were happy to have me visit them in person) and we designed a ring within a very small budget.

I had thought about the synthetic route, but I ended up with a 6 prong platinum setting to which we added a white sapphire.

It made me happy because it was all the "real thing" but no one ever suspected that it wasn't a diamond. It looked great, and the quality was great.

Good Luck!

 

[Lanee]

What sim did you go with?