My fellow popped the question last weekend, and I want to share my ring because I think of it as the ring that pricescope built. I have lots of pictures to share, but before I get to that, I thought I would share the story of how the ring came to be in case it helps other people like me who come to this site completely new to the fine jewelry game.
When my BF and I started talking about getting engaged, I knew that I wanted input into the ring. But after visiting a few jewelers, he and I both felt so ignorant. We didn't know anything about diamonds, settings, or pricing. I learned so much from all the good folks here, from learning about trusted vendors, to being exposed to many different kinds of settings, to getting a sense about fair pricing. Because of all the information and friendly people here, my guy and I did the whole ring sight unseen without ever meeting any of the vendors face-to-face or laying our eyes on the diamond until it was set. And we couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Visiting real life jewelers helped me realize that I wanted an asscher with sidestones. I think trying different kinds of rings on in real life is important. When this process began, I thought I wanted a round diamond in a halo with lots of intricate carving. But when I tried those kinds of rings on, they just didn't feel right. I ended up realizing that I preferred sleek, unadorned settings, and squarish stones. I fell in love with an asscher on the GOG website through a video I found on eBay. After a few chats with the good people there (and with all the good experiences people here have had with GOG), my BF and I worked up the confidence to purchase the diamond without seeing it in real life. The stats are below.
Shape: Asscher
Weight: 1.710 carats
Measurements: 6.67mm long x 6.68mm wide x 4.70mm in depth
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Culet: None
Total depth: 71.00%
Table percentage: 51.40%
U.V. florescence: Faint
Color: I
Clarity: VS1
Although my BF and I knew the general kind of setting we wanted, we purchased the diamond before we had chosen a vendor to set the ring, so GOG held on to the diamond for us until we had that figured out. I looked at lots of photos here on PS to get inspiration. I visited some local jewelers to discuss settings, but the quality and price available either for existing settings or custom work paled in comparison to what we could get through many of the vendors favored on PS. After seeing a few of Victor Canera's settings on PS, my BF and I decided to go with him. He was great on the phone, open to suggestions, but also able to step in and let me know when I was requesting something that he thought might be sub-optimal. He got the ring done for us very quickly (we had a tight deadline before my BF had to fly off to another country for work) and communicated with us really well all along the way. I found this communication to be particularly helpful when it came to picking out sidestones - I think I have over 20 emails from Victor from that decision alone. The good communication was important to me because I wanted to not only love the final ring, but also enjoy the process of having it made. Victor took pictures for us along the way of his making the ring. I think my BF really enjoyed seeing that process, and I like knowing that the ring on my finger was made specifically for my BF and me.
One last note before I get to the photos, even though I had made all the decisions regarding the ring, seeing it in real life for the first time when my BF proposed was still a complete surprise. So, if you're a gal like me who wants some say about her ring but is worried that you won't have that 'wow' factor when the proposal comes, don't worry. The ring dazzled me. It was so much more than I could have ever imagined. Which, I guess, is only appropriate because being engaged is much more than I could have ever imagined as well.
Without further ado, here is a glamour shot sent by Victor. More photos will follow.
When my BF and I started talking about getting engaged, I knew that I wanted input into the ring. But after visiting a few jewelers, he and I both felt so ignorant. We didn't know anything about diamonds, settings, or pricing. I learned so much from all the good folks here, from learning about trusted vendors, to being exposed to many different kinds of settings, to getting a sense about fair pricing. Because of all the information and friendly people here, my guy and I did the whole ring sight unseen without ever meeting any of the vendors face-to-face or laying our eyes on the diamond until it was set. And we couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Visiting real life jewelers helped me realize that I wanted an asscher with sidestones. I think trying different kinds of rings on in real life is important. When this process began, I thought I wanted a round diamond in a halo with lots of intricate carving. But when I tried those kinds of rings on, they just didn't feel right. I ended up realizing that I preferred sleek, unadorned settings, and squarish stones. I fell in love with an asscher on the GOG website through a video I found on eBay. After a few chats with the good people there (and with all the good experiences people here have had with GOG), my BF and I worked up the confidence to purchase the diamond without seeing it in real life. The stats are below.
Shape: Asscher
Weight: 1.710 carats
Measurements: 6.67mm long x 6.68mm wide x 4.70mm in depth
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Culet: None
Total depth: 71.00%
Table percentage: 51.40%
U.V. florescence: Faint
Color: I
Clarity: VS1
Although my BF and I knew the general kind of setting we wanted, we purchased the diamond before we had chosen a vendor to set the ring, so GOG held on to the diamond for us until we had that figured out. I looked at lots of photos here on PS to get inspiration. I visited some local jewelers to discuss settings, but the quality and price available either for existing settings or custom work paled in comparison to what we could get through many of the vendors favored on PS. After seeing a few of Victor Canera's settings on PS, my BF and I decided to go with him. He was great on the phone, open to suggestions, but also able to step in and let me know when I was requesting something that he thought might be sub-optimal. He got the ring done for us very quickly (we had a tight deadline before my BF had to fly off to another country for work) and communicated with us really well all along the way. I found this communication to be particularly helpful when it came to picking out sidestones - I think I have over 20 emails from Victor from that decision alone. The good communication was important to me because I wanted to not only love the final ring, but also enjoy the process of having it made. Victor took pictures for us along the way of his making the ring. I think my BF really enjoyed seeing that process, and I like knowing that the ring on my finger was made specifically for my BF and me.
One last note before I get to the photos, even though I had made all the decisions regarding the ring, seeing it in real life for the first time when my BF proposed was still a complete surprise. So, if you're a gal like me who wants some say about her ring but is worried that you won't have that 'wow' factor when the proposal comes, don't worry. The ring dazzled me. It was so much more than I could have ever imagined. Which, I guess, is only appropriate because being engaged is much more than I could have ever imagined as well.
Without further ado, here is a glamour shot sent by Victor. More photos will follow.