Just had to share a picture of my new ring!

[strawberrieshake]

I had received help a while back on the list and had promised to post ring pics once I finally had my ring. My fiance (still can''t get used to that word!) gave it to me last week. I love it, and am so lucky I got to pick my own stone and design my own setting! The stone is 1.77 carat, G colour, VVS2. It sure is hard to photograph rings isn''t it? I can''t capture the fire that I see in real life!

Anyway I just wanted to share. Am of course showing it to everyone and anyone who will look!

Happy gal in London

 

[Giangi]

Is it for real??

I think it's a sim. It's too beautiful to be real

. J/K. Best wishes to the both of you! Great great ring!

 

[lds]

I'm a brand new member,but I just had to tell you the ring is beautiful.

 

[Lanee]

Gorgeous ring! Congratulations!

 

[jlim]

strawberrieshake - congrats! You took an excellent photo of the diamond if I may say so. What camera did you use? Who did you end up buying the diamond from?

 

[strawberrieshake]

Ok I am shameless, sending in one more pic, this one on my hand.

Thanks for the compliments everyone! And Giangi, I hear ya, it does look a bit too good huh? I was excited when I got those arrow looking things in the pic as I can see it in real life and it was the first time I got it with the camera. My HRD cert came in this morning so I have my paper work for my sim! Hehehehe.

The camera I used... it is a digital camera, Ricoh RDC 6000 I believe. It has an awesome macro feature. These pics were taken in normal daylight, not even sunshine, just overcast daylight. I got it a year and a half ago. I was surprised when they recommended that one to me as I hadn't heard of Ricoh being great for digitals but have been pleased with it. I take a lot of close up details shots for my hobby.

Thanks again for looking at my pics!

 

[jlim]

Is it this camera?

If it is, it is truly amazing. The macro distance for this camera is 13cm. My Canon G2 is 6cm. The best prosumer digicam out there foro macro is Nikon 5400 at 1cm.

If you use just the camera w/o any add on lens or filter, it is really good. Very few people have gotten in focus pictures of their e-ring here w/ exception to the vendors.

And do you mind sharing where you bought the diamond from?

 

[strawberrieshake]

I just realised I am an idiot! The RDC 6000 is the first one I had, that my boyfriend dropped on the floor and broke. He replaced it for me with the Ricoh RR10 Caplio. It was allegedly the newer model of the RDC 6000 which wasn't available when I went back for it. It had been a year from the point I bought it to when it was dropped so I guess they come out with new models. But the pic you sent in made me realise that was my old one! I have to say I liked my old one even better than my new one. Might've been as I felt it was more user friendly.

I didn't use a filter or anything. I just held the ring in my hand and the camera in the other and took it on the macro setting. I took about 20 before I got one good one as the slightly hand movement and it is all fuzzy.

I got the stone and ring from a jeweller in the Hatton Gardens jewellery area. I think 2 of my friends had gone through them as well and everyone had lovely rings!

 

[strawberrieshake]

You can see the review for the RR10 here http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/h357d.htm

It took about 6 months to get used to using it. I am surprised I didn't drop it on the floor and break it on purpose.

 

[strawberrieshake]

Ok last post I swear, at least about cameras. The other link was absolutely rubbish. I found one that knows what it is talking about. http://www.epinions.com/pr-Ricoh_Caplio_RR10_Digital_Camera/display_~full_specs

Macro Focus Range 1.57 - 5.51 in. (4cm-14cm)

That makes sense I think?

 

[BTO]

Your ring is so beautiful!!!
Setting is gorgeous--nice work!!

 

[jlim]

The Caplio RR10 macro distance is 4cm. That would explain why you got such good photo of the diamond in the first picture. Definitely better closeup than the Canon G2 6cm

I would love to see a photo taken with a Nikon camera. Nikon are the best for macro photography as far as prosumer camera goes.

 

[Evalina]

Hi Strawberrieshake,

Lovely ring. Congrats

Just curious,, which jeweler in Hatton Garden did you buy from?
My BF (future fiance) and I live in London. We did a bit of looking around Hatton Garden and found the selection to be poor and the prices inflated. After doing a bit of research online we decided that we could get a much better stone for our money by buying from one of the US websites -even after VAT n' such. However if you've found a good place to purchase diamonds here in London we'd love to know where to go.

Thanks,
~E

 

[Kamuelamom]

Strawberrieshake, your ring is stunning. Wear it in good health.

 

[strawberrieshake]

Hi E,

I was trying to find a nice way to answer this so hope it comes out ok... the jeweller we went through usually only deals with the trade. We got lucky because he was the family jeweller of one of our friends and we got in on a personal recommendation. I am really sorry but I don't think I can offer you his details. I hope you understand.

On a related note... I would be wary of some of those stores on the main strip of Hatton Gardens. I looked in a few windows and as you said things were overpriced. You could get something comparable at Tiffany's on Bond Street for just about the same and at least know you aren't getting totally ripped off. If you and your BF are comfortable ordering a stone online from the US, then that might be the best bet. My fiance was not willing to even consider that, although I was. Stuff in this country is ridiculously expensive and pretty mediocre quality from what I saw in the non Bond Street shop windows.

I am really sorry I couldn't help you...

 

[Lanee]

I don't mean to sound obnoxious but did you just suggest E could get a good deal at Tiffany's and in the same sentence include "not getting totally ripped off"? And by saying "totally" did you mean a little ripped off but not completely? Is Tiffany's less expensive in Europe or are we not talking about Tiffany's the famous chain?

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding any of this but, usually Tiffany's is the place everyone suggests you not go to if you want value for your money instead of a name because you will pay a premium for that name when you can get the same diamonds for less through someone else.

 

[strawberrieshake]

Lanee I think you missed what I was saying so let me try to explain it for you. This might be a bit long...

I agree you don't go to Tiffany's for value. But shopping in Hatton Gardens, the prices are not much different though you would expect a jewellers in a jewellery district to be a better deal. And, the quality at many of these stores is debatable. At least at Tiffany's, for the same price range you would get something of known quality. But I do know Tiffany's costs more and the smartest bet is if you do reasearch and buy online from the US (this is for people living in the UK). I could've used any major jeweller in my example, I picked Tiffany's as it was the first that came to mind and one I looked at. Will say more about this later in this note.

My reply to E was based on their search in the UK and their feeling that you can get a better deal buying on the web from the US even with the tax added on when it arrives here. I was making a comparison between prices on the LONDON jewellery district shops vs Tiffany's in LONDON and then I agreed that buying online from the US was a good move if they both felt comfortable with it.

Living in the UK, you have limited choices. What you would consider to be the mall shops sell pretty below average stuff in my opinion. Most stuff is not even certified. So the other option is a place like Tiffany's or taking pot luck in a random store in the jewellery district or have a family jeweller that you trust.

My first trip to a jeweller was in Hatton Gardens. Also through a friend but the guy was just someone she knew, and not very well. I went down, and was shown a 1.5 ct H VS2 stone and was given a price of around$14,000 for it (no setting included in that). I came back and asked on this forum what a realistic price was (I had a copy of the cert so gave all the measurements and stuff) and I think the ballpark was something like around $9,500. I went to Tiffany's and looked and saw a 1.35ct I colour VVS2 and it was around $16,000 (including setting in platinum). And the stone at Tiffany's was prettier though the colour lower than I would've ideally wanted. So had I not found the guy we bought from in the end, and had we decided we wanted to buy in the UK (remembering my fiance refused to buy online) I would've gone to Tiffany's for $2,000 more. Not ideal as I did do my research and would've felt ripped off as I would've known we could've gotten a better deal. But faced with the choices at one point...

Hope that makes sense.

 

[tessa]

Your ring is just gorgeous, wherever you got it!
Congrats!

 

[Lanee]

Got it, thanks for the explanation.

 

[Danica]

What a truly gorgeous ring you have Strawberrieshake. I'm sure you will enjoy it for years to come.

 

[strawberrieshake]

Thanks again to everyone for their kind words! I am finally getting used to wearing it and now when I am home and not wearing it when I first wake up my ring finger feels naked! Only took 3 weeks to get used to it!

 

[Evalina]

Hi Strawberrieshake,

Sorry it took me so long to reply to your response. I've been out of town. My BF (now fiance) took me to Scotland and PROPOSED to me at Edinburgh Castle!

Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I totally understand the reasons that you cannot give out your jewellers details. And that I completely agree with what you said about Tiffany's.

My fiance ended up purchasing from Whiteflash. I just LOVE the ring. We'll post pictures very soon.

Yea! I finally got my dream e-ring!!!

 

[strawberrieshake]

Evalina, Best wishes to you and congratulations to your fiance on the engagement! I learned from my future MIL that you say congratulations to the man and best wishes to the woman. Some old etiquette thing apparently. You congratulate the man on getting the woman and you wish the woman well. Hahahaha.

Can't wait to see pictures of your ring and I am glad it all worked out and that your fiance went via Whiteflash. Am sure you got something lovely and good on him for going with a more reputable company than some random jeweller in HG!

 

[Stephan]

great diamond, great ring and great pictures !
congratulations !

PS: don't forget to clean the ring sometimes...

 

[strawberrieshake]

Cleaning this ring is such a constant need! It has an open bezel so any and all dust gets under the stone so it looks dirty often. But when it is first cleaned it looks extra sparkly!

The jeweller did warn me that open bezel meant more cleaning but letting more light in seemed worth the cleaning....

The pics that I posted were taken a day after cleaning! I noticed the dust too! It just doesn't stay clean for long.