Mara dear....

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/14/2006 3:23:16 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I laughed, too, when Gypsy said they''d spend 30 minutes at the store and then go to lunch! I SO knew better!

Anyway, my two favorites are the Contender and the round split shank....I''d be interested in that split shank myself if I hadn''t just spent big bucks on the Memoire band.

But Gypsy, I am so glad you waited and looked for a perfect setting! I never loved the baguette halo ring, but I seriously think I''d love this one with your stone!

I''m so evil hehehe - keep your old earrings a while longer and get the ring! ::fleeees::

 

[isaku5]

Date: 10/14/2006 4:19:03 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/14/2006 3:19:07 PM
Author: isaku5
Those pictures are to LIVE for!!!! Thanks Gypsy and Mara for giving us a tour of JE; it made my day!!

Thanks also for the thumbs down on the baguette halo; I knew there had to be a reason why I just couldn''t get it done.

Gypsy, ''the contender'' is beautiful; I hope the price is right!!!!

just a comment on the baguette halo - considering the''re designed like that to give the illusion of a larger asscher, I''m not sure they''re supposed to be anything BUT boring lest they stand out in contrast. kwim? As for the rest of the setting, I don''t think the split shank bag halo I posted was boring in person at all but it was too antiquey for your tastes if I recall.

Cehra, I think I had convinced myself that the baguette halo was the only setting that I wanted...period. Now that Gypsy and Mara both commented that it wasn''t that appealing in person, I''m glad I didn''t keep trying to make it work for me.

The very wise mrssalvo kept pointing out that I would do well to look at an actual baguette halo setting before going ahead, but would I listen? Of course not, because I''m stubborn and now willing to admit that it probably would not have turned out the way I imagined it. (In my own defense, and I need one, there wasn''t one to look at IRL here anyway).

But Gypsy''s "Contender" looks gorgeous in the pics and IRL according to her, and now she knows how she really wants to set her asscher. Interesting that both of us were set on having that bag/halo type, but neither of us ended up choosing it.

I also have to say that I''m really slow at picking up Cehra''s "kwim". Now that I''ve figured it out, I''m going to use it too, kwim??

 

[lizz]

Mara, do you happen to have the specs on that huge cushion? Color/clarity, mm, depth, anything? I am in love with it. Obviously, that would be my favorite.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/14/2006 4:23:53 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/14/2006 3:23:16 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I laughed, too, when Gypsy said they''d spend 30 minutes at the store and then go to lunch! I SO knew better!

Anyway, my two favorites are the Contender and the round split shank....I''d be interested in that split shank myself if I hadn''t just spent big bucks on the Memoire band.

But Gypsy, I am so glad you waited and looked for a perfect setting! I never loved the baguette halo ring, but I seriously think I''d love this one with your stone!

I''m so evil hehehe - keep your old earrings a while longer and get the ring! ::fleeees::

Yes Cehra, you are a naughty girl!

But I meant I didn''t think the split shank ring would look good with my Memoire band, and I do want to wear that band everyday! I originally thought I might wear a split shank ring as a stand-alone, but the one I liked was like $4500 (Richard Landi), and I won''t pay that for a ring I couldn''t try on! I''d be curious to hear the price on this one, though.

 

[Gypsy]

Cehra--the main reasons I decided against it were that: 1)I wanted that setting in order to make my asscher look BIG...so I wanted the blendy. Then when I saw it in person it looked well... blendy and I didn''t care for it the way I thought I would. 2)I thought the pave halo wouldn''t make it look as big. But they had a 1.5 carat asscher in a pave halo and it looked really great...AND BIG. (Don''t have a pic of that one). When I compared the looks side by side... the pave really appealed to me more. Also one of the reasons I didn''t want pave is that my mother has a pave halo type setting for her round...but when I compared they types of pave...the look of the pave I want is so different from hers anywy that it doesn''t worry me any more.

I hope the price is right too. I am going to ask them the polish the channel when the pave sits before setting the diamonds in however... it makes a noticable difference.

Dani--I''ll post as soon as I know! Promise.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 10/14/2006 6:12:25 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 10/14/2006 4:23:53 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/14/2006 3:23:16 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I laughed, too, when Gypsy said they''d spend 30 minutes at the store and then go to lunch! I SO knew better!

Anyway, my two favorites are the Contender and the round split shank....I''d be interested in that split shank myself if I hadn''t just spent big bucks on the Memoire band.

But Gypsy, I am so glad you waited and looked for a perfect setting! I never loved the baguette halo ring, but I seriously think I''d love this one with your stone!

I''m so evil hehehe - keep your old earrings a while longer and get the ring! ::fleeees::

Yes Cehra, you are a naughty girl!

But I meant I didn''t think the split shank ring would look good with my Memoire band, and I do want to wear that band everyday! I originally thought I might wear a split shank ring as a stand-alone, but the one I liked was like $4500 (Richard Landi), and I won''t pay that for a ring I couldn''t try on! I''d be curious to hear the price on this one, though.

It wasn''t cheap. I think that one was in platinum and it was right around $4500. Is that about right Mara?

The one I like was in 18K. And well... depending on the price difference between the two metals... I may go for the gold instead of the platinum. I really am trying to be as cost effective as I can with this.

 

[Gypsy]

Ah HAH! I was the Tycoon Cut diamonds that Mara and I did not like. Just thought I''d post this in case anyone was thinking about getting one. The E and G (!!!) looked YELLOW. And some of them looked lifeless and dead. Really did not like them.

 

[kpebbles]

Date: 10/14/2006 10:59:07 AM
Author: Mara
kpebbles, oh i wish you would have said you were local, you totally should have come! this was so much fun but it was really just such a quickie kinda thing...we got there separately, did the bling fest and barely said 5 words other than 'take a picture' or 'oooh' for an hour. then gypsy had to go so that was that!

oh and those bangles had what to me seemed like 1 pointers in them and they were actually i think $3500. definitely under $4k..in the 3's. i thought it was a fairly good deal for retail as one of them was diamond eternity, aka all the way around, whereas i think WFs just has about 15 2 or 3 pointers on top of one. so for this one i think it was something like 2 bangles with areas of 10-15 diamonds in two separated areas, then one bangle in the middle that was eternity. not too bad for $3500 eh? super cool. i like.


eta kpebbles, that tag on the bracelets does look like 5k doesn't it? but i coulda sworn it was 3500. it might be because the picture is kind of reversed, aka the tag is upside down. maybe call to ask? they have them in the case so they can tell you what the price is. tell them it's the skinny 3 bangle pave set. anyway if you find out let us know!

hi mara!

thanks for the info on those bangles..unfortunately, 3500 or 5500, both numbers are out of my price range. that's why i'm considering the 1 ctw or 1.5 ctw WF bangles. do you by any chance remember the total carat weight for those bangles? if not, no biggie, just trying to visualize the size of the melee. if they were 1 pointers, they def. look bigger than that! they look really nice on the wrist..

 

[kpebbles]

Date: 10/14/2006 7:30:28 PM
Author: Gypsy
Ah HAH! I was the Tycoon Cut diamonds that Mara and I did not like. Just thought I''d post this in case anyone was thinking about getting one. The E and G (!!!) looked YELLOW. And some of them looked lifeless and dead. Really did not like them.

wow, really? i''d only seen them in the case and i thought they looked ok. thanks for the info!

 

[Mara]

unfort don't have any more info on the cushion other than it was HONKIN...actually i think i do recall it was an F or a G. and a VS of some sort. but that was pretty much it. i think it was a 4.06c. really stunning.

i don't even remember the price on the split shank setting, but if it was $4500 it may have been also for such a large stone as the 3c. i'm sure a thinner version of it with a smaller stone would be cheaper, but that detailing on the head side view was really worth it. if i were going to drop coin on a setting, the JE side views on these heads are just amazing. now there is a company who does not ignore the side view or the head like so many other designers do. i just was in ABSOLUTE PUFFY HEART LOVE with the cushion's head as you can see by the many side and angled views i posted. hehe.

and yes the Tycoon cuts were super non impressive. there was an F and a G and both of us commented on how one looked yellow, as in YELLOW like pee, and the other one looked dark brown and yellow, not an attractive mix. they were in a display case with all white around them so i can't imagine what was making them look so colorful, but they were rectangular emerald cuts so not a lot of facets going on to hide any color, but the brown look in the F was odd. also they just seemed so lifeless as well. can't imagine they sell a ton of those.

kpebbles, i don't remember any other info on the bangles, they do have them listed on their website though, it might list carat weight there? i just remember i saw them online and wanted to see them in person. the wf single bangle is like what? $1k in white gold? so i figured well for $3500 3 bangles is not bad, esp since one is full eternity. and these are super delicate thin bangles which is so fun. Erik was telling us that he had a client who had a bunch and for her birthday her husband would like just buy her a few more and she had a WHOLE STACK of them. seriously though, why can't i be THAT kind of client?!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/14/2006 5:14:26 PM
Author: isaku5
I also have to say that I''m really slow at picking up Cehra''s ''kwim''. Now that I''ve figured it out, I''m going to use it too, kwim??

hahaha - I''ve been posting on msg boards since early 1999. I found one when I was pregnant and all of us were due july 99 and 12 of us still are on an email loop together and many of us have met - I''ve stayed the night with one and a week with another and she also spent almost a month with me (one of my two best friends) anyway... yeah i have a lot of acronyms heheheand some of them are quite colorful!!

 

[Ellen]

Wow, nice bling fix after being away a couple days.

My absolute fave is Gypsy''s top contender, followed by the cushion Mara modeled. *sigh*

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 10/14/2006 3:55:54 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 10/14/2006 3:39:06 PM
Author: Mara
lol mrs salvo. the cool thing is that you could totally do something custom like that split crown but make it thinner if you wanted to.

ya know, I always wondered how my daniel k would look with a round and that setting totally reminded me of it and gives a great picture of how it would look. definitely thin it down a bit and it would look fabulous

. i might have to give JE a call for a quote.

I have to say ... I thought of you too, Mrssalvo .. when I saw that split shank pix. There''s something about that that''s just MMM-MMM-GOOD. Its so rare to see a split shank that''s PERFECTION like Daniel K & this one. Some look GNARLY.

Quote? Quote?

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 10/14/2006 2:06:26 PM
Author: widget

Date: 10/14/2006 1:38:24 PM
Author: Pricescope
i don''t think this particular setting should be an example of ''colorless asscher baguettes halo''.

I agree: ''cluster ring'' is probablly a better descriptor....

Yeah, totally not what I was expecting. Actually ... now that I''ve seen that one ... I remember that back when I was e-ring shopping I saw one JUST LIKE THAT at a B&M in NYC. I *think* it was BB&B or Fortunoff. Plumps up a .50 ish asscher into a 2.5 carat looking whopper. It turned me off immediately ... like fakery. Very different than the Leon Mege sapphire baquette halo ring or earrings ... or the Daniel K (which I ultimately thought was too masculine).

IMO trying to "fake" someone out that your .5 is a 2.5 isn''t the same as trying to maximize visual impact of a stone.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/14/2006 7:03:38 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 10/14/2006 6:12:25 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 10/14/2006 4:23:53 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/14/2006 3:23:16 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I laughed, too, when Gypsy said they''d spend 30 minutes at the store and then go to lunch! I SO knew better!

Anyway, my two favorites are the Contender and the round split shank....I''d be interested in that split shank myself if I hadn''t just spent big bucks on the Memoire band.

But Gypsy, I am so glad you waited and looked for a perfect setting! I never loved the baguette halo ring, but I seriously think I''d love this one with your stone!

I''m so evil hehehe - keep your old earrings a while longer and get the ring! ::fleeees::

Yes Cehra, you are a naughty girl!

But I meant I didn''t think the split shank ring would look good with my Memoire band, and I do want to wear that band everyday! I originally thought I might wear a split shank ring as a stand-alone, but the one I liked was like $4500 (Richard Landi), and I won''t pay that for a ring I couldn''t try on! I''d be curious to hear the price on this one, though.

It wasn''t cheap. I think that one was in platinum and it was right around $4500. Is that about right Mara?

The one I like was in 18K. And well... depending on the price difference between the two metals... I may go for the gold instead of the platinum. I really am trying to be as cost effective as I can with this.

Gypsy, I don''t want to belabor this point, but my jeweler practically talked me into 18k, and this is a high end jewelry store. He likes the 90% plat like MWM uses, but is not impressed with the soft plat used most often today. So don''t feel bad if you go with 18k.

 

[Mexi]

I have this bracelet. I wear it almost every day!!

 

[KristyDarling]

I WANNA GO TO JOE ESCOBAR!!!!!!

Gypsy -- your choice for top contender would be mine, too. It is stunningly beautiful! I hope you get the job offer so you can go full-steam ahead!!

Mara -- that honkin'' halo''ed cushion is just heart-stopping. Thank you for further fueling my cushion lust!

This was pure, unadulterated diamond ****. LOVED IT!!!

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 10/16/2006 1:55:05 PM
Author: KristyDarling
I WANNA GO TO JOE ESCOBAR!!!!!!

Gypsy -- your choice for top contender would be mine, too. It is stunningly beautiful! I hope you get the job offer so you can go full-steam ahead!!

Mara -- that honkin'' halo''ed cushion is just heart-stopping. Thank you for further fueling my cushion lust!

This was pure, unadulterated diamond ****. LOVED IT!!!

Gypsy -- I haven''t read through all the posts but is there a matching band for your Top Contender? Or do you plan to wear it without a band? Either way, it''ll be gorgeous. It can easily stand on its own, or with a band. I could easily see that ring with a non-matchy band, such as a dainty shared-prong eternity band, or a thin little pave band.

 

[flopkins]

oooooooooooooh I can''t believe I didn''tsee this thread til now.

Gypsy - please let us know what you decide!! Ican''t wait to find out!!

Mara - thank you for the bling ****. and I have to say, that 4ct cushion looks absolutely lovely on your hand...

 

[ChargerGrrl]

OH MY WORD! What fabulous pics. So much eye candy. THANKS for sharing.

I too am enamored with the bangles. I''m in the process of deciding what I want as a wedding present. I''m leaning towards a bracelet, and those are divine! Hmmmm.... I''ll be in the Bay Area next month. Field trip to JE!

Gypsy, glad to know that you found a top contender!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Gypsy, I am confused. Are there two settings you are considering? The one with the asscher in the pictures is about $4500 in platinum but you don''t have the price yet in 18k wg? I absolutely love that setting...seriously. Ten times more than the baguette halo.

 

[Gypsy]

Hey guys! Bling **** indeed.

First, what''s kwim??? Inquiring (and obviously slow) mind wants to know.

DS and Kristy:

My top contender wasn''t 4500. Mine was 2400 in 18K. But that was for the 5 carat asscher size. I''m hoping for a 1900-2100 price tag for my 6mm sucker without the pave all the way down the shank. It will use A LOT less gold than the one I tried on. As for 18K... I think I am going to get in 18K. I just can''t justify the extra expense of platinum right now... especially since I''m already feeling guilty for blinging it up in the middle of wedding planning and moving. I think that if it''s around 2K I''m getting a great deal. It''s beautiful. Truly.

No matching band... as it''s designed it can''t be worn with a flush band. So I''m either going to Brooke Sheilds with it (wear the band next to it anyway) or just wear it buy itself. If I customized it to have it fit a flush band it would be 2800 in 18K... and it''s not worth that much to me. As Mara pointed out, it''s a split shank so it kinda looks like two bands anyway.


I am deciding between the contender (which is far and away in the lead) and a custom pave halo concept that I am keeping in the back of my mind just in case. But really-- I want the contender. I just hope it looks good scaled down to my 1 carat size.

4500 is my dim recollection of the price for that 3 carat round split shank in Platinum. But my memory isn''t the best... so I suggest a note to Erik.. his email is on their website. It would, obviously, cost less in 18K.

Mexi you are lucky girl!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''ll tell you..this place is very dangerous. I really hadn''t seen anything that I really wanted until I saw that Contender setting! I just love it more than a regular halo, and I''d rather have it with an asscher than the other split shank round setting.

So are you saying they custom make this setting to the size of the stone? If so, that price isn''t bad at all. I feel a RHR plan coming on.

 

[widget]

"kwim" (I think) means "know what I mean?"...that''s my guess, anyway..

Gypsy/Mara, it think it''s funny how already these fabulous mountings are showing up in other threads as suggestions...kwim?

Gypsy...how long before you hear from JE regarding an estimate for your ring? Don''t feel guilty! It''s so incredible...I think a lot of us will be broken hearted if this doesn''t work out for you.

Fingers crossed that the permanent job offer comes through!!!

widget

 

[Gypsy]

DS... yes. They will be making the ring to order. They don't have any just laying about, unfortunately (because then I could see it to scale with a 1 carat stone in it). The guy first said to Erik... "it's going to be custom cause we don't have any in that size".... and Erik said, "Um... NO. If were going to be custom she could make changes. And she would. So it's not custom. It's made to order." So he told the guy that the price would have to be less then 2400 because of the scale and lack of pave all the way down the sides. He was going to follow up today.

Widget: He said he'd call them today... but I haven't heard from him so I'm waiting until Wednesday to follow up with a phone call. Keeping my fingers crossed. kwim, indeed!

 

[Mara]

lol widget i know i saw a few of the settings pop up elsewhere. i gotta say that the settings we saw were just done so well and unique styles and designs, small elements that make them different than the halos and similar we see elsewhere. so it was pretty refreshing to see that in a local B&M ....since so many of them are not always with the times.

funny aside, my coworker just got engaged with a 1.4c-ish princess last week, and i saw her setting at JE in the case. i went back and told her i saw your ring at JE and she said yeah that is where he got it! he got the princess there too (it''s VERY lovely and blinding light return, maybe AGS0?) and she said that Erik helped them. she was all ''did this guy have amazing green eyes?''...it was pretty funny. those famous peepers.

i did get some pix of my coworker''s lovely princess ring too which i will post at some point. i haven''t even had a block of free time to take my ring pictures of my camera from the other day.

 

[isaku5]

Mara, did you take any pics of the side view of "The Contender"? It is so beautiful; I hope we''ll see it in all its glory with your asscher, Gypsy! Everything crossed that that job offer comes your way.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/16/2006 9:53:13 PM
Author: widget
''kwim'' (I think) means ''know what I mean?''...that''s my guess, anyway..

Gypsy/Mara, it think it''s funny how already these fabulous mountings are showing up in other threads as suggestions...kwim?

kudos to widget for defining it AND using it properly in a sentence!

 

[Kay]

Ooh, the Contender is fab. I love the way the shank splits and becomes the halo. Any profile shots?

I am also totally drooling over the split shank ring with the 3 carat round. I adore the side view. I wonder how much it would cost in white gold? Am I the only one picturing this setting with a 3 carat tsavorite cushion?

 

[kpebbles]

Date: 10/14/2006 8:16:05 PM
Author: Mara

kpebbles, i don''t remember any other info on the bangles, they do have them listed on their website though, it might list carat weight there? i just remember i saw them online and wanted to see them in person. the wf single bangle is like what? $1k in white gold? so i figured well for $3500 3 bangles is not bad, esp since one is full eternity. and these are super delicate thin bangles which is so fun. Erik was telling us that he had a client who had a bunch and for her birthday her husband would like just buy her a few more and she had a WHOLE STACK of them. seriously though, why can''t i be THAT kind of client?!

i want to be that kind of client too!!
are the bangles the next type of bracelet you want, mara?
i was researching tennis bracelets too and i came upon this thread

tennis bracelets where you were talking about your friend that had the prettiest diamond bracelet. I believe it was from your jeweler in Aptos. were you ever able to get a pic of it?

do you remember what the specs were and approximately how much it cost? it sounds very delicate and pretty.. i need to go bracelet browsing!!