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Memoire engagment ring....help

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copper

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
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6
Hello All,

I''m new to this website and have found it to be very helpful. My girlfriend and I were looking into the Memoire Eternity Semi-mount band from the purity collection. See following links for ring:

http://www.memoire.com/catalog/collections.aspx?products=2182

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/memoire-jewelry/rings/04YY1/

Bailey Banks & Biddle quoted me $3,500 for 1.0ct setting with G/SI1 diamonds on the band. My question for all you Memoire fans is does this price seem right for Memoire or is too overpriced??
I live in Westchester NY which is 1/2 hour away from the diamond district in the NYC, does anyone suggest that I attempt to replicate the band by bringing it to NYC??

Lastly, many people have advised me to NOT get a setting that has the diamonds completely surrounding the band in case the ring has to be re-sized in the future. Is it still possible to re-size the ring again even if the entire bands if full of diamonds?

Your comments and answers will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Copper.http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/images/smilies/35.gif
Insert smilie
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Date: 8/15/2007 2:10:01 AM
Author: heraanderson
Did you see this one from Ritani? I have this setting that is similar to the one you''re considering. The diamonds go 3/4 of the way around the band (Which I love) or I think you can order it in eternity style. You can keep the cost down by ordering in white gold. There''s also a matching wedding band.




http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/ritani-jewelry/rings/14QQ1/18/
Do you have pics (especially hand pics) of your Ritani? That is one of 3 I am strongly considering.
 
Date: 8/15/2007 1:09:20 AM
Author:copper

Lastly, many people have advised me to NOT get a setting that has the diamonds completely surrounding the band in case the ring has to be re-sized in the future. Is it still possible to re-size the ring again even if the entire bands if full of diamonds?
Good question... one I would like to know too... is it impossible to resize or is it possible but expensive?

I am really hung up about it going 3/4; I understand the reasoning but it looks unfinished to me. I have a ring with engraving that goes 3/4 and it totally bugs me... but perhaps plain metal being visible when it spins would bug me even more.
 
I just took pics, I''ll put them up as soon as I make the files smaller
 
Here it is with a 1.25 carat center. They don't make it for a 1.25 but my jewelers cut the original prongs out and replaced it with a prong for my diamond.

DSCN01680001_1.JPG
 
Here it is with the wedding band turned sideways in case the ring twists

DSCN01630001_1.JPG
 
Another with the wedding band

DSCN01660001.JPG
 
WOW, it''s really beautiful heraanderson! I have stared at the rings on Pearlman''s and Ritani, but hadn''t seen it on a hand... stunning! The diamonds are a really nice size, too. Looks lovely with a 1.25c diamond.
 
thank you Sera! I actually upgraded my ring to a 1.5 carat, and am hopefully going to sell my engagement ring. There''s so much diamond it could blind you! I am keeping the wedding ring and putting it with a solitaire so it can be all about my ideal cut RB. I''m so fickle!!
 
Date: 8/15/2007 1:09:20 AM
Author:copper


Bailey Banks & Biddle quoted me $3,500 for 1.0ct setting with G/SI1 diamonds on the band. My question for all you Memoire fans is does this price seem right for Memoire or is too overpriced??

price is about right. memoire rings are expensive but a lot also goes into how they are designed and made. you can read about it on memoires website..www.memoire.com. you might also chech with Pearlman's for a quote.

I live in Westchester NY which is 1/2 hour away from the diamond district in the NYC, does anyone suggest that I attempt to replicate the band by bringing it to NYC??

there are a few single prong settings out there, but honestly, I'd go with memoire or Ritani. Memoire actually worked on that design for 5 years and tested it using a hammer to make sure the stones were secure. they will also replace any lost stone for life. I wouldn't let someone who had little or no experience making the setting make it, even to save money.


Lastly, many people have advised me to NOT get a setting that has the diamonds completely surrounding the band in case the ring has to be re-sized in the future. Is it still possible to re-size the ring again even if the entire bands if full of diamonds?

many times they can be resized a bit. I personally just like having the full eternity but know many folks who prefer half or 3/4 because of the sizing issue.
 
Date: 8/15/2007 2:10:01 AM
Author: heraanderson
Did you see this one from Ritani? I have this setting that is similar to the one you''re considering. The diamonds go 3/4 of the way around the band (Which I love) or I think you can order it in eternity style. You can keep the cost down by ordering in white gold. There''s also a matching wedding band.



http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/ritani-jewelry/rings/14QQ1/18/
I love the hand pics. Honestly, I never would have known that was a 3/4 eternity style if you hadn''t said so. It looks like a dual full eternity. Wow. So gorgeous, and the proportions of center stone to stones in the bands looks perfect.
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Date: 8/15/2007 9:22:37 AM
Author: mrssalvo
Date: 8/15/2007 1:09:20 AM

Author:copper



Bailey Banks & Biddle quoted me $3,500 for 1.0ct setting with G/SI1 diamonds on the band. My question for all you Memoire fans is does this price seem right for Memoire or is too overpriced??


price is about right. memoire rings are expensive but a lot also goes into how they are designed and made. you can read about it on memoires website..www.memoire.com. you might also chech with Pearlman''s for a quote.


I live in Westchester NY which is 1/2 hour away from the diamond district in the NYC, does anyone suggest that I attempt to replicate the band by bringing it to NYC??


there are a few single prong settings out there, but honestly, I''d go with memoire or Ritani. Memoire actually worked on that design for 5 years and tested it using a hammer to make sure the stones were secure. they will also replace any lost stone for life. I wouldn''t let someone who had little or no experience making the setting make it, even to save money.



Lastly, many people have advised me to NOT get a setting that has the diamonds completely surrounding the band in case the ring has to be re-sized in the future. Is it still possible to re-size the ring again even if the entire bands if full of diamonds?


many times they can be resized a bit. I personally just like having the full eternity but know many folks who prefer half or 3/4 because of the sizing issue.
OH, ok... good to know they can be resized! I had been debating going with 1/2 around rather than 3/4, but now I think I will go with what I want... full eternity. Thanks for the info.
 
Sera, you need to be sure to ask about sizing regarding the specific ring you choose. It could be very major resizing an eternity ring. I have a Memoire 7 stone band and it is extremely well-made, so I wouldn''t hesitate to choose Memoire. But I wouldn''t go full eternity because I know ring sizes can change over a lifetime.
 
I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice. I''m very tempted to go with Memoire but Herannderson your ring looks beautiful. I''m definately going to look into Ritani. I''ll keep you posted.

Herannderson does Ritani have the same lifetime warranty as Memoire??
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I was strongly considering a Memoire wedding band. I decided to upgrade my stone and go with a plain band for now. I absolutely love Memoire and would recommend that you consider them. I have checked out their rings on several occasions and they are awesome. For the best price, I found that Bobby at Roberts Fine Jewelry in Houston has the absolute best prices. He doesn''t really do internet sales, as he has a store in the Houston area. I found him by searching for distributors on the Memoire site. He is a great guy, and will give you a quote for the various styles you are interested in. He is the owner of this store. He is always been lower than anyone else I called. Even though he doesn''t have an internet based store, he''ll be able to order you any setting you like.

Memoire guarantees stone replacement - so they must be certain that the setting is secure. The setting you are looking at is gorgeous, and I wouldn''t even bother trying to find someone to copy it. It is somewhat of a unique design, and if you like it, go with the Memoire version.

I''ll be interested to see what price Bobby quotes you for it. Tell him Patty sent you - the girl that upgraded her diamond instead of deciding on a Memoire band.
 
I don''t know if Ritani has a warranty on their diamonds. I bought it at Robbins Bros before I found Pricescope and they have a warranty if any of the diamonds fall out. Good luck deciding
emsmile.gif
 
Date: 8/15/2007 2:13:22 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Sera, you need to be sure to ask about sizing regarding the specific ring you choose. It could be very major resizing an eternity ring. I have a Memoire 7 stone band and it is extremely well-made, so I wouldn't hesitate to choose Memoire. But I wouldn't go full eternity because I know ring sizes can change over a lifetime.
I know that would be the safer thing to do... perhaps I could do a pink and a yellow eternity band I plan on sometimes stacking between the e-ring and w-band... then I could have the bling on the underside too. It may sound silly, but I want it on the underside too... I do sign language interpreting, so my palms are visible as much as the tops (and really, the e-ring would not be typically worn during interpreting).

copper, I think Memoire or Ritani would be a good choice and perhaps getting a copy wouldn't be as well made. Personally I think $3500 is fair for a 1c band because you are getting something very well made. Of course you could get something similar very close in style, but I wouldn't know who would do at the same level of quality... maybe some here who have had custom work would know a comparable designer for less.
 
Thanks for the insight, in fact I went again today to check out the Memoire band and found it to be completely mesmerizing. I''m a huge fan of the full eternity but before I"m sold on it I want to find out if this particular ring can be re-sized again at a later time.

Question for all of you:

The first time my girlfriend and I went to see Memoire ring we were greeted by a salesrep who couldn''t be more helpful. At the time I didn''t know much about diamonds and she was able to give me a quick 101 lesson. She gave us her card which I managed to misplace later that week. A month later when I returned to the store I delt with a differnt sales rep who was not as helpful and did not appear to be very knowledgable about the ring. Not having much of a choice I gave the 2nd sales my contact info. I didn''t feel comfortable with her then and I still don''t. While I was doing my diamond research I found the first card of the first helpful sales rep and would rather deal with her.

Do you think it would be right for me to speak with the manager and request the original sales rep as oppose to the current one? Or should I just take one for the team and stick with one I have??

My only hesitation is that I would feel wierd going in and doing business with them knowing that I "shafted" someone.

Any thoughts?


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Date: 8/17/2007 2:02:16 AM
Author: copper

Thanks for the insight, in fact I went again today to check out the Memoire band and found it to be completely mesmerizing. I''m a huge fan of the full eternity but before I''m sold on it I want to find out if this particular ring can be re-sized again at a later time.

Question for all of you:

The first time my girlfriend and I went to see Memoire ring we were greeted by a salesrep who couldn''t be more helpful. At the time I didn''t know much about diamonds and she was able to give me a quick 101 lesson. She gave us her card which I managed to misplace later that week. A month later when I returned to the store I delt with a differnt sales rep who was not as helpful and did not appear to be very knowledgable about the ring. Not having much of a choice I gave the 2nd sales my contact info. I didn''t feel comfortable with her then and I still don''t. While I was doing my diamond research I found the first card of the first helpful sales rep and would rather deal with her.

Do you think it would be right for me to speak with the manager and request the original sales rep as oppose to the current one? Or should I just take one for the team and stick with one I have??

My only hesitation is that I would feel wierd going in and doing business with them knowing that I ''shafted'' someone.

Any thoughts?


5.gif
it''s very considerate for you to even think about who your sale goes to, copper! I don''t think there''s anything wrong with your maybe placing a phone call to the manager or just to the store and requesting to deal with the first SA you dealt with who was so helpful and knowledgeable. Especially since the second SA wasn''t as helpful and you didn''t feel as comfortable with her/him. I would definitely figure out who it was that you first spoke to and deal with them in the future.
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I''m glad you are having a positive experience with diamond buying so far! You''re doing so well, can''t wait to see what you end up with...please don''t become a stranger, and post the ring you decide on in SMTR so we can all drool over it!
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Date: 8/17/2007 2:02:16 AM
Author: copper


Thanks for the insight, in fact I went again today to check out the Memoire band and found it to be completely mesmerizing. I''m a huge fan of the full eternity but before I''m sold on it I want to find out if this particular ring can be re-sized again at a later time.


Question for all of you:


The first time my girlfriend and I went to see Memoire ring we were greeted by a salesrep who couldn''t be more helpful. At the time I didn''t know much about diamonds and she was able to give me a quick 101 lesson. She gave us her card which I managed to misplace later that week. A month later when I returned to the store I delt with a differnt sales rep who was not as helpful and did not appear to be very knowledgable about the ring. Not having much of a choice I gave the 2nd sales my contact info. I didn''t feel comfortable with her then and I still don''t. While I was doing my diamond research I found the first card of the first helpful sales rep and would rather deal with her.


Do you think it would be right for me to speak with the manager and request the original sales rep as oppose to the current one? Or should I just take one for the team and stick with one I have??


My only hesitation is that I would feel wierd going in and doing business with them knowing that I ''shafted'' someone.


Any thoughts?



5.gif
There is SO much bad service around I would absolutely work with someone helpful and doing their job with a good attitude (and I would let the manager know why the particular SA was preferred)!
 
Date: 8/16/2007 10:17:41 PM
Author: cinnamon013
I was strongly considering a Memoire wedding band. I decided to upgrade my stone and go with a plain band for now. I absolutely love Memoire and would recommend that you consider them. I have checked out their rings on several occasions and they are awesome. For the best price, I found that Bobby at Roberts Fine Jewelry in Houston has the absolute best prices. He doesn''t really do internet sales, as he has a store in the Houston area. I found him by searching for distributors on the Memoire site. He is a great guy, and will give you a quote for the various styles you are interested in. He is the owner of this store. He is always been lower than anyone else I called. Even though he doesn''t have an internet based store, he''ll be able to order you any setting you like.

Memoire guarantees stone replacement - so they must be certain that the setting is secure. The setting you are looking at is gorgeous, and I wouldn''t even bother trying to find someone to copy it. It is somewhat of a unique design, and if you like it, go with the Memoire version.


I''ll be interested to see what price Bobby quotes you for it. Tell him Patty sent you - the girl that upgraded her diamond instead of deciding on a Memoire band.



Hi All,

Thank you for thank you for all the advice this forum has been extremely helpful. Kudos to everyone.

A Thank you to Patty- aka cinnamon013 for connecting me with Bobby from Roberts Fine Jewelry he quoted me the best price for the Memoire setting at least $600 less then my best price here in NY. After speaking with Bobby I felt comfortable dealing with him so I was also thinking of buying the diamond from Bobby to complete my ring purchase. My only hesitation is that he''s in Houston TX and I''m in Westchester NY. I''ve never been comfortable with buying anything without seeing it first, especially when it comes to such an important purchase. Bobby assured me that the ring would be insured by him until it I physically receive it here in NY, which does make me feel a bit better.

Question to Cinnamon013- How was your experience with Bobby and did you personally deal with him in the store when buying your ring? Would you recommend buying the setting and diamond from him? How did you hear about him? We can discuss this through email if you prefer. FYI- He seems like a VERY nice guy and was pleased to find out that you referred me to him.

Question to All- Has anyone purchased ring/diamond through mail without first seeing it? If so how was your experience?
How do you know you''re getting what you paid for?

P.S.- I''m going to the diamond district in NYC tomorrow to price out some diamonds for the Memoire setting...
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This forum is filled with people who have bought diamonds online without seeing them first! But there are trusted vendors on here that have hundreds of recommendations here over a period of years. So I can tell you that if you do a search for Good Old Gold or WhiteFlash (as an example), you will see many, many positive posts! I know the quality of diamonds they sell and I have bought from both without seeing the stones until they were sent to me. I actually had two sent to me one time so that I could choose the one I liked best and I sent the other back and got a refund. To be very honest, I''m not sure I''d buy a diamond from someone online unless I had many recommendations for that jeweler. If you do pursue a stone with him, though, you can always take down all the numbers from the certs and post them here as well as do a price comparison. Tell him you are only interested in AGS0 or GIA Excellent cut stones and that will get you off to a better start. And be very certain of his refund and trade-in policies as well. Vendors who advertise here have a big interest in making customers happy since experiences are posted all the time. That''s a pretty good safety mechanism, in my opinion.
 
Wait a minute...if you are in the NYC area, just go to Good Old Gold! It is on Long Island.
 
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