My new beauty - 4.01 J VS1 in Erika Winters' Margot

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Thank you so much!!

I'd love to jump to 5.5-6 one day

This stone is triple certed actually - GIA J (that's what I bought it with), AGS J, and - wait for it - HRD L!! There's no planet on which this stone is an L by any reasonable metric so ::shrug::

That's AWESOME! I love that video, i can really see what you mean about the slow roll of fire.

Super dumb question, but did AGS grade it as triple 000 ideal? I would think so but I'm not the most savvy with diamond grading

 

[yssie]

That's AWESOME! I love that video, i can really see what you mean about the slow roll of fire.

Super dumb question, but did AGS grade it as triple 000 ideal? I would think so but I'm not the most savvy with diamond grading

Yes! I did get a DQD report - cut grade 0, J, VS1, negligible fluorescence. I was most concerned about the colour grade so I was very happy when it came back J like the GIA!

 

[yssie]

Wow. How have I never posted any perspective photos in this thread?


...I'll crib an old one from another thread for now (logos on lanyard coloured over) -




And a couple more close-ups - with plain 1.6mm platinum band from e-weddingbands and Tiffany RG Cobblestone ring

 

[foxinsox]

Yes! I did get a DQD report - cut grade 0, J, VS1, negligible fluorescence. I was most concerned about the colour grade so I was very happy when it came back J like the GIA!

yeah that perspective shot is it is SO bright and huge. Did I mention huge?

 

[Dmndsr4evr11]

I absolutely adore this set.

 

[maita13]

Wow. How have I never posted any perspective photos in this thread?


...I'll crib an old one from another thread for now (logos on lanyard coloured over) -




And a couple more close-ups - with plain 1.6mm platinum band from e-weddingbands and Tiffany RG Cobblestone ring

LOOOOVE !!! As in !! Sigh…

 

[heididdl]

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I just love how you can see the hearts and arrows such an amazing stone.

 

[Natylad]

Wow. How have I never posted any perspective photos in this thread?


...I'll crib an old one from another thread for now (logos on lanyard coloured over) -




And a couple more close-ups - with plain 1.6mm platinum band from e-weddingbands and Tiffany RG Cobblestone ring

@yssie your ring is to die for but right now I need to know more about those gold bracelets that you're wearing on the real life perspective photo!!!

 

[yssie]

@yssie your ring is to die for but right now I need to know more about those gold bracelets that you're wearing on the real life perspective photo!!!

Thank you!! VCA Perlee Clover and Tiffany Etoile - they actually fit quite nicely together! My “interim stack” until I can get a couple more Perlee bangles

 

[Natylad]

Thank you!! VCA Perlee Clover and Tiffany Etoile - they actually fit quite nicely together! My “interim stack” until I can get a couple more Perlee bangles

I am mesmerized! ❤

 

[yssie]

So... I've been making a point to actually wear my ring this winter And I've accumulated a fair number of stack-for-today pics, thought I'd add a few of them here


First up
Vintage Tiffany sapphire carre band in platinum (2.6mm wide, 1.8mm high)
0.8mm round platinum spacer
The bracelet is one of my favourites - 11-12mm baroque blue akoya

 

[yssie]

1.75mm round 18k YG spacer
Leon Mege 101 brightcut band in platinum, with lower-colour single cuts (1.65mm wide and 1.4mm high)

 

[yssie]

Erika Winters Ani studs and a plain 1.8mm platinum band -

 

[yssie]

Vintage Tiffany ruby carre band in platinum (2.5mm wide, 1.9mm high)
VCA Perlee pearls of gold band (small, WG)

 

[MissGotRocks]

@yssie - many beautiful combos! Thanks for sharing!

 

[yssie]

Erika Winters Lily
Leon Mege 101 band
6-6.5mm and 8-8.5mm white akoya bracelets

 

[yssie]

1.8mm platinum band
Vintage emerald band (2.6mm wide and 1.9mm high) - stand-in until I can find a branded version. Preferably Tiffay to match my sapphire and ruby stackers!

 

[yssie]

Erika Winters bar earrings in 18k YG with french cuts
Leon Mege 101 band
2mm round 24k gold band
Leon Mege String Theory band in YG with yellow diamonds - this was a PS Preloved piece These bands are skinny!! 1.3mm tall and 1.15mm wide.

The gold bangle was my late grandmother's. It's 22k and noticeably more "bronze" than most of my 18k YG pieces. The Buccellati (Opera Colour collection, red jasper) is the exception - this 18k YG matches perfectly. I bought the Buccellati specifically to stack with my grandmother's bangle, and I was expecting to see some colour discrepancy - happy surprise!

 

[yssie]

Another blue day

 

[yssie]

@yssie - many beautiful combos! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you! I was feeling vaguely guilty about having never posted real world pictures (and, okay, a lot guilty about putting it on it so rarely) - Erika's pieces are beautiful and they're also really wearable!! Despite my rather deplorable personal decor habits. Low and high key guilts assuaged

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thank you! I was feeling vaguely guilty about having never posted real world pictures (and, okay, a lot guilty about putting it on it so rarely) - Erika's pieces are beautiful and they're also really wearable!! Despite my rather deplorable personal decor habits. Low and high key guilts assuaged

No need for guilt! Love seeing your pieces and you give so much help to many. You’ve nothing to feel guilty for and I am glad to see you enjoying your beautiful diamond more and more!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Erika Winters Lily
Leon Mege 101 band
6-6.5mm and 8-8.5mm white akoya bracelets

I looooove the diamond with the akoya pearl stack!

 

[Tonks]

Here's a video!!
(That shows absolutely NOTHING but hey I tried )

This stone next to an antique 2.5ct S/T OEC. Video quality is terrible but the facets are so pretty, I have to share

Oh my word @yssie ! This is stunning. I managed to miss your updates to this thread and WOW, what a visual treat this morning! The video is much appreciated as we don’t see many MRBs in J color. I love your stone and it is great to see what you are describing!

Your IRL photos are also fantastic. It is wonderful that your setting allows you to pair with so many bands. I particularly like the pairing with the sapphire band. Swoon.

 

[KristyDarling]

Loving all the perspective and stack shots!!! Seeing how you've combined your gorgeously blinding boulder with various delicate bands shows just how versatile and chameleon-like a solitaire can be. I truly envy your huge collection of the highest-quality gems and settings!

Also, thank you for always including measurements/specs in your posts...it's SUPER helpful!!

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Your solitaire is amazing! I love the high crown and the setting!

 

[lioness88]

Gorgeous!! Do you mind sharing the size of your originally planned side stones?

 

[yssie]

@MissGotRocks, @MakingTheGrade, @Tonks, @KristyDarling, @hearts-arrows_girl, @lioness88 Thank you all so much!!

So… I’m gathering my thoughts as I type this out, sorry in advance for what's probably going to be a pretty meandering post...

For as long as I've thought about bling I’ve held this notion that my engagement ring should be my most valuable piece. I don’t know when or where I got that idea, it's just always been one of my bling #Truths and I never questioned it. And for over a decade it worked out just fine, since there wasn’t anything I valued more than the idea of The End All Be All Engagement Ring.

A couple years ago I started planning out a long term wishlist in a spreadsheet - and of course I listed upgrading this ring as a top priority! Not urgent. I'd have to save up for a good while. But definitely important. But at the same time I knew from the first moment I thought about it that it would be a mammothly expensive and time-consuming stressfest I'm nitpicky and pedantic and I'd want basically *everything* about my current stone replicated exactly as is, just bigger... Just finding someone to do that sort of custom work would be a whole #Project unto itself.

So now this expensive and time-consuming stressfest is lurking in the background, and guilt looms over all other jewellery that I buy. New bracelet? You know, you really should have put that money aside for The Upgrade. New eternity? Investing in The Upgrade would really be much more sensible. Talk about a pointless and archaic self-inflicted guilt trip.

A friend recently rehomed a bigger diamond, and she used the funds to buy a totally different type of piece that she’s wanted for years. And she’s so legit happy with her decision. That made me think about why I'm so convinced that upgrading a diamond that I’m perfectly happy with is the "right" way to spend my sparkle money. And, y'know. When I put it like that. Even to myself.

And a few weeks back I admitted that even if the money for my ideal upgrade appeared in an envelope under the door - I wouldn't want to spend it on a new diamond! I'd rather have a velvety unoiled emerald, or a vivid harlequin opal, or any number of branded pieces. So I decided to put The Upgrade off for a few years. Would be nice for a big birthday, hopefully diamond prices will stabilize by then, etc., etc., etc. Quelled the immediate angsting. But, like, why am I still playing games with myself? There isn't a soul on this planet who cares how I divvy my jewellery expenses up So yeah, I like big diamonds, but if The Upgrade project scares me more than it excites me then what the heck am I doing?

So I've just scrubbed the whole thing from my wishlist. Maybe one day I'll want a bigger stone again. But I'm *sure* that right now, and for the forseeable future, I don't want another stone if it means giving this beauty up. Does being genuinely satisfied with a six year old diamond mean I've cured my own DSS?

 

[yssie]

Gorgeous!! Do you mind sharing the size of your originally planned side stones?

I'd originally planned on 0.19ct each - I love when sidestones are small enough to make a "solitaire ring with accents" rather than "official three-stone" But Erika didn't feel there would be a way to create the profile I wanted, with this centerstone and my finger size. There are a few pics of the lineup I wanted in this post (link should go there directly!)
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ika-winters-margot.231053/page-5#post-4189620

 

[lioness88]

I'd originally planned on 0.19ct each - I love when sidestones are small enough to make a "solitaire ring with accents" rather than "official three-stone" But Erika didn't feel there would be a way to create the profile I wanted, with this centerstone and my finger size. There are a few pics of the lineup I wanted in this post (link should go there directly!)
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ika-winters-margot.231053/page-5#post-4189620

I also love seeing some skin even if you have a large center stone with side stones LOL! It turned out great alone though. Was just curious thanks for sharing!

 

[Ally T]

Gosh, I love all of your stack combo's & I'm not sure how I missed them??!

This really, REALLY is a beautiful diamond. I am so glad you are going to stick with it for a while.