phoenixgirl
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2003
- Messages
- 3,390
Here is my new wedding band from Fink's. I've got to say, I was impressed with the quality and selection in Fink's. I had been wanting a bar set band with all round diamonds in 18k yellow gold, and I hadn't really been finding anything online. I somehow (stupidly) got it in my head that maybe Jared would have more in stock than the average store around here, so we wasted 45 minutes in there. They only had three diamond wedding bands in 18k yellow gold, and because they had upped the ante on the gold, I guess they figure we were suckers who would then insist on "colorless, flawless" diamonds. This means E-F color, IF clarity. IF clarity??? I told the lady that I thought that clarity that high was a waste because my engagement ring diamond is VS2 and I can't see anything, and she said, "Oh, but this just means the diamond will have more fire and brilliance." Uh huh, sure. I tried on a bunch of their 14k rings to see if I liked any of the styles, but I was unimpressed, and all of the diamonds were dull and spotted with inclusions.
So anyway, we left and headed over to the mall. I suggested that we stop in a high end local jeweler (started with a store downtown a hundred years ago, branched out to swankier places in the suburbs over the years), but my husband said, "Let's go to Fink's first." I confess that I thought the first place was a better bet, but I went with the flow. We'd been in Fink's before and had liked the prices and selection, but somehow I had forgotten this. DH also got me a really neat pair of dangly white gold earrings there for my birthday (the kind where you have to slide the long bar through and then maneuver the curved part into your ear). They had lots of styles, and all were 18k gold, H-I and SI1-2 diamonds. I know that might not really mean much when they're not certified, but at least they were all sparkly, white, and non-visibly included. We tried on a 1/4 ctw bar set ring, but my husband said it looked too small and asked for bigger diamonds. The 1/2 ctw looked too big (the width of the bands wasn't labelled but it looked like it was 3.5 or 4 mm -- too big to go next to an engagement ring in my mind), so we tried on the 0.35 ctw, which was just right. The cost was $695, (Is it tacky to share that? I just know everyone is always curious about those things) so the cute little band actually cost less than just buying the x prong setting. Lucky me wears a size 6, and that's what all of their rings are, so no resizing was necessary.
Our saleslady in Jared didn't usually show diamond rings and seemed uneasy, so at least she didn't do a very good job at the hard sell. The lady in Fink's was nice enough, but did suggest that we replace my engagement setting with a similar one of theirs (??? It did have side diamonds which mind doesn't, but it was more like a cathedral setting), and when she saw us guffawing at a $30,000 pair of diamond studs suggested that we get some. If you walked into the Apple store to buy an iPod, would you just decide to buy a computer on a whim? But anyway, that's their job I guess.
It wasn't easy finding something to go with the Vatche x prong. I didn't like channel set, and prong set sat too high next to my e-ring. This band sits about as flat as my original plain band, probably more so. I also think it will be fun to just wear the band sometimes. When I wore my plain band alone in the past it was just because I worried about damaging my engagement ring or didn't think it was a safe place to sport my engagement ring. Now I can envision sometimes just wanting to wear my band for the effect of my cute little bling.
DH made me go look at other things so he could at least pretend to get it for me without my knowing or being involved. Then he presented it to me when we got home, which was nicer than just handing me the bag in the store.
Oh yes, I just have to add that I am really in love with yellow gold. I just love the contrast between the warm metal and the diamonds. I just think my rings would have a totally different look in platinum. Just thought I'd give a shout out to all the yellow gold lovers, because we're definitely out of vogue nowadays.
Ok, here are the pics (might take a little extra time if the files are too big):
Edited to add info about my e-ring:
Vatche X prong
diamond is from a dinner ring of my grandmother's, appraised as G-H VS2, 1.14 carats, 6.7-6.72mm diameter, no cut information
So anyway, we left and headed over to the mall. I suggested that we stop in a high end local jeweler (started with a store downtown a hundred years ago, branched out to swankier places in the suburbs over the years), but my husband said, "Let's go to Fink's first." I confess that I thought the first place was a better bet, but I went with the flow. We'd been in Fink's before and had liked the prices and selection, but somehow I had forgotten this. DH also got me a really neat pair of dangly white gold earrings there for my birthday (the kind where you have to slide the long bar through and then maneuver the curved part into your ear). They had lots of styles, and all were 18k gold, H-I and SI1-2 diamonds. I know that might not really mean much when they're not certified, but at least they were all sparkly, white, and non-visibly included. We tried on a 1/4 ctw bar set ring, but my husband said it looked too small and asked for bigger diamonds. The 1/2 ctw looked too big (the width of the bands wasn't labelled but it looked like it was 3.5 or 4 mm -- too big to go next to an engagement ring in my mind), so we tried on the 0.35 ctw, which was just right. The cost was $695, (Is it tacky to share that? I just know everyone is always curious about those things) so the cute little band actually cost less than just buying the x prong setting. Lucky me wears a size 6, and that's what all of their rings are, so no resizing was necessary.
Our saleslady in Jared didn't usually show diamond rings and seemed uneasy, so at least she didn't do a very good job at the hard sell. The lady in Fink's was nice enough, but did suggest that we replace my engagement setting with a similar one of theirs (??? It did have side diamonds which mind doesn't, but it was more like a cathedral setting), and when she saw us guffawing at a $30,000 pair of diamond studs suggested that we get some. If you walked into the Apple store to buy an iPod, would you just decide to buy a computer on a whim? But anyway, that's their job I guess.
It wasn't easy finding something to go with the Vatche x prong. I didn't like channel set, and prong set sat too high next to my e-ring. This band sits about as flat as my original plain band, probably more so. I also think it will be fun to just wear the band sometimes. When I wore my plain band alone in the past it was just because I worried about damaging my engagement ring or didn't think it was a safe place to sport my engagement ring. Now I can envision sometimes just wanting to wear my band for the effect of my cute little bling.
DH made me go look at other things so he could at least pretend to get it for me without my knowing or being involved. Then he presented it to me when we got home, which was nicer than just handing me the bag in the store.
Oh yes, I just have to add that I am really in love with yellow gold. I just love the contrast between the warm metal and the diamonds. I just think my rings would have a totally different look in platinum. Just thought I'd give a shout out to all the yellow gold lovers, because we're definitely out of vogue nowadays.
Ok, here are the pics (might take a little extra time if the files are too big):
Edited to add info about my e-ring:
Vatche X prong
diamond is from a dinner ring of my grandmother's, appraised as G-H VS2, 1.14 carats, 6.7-6.72mm diameter, no cut information
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