My wife’s 10 year ring: a journey through tints, colors, and sizes. Oval… or pear?

[joey_v]

I vowed to get my wife a 10y ring update. The first was an EGD 1.51 J SI1 ACA from Whiteflash. Set in a tacori setting. I thought I had done extremely well from my previous pricescope research.

Now it was time for the 10 year.

My wife is petite… 5’.

I asked her what she wanted. She said she wanted a Blake Lively ring.

Looked at Blake's ring... saw it was an oval. Realized it was humongous and knew I was in for a financial beatdown. I research ovals, realized that there was this bowtie thing... made sure that was not present in what I was about to get.

So my first attempt was below.

From rarecarat, 4.57 I VS2, hpht. First and foremost, I pleasantly realized that the bowtie was not too difficult to avoid. Success #1.

But then...

When I got it I was like this isn’t as big as I thought… then I noticed a weird blue tint. You can clearly see it against the original diamond. I first thought wow… a single color grade difference and this looks way different.

I did more research and I found out about boron as a cheat way to speed up hpht growth… I confirmed it with a local jeweler and we compared it to a 2ct H LGD as you can see below.

The blue tint is obvious with just a 1 color grade difference.

Once I pointed this out the wife, it was headed back.

This time I was on a mission to avoid any blue or brown tint… so I went all the way to a D color for the replacement….

 

[joey_v]

So... I got rid of the faint blue diamond... I could not believe I missed it even though the IGI cert said it plain as day on the bottom. I was pretty peeved that my rarecarat chats never revealed any of this... so off to find a D.

What I found out was there was a reason why I paid so much less for the 4.57 I with blue tint... I thought I was getting a good deal at first, but then I realized it was just a ruse. You get what you paid for.

So I ponied up. This time I was hellbent on getting the right hue, the right tint... even if I was to spend more.

And did I spend more.... oh man. I had to go down slightly in size to compensate for the improved color.

Behold the 4.14 D VS2 graded by GIA, hpht. I did not want to take any chances.

So you can see below pics.

First it looks just like the tint of the original diamond, a creamy tone. Perfect. And you can see it against the same 2ct H from the local jeweler... you can tell it's a D of the same family.

So I guess I was done... or so I thought.

 

[joey_v]

So just when I thought I was done... fate had something for me.

I kept an eye out for the return policy time period with Rarecarat and kept an eye out for a better deal. I even went to my jeweler and had him try to find me a better stone for a better deal.

Right towards the end of my return period, I ran into a really well cut 4.37 E VS1 GIA Hpht... it was VG symmetry and VG polish... compared to my 4.14 D VS2 ex sym ex polish.... but there was something about how it played with the light.... and I thought I was seeing things.

I compared both side by side and I would give the light play to the 4.37E, but the color of the 4.14D is still better.

I had my wife play with both ovals, and she still preferred the color of the 4.14 D but she did comment that the 4.37 looked fuller.

So what to do?

 

[joey_v]

So what to do... I could not go down to E color... it just was not going to happen. Especially when I could sorta see a weird asymmetry to the oval perimeter shape/silhouette on the 4.37.

So I guess I was going to live with the slightly less "playful" appearance of the 4.14 D. I mean... it was a 4.14 carat D oval without a bowtie... and it was still a stunner. Anyone would be happy with it.....

... right?

Well... on the 2nd to last day prior to the expiration of my return policy... I found something I should not have found. I stumbled onto a really nice oval. D, VS2 also.... but the dimensions were just out of this world.

Was I going to spend more to get my wife the end all of a 10y ring? Slept on it... and I said, I'm going to forego my Hublot watch... screw it. Pain today... gain tomorrow.

So I said I'm exchanging the 4.14.

I didn't tell my wife what I was doing.... and I was nervous. What if the diamond didn't look right in real life? What if there was that blue tint again? If I screwed this up, I would lose the 4.14D forever and it took a while to land that rock.

But I knew there was something about this new one.... I looked at the videos left and right. Reviewed the subtle hues as it rotated on the 360, made sure to consult as many gemologists about the hue and tint and made sure it was the same creamy tint as my wife's original 1.51 and the 4.14.

I did everything humanly possible to make sure it was correct.

And off to the bank I went. Do you know how difficult it is to procure a diamond like this? I had to make sure it wasn't purchased from under me, I had to charge it to the card after I requested a credit line increase, and then I had to wire the money to the vendor after I had them reverse the credit card charge just as immediately as I wired the money.

Then it took a month to wait for it to arrive.... but here it is.

And she is a stunner.

6.75 D VS2, hpht, no tint, ex sym, ex polish. My first thought when I saw it arrive via fedex overnight... oh no... it's way too big.

 

[joey_v]

No bow tie? Check.
No blue tint? Check.
D color? Check.
Ex sym and polish? Check.
Good light play? Check and check.

So what was wrong... ?

Well... I think I went too big. I was already used to the 4.14, but this was just a whole 'nother level. I asked my wife to close her eyes, and give me her hand.

I dropped the 6.75 D on her palm... she said what's this?

OMG.... and she gave it back to me.

"It's huge," she exclaimed.

I said I know... maybe I screwed up. We walked out the house and down the driveway to the mailbox... the 6.75 diamond was just ridiculous in the way it sparkled and shined.

"How am I going to wear this at our daughter's school functions," she asked.

I said, "just wear it. Who cares what anyone thinks."

She took a few days to play with it... she still thinks it is too big for everyday. But I told her that if she wanted something that looked like Blake Lively's ring... it had to have the size proportions so the setting could look similar. Otherwise, what's the point? You're not going to get the look of Blake Lively's oval ring setting with a 4.14.

So... what to do... what to do. Do I return the 6.75 and make an attempt to find the 4.14 again? Do I look for a 5 carat oval instead? The process to procure the 6.75 was already so painful for me... I was not looking forward to the process again...

 

[joey_v]

So what did I do?

I thought long and hard.

I don't like to act on emotion so I knew it was best to sleep a few nights on the rather large 6.75 oval. I mean... everyone says bigger is better right?

I spoke to the wife a few more times, she said she likes the 6.75 but she thinks it might just be a little much for daily use to the grocery store and to the school functions, etc.... she wanted something more everyday. She mentioned she did like the 4.14 for daily.. but I knew that was a long gone stone.

So I thought long and hard... what was the other option? I don't want to impose on my wife. If she feels uncomfortable in some situations with the large oval.. then I don't want to force her.

I asked her again, and she said maybe she would get used to it.

Maybe.

You know, I began to wonder... what if she did have a choice? A daily driver and a weekend warrior? What would be cooler than having 2 rings to choose from? So I began to peruse rarecarat again. One thing was sure, I did not have the financial disposable left to go for another 4+ carat mini me oval diamond. Plus I did not have it left in me to scrutinize the next oval to the umpteenth degree... it takes a lot of mental power and time.

Plus I wasn't sure what to think about having 2 ovals, a larger and a smaller - inevitably, one is going to be the ugly duck of the group.

I introduced the idea of a mini me ring to my wife... she said that was preposterous... she would wear the 6.75 as a daily if that were the case.

Then the next day she said, what if you just got a mini me Moissanite?

I thought about it... looked around the internet. It was significantly cheaper... but it just didn't feel right.

So I kept looking at rarecarat... and I found it.

A 3.08 F VS1 Pear, ex polish, ex sym! And the price was great and RC worked with me maybe because I bought the 6.75 from them... but the price was basically out of this world good.

I bought the 3.08 pear. It's enroute to me, maybe itll arrive by next week.... but based on my research and scrutiny of the cert and the 360, it should be yellow/cream/normal hue, no blue tint, solid colorless appearance, minimal bowtie, and good dimensions with a L:W ratio of 1.55 which is exactly what she wants.

So I waited until I got confirmation the diamond was mine and enroute before I broke the news to my wife...

"I bought you a daily... it's a 3ct pear!"

She was all smiles.... "Wow!"

Why a pear you ask? Well for one, it offers an option to the 6.75 oval... and it won't be the ugly duckling. In addition, a 3.08 pear had nearly the same dimensions as the 4.14 oval, which I knew she was comfortable with.... plus I only had to pay for 3 carats worth of diamond. I knew I could go down on the color just a tad, from a D to an F because this was going on a RG setting perfect for a daily driver.

And she mentioned to me that she liked Adele's ring... and it's a pear!

She did mention in passing, what if we switched it?

"What if we returned the oval for a same size pear (6.75), and then returned the smaller pear for a same size oval (3.08 )?" she asked.

I was like... no way, I'm not going through that again!

Now, I'm just impatiently waiting for its arrival.

Next step, I'll post pics of the pear and the oval side by side... I hope it's good.

Then we gotta work on the settings for the pear and the oval.

I think the 6.75 oval will be platinum with a double underside halo, set as low as possible, similar to Hailey Bieber's and Blake Lively's.

The 3.08 pear will likely be in a more simple setting, probably a rose gold with low set, maybe a single underside open basket.

Not sure yet. Was thinking of sending the 6.75 to Leon Mege and having my local jeweler cast/cad design the 3.08 pear.

But that's it. Stick a fork in me, I'm done!

3.08 360:

https://v360-video.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/96D1012-6A.html

 

[Karl_K]

wow im speechless, I was hitting refresh every 2 min to see what happened next...lol

 

[joey_v]

Thx for following my journey thus far.

Summary:
4.57 I oval (blue tint) -> 4.14 D oval -> 6.75 D oval

Mini me ring:
3.08 F pear

Original:
1.51 J round

What can I say? I just really love my wife and she deserves all this and way more. In the end, if it means I sacrificed my fancy watch and my cool speakers for this... so be it. I know this will be it... so I'll just save up and delay my gratification for my wife's.

Plus, it gives me pleasure to know my wife's desire for a 10y ring be extinguished. And I'm happy to close the loop for potentially any upgrades in the process.

But I think it's cool to have all 3 options; a manageable round, a large stunning oval, and a daily but still sizeable pear.

 

[Kim N]

Holy moly! What an exciting saga! Your wife is a lucky woman. Can't wait to see the two together. Since the pear will be the daily diamond, might I suggest Leon Mege for the pear as well? That way both rings will be masterfully and superbly executed.

 

[joey_v]

Both Leons?

My my... you have some deep pockets!

 

[emmy12]

Epic saga! Cannot wait to see the finished products!

Edit to add: mmmm humbly requesting...I mean suggesting 3 row pave for the shank

r6960 - Leon Megé | The Art of Platinum®

Glamorous Leon Mege 413™ micro pave solitaire with an oval diamond in a hand-forged ring r6960

leonmege.com

 

[joey_v]

I already saw that 6960 ring... it was on my bookmark for about a year and a half. It was the setting I wanted since my wife said she wanted an oval as initially I was against the oval shape because I had a difficult time finding a good natural EGD at the size I wanted at approx the $50K mark. I realized later that to find a cut and a D color would catapult the price to around $200K for the size I wanted to complete the construction the way I pictured it to be.

Oval 6960 Leon Mege

Maybe this in RG for the 3.1 pear?

Or maybe this one for the 3.1 pear? Double underside basket. Straight, not slanted.

For the oval, I would like something like this:
413 but in platinum, and oval 6.75ct
413 video

 

[joey_v]

Probably my goal for the oval.

 

[emmy12]

I already saw that 6960 ring... it was on my bookmark for about a year and a half. It was the setting I wanted since my wife said she wanted an oval as initially I was against the oval shape because I had a difficult time finding a good natural EGD at the size I wanted at approx the $50K mark. I realized later that to find a cut and a D color would catapult the price to around $200K for the size I wanted to complete the construction the way I pictured it to be.

Oval 6960 Leon Mege

Maybe this in RG for the 3.1 pear?

Or maybe this one for the 3.1 pear? Double underside basket. Straight, not slanted.

For the oval, I would like something like this:
413 but in platinum, and oval 6.75ct
413 video

I love all your choices! These stones are going to have the most beautiful dresses

I really adore the prong arrangement on the pear solitaire video you posted. I think that is just so unique with the 3+1 compared to the standard 4 prong or 5 prong locations. You could easily add a row of pave on the basket if you wanted to make it a "410" style, like this one but as a Pear instead of the round.
ETA: Or this one with an oval.

The Princessa cathedral is also gorgeous but a different feel with the cathedral band. Either one will be stunning!

 

[joey_v]

Thx Emmy!

 

[Slickk]

Loved the story. You really kept me engaged. Are you a writer by chance?
The diamonds…Omgoodness, how lucky is your wife!? I love your idea for a daily driver and a wicked weekend warrior!!
Can’t wait to see them both set!! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[xxxxxx]

I looove the stones you picked. Real beauties! After planning my e-ring for over two years and spending more than initially planned I can say I don't regret it one bit. Everytime I look at my ring I'm so happy that I waited and planned till I found the right fit. So the hard work you put in will definitely be worth it!

 

[joey_v]

Yes I planned for a couple years and finally things are coming together.

 

[emmy12]

Now that you've posted hand shots on the other thread of the pear and oval I wanted to come back to this thread and say that the 6ct oval is definitely the right size for the Blake Lively effect she has been wanting. The 4ct oval CZ tester you had before wear not going to be big enough to have that same punch. FWIW I think the large oval is the right choice, and DSS might sink in if you went back down to a smaller one now that she's seen what could've been. The grass is always greener...

I'd be thrilled to own three different rings that have completely different flavours that I could choose between depending on the occasion or my mood of the day.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

You are such a sweet husband! Thank you for this epic story ,I love it!

 

[joey_v]

What’s DSS?

 

[emmy12]

What’s DSS?

Diamond Shrinking Syndrome

 

[nan nan]

Your wife is so lucky. If I had a husband who dropped me 6.75 carats diamond on my palm i will say’ that’ s it honey your mission is completed!’

 

[seaurchin]

What’s DSS?

It's a kind of jokey term for a real thing that we notice on here all the time lol. It's when you get a diamond (DSS), pearl strand (PSS), etc. and think it's just the perfect size. But then a while later, it somehow begins to appear quite dinky and you want a bigger one!

 

[SandyK]

Omg -- you 1000% win for husband of the year!! This is awesome. Can't wait to see hand shots of the final products!!

 

[mjea]

@joey_v did you decide yet between the large oval and getting a larger pear?

Please update with photos of the final ring! It’s going to be beautiful!

 

[DejaWiz]

If you are still after a pear cut, then reach out to Rhino (Jon) at Distinctive Gem...he has a new DG Pear that he'll custom cut to your desired specs. Ask specifically about colorless as close to flawless rough (HPHT, perhaps) and see what he can procure.
An heirloom piece? Perhaps, if you like what you see.

Your Custom Cut Distinctive Pear Lab Grown Diamond

The pears are designed around a 1.50:1 ratio which is one of the best ratios, time tested and proved. The images here are of the moissanite prototype. Prices reflected are approximate and will be dependent on the current market.

www.distinctivegem.com

 

[emmy12]

Inspiration video

By Bonnie Jewelry | All Things Diamonds ✨ on Instagram: "One of a kind, redefined This 4ct Pear Shape Diamond Ring is anything but ordinary. Set on 3 Sided Micro Pave with a Hidden Diamond and Hidden Halo, she's a star that will make you shine so

409 likes, 13 comments - bybonniejewelry on August 31, 2022: "One of a kind, redefined This 4ct Pear Shape Diamond Ring is anything but ordinary. Set on 3 Sided Micro Pave with a Hidden Diamond and Hidden Halo, she's a star that will make you shine so bright! Do yourself a favor and scroll...

www.instagram.com