One Step Closer

[NoonersMom]

I know some of you bounce around the different sections of this forum so to some this won''t be news. However, I realized I haven''t officially posted information in the LIW section.

As some of you know, my SO & I have been waiting for his bonus to come through so that we may advance to the shopping stage of the engagement. (Funds were drained after two property purchases last year). He was initially told that his bonus would come through on 3/15/05. Well, 3/15 came & went with no bonus. Needless to say I was a little disappointed as I felt like we were in somewhat of a state of limbo land & that I had no control over this (yes, many of you will attest to having the same feelings). Well, as luck has it, his bonus finally came through on Friday, 4/15. He didn''t decided to inform me until Saturday morning (sneaky man....he thinks he''s funny just like the dress prank), probably because we were cocktail party hopping & quite "happy" that Friday night. hehe.

As much as I wanted to hop on the computer and start narrowing down the diamond field that week-end, I resisted as he would of freaked out (I''ve been accused of being single minded & having nothing but diamonds on the brain...lol...imagine that). So Monday I narrowed it down two stones (with a little help from a few in Rocky Talk) and had both shipped to an appraiser an hour away from us. This past Tuesday we met the appraiser & made a final decision on the stone. It is a 1.265 G SI1 from WF. I''ll post the specs and I''ve attached a picture of the diamond itself.

I too fell in love with the Ritani Endless Love RB w/center halo & micro pave shank. WF is custom making this & I should see pictures of the wax on Monday (which can''t come fast enough). Yeah! (I was going to have Leon Mege craft this but after his lack of a return email after a few phone calls & a better cost and time estimate from WF I decided to go this route.)

So, that''s the news that is fit to print at this time. Looks like it''s going to be a good month or two for the LIW group. It''s already been a great week!

PS....Appletini...even though those two stones didn''t go to either of us, I ended up with a similar one. Yeah! Hope the same works out for you.

Carat: 1.27
Color: G
Clarity: SI1
Depth: 60.7
Table: 56
Crown Angle: 34.7
Crown %: 15.2
Pavilion Angle: 40.8
Pavilion %: 43
Girdle: Medium-Faceted
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Culet: None
Fluorescence: No
Measurements: 7.01-7.03X4.26
HCA: 1.3

 

[icekid]

ooohh very exciting! i am thinking of doing something similar to you with whiteflash. i would love to see the wax molds when you get the pics!

after much discussion w/ bf, i have decided that i want to get engaged sooner than later so i can start planning the wedding from 400 miles away. so we''re going to put off the 2 ct cushion/ leon mege that i wanted (and maybe upgrade someday, but more likely get me a RHR!). it just doesn''t seem practical for a medical student to be walking around with a huge expensive diamond, tons of school loans, a wedding in the works, and hopefully a house when i start my residency. (un?)fortunately my brain has won out and decided that we should save money for the wedding and house rather than throwing all the money we save into something so superfluous. so i think we''re going to do a much smaller rb with a pave halo. i''m actually really excited about it now though i was initially kind of sad after having my heart set on that cushion. bf still wanted to wait and get the cushion since he knows how much i wanted it, but i think it''s much better this way. i''m lucky too and have tiny fingers so that works in my favor

so on the plus side, my bf is supposed to be calling whiteflash anyday now (he refuses to let me call them)! i''m figuring on a summer proposal since my last block of school just started today- 6 weeks of neuroscience that is supposed to be a TON of work. med school... who knew it was actually going to require effort

ok i''m rambling and i''ve gone completely off noonersmom''s topic! so back to that- too exciting that you''re getting so close! how long has whiteflash told you it will take to complete your setting? that stone looks gorgeous!

 

[Buena Girl]

NoonersMom and icekid ---> VERY, very exciting news!!! Your rings are going to be

GORGEOUS!!! It must be so exciting to really have everything rolling along in the progress!

 

[MissAva]

Yea! This is soo exciting!

 

[kanne]

Yay, Nooners!!! That ritani setting is gorgeous!! Can''t wait to see pics.

 

[NoonersMom]

Thanks Ladies! I''m getting excited...it''s nice not to restrain one''s feelings. Ice, it sounds like you are making the best decision for your situation. As lovely as a Leon creation will be, you''ll appreciate having that extra cash at this point in your life...especially with school loans & a wedding to pay for. We could of afforded to work with Leon, but this just gives us a little extra wiggle room when paying for two weddings. Plus I don''t think I can stand the 4-6 week wait!

I''ll post wax photos once I receive them. I am undecided on the shank melee. We''ll see once the pictures come back. I''ve got a question for those of you that either waited or are waiting for the completion of your creation.....do you/did you measure it out on paper & cut it out to see the proportion in relation to your finger? LOL. I''m a geek. I did this earlier in the week. I just want to see if I am the only geek around doing this.

Lovey.....how are you? Haven''t see you around too much. How''s school & wedding planning going? What did you decide to do with your dress?

 

[kanne]

lol!!!
No, you are not the only geek. I cut my diamond out of paper too!!! hee hee. ok, I'll admit that I also made the "band" (all to scale). I kept my paper ring in my desk at work and would take it out whenever the waiting got too much for me to handle.

My paper diamond was purple. So don't worry, you're not alone!

Thanks for asking about the planning... I wound up getting another dress (even though I still love the original one from ebay and can't seem to let it go). My fiance just laughs since it reminds him of the whole ring buying process.

Just sent out our save the dates and booked most of the vendors. Working on invites now (and obsessing over diamond and pearl earrings that I'll never buy from doyle and doyle). We've been having fun with the planning..not too stressfull really, just fun being with the people we love.

Other than that I'm incredibly busy with school and work...but I always check in a few times a week to see how the LIWs are doing. Love this board.

How is your planning?

have a great weekend...!

 

[ky6]

NM- that is great! I cannot wait to see the wax

 

[NoonersMom]

LOL Lovey....Glad to hear that I am not the only geek! I''ve got mine here at the office & yes, it''s to scale, shank included! Yeah! Things are moving along for you. Can''t believe you''ve already sent out STD. You''ll have to post pictures of the new dress in the dress thread!

 

[teebee]

NM ~ that''s so exciting!! And that is a gorgeous gorgeous stone!!! Can''t wait to see the wax molds from WF!

 

[FireGoddess]

YAY!!! So happy for your bf''s bonus AND the progress on the e-ring!!!

I just adore the Ritani halo look and can''t wait to see the wax for your ring. Has WF suggested a particular size melee for the halo and the shank, or do you have the size in mind already? I assume they''re going to have a size in mind when making the wax??? Very exciting...!!

 

[icekid]

my bf told me he called whiteflash today!!

i asked how it went, and he won''t tell me... i think that''s it for me pretty much until he ASKS!

too exciting... and a little weird! it''s starting to feel reeeeally..... real!

there''s something in the water around here lately. our ladies are dropping off of the list like flies!

 

[NoonersMom]

Ice Ice Baby to go.....

LOL....that is *fantastic* news! Little did you know that it was literally right around the corner! Keep us posted! Can''t wait to cross you off the list! hehe.

FireGoddess......WF wouldn''t make a recommendation. They will however do whatever you tell them, which was of little help to the design issue. lol. I think they are currently creating the wax to accomodate 2 pointers (2.3mm shank?). Once the wax is done we can tweak it from there. After thinking about it though, I will probably go with the 2mm shank to make the center stone pop. We''ll see on Monday! And yes, adore the halo settings. I just hope they become a classic. lol.

 

[Erin]

Pul-eeeez post a picture of that paper ring!!!!! That is too funny!!!

 

[icekid]

so my bf was teasing me about calling whiteflash last night, and then he hopped on the computer to check his email and said ooooh look what i have in my email. so i told him that he better stop or i would get up and come and look! and then he ended up letting me look. they sent us pictures of the two stones i had picked out next to each other. so now i know what stone i am getting anyway, i think!!

then later he was chatting on the phone with his best friend and it turns out his fav band is having a concert next weekend at home, so he wants to go home for the weekend to go and hang out with his friends. i have a test on monday, so i told him he should definitely go! when he got off the phone with his friend, he was soooo giddy. so i asked him why he was so happy and he said everything is coming together perfectly! i take this to mean that he''s happy he is going home, since now he will have a chance to ask my parents without me around! he was really set on asking them. he''s tooo easy to read. hehe, but it''s so cute.

so in summary, he CANNOT keep a secret from me for anything! i think i''m going to get one of those proposals on THE day he gets the ring

but he is going to have it shipped to his job, so i won''t know when he has it though! and i''m glad, so i won''t be driving myself completely insane..

 

[appletini]

Nooners: I''m so excited for you!!! I can''t wait to see pictures of your wax mold.

 

[icekid]

Nooner- how excited are you about seeing your wax?!?! today is the day, i believe...

 

[NoonersMom]

Apple & Ice.....thank you ladies! Today is the day, nothing in the box yet. I was doing amazingly well this AM. LOL. This afternoon, well, we''ll see. Hope it arrives sooner than later. hehe.

Ice....I will try & take a picture of my paper ring tonight. SO is going golfing so I will have the house & the digital camera to myself. hehe. You''re going to crack up! Maybe we can get Lovey to post hers if she still has it. hehehe.

 

[NoonersMom]

Update - Unfortunately the wax mold is not done yet. Denise said it''s almost done. I am expecting an email from her by the end of the day. So as soon as I get pictures I will post.

I will try & take pictures of paper ring tonight as well. BF was home last night (he worked too late at office & missed his tee time).

 

[icekid]

oooh i was hoping you would post at update. i hope you get your pictures soon!! and pictures of your paper ring would be lovely too

i almost did the same thing as you and lovey! hehe, when i was trying to decide what size stone to get, i drew out ring on EKG paper (while i clearly should have been using this to learn to read EKGs!). the EKG paper is PERFECT because each little box is a mm! so it was great. i never cut out my rings and tried them on though. i just went for the "put the paper above the finger and try to visualize" method. glad to know i''m not the only crazy one

 

[MissAva]

EKG apaper that is brilliant! I will have to get some of that!

 

[NoonersMom]

I just received the pictures for the wax mold!

The mold is pretty close, however, I''ve asked to make a few modifications as follows:

- The place where the shank meets the head....the band for lack of a better word should be moved centered better so that the outer edge of the band lines up with the outer edge of the diamond.

- There is quite a gap between the point of the diamond and the bottom of the band (where it touches the skin). I would like that cut in half.

- In some of the pictures it looks as the side view of the diamond is blocked by what appears to be the wax of bezel. I am going to find out if that will disappear in the process or if that will be the size view. I feel like it obstructs the view.

Otherwise, that''s it! They''ve done a great job so far!

What do you ladies think?

 

[NoonersMom]

Dear Lord...I can''t type today. Sorry the above post seems somewhat out of sorts. lol.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 5/4/2005 6

5:49 PM
Author: NoonersMom
The place where the shank meets the head....the band for lack of a better word should be moved centered better so that the outer edge of the band lines up with the outer edge of the diamond.

- There is quite a gap between the point of the diamond and the bottom of the band (where it touches the skin). I would like that cut in half.

- In some of the pictures it looks as the side view of the diamond is blocked by what appears to be the wax of bezel. I am going to find out if that will disappear in the process or if that will be the size view. I feel like it obstructs the view.

Otherwise, that''s it! They''ve done a great job so far!

What do you ladies think?

I have been checking back with this thread to see if your wax pics came! Personally, I think they look gorgeous and pretty much flawless. Perhaps (as I think you''re saying in the first part of the post) the sides of the shank could come in a little bit more before the vertical part comes up to hold the halo. But as for the second and third points...I said the same thing to my jeweler about the culet of the diamond being quite high compared to where my finger was, and she wouldn''t budge on the height, saying that if it was anywhere closer to the vicinity of my finger, it would get dirty all the time. As for the last point, I don''t get it...do you want to see more of the profile of your diamond? Cuz I don''t think that''s going to happen, since the halo needs to be thick enough to support the melee that''s going to be set into it. The wax is slightly bigger than the final ring will be, but not dramatically bigger. I think it''s gorgeous and I can''t wait to see the ring!

 

[MissAva]

Wow, to me I have to say I think that looks exactly like the Ritani EL ring. You could have fooled me! I love that there is even a little diamond on the step up. That ring is going to be stunning on your hand. Congrats it is lovely!

 

[icekid]

oooh you know i''ve been waiting for your wax too!

i think it really looks great. i was wondering about having it set a bit lower too, with wearing gloves and dealing with patients- the lower the better! i''d love to hear what they say about that.

also a bit confused on your last point- are you concerned about not being able to see the pavilion from the profile? i think it looks cool when you can see it, but i doubt that it will be visible in my ring unfortunately. oh well! can''t have it all.

but overall i think it''s fab! so how long now until the ring is actually finished?? how long do you think the bf will make you wait for the proposal?

 

[appletini]

Your wax looks amazing...I can''t wait to see the finished product! I will definitely be forwarding this one onto the BF (but with a "no pressure" disclaimer).

 

[gingerBcookie]

exciting!!!! and i agree with the moving of the thing inwards...it''ll give the ring and even more delicate look/feel!!!!

so how long befoer the real deal?

 

[Buena Girl]

So exciting to see your wax mold!!!

Thanks for sharing the process with us!

 

[NoonersMom]

Hola Amigas! Thank you *all* for your kind words. FG, you''ve been a great help during this process...thanks for the honest feedback.

I spoke with Leon at WF today. Everything is worked out & will be exactly as it appears in the photos. Unfortunately they can''t move the posts in that are supporting the halo. Leon stated that because of the larger size of the center diamond, they just can''t do it. Also, I gave FG''s opinions regarding culet height some consideration & it makes sense. So the height & post stay as they are. I can live with that. Would hate to see the head fly off. So that''s the first few issues resolved.

The other two concerns that I had were the width of the halo (each side was 20% of the total diameter of the center stone...which is too wide for me) & the bezel sitting too high & blocking the side view of the diamond. Leon explained that the wax is a bit larger so that if they make a mistake while setting the stones they have enough metal/material to work with without having to recast the entire ring. Once they cast & set they will finish it off and reduce the amount of metal so that it is more sleek & streamlined. Again, I can live with that.

The cast will be done by Monday & they will start setting the stones! Woohoo!!!!

Hopefully the ring will be complete by next Friday, but I will have a better idea on Monday.

I can''t believe we are this close after waiting for so long! I *really* starting to get excited!!!!!!!!