Paraiba Cab--finally found one!

[lovedogs]

Hi all,
As most of you know I've been searching high and low for a paraiba I both could afford and was gorgeous. Of course, the color I want is the true electric blue (with "glow") that is so elusive. Yvonne has had some excellent ones lately, but I am ALWAYS too late

Happily I found an etsy store with some amazing paraiba cabs (and a few tiny faceted stones), so after much wavering I decided to take the plunge. Now for photos! First up is the cab itself (7.90mm in diameter by 3.3mm deep).



Here are the little stones I got. I got all 9 of the round ones (not the one oval also shown in the pic)


And potentially most exciting....the vendor made a "mock up" of what a ring design could look like with .60 TCW of diamonds. She is going to help with ring design, and I am THRILLED to finally have my "dream" paraiba ring

 

[Acinom]

Congratulations with your stunning Paraiba cab and sidestones.
You have made such a great choice. I love the layout for the ring
Looking forward to see the result and ofcourse we need the name of that Etsy vendor

 

[dk168]

I like the look of the cab, thanks for sharing, and I look forward to seeing the finished ring.

DK

 

[blushpeony]

Yayyy, lovedogs! Congratulations on finding your dream paraiba at last The cab is beautiful, and I'm excited to see what you come up with for your ring!

 

[sapphiremomma]

I absolutely LOVE it!!!! Gorgeous color and love the mock up

 

[Rfisher]

Beautiful!

 

[GregS]

I'm aware of this seller. I bought a few small Paraiba Tourmalines from her a while back. She is a really nice lady.

My concern with this stone is that it is opaque. The color is nice though.

 

[lovedogs]

I'm aware of this seller. I bought a few small Paraiba Tourmalines from her a while back. She is a really nice lady.

My concern with this stone is that it is opaque. The color is nice though.

Yeah, I agree with your concern--I was worried about that as well, and was partially why I delayed purchasing for a bit. But I do love the color, and in almost all of the images the color overrides the opaque concern (at least to my eye).

 

[tyty333]

Such a beautiful color!

 

[Cozystitches]

And where on etsy did you find this beautifulness....?

 

[pinkjewel]

congrats! I also looked at this seller's paraibas- she looked to have some nice pieces. I'll look forward to seeing your ring completed

 

[lovedogs]

And where on etsy did you find this beautifulness....?

Here's the link:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HiddenTreasureGems?ref=l2-shopheader-name

 

[Eauphelia]

I love the stone arrangement! She's going to be a beauty!

 

[mochiko42]

I'm happy for you!! You finally found your Paraiba!! It looks like it has a nice glow and I love the arrangement of the melee. It's going to be gorgeous

 

[Lovinggems]

Beautiful choice I can't wait and see the finished ring.

 

[Siameseroo]

Beautiful! Looking forward to seeing how you set it.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Congrats! I'm super happy it's finally your turn. Yay! I can't wait to see how it all turns out. Keep us posted on your progress, please.

 

[elle_71125]

I'm so excited for you. I love seeing these paraiba projects come together.
I love the design you're going for. I think the paraiba side stones will look great!

 

[chrono]

I hope you'll love it in person. Like Greg, I am also concerned that it is opaque and in that it will stand out in a not so nice way against the diamonds and sparkly paraiba accent stones. I love the design though!

 

[theredspinel]

I do love it... and I hope you don't take offence at this but it really reminds me of light blue gem silica!

I love gem silica!

 

[lovedogs]

I do love it... and I hope you don't take offence at this but it really reminds me of light blue gem silica!

I love gem silica!

haha no offense taken--I also love gem silica! I'm just hoping for a bit more "neon" and "glow" than the gem silica I have currently, but the color is super similar!

 

[Laila619]

Wow, how beautiful!!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Lovely color. Post pics when you have it in hand. I bet it glows in sunlight.

 

[lilmosun]

Congratulations!!

If it helps, my cab isn't ideal but I get more people calling out the glow of my cab than I do with the faceted stones (which are nicer but I think because they sparkle and have brighter color, people just notice the overall effect). Mine is also opaque and on the upside the inclusions you usually see in cabs isn't apparent. It has a totally different look than my other paraibas but it's fun to wear.

Depending upon the setting design itself, a little metal might help separate the sparkle of the melee from the flatter color of the cab.

 

[lilysweet]

Lovedogs, any updates on your beautiful ring?

 

[lovedogs]

Lovedogs, any updates on your beautiful ring?

Hi Lilysweet!
Thanks for asking! I needed to pay in installments for both the cab + side stones, so I don't have them yet since I haven't made my last payment. But (and I feel CRAZY for saying this), I am now not 100% sure I will end up making this ring. I feel horrible since the vendor agreed to let me pay over time, but I might either need to 1) ask if I can not purchase the side stones, or 2) just get all of them and maybe try to sell without taking TOO big of a loss

....I was actually considering starting a thread about this, since I feel super silly for not being enthusiastic about this ring compared to how I felt when I originally purchased. I'll either start a separate thread or keep this one updated on how it goes

 

[lilysweet]

May I ask what has made you change your mind?

 

[Rfisher]

OP- from your first post, it said you wavered.
If you are now having 2nd thoughts - we all know what buyers remorse is like. It's awful. I get wanting to not put out the vendor- it's not their fault. And plowing through with a purchase with mind to just sell it and hope to recoup cost is crazy.
Is this because of concerns stated about its transparency? Added cost of the diamonds the vendor recommended? Mixing of faceted and cab?
Is there a chance to continue with your plan of installments, but get the cab paid for first and have it shipped to you? You can then meet it in person and fall in love, or not..and continue on as planned..or not.
I think you could proceed with a beautiful design with millgrain or beads instead of the diamonds and it would still be fantastic...
No sidestones would still look gorgeous.
I get it - it's tough to follow through with doubts on an expensive piece of jewelry that you can't wear day in and day out and not baby it.
But it's also tough to throw in the towel and live with the what if's.
I had a hard time initially following through on my paraiba purchase. It's no where near a perfect stone by some forum standards, but it is not cheap either. I love it. I get comments galore...It still catches my eye.....I'm really glad I did it.
Best wishes.

 

[lilmosun]

I agree with RFisher - perhaps you need to see the cab first before investing more in the project. Have you discussed your indecision with the vendor?

 

[lovedogs]

I agree with RFisher - perhaps you need to see the cab first before investing more in the project. Have you discussed your indecision with the vendor?

No, honestly just because I feel really guilty about taking time to pay and then being indecisive. Ugh, she's been so nice throughout and I hate being a problem. I've paid for the cab in full, but was waiting another month to pay for the side stones (which now is in a week, since I started talking to her about this almost a month ago). I'll try to write her....I just hate disappointing people or making problems for them.