The Economics of Pricescope (or....why I am stupid and poor.)

[bookworm21]

LOL...same thing happened to me too!

I originally had a round RHR from my bf. After finding this site and seeing asschers, I decided I wanted an asscher RHR, so I wheedled my way into one for my bday gift one year (put the old round into a pendant): $4400

I originally had a pair of bezel set studs that he had given to me one valentine''s day, but the cut was eh. It sparkled, but not the way I wanted them too after seeing the beautiful earrings on this site, so....off to Whiteflash for a pair of new, martini-set studs: $1375.

One year after getting the asscher for my RHR, decided I didn''t like the simple four prong setting and had it reset, with baguettes: $2500.

THEN, when the reset didn''t go as well as I had hoped and had to be sent in, and I was in bling withdrawal, I HAD to buy a placer ring: $350.

Grand total over 1.5 years here on PS? Hang on......$8625.00....Whoa....crap. I''ll NEVER tell my bf that amount. Somehow, it didn''t seem as bad before I calculated everything. Bad....

 

[lili]

Wallermama,
You are so funny with your chronicles.
I was thinking about this very same thing the other day.
In fact, I was going to start a poll to see how big a dent PS has put on your savings (but I don''t know how to do a poll and didn''t think that people would respond to it since I rarely post here)

Anyway, I''m probably the only lady here who hasn''t succumbed to the PS bug yet.
Although I have to admit that it''s been nibbling at my toes for a while now since I''ve hinted to my husband
about possibly getting a bigger diamond

Let me tell you that he was a bit irritated because he got me what
I have after I pounded into his head not to get me a big diamond because I told him that it would look too gaudy.
I''ve planted my seed, so let''s see how fast it will grow.

 

[FireGoddess]

All I'm gonna say is that Wallermama, you mentioning your bezel set earrings makes me think I'm going to look up the thread again. I seriously loved those. And maybe will be my Christmas present???

Doesn't that just say it ALL?!?!?!

LOL.

 

[Linda W]

Wallermama,

I am dying here. I, too, have a LL Bean credit card. I have LL Bean sweaters and boots. In fact, this morning I just purchased 4 sweaters for winter. I had so many points I forgot about, that I got the sweaters and free shipping for $8.50.

I thought WOW what a great deal. $8.50 for 4 sweaters. Well DH burst my bubble, until he reminded me, I had to purchase things, in order to accumulate those points, LOL LOL.

I love their all weather boots. Great for camping when we take our 5th wheel out.

 

[TravelingGal]

PS is my lifesaver. I HATE shopping. Hate it. My poor FI has to see me in the same few outfits all the time. I also work from home, which is even more of an excuse not to have to look good for work. When I got my PS recommended Charlotte pants today, my FI asked "What are those?" I replied, "some pants that I discovered on Pricescope." His only answer was a gleeful smile and "So you don''t have to wear those (pointing at my khaki capris) all the time anymore?"

And we saved a ton of money on PS due to the diamond research factor. As far as I am concerned, I am still ahead. My direct PS related purchases are:

David Yurman RHR - $350
SI Ultrasonic - $40
Charlotte pants, 3 pairs (love em!) - $95

 

[upgrading mama]

style="WIDTH: 97.24%; HEIGHT: 138px">Date: 8/25/2006 4:56:33 PM
Author: Linda W
Wallermama,

I am dying here. I, too, have a LL Bean credit card. I have LL Bean sweaters and boots. In fact, this morning I just purchased 4 sweaters for winter. I had so many points I forgot about, that I got the sweaters and free shipping for $8.50.

I thought WOW what a great deal. $8.50 for 4 sweaters. Well DH burst my bubble, until he reminded me, I had to purchase things, in order to accumulate those points, LOL LOL.

I love their all weather boots. Great for camping when we take our 5th wheel out.

LINDA!!!! Wow a camper!!! SInce I own a campground I might actually meet a PSER!!!! yeah!!! haha


Well let''s see.. . since I started posting, I have upgraded my center stone (bigger size but admittedly not the best cut). That was $3900 out of pocket.

I am currently awaiting the return of my RHR, a rhodo garnet halo split shank ring, 100% inspired by PS. (about $600)
Oh and a pair of earrings to match the rhodo ring...$30 for the stones, and probably about 50 more to finish them off.....

and a couple of stones I bought of ebay "just bc" but probably not worth setting...


lol....what will be next, who knows!! maybe a diamond and sapph ring, that I have saved pics for!!


gotta love ps!!!

 

[Linda W]

Sophie,

What city is your campground in? How fun to own a campground.

Hummmmmmm, since I joined Pricescope....... The Colombian Emerald used to be my favorite stone. NO more. Once I saw the Padparadscha, that did it. Had to have one. My excuse??? I am a September baby. Now I own 5 Padparadscha''s. 2 are stones unset, 3 are rings. I am soooooooooo bad. They each have their own unique color and beauty. I stare at them for hours and get lost in them. Yes, I know I am weird. LOL LOL.

I can thank Widget for this. Got a glimpse of her Pad and that did it for me.

 

[tanuki]

Last spring about a week before my birthday, my parents were having lunch with my husband and I and my mom asks "what do you want for your birthday this year?" And I said "An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner" and all three of them went "Huh?"

 

[upgrading mama]

Date: 8/26/2006 12:16:00 AM
Author: Linda W
Sophie,

What city is your campground in? How fun to own a campground.

Hummmmmmm, since I joined Pricescope....... The Colombian Emerald used to be my favorite stone. NO more. Once I saw the Padparadscha, that did it. Had to have one. My excuse??? I am a September baby. Now I own 5 Padparadscha''s. 2 are stones unset, 3 are rings. I am soooooooooo bad. They each have their own unique color and beauty. I stare at them for hours and get lost in them. Yes, I know I am weird. LOL LOL.

I can thank Widget for this. Got a glimpse of her Pad and that did it for me.

I am a september baby too..but so far have only gotten blue sapphires. would love a pad!!!

Our camp is in Canada, between Toronto and Kingston.. Ever heard of the Sandbanks? great area, that is where we are..beaches here, who knew? not me! I am from upstate Ny.

where are you?

 

[fire&ice]

I have YET to pierce my ears.

But, it hasn''t stopped me from buying studs for others.

That said, we arranged our trust with advice from posters on PS.

Long, Long ago! I learned to not sweat our little earthquakes!

 

[widget]

I loved and collected jewelry before I found these forums, but at least I was under control. I think PS (and the internet in general) has turned me into a crazed person!!!!

Author: Linda W
Once I saw the Padparadscha, that did it. Had to have one.

I can thank Widget for this. Got a glimpse of her Pad and that did it for me.

....or blame me??? LOL...

OT: Linda, it's funny about my pad...I love it, wear it often, and just "play" with it in different lighting even more often.

But it's quite included, and I'm very protective of it. I haven't taken it to get-togethers because I worry that it will be 'misunderstood' by diamond buffs and get its feelings hurt! LOL

Crazy, or what?

widget

 

[Linda W]

Widget you are too funny. You don''t want your Pad to get her feelings hurt LOL LOL. OK now you are beginning to sound like me. LOL. I would love to see your Pad and for you to see mine. The one I purchased last month from The Natural Sapphire Company is 2.24 c. She is the medium strong color and I love her. She is the salmon color. I also play with mine in the different lighting. Glad to know, I am not the only one who does that ha ha ha ha ha.


Linda P.S. to Sophie:: We live in California

 

[upgrading mama]

Date: 8/26/2006 12:20:30 AM
Author: tanuki
Last spring about a week before my birthday, my parents were having lunch with my husband and I and my mom asks ''what do you want for your birthday this year?'' And I said ''An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner'' and all three of them went ''Huh?''

ahhaahaahaaaaa

I can just picture that, hilarious!!!





Linda, too bad we are on the other side of the country!!

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Widget, no no no no no. No hidey Pad. It''s drop dead. I''m not crazy, right? You showed it to me in Palo Alto?

The more I have been here in PS and especially the more I have learned about colored gems the more I (dare I say it here) like inclusions. I wish my silly vvs2 had at least one little characteristic that I could see to know it is mine all mine...I''d like to think I''d know if it was switched because of its character alone, but...an inclusion would help. But seriously, the same earth that made a perfect diamond made one with a cool feather inclusion...they are both a wonder to me.

PS has definitely made me appreciate all diamond colors, clarities, etc. As the guy at Dianne''s said yesterday, the only difference if you are in love with a flawless stone AND an I-1 is the $$ value... Other than the mind clean thing, that is.

I''m just getting "mind dirty" I guess....

 

[Linda W]

Widget,

Wallermama is right, "no hidey the pad" LOL. Mine has inclusions too. That is what makes them so special and you know they are real not lab created.

Linda

 

[movie zombie]

Vincent who used to post in the color stones forum was a big believer and lover of inclusions in his color stones. in fact, he didn''t think they had personality without them......

movie zombie

 

[widget]

Date: 8/26/2006 3:45:13 PM
Author: wallermama
Widget, no no no no no. No hidey Pad. It''s drop dead. I''m not crazy, right? You showed it to me in Palo Alto?

Wrong....it was safe at home when we were in PA....maybe you''re thinking of Art Nouveau''s....

widget

 

[Gypsy]

I''ve gotten bolder about colored stones. I''ve bought a Zircon and a Concave cut garnet I love. And I''ve got future project ideas planned. But really... I''ve always loved jewelry... as Kaleigh said, this place has actually saved me money in a strange way. Before I was willing to settle on any setting for my asscher... now, I have a new appreciation for my asscher, AND I know exactly what I want and am willing to wait for it. As for the colored gems--- truthfully? I would have bought something for myself anyway... now at least I know I didn''t overpay and that I got the nicest I was willing to pay for. And in terms of Pearls, I was all about Mikimoto until I got here... saved me tons of money to educate myself.

 

[CareBear]

Let's see what PS has costed me:
1. eternity band from SP
2. Ultrasonic cleaner
3. Upgrade (and consequently another setting)
Designer jeans were already a bad habit so I can't blame PS for that.
Items I'm dying to have: a Pad and a Asscher (both not happening this year or next)
I was introduced to the purse forum by another PSer and I know I cannot be on both PS and the purse forum as I am not able to financially support both habits

Like KristyD, the diamond Hello Kitty pendant crossed my mind more than a few times. But DH told me I was crazy. and no, I guess I don't really NEED it.

DH thinks some vendor needs to start leasing plans for diamonds to solve all these upgrade "problems".

 

[Ellen]

I''ve acquired an upgraded ERing, but I was getting that anyway. However, I ended up with a much better cut because of PS. Then I needed new studs to go with, but I don''t really blame PS for that either. I did get a SIUC because of PS. But I had GC''s to Amazon.com, so all I paid was shipping and tax, like 22 bucks.

That''s it, I don''t really want anything else, except for an Asscher some day. But it''s not even an issue.


There''s something wrong with me, isn''t there?