Things are moving on!

[dinamit]

Hi ladies,

Thought I''d share my excitement with you...I''m not engaged yet, but things are definitely moving in the right direction. Yesterday my other half and I finally comissioned my engagement ring. It''s a fairly low-key semi-bezel in white gold, but I really like it. We''ve had the diamond since last May, but for one reason or another, taking it to a jeweller''s kept getting put off. We finally did it, hand in hand, and shared a feeling of quiet fullfillment and happiness... After being together for seven years, it feels good to finally be here, even though it''s not quite ''there''. We also tried on wedding bands and it was lovely to see my boyfriend wearing one, and think ahead to the special time when we will become husband and wife.

Anyhow...now that that''s sorted, other things immediately spring to mind, so I need some advice from you lovely ladies...

I''ve had a baby in the last year, and as a result I have very hardworking hands. My nails are constantly breaking in the last few months, even though they are really short. I pile on hand cream and nail oil, but nothing seems to do the trick. How can I get my hands to be proposal worthy? I wish I could just spare them for a while, but that''s just unrealistic...Any tips would be greatly appreciated. My hands definitely need some TLC if I am to post pics (not to mention for the special moment)!

Also, can anyone recommend a reputable wedding band vendor for people who are on a budget?
Do you have any suggestions on what kind of a band would look good with a semi-bezel with a tapering 3.5mm shank?

I hope he won''t keep me waiting for long...it''s already been quite a wait!

Looking forward to reading all your tips and advice.

Thanks!

Dinamit

 

[dinamit]

Here is a pic of a ring that is VERY similar to the one we are having made. I thought it might help give you ideas on suitable bands! I am at a loss...The diamond is fairly high up, so a band will sit more or less flush.

 

[dinamit]

Ooops, sorry about the pic size..

 

[jenmarie]

My hands aren''t very pretty either, but for nails, I swear by Nail Magic from Sally''s. My nails have been amazing ever since I started using it. They used to peel before, and they haven''t done that since I started. They grow pretty fast, too!

Congrats on the baby and picking out your ring and everything!

 

[rierie26]

Congrats with everything! I love your ring, it''s kinda boring but I think a plain band would look nice.

 

[dinamit]

Thanks for the tip jenmarie, I''m going to Sally''s tomorrow! Hope they sell the stuff here in the UK.

Kitcha, I am with you on the band front; I was thinking either plain or channel set, which is why I opened it to others to see if anyone thinks something else that I can''t see would work too.

I don''t suppose you know any good wedding band vendors that produce quality stuff that''s not that expensive?

Thanks again gals,

dinamit

 

[Luckyeshe]

Your ring is gonna be GORGEOUS!! I can't wait to see pics IRL when the proposal and engagement happens!! Here's some ****DUST DUST DUST**** so hopefully the proposal will be soon after the ring is done! As for getting your nails ready, have you taken any vitamins? My nails are typically brittle, but I've been taking vitamins and calcium supplements and my hair and nails are great! See about giving them a try, plus you'll be healthier too in the long run!

 

[dinamit]

Thanks Luckyshe, really glad you think the ring is nice looking. I won''t be able to hold off posting pics even if my hands aren''t shot worthy! I just don''t know what to do with them...they''ve never been worse. I''ve been taking vitamins all the time, as I was still breastfeeding until recently...I think I just use them too much + the cold weather doesn''t help.

Thanks for the dust, I hope it will help, and that I won''t wait for long! I didn''t post here very often but honestly, I''ve been going crazy over the last year, especially since I''ve had my son, so I don''t think I can wait much longer! Hopefully he won''t be that cruel.

Sending DUST back your way!

dinamit

 

[dinamit]

So soon to be Mrs M, when''s the wedding?

 

[verypatientlywaiting]

That''s really exciting news & that ring is really pretty!

I have the same problem regarding my hands (I wash my hands way too much in the winter because of germs)...have you tried using vitamin E on your cuticles & then putting hand lotion on? Every time I do this, my hands look 100 times better--especially if I do it at night & slip on some gloves or socks on my hands.

 

[dinamit]

Hi ladies,

Really appreciate all the tips. I''ve been applying hand lotion many times throughout the day and have definitely seen an improvement, even though it''s easy to forget when I have a lot to do and am rushing around.

The ring is now ready, but to honest, I have mixed feelings towards seeing it. The craftsmanship isn''t all I thought it would be. I went to the jeweller''s last week to try it on before polishing, just to make sure the size is OK, and it wasn''t very symmetrical. I kept pointing this out, but the jeweller couldn''t see what I was talking about and was thining the wrong side of the ring, or saying that it looks fine to him

. After a while, the situation got uncomfortable and I left, as there didn''t seem much point in carrying on. The quote was a lot less than the others, and you do get what you pay for, but the master ring we saw looked better. I am super excited about the pending proposal, and having a ring from my sweetheart, but hate that such an important piece of jewellery isn''t all it could be.

Any thoughts?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Congrats on moving forward. I just wanted to let you know, my fiance had my ring custom made, and while I absolutely LOVE it and think it is beautiful, I do notice a couple slight imperfections as far as symmetry. Nothing anyone else would see - just little things I noticed after staring at it for hours. To me, the slight imperfections don''t matter and I love that nobody else has my exact ring. But you should not settle for something that has obvious imperfections or something that you are not happy with.

 

[dinamit]

Monkeyprincess, thanks so much for telling me about your ring. I only had a custom ring made once before and it was of a higher standard, so not sure how ''perfect'' the ring should be. I appreciate it''s a handcrafted piece of jewellery, but like any other craft, there are better craftsmen than others. Anyway, bf just collected the ring and said it looked great, so it can''t be very obviously bad, although we do have very different standards. I admit to being a bit of a perfectionist, and the ring wasn''t cheap, just cheaper than others - in the US we could get a very well finished ring for the price, but here in the UK everything is sooooo overpriced.

I''ll keep you posted once I see the ring, hopefully it won''t be very long. Now the true waiting game begins - I better get down to sorting out those hands asap!

 

[luckynumber]

that is a very stylish ring, congrats!

 

[Mrs.SE]

I absolutely adore your e-ring. I am a huge fan of semi & full bezels - if I was going for a RB this is the setting I would want. It''s gorgeous. I think keeping it w/ a plain wedding band or a diamond band both would be great. It just depends on what look your going for! If you want more flashy then go w/ a diamond band, if you want more classic go w/ a plain matching width band. Can''t wait to see the real pics

 

[luckynumber]

i would definitely go with a plain band, less is more with this understated, subtle style.

 

[dinamit]

Thanks luckynumber and MrsS.E, I am glad you like the ring. I think we will probably go with a plain band for now, just because of economic reasons, but might get a channel set band later on as an anniversary present. I think it''s really nice to acknowledge the years spent together with a special gift - very romantic.

I am home alone with my son sleeping upstairs and knowing that the ring is somewhere in the house is killing me. It seems there are quite a few of us in a similar situation at the mo, either waiting for rings to arrive in the mail or having them and waiting for the proposal. Maybe it''s the spring air of new beginnings

 

[dinamit]

OMG! I''ve just accidentaly stumbled across my engagement ring! !!! !! !

I wasn''t snooping (although the thought did cross my mind

) but I was looking for something else, not even remotely thinking the ring might be there, and there it was! I felt bad for my bf that I found his secret place (although it wasn''t that hidden!) but my heart was pounding when I saw the ring.

It''s soooo sparkly and it''s wonderful to see the stone finally set. The ring is as I mentioned previously. The overall impression is good, however there are a few little craftsmanship glitches which I can notice and which bugged me initially, but now they don''t matter at all. All that matters to me, and I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I think of this, is that the ring is from my sweetheart, that he bought it for me. Therefore, it''s the most special ring in the world! I am very sentimental and I am thinking that even if I ever upgrade, I will always keep and treasure this ''imperfect'' ring.

 

[sapphirepulse]

Oh wow, how terribly exciting!!!

I know a little about how you feel...I know my BF has the ring hidden somewhere in his apartment, and just knowing that it''s around...it''s so hard not to want to look for it. (But I won''t. It''s supposed to be a surprise, of course, haha.) I haven''t seen mine at all since the CAD images were sent to me. I got to see the wedding band for about 5 seconds and just seeing that made my heart all fluttery.


But to have found yours accidentally, wow, your heart must have been racing. And the warm fuzzy feelings - I can imagine! The waiting must really be *killing* you now. Why must SOs make us wait?

Hopefully it will be soon for you! Good luck finding the patience

 

[dinamit]

I don''t know, I am beginning to think there is manual out there entitled ''how to stage a killer proposal'' that involves them making us burn a little to pump up the excitment.

Yeah, I was gonna be a good girl too, and sort of feel bad that I saw the ring, but he won''t know so it won''t hurt his feelings. I wonder how long I''ll have to wait...

What is your wedding band like? I think I saw the CAD of your ring, right?

 

[sapphirepulse]

I did post the CADs of both my rings on SMTR a while ago. The band is a plain white metal band with a small bend, so as to fit flush against the e-ring. When we picked up the rings a few weeks ago, BF put the wedding band on my finger to make sure it fit - it did, perfectly - and my heart fluttered like crazy. I haven''t gotten to see either one since! But it''s sort of okay, in a way. I am just going to try to focus on my schoolwork and I know that once it happens, it will feel like no time passed at all.