Wedding Band Woe

[ephemery1]

I am really upset

... and it seems so silly and stupid, but I figure if anyone would understand, PS people would.

I got engaged back in June with a lovely oval ring. Around that time, I started keeping my eye out for wedding bands that would work with it... it is kind of an awkward shape, and I am SUPER picky. When something bugs me even a tiny bit (bad haircut, etc.)... I will spend hours obsessing over it. So it was pretty important to me to find a band that felt "right", or else I knew I''d be staring at it endlessly wishing it were different.

So in the past 8 months or so, I have been to pretty much every jewelry shop in a hundred mile radius. Everything in downtown Philly, all of Jeweler''s Row (multiple times), King of Prussia (huge mall), etc. I checked everything in central PA (I was even in a Zales outlet... that''s pretty thorough

) and the Delaware beach area. We went down to the Caribbean and I spent multiple days perusing jewelry stores in St. Maarten and St. Thomas. At every place, I tried on whatever version of a bar-set 5-stone (10-points for .50tcw) band they had... in addition to a zillion other styles. But the bar-set always looked better with my band than anything else... just never quite perfect.

Then just before Christmas I was in a jewelry store nearby that had THE ONE. Bar-set, 5-stone, 10-pointers... but worked gorgeously with my ring in a way the others hadn''t, for some totally inexplicable reason. I literally dreamt about it that night... and was giddy with excitement for days. But FI said we''d wait til after the holidays to get it, when our finances were replenished. So we go back in January and it''s been sold. They''re no longer working with the company who originally made it, so they can''t order a new one. They ordered in something different instead... and it''s nice... but just like every other bar-set band, not quite right.

I am completely, totally crushed. FI''s reaction is "oh well, we''ll just keep looking".... but considering I''ve been to at LEAST 50 stores in the past 8 months and found only ONE I loved.... the odds of finding another? Not so good. Not to mention there''s nowhere left to look. Not to mention we''ve got 2 months until the wedding, and a whole lot of other stuff to do in our spare time other than fruitlessly scour jewelry stores up and down the East Coast.

I know it''s stupid, and I hate complaining about this when there are so many truly bad issues in this world. I am just so, so, so, so, so disappointed. And it came at the end of an already not-so-great day.... so overall, kinda upset.

Thanks for listening, folks....

 

[Liquiddazi]

Did you get the producer''s name of the ring? If so, look online and other jeweler stores to see if they care the same band. Also, have you looked into getting it custom made?

 

[FireGoddess]

That does just stink. I totally hear ya.

Can you ask the jeweler what company made it? Yes, your jeweler has stopped working with them, but can''t they tell you who made it? You can play it off like you''re curious just so you can find out what made it a better fit than the others, and then figure out a way to work with someone that can get the band?

 

[robbie3982]

I agree that you shouldn''t give up on this band! This jeweler can''t be the only one who was buying from the designer! There''s got to be a way to figure out who made the ring and then find them to see if you can get it directly from them or find out who else might have it.

 

[sumbride]

definitely hunt it down! I know you''re attached to your jeweler, but it sounds like you''re more attached to this band! Find it!!! Good luck!

 

[zoebartlett]

If you have more info on it, I''m sure someone here will be able to help out more. EBree seems to be pretty good at finding things for others. OHHH EBreeee!

 

[RoseAngel04]

I agree with the others, find out who the designer was and hunt your w-band down! hehe. Good luck!

 

[krockie]

Also, you can always go the custom route to recreate it. Do you know what made it different? Can you articulate that to a designer? If so, given the availability of what you don''t like and what you know about the one you do like, a custom designer will be able to reproduce it for you. And, likely at a lesser cost. Good luck!

 

[allycat0303]

Oh I would be REALLY upset too! For one your going to be wearing the wedding band for a long time so it has to be perfect! Do you have a picture of what you are looking for? I''m trying to imagine what bar-set means and I''m a little at a loss. (Actually I don''t know if my guy would still be breathing.....I would have twisted his neck until he put down a deposit on it. So you''re much kinder then me

Definitely entitled to being upset) especially to have gone through so much trouble.

But I definitely second what has been said. Find out the company name. Hunt them down. Buy the ONE. Don''t settle because it will drive you insane.

I''m so sorry your disappointed!

 

[bujiatang]

if the jeweler doesn''t carry the company any more they should be able to tell you who made it without a conflict of interest. Talk to the manager or owner, someone who will see that they won''t make this sale but by helpign you now will potentially make future sales through superior customer service.

 

[wendybird]

what about customizing? I think that might be your best option and sometimes the price is very comparable?

 

[wolftress]

Oh, how awful! I completely empathise... your wedding band is the most important ring, even more so than your ering. Of course you want it to be perfect!

Can the store work with you to custom make something exactly the same? It would be such a shame if it couldn''t be done.

All the best, and I hope you find a solution.