What was the most beautiful / startling piece of jewelry you've seen on someone else IRL?

[ariaaaa]

Apologies if this is in the wrong subforum, but I wasn't sure if it belonged here or in Hangouts! This is inspired by an anecdote I heard recently from someone that admitted she may have surreptitiously followed someone around a grocery store briefly just to get a better look at her ring.

I have also been an absolute psychopath and once saw a MASSIVE radiant (or emerald, i didn't get a good look) cut yellow diamond (or something) on the finger of an elderly woman next to me in the TSA line. That thing was wider than her finger and literally looked like something that belonged in the museum. I literally could not control myself and accidentally let out a "oh my gosh, that's BEAUTIFUL", to which I got a slight side eye and then she flipped it around her finger so the stone was palm-side down before she went through security and got wheeled away. I'm not going to lie, I thought about following her a little just to hopefully see it again, but my sane side kicked in.

Not my best moment, but it got me thinking -- with all the jewelry lovers on PriceScope, I'm sure there are some funny anecdotes to share about beautiful jewelry on others that you've seen in real life!

 

[ariaaaa]

Another silly one that doesn't involve me embarrassing myself in public -- before I started truly looking at diamonds, I once met up with a woman that (at that point) had the largest engagement ring I've ever seen. I learned later that it's just over 2cts, but was oval cut and had an immense halo so with the paired half eternity band, the ring took up essentially her entire finger up to the knuckle.

I had never really thought about larger rings until that moment, but it definitely briefly took my breath away and inspired some future attempts to prevent DSS

 

[stracci2000]

I was seated on the plane next to an older woman wearing a huge pear, maybe 5+ carats with side trillions. Of course I complimented her on it.
Then I stared at it for the whole flight, willing it to slip off her finger and roll under my seat while she dozed off.
She was carrying an expensive designer bag, so I'm pretty sure it was the real thing......haha!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

a lovelly Texas lady who was with her NY husband on their honeymoon who stood next to me at a Bruce Springtseen concert
it was a 5 stone
lovelly couple

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Difficult question to answer because it keeps changing, haha.

I went to a wedding where the bride was wearing one of the most opulent diamond necklaces I’ve ever seen. Multiple rows of round diamonds with pear diamond drops. I can add a sample photo here (though her necklace didn’t have the pears down the middle, only as drops, and the biggest pear was 1.5-2ct, smaller than this picture).



I also saw a woman at a party once with a tennis bracelet (bangle style but stones all around) that was 1ct each stone. That was one of the most effortlessly elegant pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen.

Most heirloom/antique Indian jewelry is gorgeous. I have a friend who has inherited a necklace that must be 120-150 years old. It has uncut diamonds, other precious stones, and is in the 22kt gold; but the impressive part is the enamel work - the entire thing is like a melange of peacocks and it still gleams and is as vibrant as it was over a century ago. It’s gorgeous.

 

[RetroQT]

I would have to say the 6ct solitaire owned and worn by a local jewelry store owner. We were chatting as I looked over their vintage and estate pieces. I mentioned thinking about a larger stone (this was before I upgraded) and she slipped hers off her hand and told me to try it on. It was amazingly huge to me. A very beautiful MRB.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

My high school Spanish teacher wore a 3 stone pear ring that now looking back must have been about 3 cts EACH. I remember being mesmerized as a young girl. I had never seen anything like that before irl. I also remember seeing my first Pad irl on a patient of mine in the hospital. She wasn't feeling well (obviously) but perked right up when I mentioned her beautiful ring. It wasn't huge but my perfect shade of pad, so vibrant. She was excited to tell me about her anniversary gift as I was the very first person who had commented on it. I've thought about her over the years and wish I could have a play date and talk jewels with her again

 

[Tonks]

A friend of mine wore a massive diamond necklace (borrowed from her mother) at her wedding. It was gorgeous. It required security guards.

 

[Cerulean]

The CEO at a company I used to work for wore (what I’d guess) was a 6 carat emerald cut solitaire with a delicate pave band

It was so gorgeous and elegant…every time she sat near me I just stared at it flashing in the fluorescent office lighting and prayed she’d never catch me!

 

[kgizo]

Must be something about travel because one time I was seated next to a woman, maybe 60-70s, who had an amazing deco 3 stone diamond ring in a very intricate platinum setting. I complimented her on it and she was pleased. She said she started out as an admin in a financial firm, married the owner who encouraged her to go to college, and she worked her way up to a financial advisor. She explained that when people fell on hard times they would ask for advice on selling jewelry and if she liked the piece she made an offer. Over the years she built up quite the collection. A very interesting person to talk to.

Another time was a wife of one of my husband’s coworkers. I swear her pendant changed from purple to green, but had never seen an Alex in the wild so complimented her on it and asked what it was. She was incredibly flattered, it was a real Alex and her birthstone. She said no one really knows about Alex and was so excited to talk to someone with an interest in it.

 

[88_star]

My boss at a previous job had a 2ct MRB with maybe 20-25 pointers on the band and matching wedding band and I always loved it. She is very petite (about 5 ft) with small fingers so it looked massive on her! It was an anniversary upgrade for her; they were high school sweethearts.

 

[Garnetgirl]

While on vacation three years ago, my husband and I started chatting with a couple seated next to us in a restaurant.
They invited us to go sailing for an entire day with them on their yacht, which was quite a wonderful experience in itself.
We were amazed by their kindness and generosity toward two strangers.
I noticed the solitaire diamond ring that the woman was wearing. It was the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen on anyone in real life. Probably 6-7 carats.
She was so modest and unassuming and of course, I couldn’t ask her about it, as we had just met one day previously. But it was beautiful!
She and her husband were in the news recently, but I won’t say more than that.

 

[KaeKae]

The mom of one of my students several years ago had what I guess to be a 4-5 carat marquise
Such a nice family. I loved her child, and that ring was gorgeous

 

[AprilBaby]

Not in real life but I saw this on Reddit yesterday

 

[emmy12]

Sat at dinner with some very accomplished women this weekend. Lots of huge MRB's (at least 4-5ct) with halos and pave bands that blinded me across the table. My direct neighbour had a much more modest looking ring: a very pretty, light powder blue oval (maybe 1- 1.5ct) with a diamond halo and pave band. She was wearing a large aquamarin pendant. The ring was so pretty and understated, and I couldn't stop staring at it all through dinner. I asked her much later on that night if it was also an aquamarine in her ring..... turns out it was a blue diamond! *Dies* I kind of love that her ring was the most unassuming but by far the most rare stone of the bunch.....but unless you *know* about diamonds, you'd have no idea.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i cant remember which way around i should be telling this story because both rings were huge and sparkly
over 25 years ago when one of the origonal local chain jewlery stores still sold made (no, crafted) in NZ the store manergress had the most beatifully large citreen diamond ring
i didnt know what a citreen was then
a few years latter she got engaged and had her ring made into earrings and had a new 3 stone diamond ring from the intended
or the other way around

back then coctail rings were a thing but nobody would have worn two large ER diamond rings