When the jewelry fairy smiles on you ....

[Circe]

You know how in Sleeping Beauty there are 13 fairies who give various gifts? (Well, various gifts and one stinker.). I always sort of personified them. You know, you have the Charisma Fairy and the "Good Teeth" Fairy and the Musical Talents Fairy and the Creativity Fairy ... well, I always figured there was one for everything under the sun. Generally, I think I got some early blessings from the Loquaciousness Fairy and the Eventually Lucking Out in the Friends Department Fairy and the Getting-Such-a-Steal-Oy-Gevalt Fairy, maybe some others. Generally, I hope I got some attention from the Book Fairy and the Jewelry Fairy, 'cause I love those ... but my theory is that even with the general blessing, it gets ratcheted p a notch when the fairy in question removers her fairy god-child and checks in.

This was a good week for me, courtesy of the Jewelry Fairy: I acquired two longstanding wish list items and one thing so unusual that I'd never actually had the stones to put it on my list. Thank you, Jewelry Fairy!

I want to hear YOUR stories. Tell me about the times when you've stumbled across the Heart's Desire, or gotten something you didn't even know you wanted enacted in some weird and fortuitous way. I'll fill mine in in a bit ... I just want to see some commensurate rejoicing going on, past, present, or future!

 

[NOYFB]

I have a new treasure to share as well, but....this post is pointless without pictures!! Where are the pictures, Circe??? Stop being a tease already!

 

[yssie]

Tease, Circe!

Feel free to send the jewellery fairy upstate...

 

[Circe]

#1: edwardian seed pearl choker, rose cut diamond end-pieces, sapphire center.

 

[Circe]

#2: Deco ruby calibre french-cut ring, no treatment, dions frame setting, belonged to a movie star from the 40s:

 

[Circe]

#3: sold as a Victorian fur clip in the shape of a fleur-de-lys, which it ain't; it's ... well, guess!

 

[Circe]

And I'm not a tease! I just love stories, and I know if you want the big fish, you need to bait the hook. . Now that there are pics ... Does a Circe get some stories?

 

[msop04]

#2: Deco ruby calibre french-cut ring, no treatment, dions frame setting, belonged to a movie star from the 40s:

This is my favorite piece from the fairy!!! ...would you mind sharing my address with her?

 

[FrekeChild]

I'd always wanted a tapered Leon 5 stone, or some kind of tapered stone look for my supernova oval spinel....I was selling off a ton of jewelry to buy something else, but then someone bought it right out from under me.

And this custom BGD setting popped up on LT!

 

[VRBeauty]

#2: Deco ruby calibre french-cut ring, no treatment, dions frame setting, belonged to a movie star from the 40s:

DROOL!

 

[TooPatient]

What a great jewelry fairy!

I love all of your new pieces. The choker is beautiful!



ETA:
I guess my story would be my e-ring. I'd settled on a low quality ring in a style similar to what I wanted and now that we are FINALLY getting married, decided to go looking at the jewelry store since they were having a sale. I'd seen an amazing Tacori in their window and hoped that I would find it on sale at a price we could manage. No such luck. They did have a couple that were nice but not quite right (and at a price that left me ). I was ready to go but FI was talking so I wandered around the main part of the store and there it was -- just exactly what I had been looking for! I didn't dare ask the price but the lady took it out for me to try on. It was perfect! She showed me a few similar but none were right. I kept being drawn back to that one until I finally asked for the price. I had to have her clarify for me whether the price she gave was in the hundreds or thousands ("ten fifty" was a bit too vague and after looking at $18,000 settings would have believed she meant 10,050).
We ordered it that day and went back to find a stone later in the week!

Sorry for the not so great picture. This is from my cell phone in not so great light. Background is one of our cats

 

[junebug17]

TooPatient, your ring is gorgeous!! I love your story, and I'm so glad you took that extra walk around the store! I'm very happy for you!

 

[braga123]

I opened my mind to continuing my collection, and I came upon this:



Loving this thread!

 

[movie zombie]

another fan of the deco ruby ring!

 

[manderz]

I have a couple of stories worth mentioning, but they seem a bit unbelievable (I'd think someone was crazy if they told me the stories, anyway!). I'm a bit of a compulsive bargain shopper, and can't bear to pay retail.

A few years ago I was searching ebay for eternity bands, and came across one with awful pictures, and a rather vague description. It was a 3/4ctw round band that was channel set, and it was just my size. I bid, and ended up winning it at $88 plus shipping. It was exactly what I was looking for!! I think it's a smidge closer to 1ctw, and the quality of the diamonds is pretty good (hard to tell, really, on ~2-3 pointers). I now alternate it with a curved band as an alternative wedding band.

I check out a local pawn show every now and again, and saw a three stone ring that was 1ctw. I recognized it for sure as a piece that was sold at the mall store I used to work at. I asked for a price, and the girl gave it a once over, and said, $50. I couldn't give her my cc fast enough!!

 

[Sparklelu]

Many years ago in NYC, I was on a break from my job at Bloomingdales and I wandered into a pawn shop. They had a basket on the counter with about 25 rings in it. One fit my then size 8 finger and it was cute. Three stacked bamboo bands with small clear stones. It was kinda grimy but I liked it. Took it home and gave it a good scrubbing... low and behold 18K and later had the stones tested... diamonds. tiny but real! It looked kinda like this ring. I gave it to my cousin a few years ago when she was at a down spot in her chemos.

 

[Niel]

#2: Deco ruby calibre french-cut ring, no treatment, dions frame setting, belonged to a movie star from the 40s:

good gracious i love this! i had found one while searching for L's e ring, looked juuust like this.


If we are talking jewelry fairies. I consider my FIs wedding band one of those.

He has larger fingers (11) and he wanted some sort of intricate interesting unusual setting that was at LEAST 7mm thick. Also, hes a ginger, so white metals just dont look good on him, so we had to go yellow gold, not any sort of alternative metals.

Well the whole thing was going to cost me at LEAST 1k, probably more. And I was really depressed because that would have been with 14k, and i really didnt want to get 14k in yellow gold. I love it in white, but not yellow.

Well, i managed to find a rign that fit ALL my FIs criteria, and was second hand so saved me sooooo much. New, this ring was about 2k i believe. so i saved over 1K on that (its 18k gold too!

And whats amazing, i could have hardly managed to get a PLAIN 18k gold band in that size and that thickness, so i really lucked out. Especially sense these cant be sized. so if it didnt fit, that was it.



I mean i got my Cartier at a discount too, but those are easy to find if you just give it time, Bulgaris in this style and size arent so easy

 

[SB621]

#3: sold as a Victorian fur clip in the shape of a fleur-de-lys, which it ain't; it's ... well, guess!

I do love this piece and the ruby ring!!! Circe just gorgeous!!! However you know if you sell the strawberry ring I call dibs right?!??!?! That will forever be the piece that got away from me Circe I'm telling you I love your taste in jewelry. These pieces are stunning. Is it a lotus??


I don't think I have any fairy bling stories...I have never really gotten anything for a smokin' deal and most everything I have bought I have searched for hours online comparing it with other alternatives etc. Wow i'm just boring.....

 

[Smith1942]

I've had a huge amount of luck jewellery shopping; in fact I added up everything I've bought in the last couple of years and I've scored an average 35% discount.

The pristine condition Tiffany diamond Etoile ring was a steal at 70% off from E.B. Horn, then the diamond drops I loved which came up at 32% off, the gorgeous 18k baguette diamond eternity for 495 pounds second-hand, the diamond leaves 0.50 for $684, the art deco style diamond fan pendant with a 3-carat aquamarine drop on sale for 625 pounds reduced from 895, the brand-new Cartier 18k white gold Entrelaces ring for $450 at E.B. Horn instead of $1290 plus tax, oh, the list goes one. The jewellery fairies have been truly, truly kind to me. I'm stopping now, though!

The latest thing I've bought was my new step-cut art deco-style aquamarine and diamond ring,. The aquamarine is 2 carat and the diamonds are 0.70, all set in 18k. The aqua is a very deep, saturated blue, not the pale commercial blue. It was the equivalent of $2.5k (1550 pounds). While I don't think it was a complete steal or anything, I think it was a very fair price. I only buy when it's a good or at least fair deal. There are numerous gold pieces that I'd like from Cartier and Tiffany, but they are between 1k and 2.5k just for plain 18k gold, no stones. I decided I simply was not going to spend four figures on plain metal, so I relinquished thoughts of all those pieces. It's important to me in my enjoyment of my pieces not to feel as if I overpaid, so when the bargains have come up, I've usually been able to afford them. I'm very happy with my collection! Oh - and many of my Tiffany pieces, I bought in the tax-free weekend.

 

[partgypsy]

I don't have anything to post yet, but I had the bike fairy visit me and my husband got me an awesome bike for my birthday! So not expecting it, but I really like it.

Loving all the pieces people are posting

 

[JaneSmith]

Lovely thread! Gorgeous jewels!

Elisateach, you are a sweet sweet cousin!

No jewelry fairy stories from me, except perhaps for finding PS. Oh hang on, I did once order a smidge over 1k worth of goodies from Pearl Paradise, and somehow it got through customs with no GST owing. Woo-hoo!
A similar thing happened recently when my hubby bought me a nice handbag for my birthday in Paris. We got the VAT back, and the customs person at our home airport didn't make us pay tax! Ha ha!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I snagged a pair of Pomelato earrings on sale--I was mesmerized by the Prenhite stones and the gorgeous settings. Luscious brand. At the time I wish were a matching ring, but alas nothing.

I always kept my eye out for something in Prehnite, but it is not a popular gem so I had all but forgotten about getting another piece when a ring came my way in Palm Springs. At my favorite shop on El Paseo, Gale Jewellery. There had been earrings and a ring--but someone bought the earrings and I got the ring. On clearance! It is my absolute favorite right hand ring--the single cut melee halo sparkle like mad and showcase a glowing 20 ctw cab. It is a ring that draws attention because it is hypnotic. I can only imagine what the earrings looked like...

I am happy they are not exactly the same in design--but are evidence that good things come to those who wait. And that fairies exist.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Niel]

ive decided i do think its that same ring i had posted over in vintage jewelry. If so, im so happy someone got it as i was in love, and it was a fair price.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Circe, your new pieces are AMAZING. That ruby ring especially is just to die for!!!

The jewelry fairy smiled on me with something that is so totally not to most other people's taste. When I was in Aspen I feel in love with this very organic chunky eternity band made out of oxidized silver and "sliced diamonds." There were two of them, one was $1,600 and the other, bulker one (which I liked more), was $2,200. Um... no... but I loved it!

When I went to a gem show there was a vendor that had TONS of them. I got a big clunky one for about $400! I will post pics from my phone. I know most people won't like this, but I love it. And even though it looks really thick and uncomfortable I don't mind it on my finger at all. One of the best parts is that it's not perfect in any way, so I don't spend time obsessing over it like I do all my other should-be-perfect pieces, LOL.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Ring

 

[Dee*Jay]

Ring2

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oops!

 

[Dee*Jay]

What am I doing wrong...?

 

[Dee*Jay]

One more

 

[SB621]

DeeJay I love the ring! It is very organic and I bet it looks amazing for the fall/ winter time.

And you rock on for $400 down from 2k!!!