Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2002
- Messages
- 31,003
So some of you know the story already or part of it…but here’s the whole saga. Grab some popcorn.
Here’s a little history about me.
I’m a long term PS’er, and I love large diamonds.
My existing stone was a 2.32RB that I got from WhiteFlash many years ago (6). For about 6 months now I have been thinking about selling that stone and getting a larger and older cut. I’ve been smitten by the old cut bug along with so many PS'ers. I always have had a soft spot in my hearts for them, the first stone we looked at 10 years ago for an e-ring was an OEC…. But I became interested in the perfection that is H&A and the OEC never got it’s time to shine. Until now.
As time has passed, and my tastes have changed, I wore my RB less and less. I acquired some beautiful colored stones, set those into beautiful mountings, acquired some other diamond rings, and started to wear those more. I’m not a RHR person though I do wear rings on that hand sometimes but I just prefer to have a ring on my left hand for the most part. Simple girl (HA!). I felt badly that my RB was languishing. Plus I was coveting old cuts more and more and even acquired an amazing 1.5c OEC/transitional. The 2.32RB just felt unappreciated. But I never could quite get on board with getting rid of it.
Then enter my local jeweler. He knows about my love of old stones AND my love of giant honking rocks. So when I heard that he had a 9mm OEC for sale from my girlfriend who had just bought a vintage ring from him, I emailed him right away. And was in looking at it a day later. It was beautiful. It really whet the appetite for that bigger stone and an OEC to boot.
So, me being who I am, a research obsessed long-term PS’er… I can’t just settle for the first thing I see, I need to make sure I’ve seen EVERY LITTLE THING before I buy. And seeing that 9mm really got my wheels turning big time on what to do with my MRB. I couldn’t justify having 2 giant rocks, nor did I think my hub would go for ‘oh can I have a big chunk of money for another diamond ring’ at all. We had ‘the talk’ and the outcome over a few days was…’do what will make you happy’. Yay for understanding husbands. I still wasn’t totally sure about trading in my RB but seeing it alongside a huge OEC pretty much sold me.
I worked out a trade option on the RB with a few vendors I was chatting with. But the thought of trading in my MRB rather than knowing where it was going kind of tore at my heart a bit. I’m not a sentimental person but she’s been with me for 6 years and we’ve had some great times, plus as many old time PS’ers know, she was my total holy grail of a stone…I felt so lucky to have found her. This stone is one of the most amazing I have ever seen in terms of performance, color, clarity, always the best combo. Just stunning. I didn’t want it to go into the great retail void and end up with a random customer who really didn’t know what they had nor would they appreciate it.
So, at the urging of a smart friend of mine… I placed the stone up on DB. It sold within 2 hours…some type of record maybe? To a Pricescoper, and one I knew quite well to boot! I was ecstatic (and a little bit in shock, truth be told!). The fact that I could now shop with cash in hand made things so much easier and opened things up big time for me in terms of who I could work with to find the perfect ‘next stone’ for me. I don’t say forever stone because let’s face it, I’m a fickle girl and I don’t know that I’ll ever have a ‘forever’ stone.
Within a few days, I had two more stones in my possession to look at, and took them to visit the third (original) stone that I had seen locally. I already mostly knew which one I would choose, but I needed to make sure it was the right decision. It was, and the decision was made. It may sound simple, but it wasn’t quite. I think also knowing that I wasn’t putting the pressure on myself to make this the ‘one’ stone was also very freeing.
Now to set it. I had a plan in mind…but it would take a few weeks to get the setting made. I’m seeing some PS friends this weekend and wanted the gals to see it. My husband said…’WHAT? You’re taking a loose stone on vacation with you? Oh helllllll no.’ Actually he didn’t say no, but it made me think. So I emailed the vendor I was buying from and said, I know this is a tall order but is there any way you have a temp setting that you could drop ship me for a local guy to set it for my trip this wkd? Vendor said…ship it back and we’ll take care of it. Since it was a long wkd, I shipped the stone back on Tuesday, they got it Wed, set it and shipped it back out Wed for Thursday arrival. YES, received, set and shipped same day-- now that is service!!!! And the setting is freaking fantastic for a ‘temp’ and the prongs are perfect tiny claws, just the way my anal self likes them. This thing looks so awesome that I am rethinking having my permanent setting made just right now, because I’d like to enjoy this ring for a little while I think!!
Ok now time for the details… the stone is a 3.33 K SI2 (EGL). The main inclusion is a white feather that hits the pavilion, but thankfully poses no durability risks. It’s visible in some lighting, I know where to look and macro pictures surely point it out, but everyone who has seen the stone in person doesn’t know where it is, which is perfect for me. I love a good SI stone because it means more bang for the buck. The color is definitely not a K to me, having had a J H&A and a K ACA, to me it looks more like an M. Knowing EGL is a little more loose, I expected that though and I am completely fine with that bit of warmth. My skin is olive so I feel as though it’s complimentary.
I have to also give major props to the vendor, Old World Diamonds. I have numerous friends who have worked with them for their old stone purchases and raved about them to me for some time now. So when my search opened up a little, I was happy to email Adam and ask what he had. I have to say, working with Adam was simply divine. OWD is really quite amazing. Their inventory is flat out awesome, they really listen to the customer, and bend over backwards to make the experience comfortable. Plus let’s be honest, I really love the trade-in policy as well because we all know this is probably not my ‘forever’ stone (because there isn’t one!) but I am certainly happy to wear this beauty for a long time.
I also worked with JBEG who was fantastic as well, just didn’t have what I was looking for in inventory, and also my local jeweler, Joe Escobar. My contact there, Erik, has an amazing 9mm M/N VS1 OEC stone for anyone who is looking…this was my 2nd contender and the first stone I saw. Unfortunately once I saw the 3.3c, it was game over. Adam also had a 2.57c L/VS2 stone that I considered but in the end the stunning chameleon-like pattern of this beauty, and her sheer size totally won me over.
She’s technically an OEC…but has transitional patterning under the table, a high crown, high depth, small table and a slight cushion shape. I just love how she’s different depending on lighting, and doesn’t fit into one sweet little box all neat and tidy.
Time for pictures. And I have TONS, especially since I got to spend so much time with the loose stone. I just got the ring today, so I’ll have to really stage a shoot with it tomorrow.
Here’s a little history about me.
I’m a long term PS’er, and I love large diamonds.
My existing stone was a 2.32RB that I got from WhiteFlash many years ago (6). For about 6 months now I have been thinking about selling that stone and getting a larger and older cut. I’ve been smitten by the old cut bug along with so many PS'ers. I always have had a soft spot in my hearts for them, the first stone we looked at 10 years ago for an e-ring was an OEC…. But I became interested in the perfection that is H&A and the OEC never got it’s time to shine. Until now.As time has passed, and my tastes have changed, I wore my RB less and less. I acquired some beautiful colored stones, set those into beautiful mountings, acquired some other diamond rings, and started to wear those more. I’m not a RHR person though I do wear rings on that hand sometimes but I just prefer to have a ring on my left hand for the most part. Simple girl (HA!). I felt badly that my RB was languishing. Plus I was coveting old cuts more and more and even acquired an amazing 1.5c OEC/transitional. The 2.32RB just felt unappreciated. But I never could quite get on board with getting rid of it.
Then enter my local jeweler. He knows about my love of old stones AND my love of giant honking rocks. So when I heard that he had a 9mm OEC for sale from my girlfriend who had just bought a vintage ring from him, I emailed him right away. And was in looking at it a day later. It was beautiful. It really whet the appetite for that bigger stone and an OEC to boot.
So, me being who I am, a research obsessed long-term PS’er… I can’t just settle for the first thing I see, I need to make sure I’ve seen EVERY LITTLE THING before I buy. And seeing that 9mm really got my wheels turning big time on what to do with my MRB. I couldn’t justify having 2 giant rocks, nor did I think my hub would go for ‘oh can I have a big chunk of money for another diamond ring’ at all. We had ‘the talk’ and the outcome over a few days was…’do what will make you happy’. Yay for understanding husbands. I still wasn’t totally sure about trading in my RB but seeing it alongside a huge OEC pretty much sold me.
I worked out a trade option on the RB with a few vendors I was chatting with. But the thought of trading in my MRB rather than knowing where it was going kind of tore at my heart a bit. I’m not a sentimental person but she’s been with me for 6 years and we’ve had some great times, plus as many old time PS’ers know, she was my total holy grail of a stone…I felt so lucky to have found her. This stone is one of the most amazing I have ever seen in terms of performance, color, clarity, always the best combo. Just stunning. I didn’t want it to go into the great retail void and end up with a random customer who really didn’t know what they had nor would they appreciate it.
So, at the urging of a smart friend of mine… I placed the stone up on DB. It sold within 2 hours…some type of record maybe? To a Pricescoper, and one I knew quite well to boot! I was ecstatic (and a little bit in shock, truth be told!). The fact that I could now shop with cash in hand made things so much easier and opened things up big time for me in terms of who I could work with to find the perfect ‘next stone’ for me. I don’t say forever stone because let’s face it, I’m a fickle girl and I don’t know that I’ll ever have a ‘forever’ stone.
Within a few days, I had two more stones in my possession to look at, and took them to visit the third (original) stone that I had seen locally. I already mostly knew which one I would choose, but I needed to make sure it was the right decision. It was, and the decision was made. It may sound simple, but it wasn’t quite. I think also knowing that I wasn’t putting the pressure on myself to make this the ‘one’ stone was also very freeing.
Now to set it. I had a plan in mind…but it would take a few weeks to get the setting made. I’m seeing some PS friends this weekend and wanted the gals to see it. My husband said…’WHAT? You’re taking a loose stone on vacation with you? Oh helllllll no.’ Actually he didn’t say no, but it made me think. So I emailed the vendor I was buying from and said, I know this is a tall order but is there any way you have a temp setting that you could drop ship me for a local guy to set it for my trip this wkd? Vendor said…ship it back and we’ll take care of it. Since it was a long wkd, I shipped the stone back on Tuesday, they got it Wed, set it and shipped it back out Wed for Thursday arrival. YES, received, set and shipped same day-- now that is service!!!! And the setting is freaking fantastic for a ‘temp’ and the prongs are perfect tiny claws, just the way my anal self likes them. This thing looks so awesome that I am rethinking having my permanent setting made just right now, because I’d like to enjoy this ring for a little while I think!!
Ok now time for the details… the stone is a 3.33 K SI2 (EGL). The main inclusion is a white feather that hits the pavilion, but thankfully poses no durability risks. It’s visible in some lighting, I know where to look and macro pictures surely point it out, but everyone who has seen the stone in person doesn’t know where it is, which is perfect for me. I love a good SI stone because it means more bang for the buck. The color is definitely not a K to me, having had a J H&A and a K ACA, to me it looks more like an M. Knowing EGL is a little more loose, I expected that though and I am completely fine with that bit of warmth. My skin is olive so I feel as though it’s complimentary.
I have to also give major props to the vendor, Old World Diamonds. I have numerous friends who have worked with them for their old stone purchases and raved about them to me for some time now. So when my search opened up a little, I was happy to email Adam and ask what he had. I have to say, working with Adam was simply divine. OWD is really quite amazing. Their inventory is flat out awesome, they really listen to the customer, and bend over backwards to make the experience comfortable. Plus let’s be honest, I really love the trade-in policy as well because we all know this is probably not my ‘forever’ stone (because there isn’t one!) but I am certainly happy to wear this beauty for a long time.
I also worked with JBEG who was fantastic as well, just didn’t have what I was looking for in inventory, and also my local jeweler, Joe Escobar. My contact there, Erik, has an amazing 9mm M/N VS1 OEC stone for anyone who is looking…this was my 2nd contender and the first stone I saw. Unfortunately once I saw the 3.3c, it was game over. Adam also had a 2.57c L/VS2 stone that I considered but in the end the stunning chameleon-like pattern of this beauty, and her sheer size totally won me over.
She’s technically an OEC…but has transitional patterning under the table, a high crown, high depth, small table and a slight cushion shape. I just love how she’s different depending on lighting, and doesn’t fit into one sweet little box all neat and tidy.
Time for pictures. And I have TONS, especially since I got to spend so much time with the loose stone. I just got the ring today, so I’ll have to really stage a shoot with it tomorrow.
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