Total lurker here, stepping out of the shadows in desperate needof some advice!! Dear all fashion/jewelry savvy ladies of tPF, can you pleaseshare your opinions? Any thoughts are welcome and so much appreciated
The Situation:
Ive been on a hunt for a jewelry gift for my moms upcomingbirthday in June (I know I know crazy planner, guilty as charged). So far thetop contender is Tiffanys Diamond by the Yard (DBTY) necklace in platinum or rosegold. Second runner up is a non-branded DBTY style necklace, which Id probablychoose Whiteflash Verismo if I ended up going this route.
Little Family Background:
My parents got divorced 3 years ago and Im the only childin the family. My dad has since remarried a woman 10 years+ my senior, and my momhas not been with (or even seen) any men since my dad. My dads new life is in anothercountry, and my mom and I are both in the States, not living together but inthe same neighborhood and were very close.
During the 30 years my parents were together, dating +married, my dad didnt buy her much jewelry except for a few small things (non-branded,no certificate, nothing > $500). And were a middle class family so moneywasnt the issue. I just saw it as the way he was. Am I naïve that I was surprised to find out hisnew wife already has a Tiffanys necklace and a non-branded diamond ring? Iknow were all adults here and my dad has the right to choose how he spends hismoney, but my heart aches when I think about what it does to my moms feelings.
To make things worse, a few of my moms heirloom jewelry thatshe inherited from her mother and grandmother (who are no longer with us), werelost during moving. The jewelry were never insured because theyre not worth alot of money (a simple white gold necklace & a solid yellow gold ring) butthe sentimental value behind those pieces is forever irreplaceable.
My mom is a really strong person, and probably the mostselfless and kind person I know. She sacrificed a lot of her own interests forthe best outcome of the family. Shes always put me first, and has given meeverything a child could ask for (not materialistically speaking). Seriously, no amount of words can express thelevel of gratitude I feel towards her. Now that my parents are divorced, Imthe only family left (her side of the family also lives overseas).
(Thank you kindly if youre still reading this much love)
My Thought Process:
Since Ive been working for a few years now with better disposableincome than when I was waiting tables in college, I thought why not buy my momsomething REALLY nice for her upcoming 54th birthday? Dont get mewrong, Ive always taken her out on her birthdays/every mothers day, with flowersand gifts but this time I want to step it up a notch given the circumstance,you know? Shes not a flashy person at all, so I thought the simplicity andclassic design of DBTY necklace suits her perfectly. And if I get it from Tiffanys it will be hervery first designer jewelry ever! (And if youve read the background section,hopefully you understand why I think she really, really deserves it!!)
My Dilemma:
For some odd reason, I just cant forgo the idea of choosinga 0.54 carat stone (because shes turning 54), or at least something in the0.50 carat range to represent a celebration of her 50s. Part of the reason isalso because Im toying with the idea of getting myself a 0.26 carat DBTY when Iturn 26 later this year. That way, mymom and I could have matching DBTY necklaces that represent the age/time this allhappened, and would have something to remember by. After all, isnt that whatjewelry is? To celebrate special times, to remember the good times etc (ofcourse I never say no to just because blings!!!:greengrin
HOWEVER, the problemis Tiffanys 0.50 carat range is soooooo darn expensive and Im not necessaryrolling in dough at this point of my career. I am open to buying second hand,and have been checking eBay diligently but most Tiffany DBYT necklaces listedare less than the 0.50 carat range. So far I found ONE listing but it is stillabove my price range...*sigh*
I thought about giving up the designer route (although IREALLY, really, really dont want to!!) and going non-branded, but neitherWhiteflash nor Goodoldgold sells stone smaller than 0.30 carat which means I wouldntbe able to get my 0.26 carat DBTY necklace there, defying the whole idea of matchingwith my mom.
My Questions:
So here I am, kind of back to the drawing board, and stuck. Whatdo you ladies think I should do given the current situation? I still have sometime till June (although Ive been looking since January), so in the mean timeI will be hawking over eBay like no other. I hope you guys dont think buyingsecond-hand is tacky I personally am the type of person who rather buy second-handthings I love if thats the way I can afford it better, than to buy brand new somethingIm not as crazy about.
Thank you so much for reading I look forward to hearing someideas!
The Situation:
Ive been on a hunt for a jewelry gift for my moms upcomingbirthday in June (I know I know crazy planner, guilty as charged). So far thetop contender is Tiffanys Diamond by the Yard (DBTY) necklace in platinum or rosegold. Second runner up is a non-branded DBTY style necklace, which Id probablychoose Whiteflash Verismo if I ended up going this route.
Little Family Background:
My parents got divorced 3 years ago and Im the only childin the family. My dad has since remarried a woman 10 years+ my senior, and my momhas not been with (or even seen) any men since my dad. My dads new life is in anothercountry, and my mom and I are both in the States, not living together but inthe same neighborhood and were very close.
During the 30 years my parents were together, dating +married, my dad didnt buy her much jewelry except for a few small things (non-branded,no certificate, nothing > $500). And were a middle class family so moneywasnt the issue. I just saw it as the way he was. Am I naïve that I was surprised to find out hisnew wife already has a Tiffanys necklace and a non-branded diamond ring? Iknow were all adults here and my dad has the right to choose how he spends hismoney, but my heart aches when I think about what it does to my moms feelings.
To make things worse, a few of my moms heirloom jewelry thatshe inherited from her mother and grandmother (who are no longer with us), werelost during moving. The jewelry were never insured because theyre not worth alot of money (a simple white gold necklace & a solid yellow gold ring) butthe sentimental value behind those pieces is forever irreplaceable.
My mom is a really strong person, and probably the mostselfless and kind person I know. She sacrificed a lot of her own interests forthe best outcome of the family. Shes always put me first, and has given meeverything a child could ask for (not materialistically speaking). Seriously, no amount of words can express thelevel of gratitude I feel towards her. Now that my parents are divorced, Imthe only family left (her side of the family also lives overseas).
(Thank you kindly if youre still reading this much love)
My Thought Process:
Since Ive been working for a few years now with better disposableincome than when I was waiting tables in college, I thought why not buy my momsomething REALLY nice for her upcoming 54th birthday? Dont get mewrong, Ive always taken her out on her birthdays/every mothers day, with flowersand gifts but this time I want to step it up a notch given the circumstance,you know? Shes not a flashy person at all, so I thought the simplicity andclassic design of DBTY necklace suits her perfectly. And if I get it from Tiffanys it will be hervery first designer jewelry ever! (And if youve read the background section,hopefully you understand why I think she really, really deserves it!!)
My Dilemma:
For some odd reason, I just cant forgo the idea of choosinga 0.54 carat stone (because shes turning 54), or at least something in the0.50 carat range to represent a celebration of her 50s. Part of the reason isalso because Im toying with the idea of getting myself a 0.26 carat DBTY when Iturn 26 later this year. That way, mymom and I could have matching DBTY necklaces that represent the age/time this allhappened, and would have something to remember by. After all, isnt that whatjewelry is? To celebrate special times, to remember the good times etc (ofcourse I never say no to just because blings!!!:greengrin
HOWEVER, the problemis Tiffanys 0.50 carat range is soooooo darn expensive and Im not necessaryrolling in dough at this point of my career. I am open to buying second hand,and have been checking eBay diligently but most Tiffany DBYT necklaces listedare less than the 0.50 carat range. So far I found ONE listing but it is stillabove my price range...*sigh*
I thought about giving up the designer route (although IREALLY, really, really dont want to!!) and going non-branded, but neitherWhiteflash nor Goodoldgold sells stone smaller than 0.30 carat which means I wouldntbe able to get my 0.26 carat DBTY necklace there, defying the whole idea of matchingwith my mom.
My Questions:
So here I am, kind of back to the drawing board, and stuck. Whatdo you ladies think I should do given the current situation? I still have sometime till June (although Ive been looking since January), so in the mean timeI will be hawking over eBay like no other. I hope you guys dont think buyingsecond-hand is tacky I personally am the type of person who rather buy second-handthings I love if thats the way I can afford it better, than to buy brand new somethingIm not as crazy about.
Thank you so much for reading I look forward to hearing someideas!