Tiffany sola/soleste

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wonderful advise Ame. And Rogersa you are so thoughtful. Rogersa, I loved the Leon M. Solitaire, what a sparkler! Watch out for stuff that can't be sized though. You and your FI have both looked into this carefully, and that is the way to go to make the right choice. Keep us posted....
 
scarlet555 said:
wonderful advise Ame. And Rogersa you are so thoughtful. Rogersa, I loved the Leon M. Solitaire, what a sparkler! Watch out for stuff that can't be sized though. You and your FI have both looked into this carefully, and that is the way to go to make the right choice. Keep us posted....

Thanks! I do love it. So beautiful. We'll have to see what we come up with! I would love a full diamond band but ill
Have to do the 5-7 without for the future.

I do want to say that I told my boyfriend if he wants to get engaged and do a full pave band I'm ok with that too. For me, I would rather a band like that than a smaller diamond. I prefer the look- its beautiful but it's not for me. That sounds bad but it's not the way I mean for it to come out. My point is that I'm not one of those women that make their boyfriend get them whatever it is that they want no matter what. He has options, including waiting!

If anyone has any suggestions for Leon rings or photos that would be much appreciated! I'm going to hold off for a bit and see where it takes us.
 
One more thing I will say about money...if he has say, 60k in savings, and isn't going into actual debt for the ring, it's still a -30k, no matter how you look at it. That is 30k that should probably go towards a house or something of equiv. investment. It is much better to have a 60k down payment than a 30k down payment. I just think it makes more sense to spend that on a ring when you are established, secure in your job, etc, vs when you are starting out. It is darn near impossible to have a solid budget plan when first starting out, because alot of unexpected things will be thrown your way and. It is hard to anticipate them. You can get a beautiful,large ring for under 20k, and even 20k is alot at your age. Just be sure he is spending this because he wants to, and not because he feels that you will be unhappy with him spending anything less than that/that you have your heart set on something in that price range. At the same time,make sure that he doesn't feel that he NEEDS to spend that much to be a good fiance. I don't mean this as offensive at all, but I hate seeing people fall into potential pit falls. And, in this economy, it is very easy for companies to lay off new employees unfortunately. Plus, when you own a house, you never know what could go wrong. A new roof? 15k, a fence? 5k, new water heater? 5k. So that 30k can really come in handy in the near future. FWIW, my DF makes much more your rings price range, as do I, but I told him not to go over a certain amount because I wanted to keep the money for more important things. It isn't always about what you can afford, it's what makes the most financial sense for the future.
 
Miss Kris said:
One more thing I will say about money...if he has say, 60k in savings, and isn't going into actual debt for the ring, it's still a -30k, no matter how you look at it. That is 30k that should probably go towards a house or something of equiv. investment. It is much better to have a 60k down payment than a 30k down payment. I just think it makes more sense to spend that on a ring when you are established, secure in your job, etc, vs when you are starting out. It is darn near impossible to have a solid budget plan when first starting out, because alot of unexpected things will be thrown your way and. It is hard to anticipate them. You can get a beautiful,large ring for under 20k, and even 20k is alot at your age. Just be sure he is spending this because he wants to, and not because he feels that you will be unhappy with him spending anything less than that/that you have your heart set on something in that price range. At the same time,make sure that he doesn't feel that he NEEDS to spend that much to be a good fiance. I don't mean this as offensive at all, but I hate seeing people fall into potential pit falls. And, in this economy, it is very easy for companies to lay off new employees unfortunately. Plus, when you own a house, you never know what could go wrong. A new roof? 15k, a fence? 5k, new water heater? 5k. So that 30k can really come in handy in the near future. FWIW, my DF makes much more your rings price range, as do I, but I told him not to go over a certain amount because I wanted to keep the money for more important things. It isn't always about what you can afford, it's what makes the most financial sense for the future.

I would NEVER be unhappy with anything he decided to get me. A ring from a machine would be fine. I even just mentioned that I'd be fine with just an eternity band. I think that this has become about something else entirely. My parents are putting money into a down payment. We're also going to be engaged for at least 2 years. So... I don't know what else to say here and I don't think I need to defend it anymore. I'm not trying to be rude but I was simply asking what style people prefer and if there is any input about that- not money.
 
Here is a copy of frankiextah's post on pricescope (as I am not allowed to link it) comparing the settings of LM, SK, and VC for her 2.32 ct diamond. Yes, it is the same diamond in each setting. She did mention that SK and VC were easier to work with than LM.

I hope this helps.

Several PS'ers have asked to see comparison photos and also descriptive comparisons of my 3 ring settings made by Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch and Leon mege ... so here you are ...

- halo size : LM being the largest because of the larger pave stones on the halo. LM halo is 1.9mm, SK halo is 1.3mm, VC halo is 1.5mm
- setting height : LM being the lowest, SK and VC are pretty much the same, table of the diamond is a little over 7mm measured from the top of the finger
- prong size : LM and VC's prongs are very similar. SK's prongs are very thin, almost too thin
- donut : LM's donut is very large, VC and SK's are small, approx. at 5mm in diameter
- ring shank : LM's being the thickest at 1.95mm, SK's is at 1.85mm, and VC's is at 1.8mm

overall comments on the settings:

LM pros -
- good prongs, diamond set off square where the prongs rest on the kite facets, so the center stone was set very securely
- good tilt angle of the halo
- the cutdown pave was done very elegantly

LM cons -
- donut too large, creating an "empty box" effect at the gallery area
- straight stems, which accentuated the "empty box" effect at the gallery area
- halo too large and overwhelmed the center stone
- excessive metal between center stone and the halo
- excessive metal at the lip (side) of the halo

SK pros -
- small donut and curved struts
- elegant cutdown pave
- unique 2-row pace halo style

SK cons -
- the halo was too thin
- the halo was a little too small for the center stone - the stone had to set a little higher to fit into the setting
- prongs were too thin. the 4 prongs were not evenly spaced so they were pointing at different directions
- the halo was not exactly 100% a perfect circle. pave diamonds were not uniform in size. a few of them were poking out beyond the edge of the halo making the halo looking a little bumpy
- thought this ring was supposed to be hand forged but saw obvious casting parts and was not told about this

VC pros -
- perfect sized halo
- great prongs, elegant, dainty but still strong, pointing acutely at every corner of the table
- minimal amount of metal at the lip of the halo
- small donut and curved struts
- elegant cutdown pave
- perfect tilt angle on the halo
- ring is 100% hand forged, with no casting elements

VC cons -
- that he is not in NYC near me !
Last edited by frankiextah on 02 Oct 2011 00:32, edited 1 time in total.
 

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Rogersa, I feel for you! Been following your thread every now and then... It feels like such a big decision! I always knew I wanted a solitaire so that really narrowed things down a lot for me but there are so many beautiful designs out there!

It's funny, I'm obviously from my postings FULLY involved in the decision re: my "ugrade" (doing and enjoying all the research - it's a very pleasant distraction from work and pregnancy pains!)... but all of this designing one's original ring stuff seems so foreign to me! Not to say it's not uncommon these days - my sister in law was there at every step of her custom made ring and that's fine - but it's kind of romantic to let him choose too! My brother, I think, did it PERFECTLY - he took her out to Birks and Tiffany's and a few places one day and asked her to show him the one style she loved the most... then he (with my help! :) ) took it from there and she was not disappointed! :) He ended up at Tiffany's and was thrilled with his choice ... they spent under $10K and she has a stunning embrace ring, and hey - one day 10 years down the road she always has the option to upgrade there to any style/size she wants! I know right now she can't even imagine doing that but the option is always there, right?

I guess what I'm saying too... is that I never ever thought I'd upgrade or change my setting but both me and my sister did and we've both married for less than 10 years (so not that long even)... I lost my original one, she tired of the rather modern setting he chose... the point is, I don't think you should put TOO much pressure on this ring being perfect as you never know, you might upgrade down the road, or it could be lost or stolen, or even tire of the halo? 2-3 carat solitaires are MONSTER rings for newly engaged young couples aren't they? I mean WOW - 3 carats?! I still don't know anyone who has one like that, even wives of CEO's! I mean if you can swing it, go for it! And only you and BF know for sure if you're comfortable with that. That's definitely not our business... my point is maybe you're making this too hard on both of you. Maybe it's not totally necessary to get THE RING right now? You could always upgrade to your dream ring in 10 years and take some of the pressure off of feeling like it has to be absolutely perfect/as big as you'll ever want it to be?

It sounds like whatever you do you're going to end up with one gorgeous ring! I'd just hate for all the romance to go out of it with all the stress! And it's true if it is financially stressful it's not good - you never want to look at it as a sign of something negative, only positive... even if it's "only" 1 carat right now, KWIM?

Good luck!
 
I would NEVER be unhappy with anything he decided to get me. A ring from a machine would be fine. I even just mentioned that I'd be fine with just an eternity band. I think that this has become about something else entirely. My parents are putting money into a down payment. We're also going to be engaged for at least 2 years. So... I don't know what else to say here and I don't think I need to defend it anymore. I'm not trying to be rude but I was simply asking what style people prefer and if there is any input about that- not money.

Style and money are one in the same though. I think you have gotten plenty of advice here btw. We can't keep helping you if you keep changing your mind about what you want,and I'm sure your boyfriend feels the same way. I am going to bow out though, I have no more advice to give you. Best of luck
 
Rogersa, I feel for you! Been following your thread every now and then... It feels like such a big decision! I always knew I wanted a solitaire so that really narrowed things down a lot for me but there are so many beautiful designs out there!

It's funny, I'm obviously from my postings FULLY involved in the decision re: my "ugrade" (doing and enjoying all the research - it's a very pleasant distraction from work and pregnancy pains!)... but all of this designing one's original ring stuff seems so foreign to me! Not to say it's not uncommon these days - my sister in law was there at every step of her custom made ring and that's fine - but it's kind of romantic to let him choose too! My brother, I think, did it PERFECTLY - he took her out to Birks and Tiffany's and a few places one day and asked her to show him the one style she loved the most... then he (with my help! :) ) took it from there and she was not disappointed! :) He ended up at Tiffany's and was thrilled with his choice ... they spent under $10K and she has a stunning embrace ring, and hey - one day 10 years down the road she always has the option to upgrade there to any style/size she wants! I know right now she can't even imagine doing that but the option is always there, right?

I guess what I'm saying too... is that I never ever thought I'd upgrade or change my setting but both me and my sister did and we've both married for less than 10 years (so not that long even)... I lost my original one, she tired of the rather modern setting he chose... the point is, I don't think you should put TOO much pressure on this ring being perfect as you never know, you might upgrade down the road, or it could be lost or stolen, or even tire of the halo? 2-3 carat solitaires are MONSTER rings for newly engaged young couples aren't they? I mean WOW - 3 carats?! I still don't know anyone who has one like that, even wives of CEO's! I mean if you can swing it, go for it! And only you and BF know for sure if you're comfortable with that. That's definitely not our business... my point is maybe you're making this too hard on both of you. Maybe it's not totally necessary to get THE RING right now? You could always upgrade to your dream ring in 10 years and take some of the pressure off of feeling like it has to be absolutely perfect/as big as you'll ever want it to be?

It sounds like whatever you do you're going to end up with one gorgeous ring! I'd just hate for all the romance to go out of it with all the stress! And it's true if it is financially stressful it's not good - you never want to look at it as a sign of something negative, only positive... even if it's "only" 1 carat right now, KWIM?

Good luck!

Completely agree and I think this sums up what several of us have been trying to say...but sort of feel like it has been ignored. It's really not necessary to have the perfect ring in your 20s. Financially, it doesn't really make sense. You should always have something to "want" for IMO. Maybe OP should get a fake setting for now until she finds the perfect ring.
 
I would NEVER be unhappy with anything he decided to get me. A ring from a machine would be fine. I even just mentioned that I'd be fine with just an eternity band. I think that this has become about something else entirely. My parents are putting money into a down payment. We're also going to be engaged for at least 2 years. So... I don't know what else to say here and I don't think I need to defend it anymore. I'm not trying to be rude but I was simply asking what style people prefer and if there is any input about that- not money.


Completely agree and I think this sums up what several of us have been trying to say...but sort of feel like it has been ignored. It's really not necessary to have the perfect ring in your 20s. Financially, it doesn't really make sense.
Agreed.

I think you're wrapped up in the excitement of what could be given to you, which is fine, but you really are not thinking about the reality of how HUGE a financial spend this is. If he has twice what this ring will cost in the bank, why is your family paying a downpayment?! That contradicts everything you've said. I feel like when you first started out looking, you had one thing and mind, and the longer you look, the more you see, the bigger your eyes and dreams seem to be.

You might have asked about style, but with your wants and what appeals to you changing rapidly and so often, I think you need to slow it down and bow out. Let him get you what he can afford in the same vein of what you want. In 10 years or whatever when you are more financially sound, have a couple kids, careers, a home...then talk about the dream ring. Your ring doesn't HAVE to be the one you get engaged and married with. It's about where you were when you got married. Not about showing off your futures, marriage is not about a ring.

We really are not trying to tear you down. We want you to step back and think about this long and hard, and let HIM do the work.

I too am stepping out of this thread.
That's a great report, so Frankie reset her same diamond three times in the same style :)

VC one is stunning....but they all are to be fair!
She did and they're all AMAZING.
 
I have to say just one more thing. I looked at your past posting history, and you have been posting these threads since July of 2010?? You have been searching for rings with your boyfriend for almost 2 years? And, it says you had been looking a year before that. I'm more confused than ever. Ok,I'm out
 
Here is a copy of frankiextah's post on pricescope (as I am not allowed to link it) comparing the settings of LM, SK, and VC for her 2.32 ct diamond. Yes, it is the same diamond in each setting. She did mention that SK and VC were easier to work with than LM.

I hope this helps.

Several PS'ers have asked to see comparison photos and also descriptive comparisons of my 3 ring settings made by Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch and Leon mege ... so here you are ...

- halo size : LM being the largest because of the larger pave stones on the halo. LM halo is 1.9mm, SK halo is 1.3mm, VC halo is 1.5mm
- setting height : LM being the lowest, SK and VC are pretty much the same, table of the diamond is a little over 7mm measured from the top of the finger
- prong size : LM and VC's prongs are very similar. SK's prongs are very thin, almost too thin
- donut : LM's donut is very large, VC and SK's are small, approx. at 5mm in diameter
- ring shank : LM's being the thickest at 1.95mm, SK's is at 1.85mm, and VC's is at 1.8mm

overall comments on the settings:

LM pros -
- good prongs, diamond set off square where the prongs rest on the kite facets, so the center stone was set very securely
- good tilt angle of the halo
- the cutdown pave was done very elegantly

LM cons -
- donut too large, creating an "empty box" effect at the gallery area
- straight stems, which accentuated the "empty box" effect at the gallery area
- halo too large and overwhelmed the center stone
- excessive metal between center stone and the halo
- excessive metal at the lip (side) of the halo

SK pros -
- small donut and curved struts
- elegant cutdown pave
- unique 2-row pace halo style

SK cons -
- the halo was too thin
- the halo was a little too small for the center stone - the stone had to set a little higher to fit into the setting
- prongs were too thin. the 4 prongs were not evenly spaced so they were pointing at different directions
- the halo was not exactly 100% a perfect circle. pave diamonds were not uniform in size. a few of them were poking out beyond the edge of the halo making the halo looking a little bumpy
- thought this ring was supposed to be hand forged but saw obvious casting parts and was not told about this

VC pros -
- perfect sized halo
- great prongs, elegant, dainty but still strong, pointing acutely at every corner of the table
- minimal amount of metal at the lip of the halo
- small donut and curved struts
- elegant cutdown pave
- perfect tilt angle on the halo
- ring is 100% hand forged, with no casting elements

VC cons -
- that he is not in NYC near me !
Last edited by frankiextah on 02 Oct 2011 00:32, edited 1 time in total.


Her thread made me contact Victor.
 
I have to say just one more thing. I looked at your past posting history, and you have been posting these threads since July of 2010?? You have been searching for rings with your boyfriend for almost 2 years? And, it says you had been looking a year before that. I'm more confused than ever. Ok,I'm out

To be fair, I've been in rogersa's position. When my now-fiance brought up marriage and looking for rings, evaluating diamonds and settings became a full-time hobby for me. That was a year and half ago. He just proposed at the end of November with a ring that I did not pick out. The wait was nerve-racking! And why did he ask me to look at rings? The nerve! Men should not ask women to go ring shopping unless they are going to propose within 6 months.
 
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