Engagement Rings ! ?? - Page 5

ok.....but you were wrong. and now youre just back tracking, its not that big of a deal. just to know that you were saying something incorrect. whatever. and generally you dont have to worry too much about a ruby fading, unless ofcourse its treated. and almost all gems are treated, sapphire or ruby. probably around 90% if not more.

Hmm, except for . . . diamonds?

I did a ton of research for my wife's ring and am very glad I did. The diamond I chose is awesome and she gets tons of complimens on it. Well worth it to me.

Diamonds are treated aswell, from laser drilling inclusions to glass filling etc

Why argue with him? It's like talking to a board.

Of course you can do those things, but you don't need to to get a decent-looking stone, and diamonds from reputable sources are untreated.

My wife and I have been a couple since college (c.1984) and was only after a short seventeen years that I got around to proposing.

On one of our winter trips to Bora Bora, it happened to be St. Valentine's day. I thought, "Well, probably a sign." The day before, I arranged for the two of us to visit the best pearl shop on the island in the middle of a jeep trip.

We went through the whole vault of the really fantastic black pearls...big, perfectly round, with amazing depth to the lustre, the kind you only see rarely even from the best jewelers. I noted which four that she liked the most, including her favorite. I told her that the prices were still too much, but that we would consider it later. She was a good sport.

The next morning was St. Valentine's Day. We woke up early just before the sunrise, and I suggested a hike up to a hill to see the sun break the horizon. We hiked up, and just as the sun cleared Mt. Otemanu, I proposed, producing her favorite black pearl.

Her engagement ring has that pearl at the center in a platinum setting. There is a cluster of four diamonds on either side, two 1 carat FL-D oval cuts and two FL-D 3/4 carat oval cuts on each side. Done up by a local jeweler.

The effect is pretty simple, but spectacular at the same time. When my wife is in a room with women with honker diamonds, it is always her ring that gets the oohs and ahhs...and then she tells the story about how she got the pearl.

Doesn't quite make up for waiting for seventeen years...but its close.

Oh, and I bought all four pearls that she liked. Three are in reserve since a pearl is transitory like life and love.


- B

^^^ You are such a mushy, gushy ball of love stuff.

post pic of the black pearl ring...sounds interesting.

If u want to wear something on a daily basis you don't want pearls.

betterthandiamond.com also has some cultured stones like rubies, sapphires, emeralds. They are relatively inexpensive and supposed to look fantastic. A sapphire ring with a micro-pave halo would be awesome and cheaper, though I personally like the blue diamond better.

It seems like a recession is a good time to get engaged. It's the one time you'll be able to get away with not splurging on a rock.

Where's the He-Man picture?

I like the idea of Sappire. They're beautiful and a nice big blue stone looks very nice on any woman. The other option is colored diamonds which I'm thinking about.

Something that does bother me intensely is the fact that diamonds are actually so commonplace and I really do wonder if I'll end up losing money on it one day, because I would plan on getting something pretty substantial.

I wonder if there is a market for antique jewelry, maybe a piece that would have considerable value as a collector piece/antique? Maybe the ring of some famous Duchess or something. Where can one find out about these auctions/dealers? I'm thinking that something with real provenance could be interesting.

Good thread.