thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 27, 2017 11:13:02 GMT -5
As it turns out Sapphire is my husband's birthstone. I told him I kinda wanted to do that. He said "that makes sense, because we can't replace an irreplaceable diamond - so just do something different."
He said if I ended up hating it, we could pluck it out, make a necklace out of it and buy a diamond later.
I can't picture how a sapphire will actually look in my setting, so I have to take it somewhere to see. I suspect they will say my setting is crap and I will have to rebuild it, costing thousands.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Sept 27, 2017 11:40:43 GMT -5
As it turns out Sapphire is my husband's birthstone. I told him I kinda wanted to do that. He said "that makes sense, because we can't replace an irreplaceable diamond - so just do something different." He said if I ended up hating it, we could pluck it out, make a necklace out of it and buy a diamond later. I can't picture how a sapphire will actually look in my setting, so I have to take it somewhere to see. I suspect they will say my setting is crap and I will have to rebuild it, costing thousands. Sapphire's come in all sorts of colors, even colorless, and can be cut in any shape. Hopefully your setting won't be too much to repair. Jewelers tend to be pretty generous when you are buying something. The markup leaves all sorts of wiggle room for service.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 27, 2017 11:42:13 GMT -5
Lab created diamonds are cheaper. Not that it's even close to happening, but I can't settle on a colored stone that I'd like to wear all the time. Plus there's a part of me that sees me smashing my ring into a table or something and at least a diamond won't shatter. A few years back, I bought two antique red spinel rings from a German seller on eBay. I planned on using the stones for a project I was working on. I took the rings to a gemologist to have them appraised. The bad news was the gemologist told me the spinels were lab created. The good news was the rings were not 14K but 18K and each ring was worth several hundred dollars more than what I paid for each (around $100-$120). The seller had no idea the rings themselves were 18K. That made my day.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 27, 2017 11:44:54 GMT -5
As it turns out Sapphire is my husband's birthstone. I told him I kinda wanted to do that. He said "that makes sense, because we can't replace an irreplaceable diamond - so just do something different." He said if I ended up hating it, we could pluck it out, make a necklace out of it and buy a diamond later. I can't picture how a sapphire will actually look in my setting, so I have to take it somewhere to see. I suspect they will say my setting is crap and I will have to rebuild it, costing thousands. Sapphire's come in all sorts of colors, even colorless, and can be cut in any shape. Hopefully your setting won't be too much to repair. Jewelers tend to be pretty generous when you are buying something. The markup leaves all sorts of wiggle room for service. I have a white sapphire ring I wear. At first glance you cannot tell the difference between a white sapphire and a diamond. Closer inspection says otherwise. Still it's a good, hard, clean stone.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 27, 2017 12:49:21 GMT -5
When TD bought my engagement ring, he bought a diamond. The setting is unusual enough that I really like it (and it's gotten a lot of compliments). Only problem was finding a wedding band to go with it. Since we got married spur of the moment (ok, with maybe a week's notice) in South Africa, buying rings was not on our radar before we left. So after things were set in place in Cape Town, we had a hunt for wedding rings in Durban. Luckily, we were able to find something that fit well with the ring and get it sized with 2 days notice.
Not sure if I want a colored stone, as I have other rings that I wear on my right hand that have sapphires, rubies and emeralds in them, that I had been given over the years.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 27, 2017 12:56:48 GMT -5
I don't have any other rings. I kinda wear the same jewelry every day. I wear diamind earrings, and my wedding ring, and mostly a necklace that has my kids' names on it. I change out my necklace for some outfits and occasionally wear a bracelet (like I own one single bracelet.) So, each piece matters.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 27, 2017 13:07:29 GMT -5
There is really no jewel industry that doesn't have a horrible history of exploitation attached to it. You just have to pick the one you can live with. If it doesn't need to be an actual jewel they have cubic zurconia that is so well crafted that even professionals can't tell the difference between it and a real diamond. Cheaper and no moral quandary attached to it. Yes, there is. Conflict-free and ethically-sourced Canadian diamonds. www.brilliantearth.com/canadian-diamonds/
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 27, 2017 13:19:43 GMT -5
You can easily check if it's a real Canadian diamond, or if the seller is just pulling your leg.
To help market its rising output, the country’s diamond industry started in the 1990s to micro-engrave its stones with uniquely identifiable Canadian icons. Diamonds mined, cut and polished in the Northwest Territories — an expanse of the country that runs into its far north, and in which three of its active mines are located — were incised with a tiny polar bear symbol: Diamonds from the Victor mine, in the province of Ontario, were marked with a stylized trillium flower, Ontario’s emblem. All Canadian diamonds also carry a tracking number. “Every country in the world that produces diamonds has to be impressed by how Canada has marketed their diamonds,” said Greg Merrall, an expert on Canadian jewelry and the head of the jewelry program at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Sept 27, 2017 14:25:16 GMT -5
You can easily check if it's a real Canadian diamond, or if the seller is just pulling your leg. To help market its rising output, the country’s diamond industry started in the 1990s to micro-engrave its stones with uniquely identifiable Canadian icons. Diamonds mined, cut and polished in the Northwest Territories — an expanse of the country that runs into its far north, and in which three of its active mines are located — were incised with a tiny polar bear symbol: Diamonds from the Victor mine, in the province of Ontario, were marked with a stylized trillium flower, Ontario’s emblem. All Canadian diamonds also carry a tracking number.
“Every country in the world that produces diamonds has to be impressed by how Canada has marketed their diamonds,” said Greg Merrall, an expert on Canadian jewelry and the head of the jewelry program at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. Awe I want a tiny polar bear diamond!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 28, 2017 15:17:35 GMT -5
My husband called a jeweler. She said that sapphires aren't as hard, so they age more quickly when used daily. I'm not sure I am deterred.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Sept 28, 2017 15:46:56 GMT -5
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on Sept 28, 2017 15:58:39 GMT -5
My husband called a jeweler. She said that sapphires aren't as hard, so they age more quickly when used daily. I'm not sure I am deterred. On the Moh's hardness scale a Diamond is a 10 and a Sapphire is a 9. Rubies are about a 8. Sapphires are called Corundum, that's the scientific name for them.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Sept 28, 2017 16:07:18 GMT -5
As it turns out Sapphire is my husband's birthstone. The *only* reason I have a diamond engagement ring is because my DH's birthstone IS the diamond.
It's corny and sentimental, but I don't care . . .
If you want the sapphire - - go for it.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 28, 2017 16:30:01 GMT -5
I love, love, love Padparadscha sapphires.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Sept 28, 2017 16:39:05 GMT -5
I'm sorry this happened to you. Amazingly enough, I caught my mom's magnificent diamond as it was falling out (I got the ring after my mom passed). Sadly I don't have a jeweler I trust enough to fix the setting without switching the diamond, so the ring has sat in the safe for several years. I'm planning to give it to my very close friend in NY to take to his jeweler to be repaired (he took another broken ring for me years ago and they did a wonderful job, and he trusts them, he is an excellent customer. And I trust him lol.)
If your issue is money, that's one thing. But if it's conflict/blood diamonds, then as Welts says, you cannot go wrong with a Canadian diamond.
I teach an Ethics module at the university where I work. The problem with the Kimberly Process diamonds is that you can never really know where they were mined. They can be (and often are) smuggled over the border from a country without the KP agreement to a country that does respect the KP. There, they are stamped as "conflict-free", even though they are not really "conflict-free" at all; they just (magically) made it over the border to a country that does have "conflict-free" stones.
That is NOT the case in Canada. If I were you, and I could afford it, I'd buy a Canadian diamond, and enjoy my diamond ring.
ETA: By the way, the same issue exists with the mineral inside everyone's cell phone, ie tantalum, although there is not (yet?) the equivalent of the KP for that.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 28, 2017 18:44:54 GMT -5
It is a pretty high setting. I would like it more embedded, but I do like my setting. If the jeweler says she has to rebuild it, I will see if we can change it to be more embedded.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Sept 28, 2017 19:03:38 GMT -5
Take a look HERE , thyme4change. These are stunning stones and they do come in colors.
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Nazgul Girl
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Post by Nazgul Girl on Sept 28, 2017 19:27:07 GMT -5
Look up eds victorian jewelry and sfl maven on ebay. You can just google thtese two names as written and you will find them immediately. Both sell excellent-quality used jewelry and sometimes, you can snag a nice diamond for pennies on the dollar, if you still want a diamond. You need to know the size of the diamond that was unfortunately lost. I have bought nice jewelry from both of them. Plenty to chose from. You can then have the diamond set in your engagement ring setting. Also. a sapphire is a good choice for a center diamond. It will hold up pretty well. Remember, that jeweler wants to sell you a diamond from her store ( ! ), so of course, she downplayed the good qualities of using a sapphire as a replacement. I have seen intaglio-cut sapphires set in gold rings from the Roman times, and they looked just fine
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 28, 2017 20:20:38 GMT -5
My husband called a jeweler. She said that sapphires aren't as hard, so they age more quickly when used daily. I'm not sure I am deterred. On the Moh's hardness scale a Diamond is a 10 and a Sapphire is a 9. Rubies are about a 8. Sapphires are called Corundum, that's the scientific name for them. Actually, ruby is just the red version of sapphire and it too is called corundum. The red corrundum is ruby, padparadscha is pink-orange, and sapohires are all the various other colors. All have a mohs rating of 9..
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on Sept 28, 2017 20:22:32 GMT -5
On the Moh's hardness scale a Diamond is a 10 and a Sapphire is a 9. Rubies are about a 8. Sapphires are called Corundum, that's the scientific name for them. Actually, ruby is just the red version of sapphire and it too is called corundum. The red corrundum is ruby, padparadscha is pink-orange, and sapohires are all the various other colors. All have a mohs rating of 9.. Rubies can be softer, they are about a 8.5, just slightly less than 9.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 29, 2017 0:54:23 GMT -5
Take a look HERE , thyme4change. These are stunning stones and they do come in colors. This could be what she was trying to talk my husband into. She actually is down selling us. I guess my husband sounded poor.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 17:12:39 GMT -5
DH and I got married 44 years ago with simple 14K yellow gold bands. I still wear mine as is, but DH (who likes shiny things-even his college ring has a diamond in it. ) had his band modified 10 years ago to add the center diamond from his mom's engagement ring. It's unusual for a man's ring and very attractive. I never craved a diamond ring but several years back I went in a very unique local pawn store. This is not your usual pawn shop, but known for its high end merchandise like vintage Chanel bags, exotic motorcycles, and a lot of vintage jewelry which I adore. I saw a diamond engagement ring from the 50's and fell in love. Quick trip to my local bank for $1100 cash (10% discount for cash payment) and it was mine. Next stop was my jeweler for prong check, cleaning and appraisal. The appraisal was $10k because it was a platinum mount with very good quality stones. I wear it on my left hand and smile a lot.
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myrrh
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Post by myrrh on Oct 2, 2017 9:21:21 GMT -5
May I suggest this site if you are thinking of lab created stones? I've ordered twice from them now (an alexandrite and a colored CZ), and more than happy with what I got. The website looks pretty old school, but the business is legit. www.geolite.com/
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Oct 2, 2017 9:45:09 GMT -5
My husband called a jeweler. She said that sapphires aren't as hard, so they age more quickly when used daily. I'm not sure I am deterred. Yeah... I wouldn't be deterred. I have an amethyst, which is a 7 on the Mohs scale, and it's survived the past five years just fine.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Nov 29, 2017 18:52:26 GMT -5
I got my sapphire. It is a pretty blue color. Twice the size of my original diamond, and is man made. It really wasn't that expensive. Only cost a quarter of the original diamond.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Nov 29, 2017 19:03:33 GMT -5
I got my sapphire. It is a pretty blue color. Twice the size of my original diamond, and is man made. It really wasn't that expensive. Only cost a quarter of the original diamond. Congratulations!
Enquiring minds want to see a pic!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2017 19:16:34 GMT -5
I'm glad you like it! Hey, sapphire was good enough for women marrying into the British royal family!
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Nov 29, 2017 19:22:02 GMT -5
I'm glad you like it! Hey, sapphire was good enough for women marrying into the British royal family! And let me add-in for my DDIL
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Nov 29, 2017 20:14:20 GMT -5
Congrats! I hope you enjoy it!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2017 20:20:38 GMT -5
My husband called a jeweler. She said that sapphires aren't as hard, so they age more quickly when used daily. I'm not sure I am deterred. Yeah... I wouldn't be deterred. I have an amethyst, which is a 7 on the Mohs scale, and it's survived the past five years just fine. I had an amethyst my Grandma gave me when I was 13 (51 years ago!) and I wore it daily for years- definitely through college. The setting broke at the bottom of the ring and I continued to wear it occasionally. I've since had it reset in platinum. The stone is still beautiful.
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