new ring idea

so... because of several reasons, we've decided against the herkimer diamond.
although a great thought, here's why:
1. we can't get it until april
2. it looks less like a gem and more like glass

although the new york trip would've been amazing, the big thing is we can't go until april.
sooo.... that led me googling once again for diamond alternatives. it also let me to this article and i am honestly appalled. as an advertising major myself, i know how incredibly powerful it can be. this seems to be one of america's greatest marketing scams of all time. we have been tricked into believing that diamonds equal love.

after looking at white topaz and white sapphire, i came across an incredible stone called moissanite.

this gem has both more brillance AND fire than diamonds! it is also almost as hard on the Mohs scale, so you can wear it everyday without worrying about damaging the stone. i've read that it takes a great jeweler to tell the difference between a moissanite and a diamond. it occurs naturally in tiny amounts and is now synthetically made by a company called Charles & Colvard, Ltd ... and the best part? it's 1/4 the price!!

take the time to read this very interesting personal article about diamonds and moissanites. it deifnitely convinced me!

i'm trying to stay around the $1,000 range... still a little more than we can afford, but very reasonable considering i will get a 1 carat stone. i've always wanted a square princess cut stone, but this stone shows less color when cut round.. so i think i'll go with round.

here are two i love that are about $1,000

and then.... the ring OF MY DREAMS! :)
this was a custom design, i'm sure it's $3,000+