the ring

the etsy ring is out. not a big deal, i was beginning to think it might look weird with a 1 carat stone anyway.
quite understandably, my dbf is concerned about sending a stone to someone we do not know. although etsy is 100% trustworthy, i can see where he is coming from.

he would also have to put his good faith in the USPS, which can be a let down (from experience!)

this is a ring we've both looked at on eBay, and the jeweler is just 2 hours away, so he could go see it in person, which is great! i think the experience of going, picking out, and such is really priceless. it's not quite the same when you order it from the 'net.

this one is also much more budget friendly, coming in at $749 versus the $1,079 for the Cartier inspired one from Moissanite Co.

we'll see :)(not sure why the picture turned weird at the bottom?)

new ring idea.. am i getting obsessive? :)

i came across this beautiful, unique ring from etsy.com seller BendTheFish.

reasons i love this ring:

1. it is handmade
2. she can customize it with a simple matching wedding band
3. we can buy our own stone for her to use (1 carat moissanite on ebay is roughly $230-$250)
4. the total cost will be about $420
5. it is stunningly beautiful in its simplicity (maybe like me?!)

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+

so, it's been awhile

i took a hiatus... a very LONG hiatus!

our table is done and absolutely BEAUTIFUL! all of our hard work paid off. it is stained a very, very dark mahogany and we used a vintage gray printed fabric to cover the

anyway..... i was getting a little too overwhelmed way too early. i took a step back and thought to myself... ya know, you'll have plenty of time to do this after the ring! just enjoy it for now :)

we had a conversation last night and decided it was a much better idea (and just "us") to take a trip out to New York and visit the Herkimer Diamond Mines. my ring will be made with one of these stones, which are actually quartz crystals! we both think that taking a trip to New York will be much more fun than spending money we don't need to on a several thousand dollar diamond ring.

it will mean more to us because it's "different" and the Herkimer Diamond story is such a unique one!! they are only found in this certain area of New York and in just a couple other places in the world. it is also used by "new agers" for healing and energy purposes, which is also very appealing to us.
we both are pretty humanitarian as well and the diamond trading/selling/mining scene is really, really sad. it will make both of us feel good to know we are not giving in to the "box" stores and consumerism.

unfortunately, the mines close each winter from the end of october until the middle of april. so, it looks like we'll be waiting awhile!

herkimer diamond ring at etsy.com
$350
by: Onestonenewyork

finding "the one"

ring, that is!

we went ring shopping tuesday at the mall, just to look. we wanted an idea of carat weight, style... all those good things.
i saw a few i liked, but didn't make it to zales. so, we went back last night... and fell in love!

we loved the uniqueness of the "bridge" setting, meaning the diamonds in the band go underneath the center diamond instead of two separate sets on either side.

the only issue was that the center diamond was 3/4 of a carat, and he is set on a full one (and with absolutely no complaints from me!).

so, now he knows..... and the decision is all his.