Friday, August 12, 2005
Frivolous Fretting
You might remember a few posts ago I wrote about my wedding/engagement ring and how I had dropped it off at our jewelers in Portland to get a quote on having my new, bigger diamond placed in the ring as the center stone. Well, they called back a few days ago with the quote, and my eyes bugged out: over $800 to do it. They would have to essentially rebuild the ring to accommodate the bigger diamond. Mr. Chick is leaving this decision completely up to me. Ahh! It's seems like far too much money for us to be spending at this particular time in our lives for something so trivial. BUT - I really would like to do *something* with my new diamond. I mean, what girl wouldn't want to sport a fatty gem like that? It does me no good sitting stashed away in a safety deposit box, now, does it? I didn't think so.
It would be a much cheaper alternative to use the new diamond as a pendant. That was what I was thinking of doing with the stone it would have replaced. Except, the snob in me, if I'm being honest, would prefer to have the bigger stone in my ring and the smaller stone as a pendant. Shoot me. And THEN Mr. Chick throws a monkey wrench into my whole thought-process by suggesting we use the money it would cost to swap out the stones to buy a whole different ring for that diamond. I hadn't considered that possibility, and it IS quite tantalizing. A new ring?? Not a substitute for my wedding ring, but a whole new ring to wear just for fun? So I could be bathed with the bling at all times? Oh my - that is something to think about. What sort of design would I like? It's been over 7 years since I last looked at rings. Hmm.. a jewelry shopping trip - what fun! So that's my dilemma: what to do with this diamond. A) do nothing now and wait until it makes more sense to spend large sums of money to do the swap or whatever. B) pay the exorbitant cost to have the larger diamond set in my wedding/engagement ring and then decide what to do with the "old" diamond or C) keep my wedding/engagement rings exactly as the are and instead choose to do something else with the larger stone. Like a new ring!
I need to make a choice soon because my ring is still in California awaiting our decision. I'm heading back to Portland next week for the visit with my friend and it would be nice to get my ring back, one way or the other. I'm already pushing it as it is. I just don't know what to do!! And it seems so completely frivolous to get my dander up about how best to spend money on jewelry when there are so many more important things to be up-in-arms about. But hey - it's where my head is right now. I'm a girl and I get all hot and bothered when it comes to diamonds, what can I say? I'm not ashamed to admit I like to have nice jewelry, silly and unnecessary as it is. So what would YOU do?
It would be a much cheaper alternative to use the new diamond as a pendant. That was what I was thinking of doing with the stone it would have replaced. Except, the snob in me, if I'm being honest, would prefer to have the bigger stone in my ring and the smaller stone as a pendant. Shoot me. And THEN Mr. Chick throws a monkey wrench into my whole thought-process by suggesting we use the money it would cost to swap out the stones to buy a whole different ring for that diamond. I hadn't considered that possibility, and it IS quite tantalizing. A new ring?? Not a substitute for my wedding ring, but a whole new ring to wear just for fun? So I could be bathed with the bling at all times? Oh my - that is something to think about. What sort of design would I like? It's been over 7 years since I last looked at rings. Hmm.. a jewelry shopping trip - what fun! So that's my dilemma: what to do with this diamond. A) do nothing now and wait until it makes more sense to spend large sums of money to do the swap or whatever. B) pay the exorbitant cost to have the larger diamond set in my wedding/engagement ring and then decide what to do with the "old" diamond or C) keep my wedding/engagement rings exactly as the are and instead choose to do something else with the larger stone. Like a new ring!
I need to make a choice soon because my ring is still in California awaiting our decision. I'm heading back to Portland next week for the visit with my friend and it would be nice to get my ring back, one way or the other. I'm already pushing it as it is. I just don't know what to do!! And it seems so completely frivolous to get my dander up about how best to spend money on jewelry when there are so many more important things to be up-in-arms about. But hey - it's where my head is right now. I'm a girl and I get all hot and bothered when it comes to diamonds, what can I say? I'm not ashamed to admit I like to have nice jewelry, silly and unnecessary as it is. So what would YOU do?
// posted by MP @ 12:47 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
Hi MP,
I don't think I've commented to you before but I'm a frequent lurker. I'm the same age as you and I also have two kids about the same age as yours so I feel like I can relate to your life.
Anyway, as for your ring dilemma, my only piece of advice is to do something now rather than wait. Even though I know that you're planning on having more money down the road given your husband's recent law degree, you just never know what may happen. There will always be something more practical to spend money on than jewelry but few things will give you the daily pleasure of seeing your beautiful diamond on your finger. If you're going to wait for something, maybe you could wait to get your old diamond set into a pendant.
My dh bought me a new engagement ring for our 5th anniversary since my first ring was a little on the skimpy side (I know I shouldn't care about these things either but I can't help myself). A few years later we then reset my original engagement diamond in a platinum pendant. I didn't mind waiting for the pendant because I had the beautiful new engagement ring to admire every day. Unfortunately, the new engagement ring doesn't match up with my old wedding ring and so I have to wear the rings on different hands but that's a whole other story.
Take care,
Amy
I don't think I've commented to you before but I'm a frequent lurker. I'm the same age as you and I also have two kids about the same age as yours so I feel like I can relate to your life.
Anyway, as for your ring dilemma, my only piece of advice is to do something now rather than wait. Even though I know that you're planning on having more money down the road given your husband's recent law degree, you just never know what may happen. There will always be something more practical to spend money on than jewelry but few things will give you the daily pleasure of seeing your beautiful diamond on your finger. If you're going to wait for something, maybe you could wait to get your old diamond set into a pendant.
My dh bought me a new engagement ring for our 5th anniversary since my first ring was a little on the skimpy side (I know I shouldn't care about these things either but I can't help myself). A few years later we then reset my original engagement diamond in a platinum pendant. I didn't mind waiting for the pendant because I had the beautiful new engagement ring to admire every day. Unfortunately, the new engagement ring doesn't match up with my old wedding ring and so I have to wear the rings on different hands but that's a whole other story.
Take care,
Amy
# posted by 
: 6:28 PM
: 6:28 PM
$800?! That seems insane! For our anniversary in February, I had my 0.65 ct diamond replaced with a 1 ct diamond and it cost $100. I guess it all depends on what type of setting you have though. Mine is a simple knife-edge Tiffany-style band, so they just had to replace the crown.
I too am trying to decide what to do with my old diamond. I'm hoping DH will have it made into a necklace for Christmas.
I too am trying to decide what to do with my old diamond. I'm hoping DH will have it made into a necklace for Christmas.
$800 is enough to buy a pretty nice ring, I might go with that option. I love those new diamond 'right hand' rings they are advertising now.
Bonnie
Post a Comment
Bonnie
# posted by : 5:53 AM
: 5:53 AM << Home
Hit Counters
