They Won't Leave in the Night: Diamonds Are ForNEVER!

[mrs-h-]

Posh - I have pics - Here are some of them -

Its a "H" colour 9mm RB Asha, i also have pics of my other 2 rings with Interlap CZ's in them if you want to see.

[socaligurl80]

oh wow! that's so pretty!! may I ask where you purchased that?

[SFA437]

Posh - I have pics - Here are some of them -

Its a "H" colour 9mm RB Asha, i also have pics of my other 2 rings with Interlap CZ's in them if you want to see.

BLING-tastic!!

[mrs-h-]

Socali - It was Moissaniteco.com, Mike and Jera who run the company have their own vendors thread over at BTD.com, they also sell Ashas and are in the process of getting their Asha website up and running, recently they did a limited run of Old European Cut Ashas, they were TDF but too small for me, i like them big i love the antique cuts and have an 10mm Old European Cut Interlap from FReecz.com set in to a solstice band - I also bought a trellis style band from them and had it set with a 9mm Asscher - both are ingterlap stones in the chinese white colour, they come in loads of different colours and chinese white colour is supposed to be in the "I J K" colour range but it seems to be the same colour as my H Asha, heres a pic of them together - sorry, didnt realise it was so blurry, i'll try again - and here it is with the Asscher -

[socaligurl80]

oooooh

i like the round one with six prongs (tiffany setting, right?) sorry I'm clueless when it comes to bling, and all i know is I want a ring like yours but a bit smaller :P

BIG BLING is BLINGTASTIC but a bit too big for me

a 9mm would be like a 2.5ct right? lol lol

I think i want a 1.5ct size.. 7mm that is me off to that website!!

btw, have you had that ring for long? is it ascher or mossanite? they say mossanite turns color, is that true?

and how about ascher? does it last long?

oh oh~ and what is the difference between colors? chinese color would be the one in between yellowish and super white right?

(sorry for being a snob here.. but which is the most "believable"?)

I do want to buy a diamond alternative, but I don't want it to look like cheap glass :P (and I don't intend to fool people telling them it's a diamond either, but I like sparkle and I'd like for people to see my bling bling from across the room LOL)

[socaligurl80]

my bad.. 9mm is a 3 carat (holy moly!)

and a 1.5 is 7.5mm :P

[Posh]

Mrs. H, your collection is out of control! I love that Trellis ring. I drool over it at BTD all the time. There's no way I can get one right now because I'm getting one of the new Statement Rings they've got all over te place; for the unitiated a statment ring is the equivalent of the cocktail ring but even bolder, I think. I have a dress I'm scraping up for, a Micahel Kors dress that's I saw on TV and fell in love with. I don't know what I'm going to wear it to but I want it. I think I can get away with not eating and hopefully it'll be on sale when I get enough money for it. Look at THIS dress!

Socal, being a snob is okay as long as you're nice when you step on a sales girl's hand as she picks up the credit card you threw at her. LOL

Selecting a stone in the H and I range and maybe J range will give the stone a yellowish cast which would, depending on your job, totally pass muster. If it's a large stone, get the yellower colors so it looks as if you got a bigger stone but it's lower quality and thus less expensive. Of course, having an exceptional cut like Hearts & Arrows so it still sparkles will offset the color discrepancy. Don't get a large moissanite as that green tint is crazy ugly.

The simulants we are talking about do not look cheap by any means. It would stand up at any cocktail party, Republican fundraiser or funeral you could possibly go to. Repping allows you to save money on things you love so you can buy things that are more important, like . . . more reps! I'm teasing . . . or am I?

[dtan888]

Thank you so much Posh and also Ms. H

Now I know where to get some bling for wifey and without hurting the bank that much. I cant afford those real bling so called. Thank you.

I may need help in the future since I am totally clueless on this topic.

Regards,
Dan

[socaligurl80]

Thanks Posh!!

Ok so Mossanite and Ascher are two DIFFERENT things.

Ascher is a bit pricier (I want something under 1K so I can spend the rest 1K on other reps LOL)

I want a regular tiffany style solitaire for my first bling

any recommendations? (linkies please!)

ok now I'm off to btd


btw.. stepping on the hand while smiling (totally cracked me up)

[socaligurl80]

btw, that dress is FAB!! (costs more than a bling too! LOL)

[socaligurl80]

ok not to spam this thread, but I see the tiffany reproduction in palladium is SUPER cheap but I have to add a stone and the stone comes with NO warranty and has a SUPER discount so it only ends up costing me less than $620?

I want the 1.5ct 7.5mm stone with tiffany reproduction setting in palladium. I assume version 6 is the new version and that's why I have no other choice but to purchase an F color?


it is my first time placing an order here, but I assume it's safe to do so? Sounds like a great deal to me.. any thoughts? Thanks!

http://www.betterthandiamond.com/dia...asha/round.php

[Posh]

ok not to spam this thread, but I see the tiffany reproduction in palladium is SUPER cheap but I have to add a stone and the stone comes with NO warranty and has a SUPER discount so it only ends up costing me less than $620?

I want the 1.5ct 7.5mm stone with tiffany reproduction setting in palladium. I assume version 6 is the new version and that's why I have no other choice but to purchase an F color?


it is my first time placing an order here, but I assume it's safe to do so? Sounds like a great deal to me.. any thoughts? Thanks!

http://www.betterthandiamond.com/diamonds/asha/round.php

No problem! It's exciting and so you forget some details. LOL

BTD is way fine to use. They are very, very reputable and well-respected by me and their other members. They have a warranty period and customer service that surpasses anything that the dealers have or will ever offer. You can buy with complete confidence. Also, the prices are lower because they found their traditional warranty wasn't being used so why keep prices up for a service no one really used?

You may want to read a bit about the version 5 and version 6 Asha. I personally prefer the version 5 because it does not have the "optical layer" made of their proprietary compound that brings the refractory index up to about 2.5. Diamond is between 2.40 and 2.42. This layer increases the light handling of the stone. But it is no where near the insane RI of moissanite which is 2.60 to 2.69. But with that stone you want, version 6 is fine.

If you want something really high style and unique, check out Peter Kangas' work. It's to die for. And he does AMAZING custom work. Also, The Mounting Store has some interesting offerings too.

[socaligurl80]

Aw Posh!! thanks!!!! I'm checking out the sites

btw, is the mounting store REAL diamond? how come it's so cheap?

This classic solitaire engagment ring features a 1.50ct round brilliant cut natural diamond. The diamond is securely set in a solid 6 prong 14k white gold mount. 1.50ct total diamond weight.

[Posh]

At The Mounting Store, I was talking to about the rings themselves, not their stones. They will give you ideas or you can get a setting from them if you can't find it anywhere else or have it replicated by your jeweler.

[socaligurl80]

ok but how can a 1.5ct diamond ring cost less than 2k?

that's confusing

[rigors]

nice post.... didn't think i was gonna say that...

x

[LifterCatcher]

This post is awesome lots of great information

[dtan888]

Definetly worth a sticky

Sticky it is

Great jos Posh, great information.

Dan

[Posh]

Thank you Rigors, Catcher and Tan!!!!! I'm glad that everyone found it interesting and/or informative.

Cali, those rings have lower quality stones in them. I mean, look at their clarity ratings. Most are I or lower and in H, I and J or lower ranges. That means you are getting some major cost savings but you are going see those flaws EVERYDAY. But those low quality stones were going somewhere, right?

[mrs-h-]

Posh - Your dress is drop dead gorgeous i thought i knew a lot about ashas and jewelery in general but you are the bling queen and the font of all knowledge

Socali - Have a look at Moissaniteco.com, they have thousands of ring styles, the round solitaire i have is called a solstice setting, its modeled on the classic Tiffany setting, my whole Asha Halo ring cost just $1054 i think and i payed via paypal as im not in the US, they are the cheapest place i have found for settings and if you e-mail them they will answer ASAP, their customer service is awesom, they have a vendors section over at BTD if you want to ask them anything, the Solstice and the Trellis rings i have are from Wink Jones at Freecz.com, i picked the chinese white colour as its what i had in my own engagement ring (H colour), they do all of the different cuts available, they are just a higher quality of CZ and cheaper than Asha, but from now on i think i'll stick with the Asha, BTD have re-released Pear and Ovals again, dont know if you've seen them yet but they are gorgeous, good luck with your choice, you'll need it , theres so many gorgeous styles to choose from.


I couldnt find this thread and was thinking that i must be going loopy, but i found it eventually

[socaligurl80]

i was wondering where this thread went and now it's a sticky.. yay!!

Mrs H thank you So much for your pictures, this totally made me want a bling bling now

I think I've decided for an asha tiffany reproduction in a 1.5ct size.. came up to $614 and thought it was a great deal

I'll report back once i get it. I suspect I wont be "engaged" officially until november this year so can't wait to get it and take pics!!!

and btw.. what a great deal!! (AND I'm helping save the world, how nice is that?)

[roflwaffle]

@socaligurl

i think thats great actually

ive gotten into... discussions.. with girls i know, and most of them still believe theyve been 'shorted' if i dont go and drop X months salary on an engagement ring for a ring that will in all likelyhood only be worn during the engagement period

i think as a couple starting out, that X months of salary blown on such a thing is rather distasteful and could better be spent on other things (downpayment towards a house, better honeymoon, a 'family friendly ar', etc etc etc) that would add more to the marriage than a rock.

but, i'd say 98% of women see this as guys being a total cheapass and 'not really loving them enough' yadda yadda

or maybe i am just a cheapass..

besides 'social customs' (created by debeers) I cant really think of a single valid reason for the absurdity of it all..

[DVS]

I discussed this with my gf and she loves the Tiffany and Cartier reproductions... and as long as it blings, she is ok with it...

She thinks it is a bonus that the price isn't like a real diamond

[elisiX]

I have only skimmed over this thread but I intend on going back and reading it in full as I think this is very interesting but even more-so, I think its relevant to a situation I find myself in currently.

My mrs, Jacqui and I have been together for quite a few years and were 26 now. Jacqui has worked in the diamond industry for a long time and is a qualified gemologist. She now works in travel however during her time working for what I believe is the largest importer of diamonds in Australia, she was showered with gifts and so on from her employers over a number of years which included bracelets, earrings etc in excess of $25-30k. They pretty much thought of her as a daughter.

Anyway when we were 22 I think it was we got engaged. I went to her boss and asked her what she could do for me. In the end I walked out after laying down $14k for over $30k retail worth of diamond. Well I actually had a 2ct F/VS2 solitaire set in a tiffany knife edge ring and I think 17 smaller 12pt G/SI stones for a tiffany shared setting band to suit which I had made up. I was ecstatic to say the least. Long story short we split up a short time later and I was given my rings back which I sold privately (and made a pretty penny on after asking her boss if it were fine for me to sell privately rather then back to her). Essentially I took the 15k I made (on top of my investment) and put it into managed funds. Eventually I bought a place with the money and Jacqui and I got back together about a year after ending the engagement. I think its been about 3 years since we got back together now.

The situation - well we've talked about getting engaged again but i'll be dammed if I spend that kinda coin on a diamond again. I'd much rather spend money on our mortgage/lifestyle/savings however I guess im unsure how buying something 'other than' a diamond will go down. I know my girl - and I know she will ultimately be happy with anything I give her however she walks about with 80pt diamonds in her ears ffs. Ideally i'd like to buy her another 2ct stone (perhaps cushion or oval this time) but I might just get her to read this thread with me and perhaps it may open her eyes a little into the perceived value put on diamonds though this might be a hard sell. She's pretty big on holidays (now being in that industry) and we get incredible rates on flights etc. Maybe she would rather spend the 'diamond' money on a fantastic trip and accept the value and quality of these alternate stones.

Anyway - thanks for the info and listening to my waffling on.

[amcogo2010]

This is quite an interesting article.


While I agree with some of the principles of this article, and I do agree that much of this is marketing hype, and spending x amount on a diamond is b.s. created by DeBeers marketing, I would like to note a few things about the industry.


I've spent some time dealing with the blood diamond trade and the trial of those involved etc.

The diamond industry is making a great effort to eliminate the blood diamond trade and has eliminated all but a very minute amount.


At the height figures project anywhere from 4 to 15 percent of all diamonds were mined and traded on the black market "blood diamonds."

Currently between the UN monitoring of the African nations exporting diamonds (UNOMSIL and UNOMIL and various others since the late 1990's) and the Kimberly Process the amount of "blood diamonds" is very low, between .2 to 1 percent of all diamonds traded around the world.


Numerous efforts have been made to legitimize the mining in countries previously exploited...return of mining from the RUF to the Koidu Holdings etc.


Yes there is still smuggling, but we are definitely headed in the right direction, so I thought it should be noted that its not a particularly large number of diamonds being traded on the underground market.

While I would love to say that no black market should ever exist, and I'd love to see that number go down even more to 0%, I dont think the illegal diamond trade should be blown out of proportion.

That is my only fear for this topic. Trying to save money is great, being morally opposed to blood diamonds, to being ripped off by over inflated prices etc. is certainly agreeable, I just don't want people that don't know much about the diamond trade to come into this post and get any misconceptions.



No I've not been in the military like SFA or others here, never been to Sierra Leon Angola Cote d'Ivoire etc, just done as much research as possible to write about the trade and the trial of those responsible for it (Taylor and others).


So take my musing for what you want, ignore me, don't, disagree, w.e. just thought I'd put what I know out there for anyone who's interested.



P.s. if anyone is interested in reading any interesting books on this:


Diamonds: A journey to the heart of the matter - M. Hart
Blood Diamonds: Tracing The Deadly Path of the Worlds Most Precious Stone
Sierra Leone Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy: John L. Hirsch
Transparency in the International Diamond Trade: Nicholas Saxon