How big is too big? ...well it was THIS BIG. update pg 13!

[Whitestripe]

I *must* be missing the jewelry gene as it's never occured to me to have my ring cleaned. Maybe I'm just a slob. Probably.

Actually now come to think of it, I got a matching custom made sapphire ring and earring set as a birthday/anniversary/push present the year

Henzo was born. Of course I lost one of the earrings. Last Christmas I asked to have the earring replaced. When I got the set back they were much more shiny and prettier than the one the husband took in to be matched.

[quirksome]

Another thing...I purchase metals for a living right now. Platinum is on the wishlist for many women. Some go with white gold, which has to be constantly maintained. Depending on the person's body chemistry, it could cost 40-60 every few months to keep that sparkling white look to it. Platinum itself has it's own upkeep costs. When you buy from a jewelery store, one thing they are counting on is the money they will be getting from you in a maintenance plan. A great alternative is Palladium. It is strong, bright and has very little upkeep compared to Platinum and white gold, as well as being about half the price of fine gold or Plat on the market at any given time. A local jeweler can cast a mold and make a ring out of this for you. No one will know the difference.

Oooh that is useful to know. Wouldn't have thought to price in the upkeep costs.

Does Palladium differ in any other qualities compared to platinum/white gold?

What about maintaining stainless steel/silver brushed-finish rings?

Thanks chickenly!

[Whitestripe]

And that's another topic as long as we're discussing jewelry and a woman's expectation thereof. Push presents. Yes or no?

[kairparavel]

I'm pretty sure we had a push present thread in the past year or so.

And we did:

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/43020-new-mom-presents-for-the-wife

[quirksome]

I'm pretty sure we had a push present thread in the past year or so.

And we did: http://asoiaf.wester...ts-for-the-wife

:idea: *reads thread avidly and avariciously*

[WillWork4NinjaPowers]

Start here.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jewelry-Gems-Minerals-689/PALLADIUM-VS-PLATINUM-RINGS.htm

Stainless and Titanium are not good options for anyone who might need re-sizing often or if they want stones. These metals are basically as is and would be an option best suiting a man who who wants a plain, white colored band. They are pretty inexpensive, most often under $100.

Here are a few tips when shopping...

-Take a 50lb auto magnet. Don't be afraid of looking stupid. Gold, platinum, palladium and silver, when solid, will not be magnetic. A 14k ring, legally must be 58.5% gold, with other mixed alloys. None of which should be magnetic. A platinum ring marked 950 means that it is 950 parts out of a thousand, platinum. The remaining 50 is a platinum alloy and not magnetic. Sterling silver and white gold are the most counterfitted items around. Sterling silver legally must be 92.5% silver with remaining mixed metal and should not be magnetic.

-Here's an easy way to see how much you are paying when it comes to a jewelry stores mark up. I will use Friday's closing Kitco numbers.

Say you see a 14k solitaire setting you love. On the tag, it should give the weight in pennyweights, (dwt: dead weight tonnage), which is the standard measurement of weight in jewelry.

Pretend that setting, without stones, is 6.0 dwt. Kitco for Gold closed on Friday at $1,754.00 per ozt (troy ounce). That amount is for fine gold, 24k, 99.99% pure gold. There are 20 pennyweights in a full troy ounce so..

1754.00/20= $87.70 that means spot value per dwt (pennyweight) of fine gold, is $87.70. Now, as I said, 14k is 58.5% gold, or 14 parts per 24, gold. So now take

$87.7 x .585= $48.23 that means that per pennyweight, the spot value of the gold content of that ring, is $48.23 so at the example of 6.0dwt, that ring is worth

$48.23 x 6.0dwt = $289.38

If you are close to that spot value, then you are doing okay. Keep in mind that if for some reason you wanted to resell that same item, you will only get back about 45% of whatever spot is on the particular day you go to sell it.

Sterling is even worse.

Using the same formula, replacing gold with sterling silver:

$34.4 (spot for 1ozt of fine silver)/20dwt= $1.72

$1.72(spot for 1dwt of fine silver) x .925 (percentage of silver in sterling)= $1.59 per pennyweight for sterling.

$1.59 x 6.0dwt (weight of ring/bracelet, whatever)= $9.00

So, the $300.00 Tiffany bracelet you bought is actually worth $9.00 at spot, for the silver content.

Don't pay for a brand name. Silver is silver, gold is gold, whether it's from Wal-Mart or Tiffany's. Legally, it all has to have the same gold content. Sure, there's probably a difference in craftsmanship, but as long as it isn't magnetic and is what it is marked, there is no difference.

Patronize a local jeweler. Have a custom ring made at a fair price and support your local economy.

[quirksome]

Start here.

http://en.allexperts...TINUM-RINGS.htm

Stainless and Titanium are not good options for anyone who might need re-sizing often or if they want stones. These metals are basically as is and would be an option best suiting a man who who wants a plain, white colored band. They are pretty inexpensive, most often under $100.

...Don't pay for a brand name. The $300.00 Tiffany bracelet you bought is actually worth $9.00 at spot, for the silver content.

:bowdown:

[quirksome]

Quirksome:

I'm not sure about the correlation of cup size to ring size, but I can tell you that I totally judge women on the size of their rack. I know it's awful and I shouldn't do it, but it's just so well, liberating to be able to finally admit to myself that I do it. I mean, I look around at all the people I work with and I can't can't help but feel a smug satisfaction that I've got a perfectly perfect small cup size.

I just feel so sorry for girls that are bigger than me. I just don't understand why on earth anyone, and I do mean anyone, would want to be curvier than me. And men, how can they possibly live with themselves, those absolute PIGS, just knowing that they look at women and decide sexual attraction based in the size of a gal's yonkers. Pul-eeeez. It just makes me sick.

And you know what? Since I'm confessing here I'll also tell you that I sneak around in the locker room at the gym and peek at the bra sizes, just so I really know. I can also tell you that there was this girl that I knew. She seemed really nice and I so wanted to get to know her better, but I just couldn't. Her tits were just too damn big and I had to drop her before we could develop a friendship.

Yah Lady W dahling! Me and you are on the same wavelength! Anyone else feel the same way?

The best part of my day is making snap judgements on people's appearance on the morning commute. I can't wait to check out their shoes and clothes and extrapolate on no evidence whatsoever where they shop. And then look down on them for their choice of vendor!!! Just makes my day. I hang out with the cool kids so I'm allowed to get away with this snarky behaviour. I mean, I'm not snobbish, I'm stylish.

And those girls with fried eggs or melons. I'm totally prejudiced against either ends of the spectrum because you know, that means their menfriends won't spring for a boob job (cheap) or worse, did spring for a boob job (cheap-looking). They can't win either way IMHO. I'm so smug that my boobies are perfect.

And just to clarify, my opinion is completely divorced from my personal interactions. It's not like I get irritated with this one girl who always sits opposite me. I bet you she goes to bars I wouldn't be seen dead at. But it's not like I'd ever announce my feelings on the train... because acting like that wouldn't be classy, y'know?

Anyway I'm off to blog my latest neurotic thoughts, whereupon I'm going to be all articulate and self-aware in my special post-modern philosophical way. Ta-ta gurlfriend!

[/rebuke]

[dolorouseddwasright]

If I were to get engaged again, I would use a ring from a gumball machine. My theory is that any woman that would accept such a ring is saying yes to me, not to a pretty, shiny ring. After that she gets to pick out her own engagement ring at the jewelry store.

I want to be accepted for me, not for the size of the stone I can afford.

[Tempra]

Another thing...I purchase metals for a living right now. Platinum is on the wishlist for many women. Some go with white gold, which has to be constantly maintained. Depending on the person's body chemistry, it could cost 40-60 every few months to keep that sparkling white look to it. Platinum itself has it's own upkeep costs. When you buy from a jewelery store, one thing they are counting on is the money they will be getting from you in a maintenance plan. A great alternative is Palladium. It is strong, bright and has very little upkeep compared to Platinum and white gold, as well as being about half the price of fine gold or Plat on the market at any given time. A local jeweler can cast a mold and make a ring out of this for you. No one will know the difference.

One of the few benefits of paying too much for rings at Tiffanys is that they clean our platinum rings for free. Not sure if I will ever cover the extravagant markup with a lifetime of cleanings, but I am trying. :)

[Verboten]

If I were to get engaged again, I would use a ring from a gumball machine. My theory is that any woman that would accept such a ring is saying yes to me, not to a pretty, shiny ring. After that she gets to pick out her own engagement ring at the jewelry store.

I want to be accepted for me, not for the size of the stone I can afford.

So you're going to turn what's supposed to be a touching gesture into a paranoid test of someones love? Have fun getting rejected.

[dolorouseddwasright]

So you're going to turn what's supposed to be a touching gesture into a paranoid test of someones love? Have fun getting rejected.

I have been rejected. I figure that someone should accept me for me, not for the pretty shiny ring I present. The proposal really shouldn't need a ring, just me asking a woman to marry me and her saying yes or no based upon how she feels about me, not upon the size of the diamond (or other stone). The gumball ring is because I am a strange guy, and a strange girl would be willing to accept that.

And shame on me for wanting to be accepted for me and not for how much I can afford to pay for a piece of rock and some metal.

Then again, I may be totally off my rocker.

[Verboten]

If you're going to propose either go with a ring or none at all. The gumball ring just strikes me as intentionally provocative. Like you're trying to get them to feel slighted.

[TerraPrime]

If you're going to propose either go with a ring or none at all. The gumball ring just strikes me as intentionally provocative. Like you're trying to get them to feel slighted.

It varies. If there's the rapport, and with the right target, they might think it's cute, on target, and right. Not every woman (or man) wants the same thing (as clear in this thread). If DE's to-be fiancee is not the kind of person that he thinks she is (someone who'd love a gumball machine ring), then he probably shouldn't marry her.

ETA

On the other hand, any time someone says "if you love me, you will ____ " it's a losing proposition. That much I agree with you on.

[dolorouseddwasright]

If you're going to propose either go with a ring or none at all. The gumball ring just strikes me as intentionally provocative. Like you're trying to get them to feel slighted.

I can somewhat understand this. My gumball ring is just me being the strange person that is me. Hopefully my intended would be used to my "specialness" enough to accept this. But I can see where it could be seen as a test.

I would not want the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with to feel slighted. I would want her to know how much I cherish her, and how much I want to be with her. I may need to rethink the gumball ring.

Thank you for giving me another point of view. :)

[Starkess]

My ex-husband proposed to me without a ring. I had no problem with that, it was sweet and unplanned. But if he had deliberately got me a cheap ring as as test, I dunno how I'd feel about that. Besides, I don't think many women are actually accepting a proposal because of "ooh shiny."

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

God, if only that were all I had to do, I'd look like a supermodel. :tantrum:

[Seventh Pup]

My husband proposed with a fake ring. It wasn't a gumball ring, it was one of those classy fakes they sell at Zales, so it probably set him back about $150. But he proposed while we where swimming and I totally understood why he didn't want to risk loosing a real ring in a waterfall. Also he wanted to design or find a ring together. We tried designing one, but our lady just wasn't getting it. In the end we ended up finding the perfect ring, we had a lavender sapphire exchanged for the diamond, and I feel special every time I look at it. Not sure how much it cost, but am fairly sure it was more then our budget. Went really cheap on the wedding band though, and still love it too.

[Salome the Persian Witch]

I want to be accepted for me, not for the size of the stone I can afford.

I strongly recommend not proposing with a pair of your underwear. That takes a special kinda love.

[Salome the Persian Witch]

Yah Lady W dahling! Me and you are on the same wavelength! Anyone else feel the same way? The best part of my day is making snap judgements on people's appearance on the morning commute. I can't wait to check out their shoes and clothes and extrapolate on no evidence whatsoever where they shop. And then look down on them for their choice of vendor!!! Just makes my day. I hang out with the cool kids so I'm allowed to get away with this snarky behaviour. I mean, I'm not snobbish, I'm stylish. And those girls with fried eggs or melons. I'm totally prejudiced against either ends of the spectrum because you know, that means their menfriends won't spring for a boob job (cheap) or worse, did spring for a boob job (cheap-looking). They can't win either way IMHO. I'm so smug that my boobies are perfect. And just to clarify, my opinion is completely divorced from my personal interactions. It's not like I get irritated with this one girl who always sits opposite me. I bet you she goes to bars I wouldn't be seen dead at. But it's not like I'd ever announce my feelings on the train... because acting like that wouldn't be classy, y'know? Anyway I'm off to blog my latest neurotic thoughts, whereupon I'm going to be all articulate and self-aware in my special post-modern philosophical way. Ta-ta gurlfriend! [/rebuke]

Quirksome... you scare me. I'm so glad you're on the side of good instead of evil. :bowdown: