OT: but I could use some input. Jewelry.

Mission16

My 10th wedding anniversary is fast approaching. I mentioned to the missus that the traditional gift would be tin or aluminum.

I have been informed that diamond earrings would be a much better choice.


So I have been looking around locally to no avail and eBay is a bit scarier than it used to be.

It used to be so easy to go to the Albany, N.Y. coin show each month and buy something cool from the estate jewelry guy there. He always had the best stuff!

Does anyone here have a favorite estate (or new) jeweler they would recommend?

gecko109

If it HAS to be diamonds, I cannot help. But if the missus is happy with 14kt with/without colored stones, I could put together a bang up assortment together for ya. How much do you have to spend?

You would paypal me $xxx and I would ship you a mystery box that im 110% certain you....and more importantly she will love.

Mission16

Gecko- Yeah, got to have diamonds. Preferably platinum or white gold.

I am interested in your offer by the way, just not right now.

Weiss

You might consider Blue Nile dot com. Check the out at least. They are extremely affordable compared to what my jewelers here in town charge, and the quality appears to be much better than anything you'd get at a chain jewelry store at the mall.

morgantype

I don't know how long you have but here are a couple that have been winners for me:

Custom ring with our kids birth stones, alternated with diamonds. I.e. diamond, amethyst, diamond, opal, diamond, sapphire, diamond. Round stones, channel set in platinum. And on the inside of the band, I had the jeweler set my wife and my birthstones side by side. You can really play up, these represent the true treasures in our life (the kids) and within it all is our love (our stones). This was my latest, and a huge winner.

If you are going earrings for sure, you can consider the classic solitaires. With some jackets. I just heard about these. Basically, the jacket is a backing to the solitaire earrings that allows he woman to change he style of the earrings by placing behind the solitaire a decorative jacket (I.e dangling diamond, gold/white gold designs) that let the woman "accessorize" the solitaires based off of different styles etc.

If you have the time, you will probably get the best deal at the jewelery mart in NYC (don't know how close you are) or the LA Mart.

I will say from experience, if you end up having to go to a mall jewelery store or Macy's etc. don't be afraid to negotiate with them. I've done it, and received substantial discounts up to 30-40 percent off.

Lastly, if there is a cost I around, they have some nice deals as well.

Good luck, and Pm if I can be of further assistance.

trozau

<< <i>You might consider Blue Nile dot com. Check the out at least. They are extremely affordable compared to what my jewelers here in town charge, and the quality appears to be much better than anything you'd get at a chain jewelry store at the mall. >>


Online, I would second Blue Nile. Alternative would be a big Gem and Jewelry Show that goes around big cities twice a year (if they are held somewhere close to you) but then you would be under constraints of their schedule.

Baley

Custom ring with our kids birth stones, alternated with diamonds. I.e. diamond, amethyst, diamond, opal, diamond, sapphire, diamond. Round stones, channel set in platinum. And on the inside of the band, I had the jeweler set my wife and my birthstones side by side. You can really play up, these represent the true treasures in our life (the kids) and within it all is our love (our stones). This was my latest, and a huge winner.

Second this idea, my wife loves her pair of custom platinum bands, with alternating channel set diamonds and birthstones (rubies and amethysts in our case) with the childrens' names engraved inside the rings. Had these made shortly after the kids were born.

A recent popular purchase was a "diamonds by the inch" necklace, a very fine white gold chain with small stones in small bezels about an inch or inch and a half apart, 7 in all.

Tough to go wrong with round or princess (square) cut earrings, recommend the screw-backs instead of simple slip-on backs, for better security.

Unless you have a "connection", retail prices are what they are, jewelry is mostly a one-way market. Blue Nile has quality stuff at decent prices, but they're high everywhere for what you get, it's just how it is

Twinturbo

I have a couple carats of loose diamonds. Nothing special from .05 to about .75 carats. Multi colors. You could defintely make a custom piece with them, if you would like. Or make it into a display for your living room.