Engagement ring...

[Pink_Sugar]

^^^oo sis kahit on its own maganda yung full eternity ring. :-)

[caleeice]

^Yes pink_sugar, full eternity is super pretty! I just hope I don't bang it too much. Haha!

Chili, at least nakabawi the jeweler kahit papano! Super nice to have 5 .5ct for your wedding rings!!! Our ninang who is a jeweler told us the bigger the better for the stones for wedding rings! Haha.

I know I'm such an enabler for saying this, but if your h2b agrees for you to have 2 bands, then by all means go!!! Maybe you can have a daintier version of your h2b's band. I just realized when I was staring at our fingers that it's so adorable to have matchy bands. Teehee.

[sparklingjewel]

^Chili1113, I dont mean to be a kontrabida but as I have seen your ring so many times I can honestly say that it is beautiful and definitely breathtaking as it is now---ugly setting or not. Hehe. Putting a halo will make your huge stones look even bigger, but it might distract from the fact that your 3 stones are already huge as is (isn't your center stone a 2.5 carat? Or a 2?). Also, not sure how a halo will be if three-stone?

Mine came with a halo because fiance would not have been able to afford a center stone beyond 2 carats pa haha and he wanted it to be more unique than the usual solitaire or pave band. Overall since my center stone isn't huge naman i think it still looks dainty on my finger but a lot of people tell me its not lol. Well in the Philippines, we can't go around flaunting huge rocks na 3-5 carats anyway.

I've ordered our wedding bands already, we went very simple; mine is half-eternity with 11 stones TCW 0.55 carats. My e-ring band is too delicate to go with a thicker band. Happy with this for now
We're open to upgrading when we both deserve it more hahaha but im scared rin to wear it everywhere.

[Chili1113]

sparklingjewel, LOL youre making me feel guilty for being such a complainer hehe Yes the center stone is 2.5 carats and I saw halos setting for a 3-stone ring and it was so gorgeous! Hehe but sige na nga Ill forget about that first. I cannot wait till you get your wedding ring!! Excited to see how it goes. I plan to pass by Orogem also and ask for a quotation. I hope they give me a good price too! Can I tell them you referred me?

Caleeice: awww so adorable indeed to have exactly matching wedding bands! I think I shall ask for an exactly matching wedding band also. teehee

[anneshirley]

Hi girls! Just for the fun of sharing lang, here's my engagement ring story:

Even before my fiance actually popped the question, I had a feeling he was gonna propose (this was about a year and a half ago haha). A year's passed since then and nothing's happened yet so I did what I never thought I would do: I started dropping hints all over the place hahaha So basically I've been telling him what I want in a ring, and this is what happened:

Criteria 1: Cut
What I asked: I wanted an emerald cut. I've always thought it's classy and fits my personality well (all the online quizzes I can find and answer attest to that haha). I don't wear jewelry (before he put the ring on my finger, it's always just been my watch and a nondescript pair of earrings), and my style's always been very simple (much to the chagrin of my fashion-forward mom and sister haha). So that's what I told him: Darling, I want an emerald cut diamond. (okay, I don't really call him darling. haha)
What he got: My fiance, bless his heart, got me a round brilliant. Even though his sister insisted that he follow what I wanted, he did not want to give me a 'manang' ring (Yes, this is an insult to the cut but not an insult to me. I readily admit I am very manning-like hehe) and that he wanted the ring to sparkle (Yes, my fiance, a boy, wants sparkle). I did feel uncomfortable with it at first but got used to it naman after a few weeks it's a gorgeous gem and watching the light and colours move around it is a guilty pleasure of mine haha

Criteria 2: Carat
What I asked: When I first started dropping these hints, I would say I'd love a 1.5 carat diamond, to which he would raise his eyebrows and say 'you don't know what you're talking about' (he's right actually; being completely and blissfully ignorant of these things, I just threw that number around haha). It wasn't until my mom had me try her jewelry to wear to a friend's wedding (which is incidentally how he got my ring size to begin with) did I realise that not only is 1.5 carats wide enough to full cover my ring finger, it really was too showy for me. So after the said wedding, I turned to him and said 'okay, 0.75 carats' hahaha
What he got: He got me a 0.6 carat centre stone. A leettle under what I asked but I'm very happy how its proportions match the width of my ring finger. The fact that stone itself is flawless is enough for me to disregard this requirement altogether. The size isn't at all ostentatious (which is how he wanted it to be: he said it's small enough for me to wear it everywhere I go). Unfortunately it's so sparkly I try not to wear it whenever I fly home to Manila 

Criteria 3: Style
What I asked: I wanted a solitaire. Well, the original plan was to have it at 0.75 carats, which would be wide enough for my finger haha Plus, I do not subscribe to coloured stones. While I agree that they are beautiful, I'd just prefer a colourless stone so it's easier to match with what I pull out of my closet at any given day.
What he got: While the centre stone is a colourless diamond, he had two topaz 'bodyguards' (his words not mine) guarding it. This is my birthstone and he says that this makes the ring more 'mine' (I didn't have the heart to tell him any girl born in November can claim it as 'hers' haha In any case they'd have to pry it off me first lols) Although I personally am not a fan of my own birthstone (hehe), he did have a point na it matches my for-everyday watch, which is two-tone. And they're not big-sized 'bouncer' (yes, his words again not mine) stones so the yellow colour is not very noticeable. When you look carefully, the yellow actually helps emphasize how clear the actual diamond is. So in fair sa magiging asawa ko, good job nga hahaha

So that's it. It's all quite funny how my fiance did not listen to a single thing I said. But I realize: all my demands were made on the basis of what I thought I knew about stones and what I thought I wanted out of them. I've seen a lot of our GT sisters say (and rightfully so!) that this is not about the ring but about your husband-to-be's efforts.

What I would like to add though is this: this is about us too. What may be a perfect ring for one bride is not necessarily so for another. There are 4 Cs in diamond shopping and which C to prioritize varies with each girl. Let's all just hope that our partners know us enough (and in my case know me better than I thought I knew myself!) to get the ring that's perfectly suited to us 

[sparklingjewel]

Can I tell them you referred me?

Oo naman! They will likely remember us if you go soon. Irene promised to re-evaluate my quotation after the rings are done, in case they are done quicker than estimated. Will update you!

[Chili1113]

Thanks so much sparklingjewel!! H2B has given me the go signal to start canvassing as the cost might go up if we wait longer.

[reese17]

anneshirley, thanks for sharing your engagement story! So cute hehe and I can relate because I also dropped a hint though it was only on the cut of the diamond. I really wanted a princess cut but my fiance also gave me a round brilliant with semi-eternity band! It's not what I expected but it's a really pretty ring and I still find it cute to look back at his efforts to study the 4 Cs. (He even downloaded an app for it hahaha)

[120515]

anneshirley, i loved reading your story. it's really entertaining!

i actually didn't exactly have any specifics in mind regarding the Cs but i love looking at the unique jewelry pieces on etsy. my main criteria was that the diamond (or whatever stone it will be) will be conflict-free, that the design will be unique, and that it will be reasonably-priced (i'm a cheapskate when it comes to myself! haha!).
 i found these really cool-looking engagement rings like one that evoked the night sky and then one with dandelions etched on it. i showed these to my husband, not to drop hints, though in retrospect i unknowingly was, but just to show him the pretty rings.
when he proposed, i was so touched by the ring he chose. there is a little bit of us in the design - in the leaves that surround my diamond (the protectors) and in the scrollwork. when i saw the artist's name on the box, i thought the name sounded familiar and sure enough he was one of the etsy sellers whose work i loved it's 0.5 carat, round brilliant, and very sparkly in an 18k yellow gold setting and the happiest thing - the diamond is conflict-free!

[sparklingjewel]

Agree the stories are so entertaining! Haha i feel a bit bad that i got nearly exactly what I wanted from the fiance I told him i didn't want a round brilliant should the time come for him to propose because that's the most common shape out there. Then i eventually got more specific and said Radiant or Cushion cut would be best. Haha.He had an easy time shopping because he knew exactly what to get!
 I never asked for the carats since i know that will depend highly on his budget but he was nice enough to get me a 2 carat and a bonus very thin halo which i am now in love with. Masunurin fiance hahaha

[vhanya]

Mine was bought in the US. Its really cheap if dun kayo bumili or in HK. Hubby gave me a 2.5c cushion cut diamond. I have a moissanite with the same specs bought as duplicate ring because obviously di ko kayang isuot yung diamond E-ring everyday. So for special occasions lang siya.

Bluenile.com has really nice prices plus all diamonds are GIA certified. Also, if you have relatives in the US, the shops in LA Diamond Center super OK din prices nila.

[blueberry14]

Guys! Help,. Huhuh. Meron ba kayong kilalang alahera na nag-aayos ng mga halo setting. Para kasing na-dislocate or bumao? yung isa sa mga diamond na nasa halo. Obvious kasi sya. We bought it in hk so hindi namin basta2 maibalik doon. Huhuh. Help.

[Chili1113]

I originally wanted an emerald cut or princess cut =) But H2B ended up getting a 2.5 ct assher cut- square emerald cut. But I love it so much because its from him!! I rarely see asschers as they arent popular because they tend to look smaller for their carat weight. Then it was set with 2 pcs .7 carat side stones.

I think the reason why H2B is medyo being generous with my wedding ring budget, is because  H2B feels guilty because that my bag was stolen 2 years ago, and inside was my over 2 carat brilliant cut heirloom ring from my lola! I was crying and crying for days because my lola gave that to me in college and it was my favorite ring that sparkled like crazy. And my lola just past away a few months before I lost the ring.

Up to now masama loob ko about it and H2B feels like its his fault because siya yung nagpilit to eat sisig as midnight snack in this dark creepy inasal place in Home Depot Ortigas! So he feels responsible for the loss. I took off my ring and hid it in my bag because I was afraid to get mugged while walking from the car. Ayun, yung bag pala yung mananakaw!

 But ever since then Im really paranoid about wearing jewelry over 1 carat when I leave the house. Before I would travel pa with jewelry or bring them to destination weddings. Now never na talaga! Please be careful everyone! It really is traumatizing

[j.adore]

That's so sad to hear😢 I'm also very paranoid.

Have you guys tried to turn the ring such that the stone is inside your palm and others won't see much if you're in shady places?

This is what I do on top of choosing a modest size stone. Too sparkly lang because of the stone quality that's why I have to hide pa.

[sparklingjewel]

^I do this with my e-ring too  in shady places and also whenever i meet with wedding suppliers, i dont want to be judged based on my ring since di naman yun reflection of my budget hahahah!

It is sad that we are getting scared to wear beautiful rings because of the risk of them getting stolen. Hay. Pag nasa mall and at work i usually still wear it since i dont commute naman, but i still do have a dummy 2-carat ring also hehe just for fun.

[caleeice]

I do that too! Pero mas malala ako because I do this even if I'm just inside the mall. Mum has a friend whose jewelry was stolen when she was inside the mall. Though I don't know what jewelry was stolen, but I still get praning so I do that. A necklace or a bracelet would be an easy target but what if ring or earrings. I heard earrings being snatched too (but not inside the mall though hehe) But super scary! Nag-sugat pa ang ears.

[anneshirley]

Chili1113, omigod, I'm so sorry to hear about both your lola and what happened to her gift to you  It's really frustrating that we do what we can to protect our stuff and other people still feel like they have the right to take it. I get that maybe they are in very dire circumstances na but I hate thinking na they know the value of what they stole and yet they don't think that paying that value entails blood sweat and tears from us or our loved ones. Parang piso lang na nalimot sa daan. Super nakakagalit 

Anyways on a lighter note na haha sparklingjewel congrats on landing a keeper who listens hahaha and reese17 I love that he got an app pa! Buti na lang you didn't see it on his phone (or did you  ) and hope you were surprised when he popped the question!!!

[Chili1113]

@anneshirley I dont think the people who stole it were in dire straights. They are likely a members of a crime syndicate. After I spoke with the management of the resto, I learned that I was the 3rd person that month whose things were stolen. Even in the Starbucks a few meters away had laptops stolen in broad daylight.

Eto pa super nakakainis. 1.5 hours after my bag was stolen, they tried to use my credit card in a gasoline station near Heritage Hotel. Good thing my card was already tagged as stolen. The monetary value of the bag, wallet, cash, and phone alone all add up to a significant amount, but all of which can be replaced. But that stolen ring was really special to me because of its sentimental value as it was given to me by my lola some time around my 18th birthday.

I just very thankful though that I wasn't mugged or threatened etc. The culprit hid behind a low plant box in the resto's outdoor seating, and very skillfully grabbed my bag which i was leaning my back on the whole time. At one point I perhaps leaned forward and which enabled them to grab my bag. H2B was beside me the whole time, but didnt notice a thing. The restos beside were all closed already and I never saw anyone pass behind where we were sitting. So the only way was for them to approach us unnoticed was to crawl towards the plants and hide behind it while grabbing my bag!

Thats why the only place to put a bag is on your lap! Never on the table, not your chair even if you are leaning on it.

[f878]

i love hearing your engagement ring stories sisses!
nakakatuwa yung mga fiance who really took note and made effort to pick the best ring for their girl.
yung fiance ko kase pinili nya lang yung pinaka-sparkly sa mga mata nya tapos yun na yun. haha

so sad to hear about your experience sis Chili1113. madalas talaga ang mas nakakapanghinayang ay yung sentimental value instead of the monetary worth. i hope those criminals got their deserved karma.

i've even heard of stories na yung mga holdaper ay well-dressed at pogi pa kaya di napaghihinalaan! kaya we really have to be careful kase even sa mga places where you wouldn't expect na may masamang loob ay meron pa ring mga oportunista na nag-aabang lang ng timing.

[yannuh]

^in short mag ingat din sa mga pogi HAHAHA kidding aside, cheer up sis Chili1113. may karma din sila. thank God na lang na no one got hurt by that incident. Ingat!