Not at all! I am particularly interested in the ruby / EC combo. I was careful not to look too closely, since I just bought a step cut ring...

I don't have any rubies and maybe I should be looking to fix that sometime soon. I have the same issue as you do with cash / available credit though!

Jen

Please buy it - put me out of my misery!

I have a sudden inexplicable craving for a pair of diamond hoop earrings. No idea why. I never wore hoops in my life before. Do they ever appear on the DBL inventory? Does anyone have a pair to show me? What size is nice for everyday?

OK, sorry, this is a little silly (but that's not stopped me before).  Pretend the bracelet is a hoop earring in gold... the enamel part would be gold, with a diamond band around the front facing part of the hoop.  Would this give you enough of a fix, or, do you need pavé diamonds ALL around the hoops?

Trinkette, I LOVE that bangle. Not what I'm thinking of for hoops, but hey, I just added a bangle to my want list. I love it.

For hoops, I'm thinking shared prong 'inside out' style. Anyone had these from DBL? I'm going to wait a while, incase the craving passes, but I have a feeling it wont!

We haven't had those for a while, but it would be no problem at all for us to make more!

Hmmmm . . . did we ever determine whether the R2520 pair are the "inside-outs" we are discussing?  Are they generally made with rounds?

  Mikla

Yes, it does!  Can they be made with princess cuts?

Mikla

LESSON LEARNED:
 
Inside-Out hoops are great looking, IF they are big enough in circumference for the diamonds to be seen while the earrings are being worn.

I wear small hoops no larger than 5/8" diameter, and these were way too small for inside-out hoops for my piercings.

So, try on some hoops at the jewelry store to determine what size you want, and go for it!  They are a beautiful earring to wear.

Mrs. M.,
 As I was cruising through some older threads I came across the multiple photo display David presented for the Inside-Outside diamond hoops on the thread "What would you like for David to make?", page 2, in the Chit-Chat area.

Mrs. M., DL, and Sparkly-OCD, I appreciate your feedback.  It is welcome to know that I haven't driven away at least a FEW CDIers. 

Sparkly-OCD, I did find my little notes, and I used them for the last couple of entries.  Problem is, there was some stuff in David's office that I didn't even write about, a few not listed yet, and I can't remember it ALL clearly.  But, if there is interest, I'll hit a few more.  I just hate to keep posting away when I'm driving people crazy. On the other hand, if this helps (or entertains) I can always do this again; my Dad lives just 40 minutes from NYC and I'll be up there again this year. And, David DID make the mistake of inviting me back  (he's a glutton for punishment, I guess). But, again, if I'm just typing away here for my own pleasure I'd rather not continue to alienate everyone.

Meanwhile, Sparkly-OCD, it is interesting that you mention the rubies because colored stones are SO hard to capture on film, and I'm sure the internet complicates things even more.  I too, was unsure about the color and characteristics of the rubies before I saw them. If there ever is a next time, I'll pay extra close attention. Really, there was so much to see, that I was merely "looking" at pieces, not "studying" pieces. And, of course, it is all based upon my own interpretation, so, your expectations could still be different from what I thought that I saw... 

Please, my email is listed in my profile, feel free to send any questions you may have about something that I may have seen.  I'll try to be as unbiased and descriptive as I can... I'll be the first to tell anyone that I have my own, very strong preferences about what works for me, but, I realize that there are many other gorgeous pieces that work BETTER for someone else. And, I am very conscious about how a piece looks for the money. Obviously, it is not fair to always compare a $3K piece to a $30K piece... but, notice, that I said "always;" SOMETIMES the $3K piece is every bit as impressive, lovely, or kick-butt as the pricier piece. This is what impressed me most about a lot of the DBL stock. The rose gold dangly earrings that sold are a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

And, I will say, in terms of materials, craftsmanship and overall quality, unquestionably, the finest jewelry that I saw were DBL custom pieces, followed by the semi-custom pieces.

***

Sparkly-OCD, good research.  I knew the Inside-Outside pics were on a thread somewhere, I just never took the time to look.

Ok, thanks BR.  I'll carry on... 

As I've written many times before, yellow is not my best diamond color.  It either has to be "golden" or deep enough to look almost orangy. Soft, pretty, feminine, candy yellow – like the Fab Five that we posted here – usually looks big-time BLAH on me.  SO, what's a gal to do? 

Naturally, I decided to look at pricey INTENSE and VIVID yellows. 

There is an interesting pair of yellow three-stone rings that I wanted to compare... you know, just in case I found an extra $20K in my pocket while I was visiting DBL.    One is fancy vivid yellow, they other is fancy intense yellow.  But, really to me, the difference in color between the two is slight.  Neither is what you'd ever call "lemonade" yellow. They are both more like "buttercup," or "center of a daisy" yellow.

Now that I've seen the pair, I call the two rings "Plain" and "Fancy."

First is 1.33ct FIY VS2 cushion and radiant sides with diamond studded shank R1705 http://rockdiamond.c...p;action=show_detail . Typical DBL – very pretty, elegant, well-made ring. But a bit atypical in the setting. I loved the center diamond, it is a pretty shape (well, I'm biased, I adore cushions) and has gorgeous polish. Because they are hard-sided radiants, the sides were an interesting contrast to the softer sided center stone.  I like that. The side stone corners were quite sharp and pristine on this one.  And, I very much liked the diamond studded shank.  This is a very fine ring with enough detail to make it interesting and feminine, but, not so much as to look over-the-top or ultra fussy or complicated. Classic, elegant, and easy to wear anywhere. Very bright and snappy. I think David should make more of these. The photos on the DBL web page are EXACTLY as I remember the ring, except, in a few of the photos the center stone has a slight greenish looking cast that I don't remember seeing in person. The ring is really beautifully made. This was another one that I liked so much that I wished all the stones were bigger (and my wallet had a winning lottery ticket inside). This was "Fancy."

By comparison, 1.07 FVY I1 cushion and cushion sides mounted on a plain band R1298 http://rockdiamond.c...p;action=show_detail has a softer look overall, especially in how the sides relate to the center and their less "in your face" corners.  This ring is just more WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), meaning it is just stones, and is not quite as "dressy" as the first. And, it does faces up a bit larger than R1705. Right off the bat, when I put this ring on my finger, it was very familiar to me, because it is similar in size, weight and style to the Glarkler ring that I wear nearly every day. I was right at home with this one.  And, once again, *SIGH* even though I profess to be a clarity snob, the I1 on R1298 did not concern me at all (actually, I didn't even bother to look closely, the diamond was lovely and I didn't care about the clarity once I saw it... for the forum's sake, I should have taken the time to investigate, sorry. I'm always breaking my own "rules!").  Definitely nothing extra or over the top here... the diamonds take center stage and they look comfortable together.  I love the smooth and weighty feel of the platinum shank. This was "Plain."

Both of these rings are about COLOR. And, the color does not disappoint.  It is rich, vibrant and fulfilling. But, like most colored gemstones, these diamonds do not have a tantalizing "performance" like a round brilliant diamond. Sure, these have flash and fire, but they are not constantly scintillating and and inviting you to "play."  These diamonds make their own, strong statement without your moving them around. Instead of saying, "Come and play with me," they say, "Come and stay with me." You can not pass them by.

Overall, what struck me most was the fact that the two rings do NOT look as similar to one another in person as they do online. Of the two, "Plain" would be MY choice today, for no other reason that it is more my style (I'm just a  nuts-and-bolts kind of gal), I like the more "organic" and rounded look of the sides, and it faces up a tad larger. But in terms of quality, the two rings are equal in my book, and the diamond studded shank on "Fancy" gets high marks for being more unusual.  I especially like the way the diamonds on the shank extend the "sparkle zone" but do not go far enough around the shank to make the ring uncomfortable to wear. This setting is an interesting option if you have a smaller-than-you-might-like center and want to get more sparkly coverage around your finger. Plus, of the two rings, "Fancy" may give you more of the elegance and femininity you are looking for, especially if you are spending nearly $20K. It really is a great hybrid between some of the simpler DBL styled rings and some of the more intricate halo and pavé styled rings. I can definitely see myself with this setting – frankly, the more I write and edit this post, the more I appreciate this setting.

I'd almost like to see them both again, along with "Sweet Saturation" R1702 http://rockdiamond.c...p;action=show_detail and much smaller R2617 http://rockdiamond.c...p;action=show_detail (I'm wondering if this little band-like sweetie gives the same "vibe" as the other larger centered rings for a lot less $$$). There are other rings with fancy intense and vivid stones, but these just seem to have a similar feel about them that I really love... it's probably a cushion thing. 

I'm sorry, these are all just general "overviews" of pieces.  If there is a next time, I'll try to better noticing details about the diamonds... (if am even able  ).

Awww, Gramps... 


(Ummm, anytime you're in the mood to express your eternal gratitude for my uninvited pontificating regarding your sparkly DBL inventory... you have my mailing address.  ).