Since I was asked to post my diamond info here I will gladly do so. I am new to these forums and wasn't sure how a lab/cultured diamond would be received here. I am so glad that I was encouraged to post so here goes!
It all started in 2005 when I saw this diamond ring:
(0.53ct Fancy Vivid Blue Takara Cultured Diamond in 0.27ctw natural, white diamonds 18k white gold halo micropave ring)My heart skipped a beat and I just fell in love. Love at first sight. Oh yes! Unfortunately, it was a really bad time for me to buy any jewelry. We had the money but I was going to quit my job to stay at home with the kids. I wanted to make sure we had a cushion to fall back on since we were drastically cutting our income. Little did I know that my husband was going to get a job the next year that meant that we didn't need to worry so much. Still, I was being cautious which is a good thing. However, this all didn't matter since that ring promptly sold a few weeks later.
It proceeded to haunt me the next few years. I never thought that I wanted a halo setting until I saw this ring. I thought I had my dream ring which I helped design a few years prior. A design that is NOTHING like this ring at all. I thought I was crazy! My poor husband who humors me in my jewelry decisions.
He pays for it and I agonize/research what I want.
Well, a year or so later I finally decided to recreate that ring above and started getting quotes from jewelers. I don't recall what prompted me to talk to the original maker of the ring above but I somehow found out that only the stone was sold and the setting was still available. They gave me a good deal on the ring since it was just sitting around doing nothing for them. They couldn't really post it for sale online since the bench that made the ring no longer worked for them. They knew it would provoke a bunch of questions about having this ring made that they could no longer make anymore. So, I bought the original, handmade setting (they later made a new version of this setting using CAD) and tucked it away in my jewelry box. This was in 2006.
The search for a blue diamond to put into this setting continued! It took me another 2 years before another Takara (that's a lab created/cultured diamond) came available that fit my criteria. I had almost given up hope because I was looking into other labs and even thinking of settling for a sapphire instead. The other labs didn't have as good of cut on their stones or they didn't have any Intense or Vivid colors available. Also, the Takara lab was having trouble with their blue production so there was a long time when they just didn't have anything to offer. I thought my search was doomed but then one day I just happened to browse the Takara site when I saw this available for sale ....
I could not whip out my credit card fast enough! My heart was racing as I was hoping someone else had not bought it already. Their web site does not reflect real time inventory. I had already told my husband that if another diamond came up that met all my criteria, I was just going to buy it without asking. And I did just that! Although, he was sitting next to me when I found the diamond so technically I did ask but he already knew what I was going to do anyway. LOL!
Anyway, I could not believe my luck and also did any of you notice how SIMILAR my new Takara was compared to the old one?? Same carat weight, same color grade, same clarity, etc. It truly was meant to be! Here is the certificate from the stone that sold in 2005:
It's pretty freaky if you ask me. I wonder what the measurements of the 2005 diamond was but that might just blow my mind if it was also the same! Ok, so anyway that is my little saga of my search for a BLUE diamond. Now I will post some photos.
colored diamonds
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