I am quite 'on' about blogging nowadays, so today entry would be about my engagement ring. Lol! Since I have covered mostly about my tray, my baju, my food & my make-up already for the engagement. LOL!
My engagement ring was bought 3 months prior the engagement, reason being a lot of friends told me to get it earlier in case the ring doesn't come in my size or they have to customize to certain things of my likings and it could take up longer days or even months.
I have no idea about rings actually, in fact I know NOTHING about ring, diamonds or gold. I have never been that person about jewelleries. All these while, I use a pretty fake ear stud and a fake anklet, the only thing I wear on me. I don't like necklace (things around my neck) and neither do I like bangle (things around my wrist) but I don't mind ring. So I still remember how difficult it was for me to start of looking for a ring when I am so clueless about everything. Plus yes, never expect the help of the fiancé because he doesn't know anything and he will always give that answer "I anything. Up to you." Lol!
So to be reasonable, I kind of ask D what his budget is like for me and he told me nothing more than 1K. I thought my fiancé was being generous when he told me nothing over 1K as I was looking for a ring that is not even more than 1K, even so much lesser than that. I was looking at diamond stimulant and the heart-shaped ring interest me so much because I have always loved heart-shaped ring.
I did a lot of research, from one website to another, to see what kind of rings I truly like before buying one just to be sure because I can be really fickle about making decision. The settings of the diamond, whether I prefer solitaire rings, the vintage kind, with side stones or not or the clusters kind. I learn and read up so much more about diamonds & rings and I learn they are usually associated with the 4 Cs - Colour, Carat, Clarity and Cut. And from there, I google which of these 4 Cs are of the most important factors of all and many said, the Cut of the ring is the most important. A proper cut or in other words a very ideal cut, means light is able to reflect well and thus, giving you that shine/sparkle you want.
So moving on, as I google more and more about diamond and rings days after days. I realized, I don't want to settle for diamond stimulant anymore because with 1K, I could get a better quality diamond even though not with the shape I wanted, the heart, because only Love&Co carries a very nice heart-shaped diamond ring and apparently my colleague has one for her engagement. So, I wanted something different. I then fall in love with the Princess cut, as the name suggest, Princess. Lol! Initially I didn't quite like it but as I keep looking at it, I think it's pretty. No wonder it's called the Princess. Round shapes are boring and too common I thought.
This time round, I step away from the computer and decided to venture the ring shop to see rings upfront. I had friends to accompany me and on some days, being Eileen, Helen and even my girlfriends to help me look-look, see-see for ring. And some days, I just walk past the shop to take a peep and then walked away. Lol!
I remember the first recce I had with Eileen. I was so firm on my decision for a Princess cut ring, that we headed to the jewellery stretch shop in Orchard Ion during our break time and literally ask the shop one by one for a Princess cut ring. Most of them sadly, DO NOT carry a Princess cut ring. One of the shop, I can't remember if it's Goldheart or Lee Hwa, had one but it wasn't on the ring setting yet, they just sell the diamond itself and it was so tiny. Honestly so tiny that I think my poor fingers is too big for that. I almost gave up on the idea of a Princess cut ring and you know me, when I want something, I really want it. I got slightly frustrated and the next suggestion all the sales assistant kept giving me to browse through was the round shape ring. Haiz! I just wanted something different, something less common, unique.
I then tried to look into heart-shaped ring again since I couldn't get my Princess cut ring. As I was browsing and trying on the heart-shaped ring, the sales assistant from Love&Co shared with me that it is always best to get a round cut diamond (although it's common) because round cut diamond reflects better light and give better brilliance. Due to its round shape, it is able to reflect light in every turns and corner of the ring. Then he mentioned heart-shaped doesn't reflect light that much and neither do Princess cut as the reflection of the light is concentrated only at its four side sharp corners compared to a round shape, its everywhere. LOL! That put me into big and huge thinking, I wanted an uncommon shaped ring yet something that can sparkle but I couldn't have the best of both worlds now. Either sparkles or shaped, which one. So I was somehow disappointed.
And I don't understand why do I always see pictures on the internet..how beautiful Princess cut ring is. Maybe this person just doesn't want to entertain me that much or maybe he thinks I couldn't afford an expensive ring? But I was wrong, when he showed the rings in comparison, next to each other in front of my eyes and moving the ring around in circular motion under the light. LOL! Round shape ring VS Heart Shape VS Princess Cut ring, yes round shape ring reflects better light and show better brilliance. Haizzz! Sadly.
Still feeling disappointed. This is when my most ngada-ngada and most petty bit falls in place. I was walking into the last shop, I think it was Citigem when this sales assistant suggested me a brilliant idea when I told him I wanted to see a Princess cut ring, which apparently they don't carry. So he told me "Why not you get a round shaped ring, the best ring that shines but instead of 6-claws grip, get the 4-claws setting. So it look like a Princess cut ring, somehow." And I was like "WOAH! BRILLIANT! This is such a good idea!" So I could have the best of both worlds now, somehow. I wanted to give him a medal for the suggestion. Haha! And he told me, if I have decided to get the ring, to come back and look for him. From all the disappointment and sadness I had earlier on, I started smiling...Hooray..
But my hooray doesn't last long because real diamonds are expensive and no, they don't cost less than 1K the budget D had already set for me. Hahahaha! And being someone who is so firm in her decision, I wanted side diamonds to accompany my main diamond as well on my ring, the same thing like how my late mom has on her engagement ring and so does my sister. So can you imagine the budget now? LOL!
My late mom's engagement ring.
My sister's.
I wanted something as close to this.
So the 2nd recce I had was with my girlfriends. This time was at the jewellery stretch in Bugis. I spend a good 1 hour, considering quite fast, just walking around shop after shop looking for round shaped diamond with 4 claws. Hahahaha! But again, the budget was like killing me...they were all more than 1K. And after learning about the 4 Cs, I knew I wanted the best of all 4 Cs.
HAHAHA! Aiyahhh, it's once a lifetime seh engagement ring. Might as well, if you want to buy get a proper one right and besides I love wearing ring also, so it won't go to waste. Hehehe!So I had a talk with D about how roughly the ring could cost, slightly over 1K. And guess what D told me? "Awak, can you not look at the price? Just choose whichever one you like okay? Doesn't matter the price, that one can talk later. Just choose which ring you like." And I was like.. "Ehh, that time you told me the budget is 1K seh" And he was like "Abehhhh..so hard to find ring that is below 1K. Lol! Besides it's once in a lifetime buying you this engagement ring, I don't mind pampering you and getting you an expensive one. Just choose which you want okay?"
WOAH. Shiok or what.
10K? 14K? 1.5 Carat diamond ring?
HAHAHAHAHAHA!So obviously the next trip I went was with D. Time to buy the ring and I already had in mind what I wanted. We walked around and enter into SooKee first. They asked what kind of ring we were looking for and ask roughly for our budget range and D gave them such a big jump amount from my previous 1K budget. I was so shock, I almost wanted to faint there. If 1K is already generous to me, can you imagine the amount he mouth-out was extremely crazy to me! Crazy! Siao! Sort dot! I wouldn't spend like that. So the sales assistant match D's budget and took out a 1-Carat diamond ring for me. Yah duh obviously!
Me Die Me Die Me Die Me almost died when I put on that 1-carat diamond ring into my finger. So I was like "Oh my God! Too big, I don't want. I scared later people will cut my finger" And they all started laughing.So the sales assistant slowly went down to a smaller carat when we settle for a 0.5 carat diamond and he introduced us to their 'All-Love' diamond ring collection. Omigod! The sparklessss! Fuhhh! Instead of the usual perfect symmetry of 8 illuminating light, it has symmetry of 10, which explains the so much sparkles that diamond ring has. Haizz! I like it so much (even though I couldn't differentiate the sparkles of 8 and 10 when D could. Hahaha!) BUT...it was just a plain solitaire diamond. Remember I wanted side diamonds? Lol! So we told the sales person that we will come back and just going to walk around first.
This time I went to another shop and look for the boy whom suggested me this whole idea of round diamond with 4 claw settings. Guess what? I end up buying there (to show my appreciation lahhh like that)
but sadly, the boy wasn't working on that day. The harder part is MAKING DECISION which ring I wanted when I was there. Hahahaha! D told me to choose without looking at the price and so I kinda get to choose whatever ring I wanted. I keep going back and forth looking at all the rings with side diamonds, trust me, I spent 3 freaking long hours in the shop. This is me being very indecisive always. Hahaha! I kept putting on the ring and kept taking them out. Try ring A, try ring B, try ring G, try ring C, try ring A, try ring Z, try ring B, try ring D, try ring E and the list goes on. HAHAHAHA! D almost gave up.
So after 3 effing long hours, I finally settled on my ring. Something unique to the side stones. Now the harder part is when I have to choose the 4 Cs. The cut was an ideal cut, that part settle because most jewellery shop has a standard ideal diamond cut. Now comes the Colour, Clarity and Carat. HAHAHA! Makcik annoying love sparkling diamonds that when I was asked what Clarity and Colour I preferred, I was like I want D colour, VVS1 or F1 Clarity. FUHHH! HAHAHAHA! Macam taitai. Macam faham. HAHAHA! So for that wee bit obviously 1-carat diamond is a goner, not that I wanted 1-carat also. Haha! Imagine wearing it to work, my ring will suffer inside my hand gloves. Plus I was trying to keep to a budget and don't want D to splurge so much for a diamond ring. Yes pamper me also but what can diamond ring do, we can't even do magic out of it like you know at least, Alladdin's lamp can grant you wishes. LOL! So keeping to my budget, as the clarity & colour gets better, your centre diamond piece gets smaller. Sadddddd. For the same price, you can at least settle for a bigger carat centre diamond a wee bit lesser than 1-carat but without side diamonds lah. Nooooooo. So terima aje lah seadanya. I settled for a slightly smaller centre diamond piece but with a better other Cs accompanying it and Alhamdulilah, my side stones. Hehe!
But I'm glad I choose what I chose, because nobody could have guessed the carat of my ring, with the side diamonds, they always thought what they thought it was but it isn't.
And the good thing about this, their shop has the same policy like as if you buy handphone. After 2 years, you can choose to upgrade to a better diamond ring if you want. They will take the full amount of what you have paid now and you can just top up the difference of your upgrade. But why would I want to trade my engagement ring for something better right? My engagement ring is special to me. Not trading it off for something better.
Till here.
XOXO,
Princess Azie Anni ♥
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