Oh.My.Freaking.GOD.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CarlosHoney]

I opened up my email, and found something from Carlo. He wants to know if I like this ring:

http://www.moissaniteisforever.com/images/products/large/156756.jpg
It's THE RING!! The one that I've been lusting after. It's a cushion cut, and I mentioned it once, and pointed one out to him, but it was a while back, and I thought that he had forgotten it. OMG!!! :bbeek:

http://www.oldeuropeandiamonds.com/7ct_cush.jpg

A "Cushion Cut Diamond" is squarish - rectangular in shape with rounded corners and 58 brilliant-style facets that kind of resembles a pillow in shape, hence the name... Cushion cut diamonds were developed about a hundred years ago when diamonds were ground down to the desired shape instead of being cleaved or sawn by laser and thus older cushion cut diamonds were lumpy and thick which resulted in blocky patterns of light return which were more or less unimpressive. As with most diamond shapes, the modern cushion cut diamond has benefited substantially from advancements in diamond cutting and design. The modern cushion cut diamond is extremely lively and exhibits a high degree of light return.

I'm so excited!!! :bbmrgreen:

[WhiskeyGirl]

Wow Carrie, that ring is beautiful!! Congrats!! How much does a ring like that run if you don't mind me asking! I've never in my life seen a cushion cut diamond to be truthful. I knew nothing about diamonds and had never seen one until my DH proposed!! Congrats again girl and good choice, its a beautiful ring and you have Great taste!! YAY!! :bbmrgreen:

[Hayz]

:o Wow nice Carrie!

[CarlosHoney]

I dunno... He just sent the pic. Truth be told, I don't want a diamond.. I want Moissanite. Here's why I don't want a diamond:

Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council.
Here's what Moissanite is:

Moissanite created by Charles & Colvard has unique physical properties that truly make it unlike any jewel ever seen. It is generally accepted that the most important characteristics of a jewel are its beauty, durability and rarity. Beauty The beauty of a jewel is determined by its color, brilliance, "fire" and luster. http://www.moissanite.com/images/shim.gif Brilliance The brilliance of a jewel is created by cutting designs that use the jewel's refractive index and is measured by the amount of light that enters the jewel and is reflected back to the viewer. See the superior brilliance for yourself. Fire The dispersion of a jewel combined with the cutting design results in the "fire," or the breaking of light rays into the spectrum of colors and is measured by the amount of colored flashes viewed when the jewel is moved in various lighting conditions. See the superior fire for yourself. Luster Luster is the amount of light that is reflected back to the observer from the surface of the jewel. Durability The durability of a jewel is determined by its hardness, or resistance to scratching, and its toughness, or resistance to chipping or cleaving. The jewel's hardness also determines the extent to which brilliance and "fire" can be highlighted by cutting with sharp, highly polished facets. Rarity Rarity is the availability or perceived availability of a jewel. These important characteristics are determined by a jewel's physical properties. The table below compares the physical properties of created moissanite and four of the most popular natural jewels.

http://www.moissanite.com/unique_properties.cfm

Moissanite's brilliance, hardness, weight and scratch resistance rival all other gemstones. This gemstone possesses all the romance and passion of rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Moissanite is found only in meteorites and in limited areas beneath the earth's surface.

You can find diamonds that are conflict-free, but it's not gaurunteed that the bad ones didn't get in the mix somewhere. Tiffany, Fred Segal, and others use Canadian Diamonds, which are garunteed free of conflict, but they're really expensive. Moissanite is prettier anyway!!

[Jenn060306]

That's so pretty Carrie!

[CarlosHoney]

Thanks!! I Can't Wait! He's getting it for me when we get our tax return.. He said that he just wanted to make sure.. I found the website he's going through, and you can order the ring with different stone sizes. The prive varies greatly depending on which size stone you get.. So, I'll let you girls know how big a rock I get.

Whatever, though, will be fine. I'm happy already!!!

[LaceyinPgh]

The ring is very pretty Carrie. The setting and band are a lot like mine. Nice choice.

[WhiskeyGirl]

I really like the ring Carrie!! I've got Canadian diamonds myself, they are so pretty!! Sounds like you've done your research!! Can't wait to see pictures of your ring Girl!!

[bnd94]

Oh Carrie it is so beautiful!! Bet you can't wait to get your tax return! :D

[CarlosHoney]

I'm counting the seconds...

[bnd94]

LOL! I don't blame you. :D

[Valmai]

Carrie thats absolutely gorgeous - glad you seem so chuffed too (and i cant blame you lol)! xxx

[CindySue]

Congrats Carrie.....the ring is beautiful!

[rainbowtreat]

I am so excited for ya. That is a very beautiful ring. congrats!

[CarlosHoney]

Thanks you all!! I really love this ring. I wanted a 3 stone ring at first, then I started reading about diamond cuts and how the sparkle can be completely changed by the way the diamond is cut. So, then I looked into it and read about the Cushion. I LOVE IT!! It's such a romantic looking ring, and not many people have that cut. He had to really look for it. The jewelry store that sells Moissanite doesn't have the Cushion, and nither does the website that we're ordering our rings from. He had to find it on Google.

[ikkin510]

Wow Carrie! That ring is beautiful. I'm so excited for you!

[WebLady]

Congrats Carrie :D

I like Moissanite too and it is usually cheaper than diamonds ;)

Moissanite Pros: less expensive than a diamond, but more durable, and some say more brilliant than a cubic zirconia (cz). Moissanite is actually more refractive than a diamond, giving it more brilliance and fire than either a diamond or c.z.

Moissanite Cons: Can be slightly green or gray rather than colorless, especially in bright daylight. Make sure you examine a potential moissanite stone under a variety of lighting conditions, and that you know your store's return policy. While cheaper than diamond, it is still more expensive than cubic zirconia. Also, although incorrect, some still characterize moissanite as a "fake" diamond, giving it a cheap feeling.

[CarlosHoney]

Yeah, the reason that I wanted it was because of that stuff, Brandi. But, the reason that Carlo likes it is because it came from outer space. It was grown in a lab, but the actual fragments that were discovered were dust particles from a asteroid crater in Arizona. Swwet, huh?

Well I'll have it in 2 weeks for sure... And I'm taking LOTS OF PICS!! :bbmrgreen:

[WebLady]

Yeah, the reason that I wanted it was because of that stuff, Brandi. But, the reason that Carlo likes it is because it came from outer space. It was grown in a lab, but the actual fragments that were discovered were dust particles from a asteroid crater in Arizona. Swwet, huh?

Yeah, I read something about that ... the first fragments were discovered were from an asteroid but the original stuff ran out a long time ago and they have since discovered how to replicate it. Don't ya just love science ;)

Well I'll have it in 2 weeks for sure... And I'm taking LOTS OF PICS!! :bbmrgreen:

I bet you are excited ;) Congrats, can't wait to see the pics :D

[CarlosHoney]

I bet you are excited ;)Just a little!! :bbmrgreen: :bbmrgreen: :bbmrgreen:

[andysgirl07]

The ring is gorgeous Carrie! I've never seen one like that before. Congratulations! :D

[Kacie_bride]

Wow! That's a very pretty ring. Congratulations. You know your ring stuff. I've learned a little since I got mine, but not near as much as you.

[CarlosHoney]

Thanks!! I'm just like that. I learn all I can about any given subject that holds my interest. I love to learn, and I always want to get the best quality, which is why I look so deeply into my topics of interest.