June 12, 2007

• [Don't] Mind the Gap

  We ventured downtown this past weekend to get the guys their suits (more on that later) and get our wedding bands.  All in all, it was a successful trip – suits bought, altered next door within two hours, rings bought and brought home, engagement ring steamed/cleaned/polished, and cheap dim sum inhaled – all in half a day.

  This is what happens when the on-call bear has to bust out his internet-anywhere-in-the-world-ready laptop to resolve some emergency at work while sitting in a random parking lot downtown.  I get snap happy.
  
  his [4 mm brushed white gold band]
  He’s not used to wearing any jewelry of any kind as he rarely even wears a watch, so he wanted lightest and subtlest possible (platinum was too heavy, titanium light but the styles available not minimal enough for him, tungsten too dark gray in color).

  
  hers [barely 2 mm band with round brilliant diamonds channel set in platinum]

  
  [Don't] mind the gap.  Because of the basket setting that my center stone is in, no bands sit flush to my engagement ring.  I don’t really mind the gap, as I know some others do.  I mind it much less than those “formed to fit” weirdly curved bands, to be sure.  To further play off of this “not a perfect set,” I bought a stock, channel-set band that they had in my size with round stones rather than custom ordering a band to match the band of my engagement ring and saved about half the cost of the “ideal” band I had in my head.  Oh, and interestingly enough, the blingy band was only slightly more (like $50 or less) than the solid platinum band I originally selected, thinking it would be cheapest out of what is compatible with my engagement ring.

  If you’re not quite sure where to start in the downtown jewelry district, try our jeweler.  She’s honest, knowledgable, sweet, sells only GIA certified stones, helps you get the most out of your budget, helps you stick to your budget, and there’s never any pressure.  There are a lot of great jewelers downtown.  Just be sure to do your research, go on recommendations if possible, and be alert to scammers as there are plenty of those out there, too.

  Michelle Lee
  World Watch & Jewelry Center
  650 S. Hill St # E8 [inside the St. Vincent Jewelry Center]
  Los Angeles, CA 90014
  213.627.0547

  • 7:22 pm
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