Jewelry

[Annabellethecat66]

@Shanus THAT's what I was saying.....a lot of people own some size of diamonds, while not as many people own REAL rubies or other precious stones.

My point was most jewelers in these chain stores are mostly sales people and don't walk around with loops stuck to their eye.  

They come over to me because they see the flashy fake things.  If they were trained and had a loop and knew the difference, THEN they'd know they were fake.

Also one of the main things that actually makes her jewelry (she's wearing) while the stone is very small, the gold surrounding it is worth (technically) more than the diamond that it's sitting in.

I just had this conversation last week with a waitress.  I wear a lot of jewelry, making sure the colors match the outfit (i.e. garnet, a few rubies and so on) and people notice the jewelry.

Whereas she wears the same jewelry (and it's small).  They comment on mine and say nothing about her's.  I called to the attention to the waitress (whom my friend and I both know) this fact.  She was surprised!

My friend knows me well enough (we eat together at least 4 times a week) and understood I was giving her and her jewelry and taste in jewelry,credit.

[stevieb]

For me, there really is no value in fake gems, of whatever kind, and while I own just a few, I have no desire to own more. For me, I'd choose the piece that features real diamonds, unless the diamond presence is neglible and I, for some reason, wanted to at least appear to be making a statement... Diamonds are pretty, but they're not among my favorite gems...

[Shanus]

Diamonique fills the bill for items I’d rarely wear like a watch w/ stones around the face...only get that dressed up about once a year. I also have Diamonique studs and wedding band that I travel with and leave real diamonds in the safe.

I only like the platinum clad since most good diamonds are set that way...silver too shiny and yellow gold casts a yellow shadow on an otherwise good color stone. The “Epiphany” line, as it used to be called, has gone downhill. The plating is not as thick as the pieces I purchased many years ago.

[SilleeMee]

I would choose a diamond simulant over a diamond if the stones are small. Smaller cz stones look more like diamonds to me.

[Caaareful Shopper]

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@Shanus wrote:

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@Fressa wrote:

Affinity

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@Fressa  Kind of a trick question, no contest. Just wanted to make the point that the designs are so similar, they look copied from each other.

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@Shanus This has become a pattern more & more with Judith Ripka’s so-called designs.  She has a rolled byzantine bracelet  in Sterling with a diamonique clasp.  That same bracelet is under the Bronzo Italia line, in bronze, without the diamonique clasp. Everything else about the distinctive bracelet design is exactly the same. 

I think Judith and probably other brands are merely curating selections and putting their name on them.  Judith is a DeBeers jewelry winner, but her designs for QVC seem to be stock items from “design houses,” at least recently.

[Kachina624]

@Shanus.  If that Ripka ring is square with pave Diamonique, I got it sometime last month.  For the price, it's a very nice ring.  I'm not into diamonds, Diamonique, or Judith Ripka; just wanted something new.  I can only imagine the quality of diamonds in a $79., Affinity ring....maybe a little diamond holding the inclusions together?

[chrystaltree]

Affinity.  

[persiflage]

If you are talking about J352046 Affinity with .25 ctw and J335651 Ripka with .80 tw they would fill somewhat the same spot in my jewelry box.  I prefer the look of the Ripka ring. The stones in each have no value.  They don't look the same to me beyond having texture on the shank and pave stones in a cushion shape.

They are very different in these aspects: Size one is 3/8x3/8 and one is 1/2x7/8.  One is low profile the other sits up high.  They have completely different details around the pave cushion center.  The details of these rings are very different to my eye.

Did you know Ripka sold her company in 2014?  She sold to Xcel Brands.  Since that time I have noticed some of the house brands here seem to imitate her designs.  She has been in the business 40 years and made became a fabulous success before ever coming to QVC.

[Shanus]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@Shanus.  If that Ripka ring is square with pave Diamonique, I got it sometime last month.  For the price, it's a very nice ring.  I'm not into diamonds, Diamonique, or Judith Ripka; just wanted something new.  I can only imagine the quality of diamonds in a $79., Affinity ring....maybe a little diamond holding the inclusions together?

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@Kachina624  Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings in any way with your Ripka ring. It was twice the price before clearance & a beautiful design.

My Affinity earrings, which are the same as the cushion cut ring, are surprisingly well done. 

The diamonds are clear enough for earrings...if anyone gets that close for a better look, they’re in my space. Would a single Affinity stone be clear enough for a ring, probably not, but would never spend more than I did w/o seeing it up close...certainly not buying diamonds online.

[Shanus]

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@persiflage wrote:

If you are talking about J352046 Affinity with .25 ctw and J335651 Ripka with .80 tw they would fill somewhat the same spot in my jewelry box.  I prefer the look of the Ripka ring. The stones in each have no value.  They don't look the same to me beyond having texture on the shank and pave stones in a cushion shape.

They are very different in these aspects: Size one is 3/8x3/8 and one is 1/2x7/8.  One is low profile the other sits up high.  They have completely different details around the pave cushion center.  The details of these rings are very different to my eye.

Did you know Ripka sold her company in 2014?  She sold to Xcel Brands.  Since that time I have noticed some of the house brands here seem to imitate her designs.  She has been in the business 40 years and made became a fabulous success before ever coming to QVC.

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@persiflage  Not knocking Ripka. Respect some of her designs...not the “overly done” ones. I own many of her pieces from when she started on Q. That was before she used Diamonique and a lot of pieces too glitzy for my lifestyle and taste.