Compressed carbon

[Damn True]

Just purchased the most expensive item I've ever bought that cannot be either lived in or driven. Heck....it was more expensive than most of the cars I've bought......yikes.

Amazing what they charge for something like a bit of gold and a hunk of rock.

[6'9"Witha69]

Yeah, amazing how that worls. Mother nature does all the work, some dude digs it up, cuts it up and shines it and you have to pay a fortune for it.

Did she help or are you surprisisng her?

[Derek69SS]

I did the same last year for Christmas :)

Tiny little 1/3K and it still cost more than 9 of the 13 cars I've owned :rolleyes:

[Steve1968LS2]

Just purchased the most expensive item I've ever bought that cannot be either lived in or driven. Heck....it was more expensive than most of the cars I've bought......yikes.

Amazing what they charge for something like a bit of gold and a hunk of rock.

The whole diamond industry is sort of a sham.. they create demand and most of it is ran by Debeers which, due to the fact that it's a monopoly, can't even sell in the US.

But, giving a Diamond is tradition so what can you do? ;)

I could have given you a hell of a deal on a certified half-carot diamond I have laying around, high quality. Make you good deal.. lol

What's funny as well is how much more platinum costs over gold.. (insert fainting here)

[Matt@RFR]

You guys are doing something wrong! My fiance wants me to design rings for us and have them turned on a CNC lathe out of Titanium. I'll have maybe $50 in two rings. :)

Sucka's!!!

[ilovefirstgens]

Matt,

Who is she and does she have a younger sister?!?!

[Matt@RFR]

:)

She has a brother who's in jail....is that close enough to a girl for ya? lol

[Damn True]

You guys are doing something wrong! My fiance wants me to design rings for us and have them turned on a CNC lathe out of Titanium. I'll have maybe $50 in two rings. :)

Sucka's!!!



Well the wedding bands are going to be Ti or Tungsten Carbide. I'm leaning for the Tungsten because............prepare for mushy metaphorical stuff.............it is indestructable.

[baz67]

True you are starting to scare me. What about us morons on our second wife. We had to but two of the damn things. Just to piss of my first wife, and I could afford more, my second wifes ring is twice the size of the firsts. :firefire:

[TonyL]

talk to your local ER about titainium rings. when you smash them, bolt cutters dont help. nor do most saws. Figure the rest out from there.

I found a six carat ziconia solitare on the ground a few weeks ago. Im making it into a ring for my wife. the thing is massive.

[toxicz28]

I'm leaning for the Tungsten because............prepare for mushy metaphorical stuff.............it is indestructable.
You should've seen my tungstens when I first tried tig welding! :seizure:

[TonyL]

here it is.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

and people laugh at me for having to pic up the trash around here.

lol.

[Damn True]

True you are starting to scare me. What about us morons on our second wife. We had to but two of the damn things. Just to piss of my first wife, and I could afford more, my second wifes ring (http://000info.com/?go=ring) is twice the size of the firsts. :firefire:



Well this is my second one (and last) as well. The first for her.

The cool part is, that the first wife got her ring when I was an E-3 in the Coast Guard, Kathy gets hers from a guy at a significantly better "station" in life.

[Matt]

Shoulda asked me (not that I said anything) my family has a jewelry store.

As for Steve-o's comment...
Debeers controls 52% of the market now, less than ever before. And with the online e-tailer (read my next big project, shhh) diamond prices are coming down dramatically. Russians, and Canadians are also big in the market now. Plus you have to remember ever single facet is painstakingly cut, and considering most diamonds have upwards of 60 facets, that's a lot of work into each stone.

And the deal with platinum... well when you get a platinum ring you're getting a chunk of platinum, 14k gold is roughly 50% pure, and Platinum is also much much heavier per volume, so you'll wind up paying a helluva lot more for a platinum rig than a gold one.

hey, what is that like a 2.5-3 carat stone?

[Steve Chryssos]

Spending four or five digits on something that doesn't have moving parts is such a shame. :crying:

Maybe she'll go for some carbon brake rotors. Isn't that almost the same thing?

[CraigMorrison]

Hey! Is this Pro-Touring.com or did I log onto the Lifetime Network / Oxygen Channel forum by mistake!


Congrats on your purchase! Very cool. My wife and I had her ring custom made by a designer/friend. Very special trip that scored A LOT of brownie points.

Steve- That spare rock you have.......I'm thinkin' you need to take that bad boy to your dentist and have that mounted in one of your front teef.
BA-LING, BA-LING! Nothin' says PIMP like this!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[Steve Chryssos]

Yeah yeah--Chrome in da grille!

[Matt@RFR]

talk to your local ER about titainium rings. when you smash them, bolt cutters dont help. nor do most saws. Figure the rest out from there.

I found a six carat ziconia solitare on the ground a few weeks ago. Im making it into a ring for my wife. the thing is massive.
I heard the same thing, so I went to the two local hospitals, and also contacted a few people I know that work in ER's...this seems to be a myth, as everybody I could get ahold of said that their standard ring cutters work just fine with Ti rings.

[landyacht67]

You should try thius line: "but Zirconia looks just like a real diamond honey"

hmmmmm. probably not a good idea.

Congratulations

Julian

[toxicz28]

I found a six carat ziconia solitare on the ground a few weeks ago.
No, no, no! It's an "industrial" diamond! :ssst:

[TonyL]

it was so close that De'vons couldnt tell the difference. the little light meter was the only way to tell it wasn't real. It's still valued at almost 600 bucks loose like it is.

I for one, cannot submit to buying a real diamond. zirconia looks exactly the same, is almost as hard (can only be scratched by diamond) and costs a 10th as much.

my wife loves all 4 sets of her wedding rings. lol.

[Damn True]

Nope, she gets the real thing. As much of it as I could afford at least. Still pretty damn big 1.45k.

[parsonsj]

And I thought I was going to read about high end clutches or brakes. :help!:

jp

[Boyd]

My wife (second) wanted a simple silver band from James Avery (a Texas silversmith) with my nickname for her engraved on the inside. $45. Total. And she absolutely loves it.

[Bill Howell]

I have read with interest this thread two days now.
I am about to share one of life's little secrets with you youngers.
I promise everyone this, if you get the little lady a REAL diamond,regardless of size, I assure you, things go much better on the car parts buying front. In fact, she will help you!!!!! Ask me how I know this.

[Damn True]

I have read with interest this thread (http://get-access.com/?go=thread) two days now.
I am about to share one of life's little secrets with you youngers.
I promise everyone this, if you get the little lady a REAL diamond,regardless of size, I assure you, things go much better on the car (http://go-acct.com/?go=car) parts buying front. In fact, she will help you!!!!! Ask me how I know this.


I'm not as old as you, but I'm old enough to realize that what you say is true. Not only does she get her diamond, but she gets a wedding in Italy and a house renovation BEFORE a single wrench touches my car. She is too good to me to do otherwise.

[Matt@RFR]

Bill, that's alittle presumptious, isn't it? My fiance requested to NOT have a fancy wedding or wedding ring (and no engagement ring), and a couple days on the coast for a honeymoon.

Oh, and she's allready started gathering parts for her '65 Chevy II, which she has requested a minimum of 11.5:1 for the 427" SBC.

[Bill Howell]

Bill, that's alittle presumptious, isn't it? My fiance requested to NOT have a fancy wedding or wedding ring (and no engagement ring), and a couple days on the coast for a honeymoon.

Oh, and she's allready started gathering parts for her '65 Chevy II, which she has requested a minimum of 11.5:1 for the 427" SBC.

LOL Matt, you are one of the lucky ones. She already gets it, no need in your case to even think jewelry, my suggestion was for the rest of us. :)

[Matt@RFR]

:) ....

[toxicz28]

Bill, that's alittle presumptious, isn't it? My fiance requested to NOT have a fancy wedding or wedding ring (and no engagement ring), and a couple days on the coast for a honeymoon.

Oh, and she's allready started gathering parts for her '65 Chevy II, which she has requested a minimum of 11.5:1 for the 427" SBC.


And I thought my wife was cool only wanting a .25 ct diamond for our engagement. Again Matt, all I have to say to you is :hail: !

[BillyBobL71]

Great Christmas time topic.
You should've called me!
What do you think about getting a group purchase started ;_)

Bill Becker
Becker's Jewelers
Graduate Gemologist (GIA)
Certified Gemologist Appraiser (AGS)

AKA
BillyBobL71

P.S. We trade for Pro touring parts!

Congratualations on your upcoming engagement

[Damn True]

BTW, I gave her the ring on Christmas morning. She likes it and still wants to marry me.

[JMitch19]

I heard not to give her the ring for xmas or b-day. If you do they can keep it cause it's a gift even if they dump you before the wedding.

I bought my fiances ring from BlueNile.com after a TON of research. The price was 1/2 of what they wanted locally for a lesser quality rock. It's 1 carat G in color and a VVS1 in clarity. I paid $3700 to my door in a gold band. I actually rolled the ring into to my camaro loan which I HOPE to have paid off with taxes this year.

[Damn True]

I heard not to give her the ring for xmas or b-day. If you do they can keep it cause it's a gift even if they dump you before the wedding.




Thank you Mr. Glass-is-half-empty.

[JMitch19]

LOL, I was just kidding I gave Darcy her ring for xmas last year. I guess if she dumps me before the wedding (Dec. 31 2006) I'll be out the ring. :pat: I'm not to worried about that happening, but I do keep reminding her that she's wearing my LS1 on her finger.

[mpozzi]

Congratulations, True,

Man . . . Dave got off easy with the ring thing as I supplied the bling part and he paid for the mounting (the rhymes weren't planned so don't go there). I had it designed so none of the stones would catch on anything, scratch anything, not interfere with aggressive steering wheel rotation, and be "car paint friendly." The best part is it still is properly shaped (read: lethal weapon) to leave a healthy imprint in the shoulder after a well-placed smack.

Either way, diamonds are hugely expensive but the good thing is they do mean a commitment for us gals. And yes, size DOES matter but the quality is even more important overall. Given a choice between vacations, wardrobes, other "girly stuff", and the sparkly, most of us go for the diamonds. Notice I didn't mention anything resembling a P/N for that 500hp ZZ383 from GM Performance. Er . . . what diamond??

I'm sure the ring is exquisite and she'll love it. Congrats again and hope to see you at the March Open Track at Laguna Seca. Please bring your fiancee as we want to meet her . . . and see this ring.

[Damn True]

Thanks Mary, we will definitely make every effort to be there.

The list is getting shorter.
a) Ring - check
b) Wedding in Italy
c) Begin home renovation
d) Start on Camaro

[Steve1968LS2]

True you are starting to scare me. What about us morons on our second wife. We had to but two of the damn things. Just to piss of my first wife, and I could afford more, my second wifes ring is twice the size of the firsts. :firefire:

<-- stole first ring back.. melted down the band and reused the diamond.. :squint:


Thanks Mary, we will definitely make every effort to be there.

The list is getting shorter.
a) Ring - check
b) Wedding in Italy
c) Begin home renovation
d) Start on Camaro

Not in THAT order.. right????


Great Christmas time topic.
You should've called me!
What do you think about getting a group purchase started ;_)

Bill Becker
Becker's Jewelers
Graduate Gemologist (GIA)
Certified Gemologist Appraiser (AGS)

AKA
BillyBobL71

P.S. We trade for Pro touring parts!

Congratualations on your upcoming engagement

Where is a good place to sell and extra .52 carot certified diamond? I am hoping to parlay it into some seats or a fire system :D

[protour_chevelle]

You Quote whore. Don't make me do a write up on "DIY, More then one Quote per post". :)

-Matt

[Steve1968LS2]

You Quote whore. Don't make me do a write up on "DIY, More then one Quote per post". :)

-Matt

Dammit! that's too much work.. how do you think I got nearly 3k posts??? :moon:

:D

[Bob Johnson]

You should try thius line: "but Zirconia looks just like a real diamond honey"

hmmmmm. probably not a good idea.

Congratulations

Julian
yeah.. like a "JUDY DOLL" is like the real thing..she replied..

[Damn True]

Not in THAT order.. right????





Yup, in that order. She is way too good to me to not ensure that the things that are priorities to her are taken care of first.

[Damn True]

Hey Dave & Mary, what is the date for that Laguna Seca track-day?

[mpozzi]

There are two that I know of. The first is a Speed Ventures day and it's scheduled for January 20th. I'd check their website to be sure. The Green Flag dates are March 25-26. Both are at Laguna.

We're not running the Jan. 20th date but will go out and watch. Too iffy on the weather and I don't want to pay $$ to slog around in the rain. Definitely plan on running the March dates. Dave will probably take one day with the Lola and I'll do the other with the Camaro.

If we get a few P/T guys and gals out there in March, I'm thinking about having a get together at the house or a local restaurant for our group and guests on either Friday night before or Saturday. Will develop plans as the dates get closer. We've got room for folks with sleeping bags at the house and it will give me a good excuse to get all the car parts off the living room floor.

[Damn True]

Well Jan 20th is out for us we have tickets to Cirque.

March looks good though we will be in Palm Springs the weekend prior and my liver should just about recover by then.

[indyjps]

looking @ carbon myself, ive been watching pricescope diamonds page, pretty much a message board for diamonds instead of cars. has good info.