I''m already thinking of an upgrade!

[U2Forever]

I realize that this question has probably been asked already so I apologize for asking it again.

I just got my Whiteflash ring and I''m already thinking about upgrading in about a year (my 25th wedding anniversary) if you don''t have to double your money when you upgrade.
If my diamond cost was $10,500 does that mean that I would now have to spend $21,000 to do an upgrade?

 

[mrssalvo]

You don''t have to double your $ when upgrading with WF.

here''s the link to WF''s trade up policy''s.

 

[Mara]

WF doesn''t require that....

 

[XChick03]

Hm, I didn''t know EGL certed diamonds were excluded.

 

[U2Forever]

You mean I only have to spend $1 more. My current diamond is a ACA AGS diamond. Meaning every June (my anniversary) I can trade up ever so slightly until I reach say a 2.5ct ACA stone???

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/14/2006 1:46:56 PM
Author: U2Forever
You mean I only have to spend $1 more. My current diamond is a ACA AGS diamond. Meaning every June (my anniversary) I can trade up ever so slightly until I reach say a 2.5ct ACA stone???

yep

 

[Jelly]

Yes, you can upgrade as much as you want and WF has an awesome upgrade policy. I upgraded earlier this year and I want you to know about all of the "extras" involved.

1. You will get the full amount spent less the original $45 FEDEX shipping/insurance charge per their upgrade policy.

2. You must mail back your ring through US registered, insured mail ONLY. This requires special packaging with only brown paper tape around the outside of the box. This cost me about $23 to mail my old ring back to WF.

3. The stone has to be unmounted and sent to the lab to be checked out. (Not sure of the cost, if any)

4. Since the diamond was bigger, there was a charge of $150 for parts and labor on the new head.

5. About 3 weeks without your ring.

 

[Houseparty]

Date: 4/14/2006 1:46:56 PM
Author: U2Forever
You mean I only have to spend $1 more. My current diamond is a ACA AGS diamond. Meaning every June (my anniversary) I can trade up ever so slightly until I reach say a 2.5ct ACA stone???

Hi,
If you plan to be a serial upgrader, this policy could serve you well. The costs Jelly identified with the upgrade are modest compared to the wholesale / retail spread.

HOWEVER, if you wait to upgrade 15, 20, or 25 years later (your original post), a well purchased diamond would likley appreciate by more than the wholesale / retail spread. It could be resold at a price higher than your acquistion cost many years earlier. Your future wholsale value may be greater than your original retail price, making the trade up policy moot. This assumes that diamond prices continue to increase which is likely, but not certain, especially given emerging alternatives.

Sincerely,
David

 

[Mara]

Date: 4/14/2006 3:55:58 PM
Author: Houseparty

Date: 4/14/2006 1:46:56 PM
Author: U2Forever
You mean I only have to spend $1 more. My current diamond is a ACA AGS diamond. Meaning every June (my anniversary) I can trade up ever so slightly until I reach say a 2.5ct ACA stone???

Hi,
If you plan to be a serial upgrader, this policy could serve you well. The costs Jelly identified with the upgrade are modest compared to the wholesale / retail spread.

HOWEVER, if you wait to upgrade 15, 20, or 25 years later (your original post), a well purchased diamond would likley appreciate by more than the wholesale / retail spread. It could be resold at a price higher than your acquistion cost many years earlier. Your future wholsale value may be greater than your original retail price, making the trade up policy moot. This assumes that diamond prices continue to increase which is likely, but not certain, especially given emerging alternatives.

Sincerely,
David

This could be true, but where do you plan to find a buyer for a stone like that? It''s not necessarily going to be easy to resale the stone at a higher price than what you paid..even if it appreciated a lot in the time you have had it. Sure someone could get lucky and get their stone traded in at a jeweler who is willing to give them something like 70% of the retail value, but that is on the high end of what people would pay you...a private sale is typically not likely. And then you have to factor in the time that you would spend trying to find a buyer for this diamond. I would venture to say that the appreciation of the stone would have to be very significant for it to be ''worth'' the time and effort to sell it to someone either for wholesale or a discounted retail price....in the end the upgrade/trade-in with someone you think will be around seems like the easiest scenario!

 

[diamond_quester]

I think David is saying that if the wholesale value of the diamond that WF sold today becomes higher than the current purchase price, surely WF will take that into account when determing trade-in value. In that situation, the guarantee of 100% purchase price is moot. Even another vendor may accept the diamond as trade-in for more than today's purchase price. Of course, this is a hypothetical situation that requires the value of the diamond to go up a lot, say if one waits a LONG time (25 yrs? 50 yrs?) for that upgrade. If you plan to upgrade in the nearer future, it's easier to have the guarantee than figure out how much your diamond has appreciated.

 

[Mara]

yes, i know what david is saying....but the point of my post was that there is ALOT of other variables going on too...so it''s not just as easy as saying well in 10-20 years you could get more for the diamond than if you did the trade-in. unless my diamond like doubled in value (which is doubtful!!) in 10 years then it''d still make sense for me to just trade it back in because it''s easier and my time is probably worth more.

also i don''t think that WF takes into consideration appreciation, so like if you pay 10k for the diamond now and in 10 years they could sell it for 15k, they still just give you 10k trade in.

 

[emiliana]

It all sounds good to me

I don''t even have my ring yet and I am ready for the trade up. Too bad WF did not have anything around 2ct+. I think Mara and Matatora took the good ones

 

[AJenkins]

The trick will be to find a jeweller that will sell your existing diamond for you and give you a credit for it.

 

[Houseparty]

Date: 4/14/2006 4:36:17 PM
Author: diamond_quester
I think David is saying that if the wholesale value of the diamond that WF sold today becomes higher than the current purchase price, surely WF will take that into account when determing trade-in value. In that situation, the guarantee of 100% purchase price is moot. Even another vendor may accept the diamond as trade-in for more than today''s purchase price. Of course, this is a hypothetical situation that requires the value of the diamond to go up a lot, say if one waits a LONG time (25 yrs? 50 yrs?) for that upgrade. If you plan to upgrade in the nearer future, it''s easier to have the guarantee than figure out how much your diamond has appreciated.

Hi Quester,
Thank you for defending / clarifying my post. Certainly a trade up policy is a coveted benefit. I was just trying to make a distinction that under certain circumstances, none of which are guaranteed, the wholesale value may eclipse the original purchase price.

Mara,
Thanks for your comments. It''s kinda cool to be picked apart by you, you''re like a PS cult hero to me.

. I love your tagline "I''''ll try being nicer, if you try being smarter".

Sincerely,
David

 

[Mara]

david, absolutely nothing is guaranteed.

in life, not just diamonds!

emiliana, i thought WF had one more 2c+ that was pretty smokin' hot, something like a 2.10 I SI ?!? or maybe i am imagining it.

 

[U2Forever]

Date: 4/14/2006 3:55:58 PM
Author: Houseparty

Date: 4/14/2006 1:46:56 PM

Author: U2Foreve

You mean I only have to spend $1 more. My current diamond is a ACA AGS diamond. Meaning every June (my anniversary) I can trade up ever so slightly until I reach say a 2.5ct ACA stone???

Hi,

If you plan to be a serial upgrader, this policy could serve you well. The costs Jelly identified with the upgrade are modest compared to the wholesale / retail spread.


HOWEVER, if you wait to upgrade 15, 20, or 25 years later (your original post), a well purchased diamond would likley appreciate by more than the wholesale / retail spread. It could be resold at a price higher than your acquistion cost many years earlier. Your future wholsale value may be greater than your original retail price, making the trade up policy moot. This assumes that diamond prices continue to increase which is likely, but not certain, especially given emerging alternatives.


Sincerely,

David

Oh my, I''m not waiting 25 years!!! I''ve already been married for 24 years and next year will be my 25th wedding anniversary!

 

[Dancing Fire]

the problem i have with upgrade is that my diamond hasn''t gone up, but the vendor''s price has gone up like crazy during the last 3 years.

 

[moon river]

U2, shrinkage knows no time limit. It could hit while you''re walking out of the jewelry store with a new ring. It could hit while your new upgrade is in the Fed-ex truck a block from your house.

 

[U2Forever]

I just feel the need to eventually go up to a 2ct.

 

[diamondfan]

Dancing Fire: My husband loves that too! They say prices are going up for buying but never for what you have to sell...it''s Oh, only stones of x shape are desired now (which of course is not the shape you have) or x size (again not yours) and yet, the thing you want to buy is sky high!