Question for upgraders re: settings- permanent or not?

[february2003bride]

In the next few weeks/months, I''ll be purchasing a .70 range princess cut diamond. I do plan to upgrade, ideally once a year or so until I get to the side I''d like (1.25-1.50ish). But life gets in the way of the best laid plans

and I know that potentially, the every 12-18 months upgrade could become once every 2 years or god forbid something drastic financially happens, never at all. So knowing that and while having fun searching for a stone, I''m wondering about the setting.

So far all the people who plan to upgrade or have upgraded, what have you done for a setting? Did you get the setting you wanted, knowing the prongs could be changed out for a larger diamond? Or did you go with a temporary setting and have held off getting the permanent setting until the final upgrade is done?

Thanks!

 

[Hera]

My settings have not been permanent. When I have upgraded my diamond, I have changed settings and then resolved to put a colored stone in them. Right now, though, I have mine in a plain solitaire until I upgrade to my 2 carat stone in the next year or so.

 

[justjulia]

I always thought my last setting WAS my final upgrade, lol. I''ve changed settings seriously 2 times. Sometimes the upgrade only needed a larger head, but other times the different shape or size seemed to warrant a new setting altogether (and I matured-changed tastes, etc...).

In other words, I don''t have a good answer.

I think if I had paid a good deal for a very nicely done custom setting early on, I would be more prone to leave it be, and possibly just add another anniversary ring.

How about getting a setting that could accommodate a 1.5, and just keep changing the head as needed?

 

[february2003bride]

Date: 7/1/2008 4:57:15 PM
Author: justjulia
I always thought my last setting WAS my final upgrade, lol. I''ve changed settings seriously 2 times. Sometimes the upgrade only needed a larger head, but other times the different shape or size seemed to warrant a new setting altogether (and I matured-changed tastes, etc...).

In other words, I don''t have a good answer.

I think if I had paid a good deal for a very nicely done custom setting early on, I would be more prone to leave it be, and possibly just add another anniversary ring.

How about getting a setting that could accommodate a 1.5, and just keep changing the head as needed?

LOL! Thanks Julie

I''m still deciding 100% what I want the setting to be. I''ve narrowed it down, but since I''ve got some time still I haven''t made a final choice. I suppose if down the line, an upgrade isn''t going to happen, I could always change just the setting from a temp. one to a permanent one and keep the same stone!

 

[february2003bride]

Date: 7/1/2008 3:48:37 PM
Author: heraanderson
My settings have not been permanent. When I have upgraded my diamond, I have changed settings and then resolved to put a colored stone in them. Right now, though, I have mine in a plain solitaire until I upgrade to my 2 carat stone in the next year or so.

Thanks Hera! I''m leaning towards just a temp. setting and then I could go higher in clarity and color in the .70-.80 range. And then if an upgrade doesn''t happen, I can just reset the stone into a permanent setting.

thanks so much!

 

[deegee]

I have had 3 settings since June, 2007. I was able to return one of them, but I''m stuck with the one I wore for 6 months before changing to my current setting. I''m really happy with the one I have now, but I didn''t buy it thinking it would be my "forever" setting. Sadly, I keep changing my mind as to what I like. The funny thing is that I wore my first ring for 14 years with no changes!

 

[divergrrl]

Feb2003...WHOA NELLY what is going on?

are you getting rid of your round now & going back to a princess cut diamond? Or is this a rhr?

You make me feel good about all of my reset drama, because I now know someone who is a bigger changeling than me.

I want details, STAT!

You know, when I added up all the money I''d spent resetting/redesigning/buying different sidestones, it was truly heartbreaking.

I do wish you''d hang onto your round. The one thing you are going to find when you go to the princess is major DSS pretty quick. I''m a square girl too, (see avatar) but they do face up smaller than a similar weight round, and going from your 1.2 to a .70 is going to be shocking unless you halo it, (but then you can''t upgrade the stone without buying a new setting, which is not cheap).

One thing I learned from all my reset drama is this: The setting is as important as the stone. Constant resets/upgrades are a symptom of an unmet need. Mine were all budget constrained, and I did a little here, a little there, and wasted time, $, and my dh''s patience until I decided to halo my stone.

I wish I had sprung for an authentic Chris Correia instead of an inspired copy of mine, but its still fabulous, although I also wish I had sprung for the platinum instead of white gold. I tried to save $800 and it bit me in the booty. In retrospect, I wish I had waited & saved until I had the $$ to do it right.

I don''t mean to butt in, but you & I went through a lot of similar issues at the same time & I sense a restlessness and just don''t want you to pull the trigger too soon & then be unhappy later on.

Its HARD to get this right. Trust me, I know!