Upgraders and re-setters -- how are you doing?

[KristyDarling]

We know all too well that PS is full of diamond freakazoids with the chronic illness of upgrading and re-setting and re-setting and upgrading ad nauseum.

Here’s a thread where we can all check-in with our latest thoughts and feelings about our rings.

Do you STILL love it?
Has shrinkage set in?
What do your friends/family think?
Is your new ring everything you had hoped for?
Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock?
Do you have any regrets?
Any new projects waiting in the wings?

FIRE AWAY!!!

 

[mrssalvo]

I can''t answer yet..but what are your answers KD?

 

[upgrading mama]

oooohh good thread!

I must say I am perfectly happy with my upgrade and wouldn''t change anything about it. MY 1.52 is perfect for me, and I don''t have DSS (yet!!!) hahaa

It has been 8 mnths since I upgraded and I am still in love


of course, another completely different ring wouldn''t hurt my feelings hehehe

 

[Mara]

wellll.....

i was shocked and horrified when a PS friend emailed me last week with a link to a 2.5 K VS2 Expert Selection on WF's site going 'hey did you see this?!?!'...that is like only $700 or so more than what i paid for my stone.

i had been hoping for something like that when i was looking around but there was nothing at that point...i wanted to compare something like my stone to a slightly larger K...but of course this stone is like the first of it's kind on WF's site ever.

i wallowed in 'what ifs' for about 30 minutes... i thought well it's only $700 more...oh it can fit in my new head...oh it's a bigger stone, oh i am sure i wouldn't be bothered by a K etc.

then i looked down at my ring and stone and thought, wow this sucker looks huge, do i really need a slightly (but not really) larger one (.2mm difference), do i really want to pony up more cash towards this money cesspool on my finger, would i really be happy with a 2.5 K...etc.

then finally talked myself down from the ledge. i realized (and was SO HAPPY to realize this) that my 2.32 J still looks huge to me, i think it's a stunning, amazing, beautiful stone, i love the color, clarity, cut... and DON'T WANT TO TRADE IT UP!!!!

i'm finally HAPPY with my stone and not necessarily looking at the next best thing. well of course i like to still look, but i know that i got a great stone, at a great price and before the price hikes continue.

part of it is that i'm tired of throwing money at this ring, i'm tired of always wanting the bigger stone or waiting. doesn't mean i am not thinking about the 3.5c+ at year 10 or something, but i'm HAPPY being done for now with this ring. maybe a reset but i don't even want to deal with that for a few more years.

so overall i'm doing REALLY WELL with my new stone and my new head and still loving the size and the stone. i'm going to enjoy not having to save for a multi-thousand dollar upgrade every year and so will my darling hubby!

 

[KristyDarling]

Okay, Mrssalvo!

Yes, I still love my ring. I adore it.

Shrinkage has not set in, although my eye has finally become used to the blinginess. At first, I''d look at it and immediately get all flustered and embarrassed, like "I can''t wear THAT in public. It''s so big it''s GARISH!" Not anymore though.

Believe it or not, my close friends haven''t said a thing about it. Either they haven''t noticed (wouldn''t be surprising, since they''re SO not jewelry people), or they have and are too polite/reserved to say anything. My family lives far away and haven''t seen it yet. My brother lives nearby but he''s a guy and wouldn''t notice it even if I scotch-taped a big sign to it that said, "NEW."

Yes, the ring is everything I had hoped for.

What''s next for my diamond? Nothing, I''m happy to say! Although seeing more of those incredible solitaire settings on PS does make me think that SOMEDAY, I would not be opposed to putting it in a 6-prong solitaire on a delicate pave band. I could recycle my Leon setting and put a rockin'' royal blue sapphire in the center.

BUT....this is just day-dreaming. I highly doubt I''d change anything. Well, maybe except for the ring size. Now that it''s warmer it''s getting harder to take off my ring!

Regrets? NONE! Again, except for the ring size. I could stand going up to a 3.75 to accommodate summer bloat.

New projects in wings? None, sadly. Though my 5th anniversary is coming up in September and I wouldn''t turn down a beautiful asscher eternity ring in a Daniel K-like uternity setting!

Alas, not in the cards. DH has cut me off completely!

 

[blodthecat]

Yes, I still love my upgrade

No shrinkage as yet

Family and friends think I waste too much money on jewellery

It''s everything i hoped for, and then some

No plans to upgrade further

No regrets

No new projects on the drawing board

blod

 

[Dee*Jay]

As many of you are soooo painfully aware, I''m in the process of upgrading my upgrade. The 3.02 oval was fine from a size (but not a cut) standpoint so I think I might have to go (gasp!) ROUND. Looked at one round today that was very very nice (but a little too small, size whore that I''ve become--LOL). Looking at one more tomorrow, and am having another called in that sounds SPECTACULAR based on the AGS cert, so we''ll see. Definitely not hurrying with this one and I''m still in the educational period before I really get serious and whip out the checkbook again.

I wish I had more to report but the upgrade of my upgrade is still a work in progress...

 

[Allisonfaye]

I upgraded in December 2004 to a 1.85 regent in a Michael B. crown lace setting and while I knew about PS then, I wasn''t really on it a lot.

I don''t so much have a problem with the size of the stone or anything about the stone but I have decided I would have preferred a different setting with this particular stone.

I think at some point I will upgrade or do a RHR, depending on what I choose. (I have a thread about project 2010). After that, I intend to be done, even though my husband doesn''t believe me. I agree with some of the sentiments that you ladies have posted. There needs to be some point where you are satisfied and you are doing something else with your money and your time.

 

[diamondfan]

I LOVE my ring, and love the setting.

I am not sure if it seems as big now that I have had it a year (Kristy, you are my evil twin...first few times I wore it out it was like, hello, ship beacon, and now I am used to it. It seems normal that I have it on my finger and I know that sounds nutty). Emerald cuts face up smaller than other stones, and I do not know what all the percentages mean, so I hope it looks right but love it so much that I do not worry about it now. (PS I LOVE THE SAPPHIRE IDEA!!!! and I still am pulling for the HK pendant, just so you know

I love the halo''s and split shanks etc, but honestly love how simple and forever my setting is. I did reset a tanzanite, a pretty cushion one, in a halo with small diamonds and when I do not want to wear the band with emerald cuts I think it is a gorgeous right hand ring.

I would like to reset the original 1.53 round brilliant, it is a pavo halo now on a thin chain and I love it but I saw another setting I liked a lot too! (so what else is new?)

this site is bad for me because I see things and go OOOOHHHHH that is so stunning would I like something like THAT? But then I always realize I have something incredible and I will never tire of it, so I have to take a deep breath and calm down!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

I''ve had mine for 6 years now. And no shrinkage has set in. My hands are tiny, more like a childs, so that''s definitely in my favor. I''m just as thrilled with it today as I was when I got it 6 years ago.

 

[glaucomflecken]

I upgraded my 1.07 round that I got with my original e-ring in July 2004 to a 1.52 round in Jan 2005, from an antique style platinum three stone basket ring, to a Tacori Rosebud eternity set.

Do you STILL love it?
I have always "liked" my upgrade stone but never have totally "loved" it. Long story short: We originally got my first e-ring with a 1.07 round. When we decided to upgrade to the Tacori set, we used the 1.07 stone in that setting, but it looked much too small with the almost 4mm wide band. And then came the whole "ring got stuck on the finger" incident. So while Tacori was remaking my rings, dh and I decided we should upgrade the stone to be more proportional. The original jeweler was too slow in organizing a trade in and we were on limited time because Tacori needed the stone''s measurements to make the new head on the new ring. So a local jeweler was the only one I could find that would give me some trade in credit for my old stone (the 1.07 had a 62.5% depth from our pre pricescope days and was hard to resell). He gave us a pretty good deal on the trade in, and with our remaining budget, a 1.5 carat was what we could do. He found us a great stone which i loved until I found out a 41.0 pavilion angle is not a PS fave (oh what PS does to us!) and then I was like, oh, hmmm, well, its ok. But it sparkles like crazy and im content with it.


Has shrinkage set in? Shrinkage set in BEFORE i got it LOL. I always longed for something in the 2+ carat range for my size 5.75 finger.

What do your friends/family think? They could care less. Only one friend of mine is diamond obsessed and I think she was a bit jealous when I surpassed her 1.25 which was the biggest of anyone we knew at the time. My family and friends were thinking more about the whole Tacori upgrade thing and how crazy that was!


Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? WELL, after ALL the different sets Tacori remade me, I am finally content with this one.

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? No, Im thinking more along the lines of "Which rock is next?" LOL


Do you have any regrets? A few. My first regret is that I wish DH and I would have just gone with the Tacori and the larger stone in the first place with the right size We lost money on the upgrade and in remaking the Tacori sets, plus on the original setting. I still wear the original setting as a RHR but if we never had that one in the first place, we wouldnt have had to spend the money on it. Thus a larger stone I could have had. Also, I would have been able to research more stones and maybe have been part of the "H & A" club here, and would have had more choice in vendors for a stone from scratch versus being forced to go with a stone from someone who would take my trade in.

My second regret is after seeing all the shared prong sets I wish I would have gone with a Memoire shared prong set!

Any new projects waiting in the wings? Sadly, no. DH and I are looking to buy a house next year and we have two cars to upgrade instead

 

[princessv]

I''m a resetter not an upgrader so I hope you don''t mind I respond

Do you STILL love it? Absolutely. Yes!

Has shrinkage set in?

Kinda...

What do your friends/family think? Probably...that I''m nutzo...FMIL didn''t even dare ask me about the reset she asked my fiance hehe

Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Yes!! And more!

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? Nope.

Do you have any regrets? I wish I could have ''tweaked'' a few more things..but nothing major as in changes to the design.

Any new projects waiting in the wings?

Guess you PSers will have to wait and see...it''s a ''mini'' project but something that I always wanted.

 

[Diam100]

Do you STILL love it? Yes, I still love my 3 stone!
Has shrinkage set in? Nope, I love my sparklies.
What do your friends/family think? They love it but they all want to take it home or club me over the head for it.
Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Absolutely 2.57 FVS2 w/.51 sidestones & a pave shank dream.
Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? No, nothing is next. I love the Diamond & Setting completely.
Do you have any regrets? None
Any new projects waiting in the wings? Just a bracelet & RHR but no more upgrades. Hubby let me keep the first & purchased the 2nd so no more - I have been cut-off (lol)!

 

[Lynn B]

Fun thread, Kristy! Thanks!

Let''s see... I''ll try to answer each question...

Yes, I still ADORE my recent reset. I love it, love it, love it!

Sadly, shrinkage will probably always be with me (I am SICKSICKSICK!)... the 2.36 just doesn''t LOOK HUGE to me... but I truly think that I have DDI (Distorted Diamond Image)! I mean, if her 2.32 looks huge to Mara, what the heck is the matter with me??!

I *think* it looks huge to everyone else, though, so I just have to remind myself that it is ME that is a screwball!

My friends and family adore my rings, but I think they all think I am a little loony. (Which is probably true!)

Yes, the rings are everything (and more) that I hoped for. I couldn''t be more thrilled with them. I have never yet seen another set that I like better.

Regarding the rock...it is a gorgeous stone, I truly adore it. I love the color and the clarity, and the performance is top notch -- so I have no complaints there whatsoever. It''s just the size, you see, sir!

But realistically, I *know* it''s big, and I truly am a practical girl...(and we are not made of $$$!) so it may very well be my forever stone. We''ll just have to see...

No regrets, and right now, nothing new in the wings. (Well, except for maybe a new laptop and a new camera... but nothing sparkly!)

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 6/19/2006 4:53:32 PM
Author: Mara
wellll.....

i was shocked and horrified when a PS friend emailed me last week with a link to a 2.5 K VS2 Expert Selection on WF's site going 'hey did you see this?!?!'...

It wasn't me!!!!!

 

[Sundial]

I''ve had my three stone upgrade ring since May of last year.

Do you STILL love it? Yes actually I do.

Has shrinkage set in? At first I felt the shrinkage because I had wanted a 1.5 carat center stone and the ring my husband bought has a 1.24 carat center stone, but now I am totally okay with the size.

What do your friends/family think? Well since my ring upgrade I''ve reset my old diamond into a right hand ring and I''ve received upgraded diamond studs, a circle of life pendant, and a diamond bangle bracelet so my friends all think I''m spoiled!!!

Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Yes I wanted a three stone ring with ideal cut round diamonds in a more contemporary white metal setting and that''s what I got.

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? No.

Do you have any regrets? Yes my husband surprised me with this ring from Hearts on Fire and we could have saved a lot of money if he had let me order from an online vendor!!!

Any new projects waiting in the wings? Not for a while.

 

[cutey TT]

Hi, I too am a recent resetter, not an upgrader (yet).

I replaced my original Scott Kay setting with the Ritani Endless Love w/ halo.

Do you STILL love it? Yes, I think it looks 100x better, bigger, sparklier than before.

Has shrinkage set in? Unfortunately, shrinkage set in when we first got engaged ... DH was set on buying the same size stone as his brother, so as not to out-do him ... 1.14 was literally the limit.

What do your friends/family think? They love it, cuz it''s something different. Unlike on PS, most people have never seen a halo.

Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Yup, so far so good. The micropave is very well-made.

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? Not for this stone. I''m holding out for my upgrade.

Do you have any regrets? None

Any new projects waiting in the wings? My 2.25 cttw E-F SI1 studs from Whiteflash should be done this week. They''re kind of a belated 30th b-day present cuz originally, I was supposed to get my upgrade for my big 3-0. Realistically though, we''re shooting for next spring (5th wedding anniversary). However, after the upgrade, DH says I''m done until possibly after 2010. Haha.

 

[Lorelei]

Do you STILL love it? Absolutely!
Has shrinkage set in? No!
What do your friends/family think? Wow!
Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Yes!
Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? No way!
Do you have any regrets? None
Any new projects waiting in the wings? Not ringwise!

 

[Leila]

Date: 6/19/2006 4:28:29 PM
Author:KristyDarling

Do you STILL love it? At first I mourned for the old diamond, but not anymore. I love my new diamond!
Has shrinkage set in? There are times I think it is shrinking, other times I look at it and think, it looks perfect.

What do your friends/family think? My closest girlfriends admit they're envious, but not in a negative way. Some think it's obnoxious. Most don't notice.
Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? I think so.

Well, what do exactly mean by EVERYTHING? Hehe.
Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? I've fantasized about getting something bigger, and husband and I have jokingly talked about it. Who knows what might happen, 5, 10+ years from now. But I do feel satisfied with what I have.
Do you have any regrets? No regrets, but there are times I feel guilty knowing how much money was spent on such a small object.
Any new projects waiting in the wings? Maybe I'll change the setting but that might be next year's project. We've got too much going on and I've also been wanting a shared prong eternity for a loooong time. I want to get that first, so I get to wear some bling when we travel this fall, since I won't be bringing any other important jewelry along.

 

[dbgaap]

Do you STILL love it? Yes, but .... (for now I love it. we''ll see!)

Has shrinkage set in? Yes, I spend too much time on pricescope and my perspective has been totally warped. But around my friends, family and co-workers, my ring is the perfect size.

What do your friends/family think? Unfortunately sometimes people just get jealous. Not so much jealous that I have a pretty diamond, but jealous that my life looks so peachy. I guarantee I have endured many hard times in the past and I trust life to throw me more curveballs in the future. But I do have a husband who treats me like a princess, a good job and a successful child.

Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Yes!

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? Yes! I LOVE Sundial''s ring, but I want to wait a good long while to be sure before I have something custom made. Also, I love KristyDarling''s ring and I might need to have my very own Leon MEge.... just waiting til I know for sure. Once I have a custom ring made, I will not change it out again. It will be a RHR game all the way. And pendants. And, since I am growing out my hair, maybe I''ll start wearing it back and then I will NEED earrings.

Do you have any regrets? No!

Any new projects waiting in the wings? Yes! I am having a RHR made just like londonblue''s. I had a sapphire just like that one and when I saw thepics, they blew me away. I always wanted a halo and now I get one! yippee.
And, I am having an aquamarine custom cut to fit into my original e-ring. I am thinking about a brushed matte finish (as opposed to shiny polished). It is yellow gold.

 

[Julian]

I''m thinking about an upgrade. But I can''t decide just yet!

I thought I wanted more jazz in the beginning. I know the halo look, while lovely, isn''t for me in a RB setting. And I''ve tried on many 3-stones and they don''t look good on my hands -- to my despair because KristyDarling''s ring is to DIE for!

So I''m stuck with going for a bigger solitaire. I''m waiting until I think my ring is too small (hasn''t happened yet!) to upgrade.

Right now, it seems perfect -- but I''d prefer it to look roomier. I like it looking "huge" and it doesn''t look huge anymore! LOL.

(This would make NO sense to anyone but loyal PS''ers!) I like things oversized (except my butt), that is. I''m thinking 3.5-4 carats and I''m done!

 

[Mara]

julian you CRAZEE girl...you have small fingers AND a 3c...it IS HUGE!!!

a 4c will be a MONSTER. but oh i can''t wait to see the pictures!

 

[Julian]

Mara, I need a setting like yours!

Somehow yours looks way bigger than mine... it''s ROOMIER!!!! LOL.

I swear, it''s more spacious. Those pics are to die for.

Where are the additional handshots?

I agree with what some of the other posters said about the tapered setting -- where it tapers in toward the stone. It does make a huge visual impact. That or the WF setting you''ve got. Stunning stunning stunning. I have yet to see one in person!

 

[Miranda]

Do you STILL love it? Sorta. It''s unique, but, it''s not really exactly what I envisioned.

Has shrinkage set in? In a big way.

What do your friends/family think? That I''m insane for getting the last upgrade. Only DH knows about the new ideas.

Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Not quite.

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? Yep. Already been to the jeweler to talk new stones.

Do you have any regrets? Shoulda gone bigger. And the halo and pave is a little overwhelming for me sometimes.

Any new projects waiting in the wings? I dunno...We are moving into a brand new house that needs a yard, new furniture, crown moulding, paint, a new t.v., etc. I could get the upgrade now, but, not all of the other stuff. DH gets irritated when I say, "This standard flooring is just fine honey...Let''s go jewelry shopping!" It''s sort of Ikea vs. Pottery Barn in the balance. I''m really itching for a big solitaire and eternity band, though.
http://www.zgallerie.com/shop/viewsrch.asp?sku=005700871&searchfor=Sale&cat=&Listabsolutepage=30

 

[butterfly 17]

I just thought about this this past week, well actually, on Saturday.
I was looking at WF''s website and saw they now have a 2.32 G SI1 ACA and I have a 2.03 G VS1 ACA and thought, wait, a larger diamond, an ACA and it can still fit into my old setting.

I thought about it but realized that the trade off would not be so good. I would get a less expensive stone (my current stone is worth more by today''s value, but would trade in for less due to what I actually paid for it 3 years ago) and I would have to pay like 5K more just for .4 mm in size difference.

Part of me wants the stone because I always felt that 2 carats was just right, almost big, but not quite big, whereas everything above 2.2 looked BIG to me.

Then, there''s the matter of numbers, the AGS on the 2.32 has 17 in it, which is my lucky number and the numbers add up to 7, again, my other lucky number.

Plus, how often does one see a G SI 1 in this carat range, it''s very infrequent.

There is a 2.57 J VS1 and I know that if I got that stone, I would definitely notice a size difference as it would be almost .70 mm bigger , but I don''t want a J.

The great thing about the 2.57 is that I could get an even trade for my 2.03. Actually, WF would owe me some money.

Who knows, maybe I will wind up getting the J?

But, when will it eventually end? And how much am I will to compromise?


OH, I do have project in the works as we speak. I am doing a three stone diamond and sapphire ring right now. I will keep the details secret until it''s done!!

 

[tawn]

Do you STILL love it? Yes!

Which is good because I suffer from buyer''s remorse frequently!

Has shrinkage set in? In a big way, unfortunately! But, it looks bigger than 1.11ct due to the Halo! It takes up quite a bit of my finger space!

What do your friends/family think? That I''m a diamond whore, and speculate about what we could have done with the money! Except for a few who have caught the bug want upgrades! My friends drag my hand out to show their husbands what my husband "let me" get!

Is your new ring everything you had hoped for? Yes! So glad that I got the Euro-shank because it''s the first ring that doesn''t spin around.

Are you already thinking “What’s next?” for this rock? Of course...especially since my hubby told me that eventually I can upgrade to a bigger rock!! I''m thinking 20th anniversary...so I''ve got 8 years to plan, and he''s aware that I want a 2ct for my next ring!

Do you have any regrets? Surprisingly enough...No! I got a really unique sparkly ring for my budget. Twice the ring that I could have found at any local jewelers.

Any new projects waiting in the wings? Many!! The twin SP Eternity band to go on the other side of my ring! Reset a tanzanite into something. Reset a .25 marquise diamond into bezel east to west pendant. Sell some rings that never see the light of day. Melt down all the old gold necklaces and bracelets that I have laying around. Basically, I just need to do some housecleaning in my jewelry box!

Note! Maybe we should post a pic with our latest sins! I''ll start!

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Date: 6/19/2006 5:09:41 PM

DH has cut me off completely!

OH MY GOSH!!!!

NOOooooo ....

KritstyDarling, I'm sure you will be able to work your magic ways with him

... and convince him

that this would not be in your best interest!

Take care,

 

[diamondfan]

Kristy, I agree! I am often able to convince the man that I should be getting a little something...or a big something...if I can make him laugh about it I am home free! Plus, he knows who I am, he has been married to me almost 16 years...so it is not like this is a surprise...I am sure you can work some magic...

 

[DIAMOND*QUEST]

Good thread KD so let me update yall. My upgrade has come to a dead end. James Allen was to review my certs and has never responded. A Real BUMMER as I had my hopes up for a 3 carat round. I can only suspect that he is not interested in my stones. Would have been nice to hear from him as a prospective client. Maybe it's his loss. Very dissapointed and a little pissed.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 6/21/2006 8:48:21 AM
Author: DIAMOND*QUEST
Good thread KD so let me update yall. My upgrade has come to a dead end. James Allen was to review my certs and has never responded. A Real BUMMER as I had my hopes up for a 3 carat round. I can only suspect that he is not interested in my stones. Would have been nice to hear from him as a prospective client. Maybe it''s his loss. Very dissapointed and a little pissed.

DQ, why not contact another vendor?? I surely wouldn''t let an uggrade come to and end