Why did you go over 1.0 CTW?

[huangt0n]

I am currently considering whether to upgrade from a 0.8 to possibly a diamond slightly over 1 ctw. However, I am paying almost two times that amount to not gain much in size. However, there are so many PSers who decided that going above 1ctw was a better choice for them.

How did you justify this cost? Is there something that I am missing because the practical side of me says maybe I should not upgrade, but I do not feel secure with what I have now... Any opinions is much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[neatfreak]

We didn''t. Wasn''t worth the increase in cost for us. If you can afford it there is no reason not to, but it''s a large premium if budget is an issue.

 

[cestmoi]

I decided to go with 1 CT because I JUST KNOW that her girlfriends will be comparing their shiny new stones and I didn''t want her to be "disadvantaged."

If it were entirely up to me, I would simply put that money towards her shiny new car - something more practical.

And no, she never said this or that... I did it on my own accord.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

We didn''t...it was not worth it to me. It is not a matter of feeling "secure" or "comparing to my friends" (which has never been the case), it all was a matter of what I like.

 

[huangt0n]

thanks for the honest replies. any other inputs and ideas, please let me know!

so far I am thinking that I will either stay with my 0.83 or if I am going to upgrade then go to a 1.2 so I will really notice a difference. I hope that is the right thing to do...

 

[kaori]

We didn''t go over 1 ct. either. If budget is not an issue, I would say GO FOR IT. Other than that, I rather save the money for the house.

 

[huangt0n]

It is affordable, but I am also practical so as you said it also kills me that I could just build more equity in the house. Any inputs on people who went over 1 crt and have no regrets?

 

[denverboy]

i just bought my gf''s Ering - 0.7c. A big part of that choice was (as you''ve mentioned) that its about twice the money for about a 15% increase in area. And if you have a 0.8c now it will be even less of an increase in area. Just not worth it to me. Since my gf also has small fingers (size 4.5) that was a bonus, but I would have made the same decision either way.

 

[Ryan327]

I remember the first time I went to look at diamonds...I was a little shocked how much smaller they where than I thought they would be, and the first stone I saw was a .70 emerald cut which wasn''t tiny by any means.

In my mind I wanted to do a carat just because it sounds so nice and is what people like to hear, but we are both very practical and modest people...even though we are by no means ''broke'' I always act like I am and she always says how she doesn''t want a big ring and wouldn''t want me to spend the money on it...sometimes even going as far as saying she would be fine even if she didn''t get a ring.

I made the smart decision to set a reasonable budget 3500 to 4500 for everything out the door...but after some online shopping I found that I could the same size stone if not larger online for much less money. I decided not to ''go into debt'' or allow the 1 carat mark to take over in my head, instead I bought the same size stone(in cash)that I orginally planned on buying and saved the other 1000 to 1500 and put it aside for honeymoon / wedding fund which I know would be much more important to her.

I could never imagine spending 10K plus for a ring, but that is just me and I don''t judge anyone that does. Hey...the founder of ikea, Ingvar Kamprad, is worth more than 30 million and still flys coach and drives a 93 volvo, I guess that is more my style

Ryan

 

[arjunajane]

We justified my upgrade by lowering in colour and clarity (K, Si1) which with my AGS0 is more than ok.
This meant an increase of only ~30% pricewise, but went from a 3 stone ~0.8tcw 3 stone to a 1.25ct solitaire.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I think it is just personal preference. I would be happy with anything. The ideal was around 1.2 for me since I felt it looked best in the design we were thinking. We ended up with a 1.5 because we couldn''t find what we wanted in a smaller size. At the end, just balance what your budget allows. If you can afford it without making other sacrifices .. why not? Some girls love the bling and some women (and men) like to show off! I don''t know what is going on with my friends but each one is getting a slightly bigger diamond than the last...LOL.

 

[Kelli]

I originally set out for a 1 ct. FIRST, I walked into a local "wholesale" jeweler who was selling a 2ct G/H SI diamond in a platinum setting for $5000. I have to say that I didn''t know ANYTHING about diamonds then, just kind of happened in there, and I LOVED it on my finger. I never did get it outside his bright jewelry store lights, but it was really pretty. Unfortunately, it wasn''t eye-clean from all angles and the seller seemed pretty shady, and we didn''t want to give him the business not knowing where the diamond came from. So we went to Jared''s and tried on 1ct. "peerless" diamonds and "leo" diamonds which were in our budget and I was fine with. We had a deposit on a 1 ct. leo diamond but then I found out about the world of online diamond shopping and realized that for the same budget I could go bigger, so I did! I have a 1.35 now. Also, I have been with my fiance for over 8 and a half years. We waited until we could afford it, so I didn''t feel that bad about going a little bigger. Some of my friends are younger than me and are getting beautiful half-carat diamonds. They''re always saying things about how mine is so huge, but if I had gotten married when I was 21 mine would have been smaller too. I don''t think it''s worth breaking the bank for a few extra millimeters. Going bigger worked in my situation, but I would not have wanted to spend the money if I had gotten engaged/married a few years ago. Diamonds are beautiful in all sizes anyway!


Ummmmmm sorry for the novel I just wrote.

 

[lesco]

Hi,

I guess my prior answer was biased as I did not reach the 1 carat mark. Why? I guess I had various reasons. First, I discovered that both setting and diamond were equally important to me and I wanted to have a larger budget for a setting. Also, as I was shopping, I could not really see a big impact size wise between the .80ish and one carat stones, unless I had them side by side. Some people see a larger difference, we honestly did not. It did not justify the money involved.It's all about what you can comfortably afford.

My prior remark (on your other thread) was more related to some of your prior concerns regarding wishing for more finger coverage. Upgrading to a one carat stone might not make you happy in the long run. Also, with uncerted stones, you might run the risk of actually purchasing a deep stone, which might weight a carat yet faces up small.

You mentioned preferring an uncerted stone so you could afford a larger diamond. Although I bet you could hit the jackpot and end up with a nice uncerted stone, chances are the uncerted stone was not send out to a grading lab for a reason. Certifying a stone does not cost a whole lot of money and the best stones are usually certified as they command a premium. Think about it, any dealer would gladly send out a stone to AGS or GIA so they can ask for a better price.

I will rather sacrifice size and buy quality. As my grandma always says, the finest fragances always come in smaller packages.

 

[bettina]

Like everyone else, we didn''t. My center stone is 0.73 and most people assume it''s a carat. I''d almost advise going bigger in case it starts "shrinking" and because the need to upgrade won''t be as bad later. On the other hand, I''m completely content with mine.

 

[babysteps]

My engagement diamond was just under a carat (.93) for that exact reason - there was a huge price leap at a full carat and we simply didn''t have that kind of money with the future that included a house, kids, school loans etc. My first upgrade came at our 10 yr anniversary and my husband was very sweet - he just said he wanted to get me the diamond he wished he could have gotten way back when.

 

[amyjokerette]

As everyone else is doing, I''ll answer the question "backwards". We did not go over a carat because like everyone else says the price jump is huge! Mine 0.98ct

You know, reading this post makes me feel like my ring is more around the norm. Sometimes here in PS it seems like everyone has 2.0+ !

 

[Maisie]

I started off with a .55 then I went to .72 then I went to 1.03

I noticed a significant enough size increase each time. I have stopped with the 1.03 because I adore it. I doubt I will ever upgrade that stone..

 

[DiamondsforDee]

Well I''m technically still waiting for my ring, but I did help pick it out so I know how big the stone is. We decided to go over 1 carat because my SO stated that he would never upgrade my engagement ring. He''s willing to buy me all sorts of other shiny things, even diamonds

, but the engagement ring will never change. With that in mind we decided to wait an extra year, save our pennies, and get a 1.35 carat ring. If he was not against upgrading we almost certainly would have started with something just under a carat.

 

[Darthkim]

I have to admit, as a guy, it''s pretty funny looking at all these big pictures of diamonds and then going to the diamond store to see how big 1 carat is!

It''s like looking at the Tiffany''s jewelry online and when you actually get to the store, the actual piece is tiny.

I had a budget in mind before I went shopping. And when i was shopping, it seemed that at PS (at that time), all the requests were for 1.5 - 3.0 ct stones. Which with our normal PS standards... can be pricey.

And cestmoi hit it on the head for me. I''m in southern California and the last thing I wanted to ever hear from her GF''s that there is something wrong with her ring (Its kind of stupid... but still). For some reason, it''s like a pride issue for me and I want no doubt in anyone''s mind about my commitment (again... kind of stupid, but still). And lastly, i figure this was the one and only time i could really spoil her, as we journey on down this path of home and family... ( i don''t think she''d ever spend that $$$ on herself, part of why i love her!)

However, I know, without a doubt, that i could NOT have gotten a better looking ring for the price I paid, without the help of pricescope.

I ended up purchasing an 1.3 isee2.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I''m with many others in this thread in that we did not reach a ct. I have a .71 ct. Asscher, which faces up smaller than a round, anyway.

When we were looking at diamonds, in my head, I simply could not justify a 40% cost increase for a merely 10% gain in face-up size.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 10/16/2008 9:47:30 AM
Author: Darthkim
I have to admit, as a guy, it's pretty funny looking at all these big pictures of diamonds and then going to the diamond store to see how big 1 carat is!

It's like looking at the Tiffany's jewelry online and when you actually get to the store, the actual piece is tiny.

I had a budget in mind before I went shopping. And when i was shopping, it seemed that at PS (at that time), all the requests were for 1.5 - 3.0 ct stones. Which with our normal PS standards... can be pricey.

And cestmoi hit it on the head for me. I'm in southern California and the last thing I wanted to ever hear from her GF's that there is something wrong with her ring (Its kind of stupid... but still). For some reason, it's like a pride issue for me and I want no doubt in anyone's mind about my commitment (again... kind of stupid, but still). And lastly, i figure this was the one and only time i could really spoil her, as we journey on down this path of home and family... ( i don't think she'd ever spend that $$$ on herself, part of why i love her!)

However, I know, without a doubt, that i could NOT have gotten a better looking ring for the price I paid, without the help of pricescope.

I ended up purchasing an 1.3 isee2.

I have heard so many men say this. I honestly don't know where it comes from. I live in DFW, and I have loads of friends with various sized engagement rings, from huge to slightly smaller than mine, and not one woman EVER has said to me, "too bad it's not a full ct. or anything of the sort.

I'm also on a male dominated message board, and it's generally comments of that sort from the men. I honestly feel that this sentiment is spurred on by theri nature to be highly competitive, and not by catty girlfriends.

 

[PinkSummer]

What don''t you feel secure about? Is it that other people have been saying it''s small or looking down on it? I probably wouldn''t upgrade for that price. I am practical too and I would probably feel a little guilty upgrading when you aren''t getting much more size. I''m sure you loved it a one time. I wouldn''t feel bad about the size. It''s still plenty bigger than most people''s out there. The only thing that would make me upgrade would be quality in order to have a better stone...but not so much the size. Do you have a picture of it?

 

[decodelighted]

I think there is a kind of mental magic about the 1.0 ct number. But it can be fought with rationality just like the "need" for perfect clarity or D color. By the time in life that people start looking for diamonds they already have some preconceptions yanno?

As for myself & my now DH -- there are times I feel like my 1.5 ct asscher was overly extravagent. And that maybe my preconceived notions/competitiveness/vanity played into it more than I thought at the time. Sure I had rationalizations: my fingers are very meaty (size 10), my choice of cut faces up much smaller (asscher), and we already owned a home (which would have been our main target of savings if we hadn''t already owned). But I''d lived in NYC, had a few fat years of freelancing, hit 37 before meeting my mate, didn''t want a big wedding & had a bit of a case of "I deserve *this*". Agh. Hard to admit. Anyway: I love it. I still love it. I love it more now than the day he proposed. Maybe by being picky I helped stave off future schemes & fixation. Who knows?

 

[Haven]

We went over 1ctw because we could, plain and simple.

For years I thought I wanted a yellow sapphire cushion in a halo. Hubby (then bf) looked for it on his own for several months before he became overwhelmed and asked me to get involved. Long story short, he convinced me to look at cushion diamonds. Our jeweler brought in several stones, we fell in love with one of them, and voila! We had our diamond.

I ended up with a 2.01 ct G SI1 cushion diamond set in an eternity shared-prong band, so the tcw is 3.09. Hubby paid for the ring in cash, and that was that.

It''s all about personal preference and means. If we had had to sacrifice anything to buy the ring, we wouldn''t have bought it. We live well below our means, we''re a bit older than your average newlyweds, and this was a splurge that my hubby wanted to make, and so he did.

Good luck with your choice. In the end, she''s going to love whatever you get for her. And I understand your concern about other people''s perceptions, but I''d try to put it out of your mind because there will ALWAYS be naysayers, no matter WHAT the situation. You have to be comfortable with your own choices, if others aren''t comfortable with them that is their own issue.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/15/2008 11:21:29 PM
Author: huangt0n
It is affordable, but I am also practical so as you said it also kills me that I could just build more equity in the house. Any inputs on people who went over 1 crt and have no regrets?

Why are you considering going with a larger diamond then? Regardless of how much money you have, you don't have to put a 1 ct + diamond on top of your priority list!

Sounds like you don't want to go bigger, but are feeling pressured to do so. Maybe I am wrong . . .

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I went over one carat because it was a compromise--I wanted 1 carat, my husband thought 2 carats looked better and I ended up with 1.5

As an asscher owner, I did notice that under the 1.3 carat mark or so (we brought in stones ranging from 1 - 2 carats), it was hard to make out the pattern at an arm''s-length distance. The steps seemed to get thinner and less defined, which is probably the main reason I went over a carat.

 

[huangt0n]

So the story is that I asked for a custom diamond head to be made. There are diamonds on the side of the prongs, which does make the profile view very beautiful. However, my jeweler never gave me any input on how my diamond would look from the top view. When I first got the ring the prongs were uneven and I tried to live with the error. It bothered me constantly and they shaved off some sides to make it more even. So I continued living with this some more and still realized that the extra metal from the top view still made the diamond look smaller than a 0.8 (in my opinion).

We paid an extra $500 to do this and now it is at a loss because we are having it redone. I negotiated a bit and they will do it at their cost. I also talked them into giving me 100% buy back on my diamond but I have to spend a total of $5100. I know that redoing the head of the diamond might fix the issue that I feel that my diamond is small. My diamond looks bigger in some lighting and smaller in small lighting. I finally figured out (I think this is right...) that my ring looks BIGGER in lower lighting because the light isn''t reflecting on the bulky prongs. However, in direct sunlight, I also see the shine of the prongs, which makes my ring look smaller. As a result, I almost want to hedge my bet by getting a slightly larger diamond but I don''t know if it is worth the cost.

I am a very practical person when it comes to some things. For instance I bought a resale wedding dress and the total cost was $200. I estimate the cost of our wedding to only be about $500. However, the ring is a different issue. No one has ever told me my ring looks small. However, I can''t help but feel a bit sad about my ring when I see other people''s rings who I know have the same income level and other similar life circumstances. It''s just a constant internal conflict. My fiance will most likely support me in whatever I choose to do. However, I do feel materialistic about this but I can''t help it. : (

 

[huangt0n]

Maybe no one will notice, but this is how it sorta looks like in direct lighting. It looks smaller to me, but the picture doesn''t show it as well as seeing the disparity in person.

If anyone can relate, please please respond. It''s hard to talk about this issue to people who are no PSers and think I am crazy because it''s just a "ring."

Thanks!

 

[neatfreak]

The ring is beautiful, but I agree that the prongs aren't very delicate, thus "dwarfing" the diamond. I think the more important thing here is to get nicer prongs, not necessarily a bigger diamond. But take that from someone who has no qualms with a <1 carat stone.

 

[bee*]

We went in with a budget and they had ordered in several rings of different sizes, colour and clarity. This was just the ring that we preferred. We got a 1.23ct and I tried on from a .8ct. Go with what you feel comfortable with and with the one your prefer. Don''t buy just to get over a certain size.