Would you do a mini upgrade?

[chrono]

Just as the topic header says, would any of you do a mini upgrade while waiting for the perfect stone? My final goal is to reach 6.5 mm.

I currently have a Jubilee that measures 5.3 mm and I've got my eye on a cute little square cushion that measures 5.8 mm. According to the vendor, I don't need a new setting since there's only a 0.5 mm increase. Plus, the stone has a 100% lifetime warranty trade in value so no financial loss anytime in the future. I'm not sure when (if ever) the Jubilees will come back and a top notch square cushion within my picky specifications will come in. So, I thought this mini upgrade might fit the bill.

I now know for sure that RBs aren't for me. This little cushion sets my heart a pitter patter when I look at it. Do you think I should get it to stave off my DSS until her big sister is found or should I just wait it out?

Here's the information:
GIA square cushion
0.97 ct F VS2
5.79 x 5.79 x 3.92 mm

Table 57.7% (love the small table)
Depth 67.7% (a little deep but not too bad)
Crown Height 17.7% (I'm so excited to see this)
VG/VG polish & symmetry

I think the girdle is medium to slightly thick
No fluoro

(but maybe the final upgrade stone will have it if I'm lucky)

 

[Dee*Jay]

Boy Chrono, that''s a tough one. If you have them side-by-side and see a real difference then why not... but I''m just not sure once it''s set that you will notice it much.

 

[Jenn5504]

I know nothing about cushion cuts, but I wanted to chime in on the mini-upgrade. I say do it. I know many here say hold out for more substantial, but it''ll be a fun way to pass the time ''till "THE" stone comes along some day. I''ve only had my current stone a little over 6 months and I''m CONSTANTLY dreaming of even a mini upgrade. It''s how I plan to get to my end goal, inch up (well, ha ha, INCH, I wish!) slowly. As long as you''re sure you won''t miss your old stone then do it.

p.s. again, I know nothing when it comes to cushions, but I do think the image of the one you posted is LOVELY, it sure makes my heart go pitter patter, and I''m in love with the fact that it''s perfectly square!

 

[Rhea]

I would if you notice the size difference enough. In harm in trying it to see if you like it!

 

[coda72]

I would definitely do it. I went from a 0.435 carat to a 0.735 carat diamond for a pendant, and it''s very noticeable. I don''t think mine was a mini upgrade; it will probably be the biggest pendant I will get, but who knows maybe eventually I will go bigger.

 

[tberube]

oh - my my my. I read the thread topic and was just about ready to say a definitive "no" - that is, until I saw the picture of that gorgeous cushion. Oh how I wish I''d known more about cushions before I choose my emerald cut (sssshhhhh don''t tell my EC).

Personally, I luuurrrrrvvvveeee cushions way more than jubilee''s for their fluid, rounded edges and chunky facets, so I''d snap it up. But on the other hand I personally wouldn''t make an upgrade unless it was for a significant size difference. Like - twice as big. The size difference between your stone and this new stone is such a small amount, you''d basically just be making the change for the cut difference. So that''s a tough one....

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/16/2008 3:33:47 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Boy Chrono, that''s a tough one. If you have them side-by-side and see a real difference then why not... but I''m just not sure once it''s set that you will notice it much.

That''s what I was thinking....not to be a debbie downer.

 

[ImpatientOne]

Well, I am in the midst of a mini upgrade myself. My ultimate goal is to get to a 2-2.25 ct RB. My original ring is a 1.51 SI2 I that is not all that well cut. I am upgrading to a 1.737 AGS0 SI1 J H&A. The difference in mm is .50, so not a huge difference, but I still think it will be quite noticable to me due to the much higher cut quality of the stone

I say go for it! That cushion is gorgeous! And with the trade up policy you mentioned, you have nothing to lose!

 

[Gypsy]

I love that cushion! I''d do it.

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 1/16/2008 4:39:17 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 1/16/2008 3:33:47 PM

Author: Dee*Jay

Boy Chrono, that''s a tough one. If you have them side-by-side and see a real difference then why not... but I''m just not sure once it''s set that you will notice it much.

That''s what I was thinking....not to be a debbie downer.

ellen, you''re not debbie downer, you''re "ellen eh"...

Chrono, do you no longer love your current stone? It seems like a lot of work to buy a new stone with such a small difference, unless the clarity/color/cut is far and away better than what you already have.

 

[Ellen]

lol Thanks sg.

I think.

 

[february2003bride]

Do it!

I did a mini upgrade and went from a .91 to a 1.33 and I''m so glad I did! Do what will make you happy until your forever diamond comes through.

 

[sera]

I don''t think I would for a .5mm difference that was only temporary.

Does the vendor have any idea when to expect Jubilees? A few months? A year? Ever?

If I had the money for an upgrade now and wanted a size increase now (like you do, it seems), then I would get the a sq. cushion closer to (or at) your target size. Then, if/when the Jube comes in, you could upgrade just a tad bigger. Then you would have your size now, then could take your time looking for that exact Jube you want. (But, if the Jubes were expected soon, I would just wait).

 

[canuk-gal]

HI Chrono:

It looks like such a stunner that it would be a difficult decision. Notwithstanding the liberal upgrade policy. And the mental issue that is it a larger carat weight.

But I would likely say "no" unless there was enough of a visual justification for the dollars and effort spent.

cheers--Sharon

 

[mercoledi]

So you''re bored with your current stone, yes?

And the cushion tugs at your heart, yes?

And you''d really only work with GOG to get a jubilee anyway, yes?

And they have a 100% upgrade policy, yes?


Then by all means woman, snap that thing up before someone else here does!

You get to play with a new sparkly and obsess over the next sparkly.

It''s the best of all possible worlds!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 1/16/2008 5:53:15 PM
Author: Gypsy
I love that cushion! I''d do it.

Ditto!

 

[Jenn5504]

Date: 1/16/2008 8:05:36 PM
Author: mercoledi
So you''re bored with your current stone, yes?

And the cushion tugs at your heart, yes?

And you''d really only work with GOG to get a jubilee anyway, yes?

And they have a 100% upgrade policy, yes?


Then by all means woman, snap that thing up before someone else here does!

You get to play with a new sparkly and obsess over the next sparkly.

It''s the best of all possible worlds!

Ha ha, well said!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

My first inclination was to say no, but that is a lovely cushion! I really think changing stones is somewhat of a hassle, so I probably would not make a change for that little size difference. I''d hold out for another year or whatever and get one that was really visually larger, like the 6.5 mm you really want.

 

[marcy]

It is a lovely stone. If you can see a size difference, I would go for it. You won''t loose anything if you are trading up again anyway.

 

[milton333]

I think you might notice a size difference at .5 mm. I noticed a big size difference with .8 mm, as did my DH. I say, why not?

 

[door knob solitaire]

I would think of it simply by another rung in the ladder. One more step. It is going to cost you more right? So won''t that place you in a position closer to your dream stone, financially? Little increments to get you where you want to be-one could argue that is very dollar wise.

I got lost in the end result desired shape...but if one is far more popular or requested than the other that too could benefit you. Your trade in jeweler may have a buyer just waiting for that stone which would give him a greater incentive to make the dream deal happen? Ok that was a stretch...but it is always wiser to get in the most requested or higher desired object...just like in cars, houses, etc. A trade up is a trade up. Besides, won''t it be fun to look down into a maze of new facets. Lots to explore? §

 

[Lorelei]

Chrono, you seem really excited about this stone and have been for a couple of weeks, so my vote is to do it and enjoy it until her big sis comes along! I think this diamond's personality might be enough for you to love in the meantime!

 

[Deelight]

If you can see a difference in size I say yahhha do it

Since there is no financial loss either with upgrade policy what do you have to lose

 

[chrono]

DJ,
I don''t have them side by side but I did draw 2 squares on a piece of paper. I DO see the 0.5 mm difference. It''s not hugely obvious but I can see it. The big plus for me is that I don''t need to spend money on a new setting to get this mini upgrade.

Jenn,
That''s the same way I''m looking at it. It''s something to stave of the DSS until THE stone comes a long. Sort of inching along the way, as you put it. The cushion looks like such a stunner that I feel I will not miss my Jubilee. Wwell, not much anyway.

Addy and Coda,
I see a small size difference. I''m also thinking no harm in trying, right?

Tberube,
This is what''s so hard; that cushion is really something, isn''t it? My true love is square stones and I got the Jubilee because at that time, very well cut cushions were hard to find. Many looked terrible, so I got the Jubilee because it is square and had great optics. I could handle the clipped corners because the prongs will make it look square when set. My final goal IS to get a stone about twice the size of the original cushion but it''s a mighty long wait. The Jubilees may NEVER come back into production and a super duper well cut square cushion will take at least a year to find. Hence, this mini upgrade dilemma...

 

[chrono]

Ellen,
You aren''t a debbie downer. I may not always agree with you but I DO listen to what you have to say.

Impatient One,
Glad you chimed in. Mine has the same 0.5 mm increase and I see it too. The cut quality on the old and new are comparable but there a high increase in colour, from J to an F. I''m not picky but it''s the cut that has me ga-ga over it. The small table, the super high crown, the MEDIUM culet, the symmetry... I can go on and on. With the upgrade policy, I can continue to look for my 6.5 mm H SI1 square cushion with a super duper looper ideal cut.

Gypsy,
I love it too. I was all set to wait for THE cushion when I happened upon this GOG stone while helping another new PSer look for cushions. It''s almost like fate but I call it luck.

Surfgirl,
I still like my stone but I''m not super crazy about it anymore. Ever since I saw the video that Jon made for me with the RB, PoH and the cushion, I knew right away that I wanted GOG''s cushions. But it had to be a perfect square with the same optics. The chunky faceting just captivated me.

Feb2003 bride,
My rational was to do the mini-upgrade until my forever diamond is found. There''s essentially no loss to me since my upgrades are all through GOG with 100% trade in value, and in this case, I don''t even need a new setting. The only hassle is to send the ring in with the cert.

 

[chrono]

Sera,
I''ve given up on the Jubilee. I don''t think it''ll ever come back. I''m also not keen on the Square H&A and PoH because of the 72% to 75% depth. I just can''t justify paying so much for a deep stone. My final upgrade will be a 6.5 mm square cushion but none are available right now and it could take many months to a year to find the right one. I also don''t want to spend additional money on a setting right now either because this setting will incorporate my 2 red side spinels so all the 3 stones must be correctly proportioned. Short answer, no Jubes.
Sharon,
I agree the cushion is such a stunner and yes, that is the reason why it is a very difficult decision. The larger carat weight and 0.5 mm increase is also tugging at me.

Mercoledi,
You are so funny.

Yes, I am bored with my Jubilee.
Yes, the cushion tugs at my heart.
Yes, I''d only work with GOG for my final upgrade anyway (but this time, it''ll be a cushion, not another Jubilee).
And yes, their 100% upgrade policy is super tempting.
Thing2of2,
I take it you like the cushion too?

Diamondseeker,
Why is changing stones a hassle? This is my first time doing an online upgrade. I just send the stone and paperwork in, then I get my new bauble, right? Am I missing something? It''ll go into the same setting.

 

[Gypsy]

Sounds like you''ve made up your mind to do it (which I fully support). I can''t WAIT for pics! Have GOG snap some of the finished product while it''s there so we have somethihg to drool over in the interim. YAY!

 

[chrono]

MarcyC and Milton,
Thank you for your input.

DKS,
My thought is also the same; this is just another rung in the ladder. That one small step to the top. Yes, it costs more so financially, it's closer to my dream stone too. I guess my true question is to see how many people would do a mini upgrade and how many will not, as well as their reasons. So far, many said the 0.5 mm size too small visually, but by the same token, others say they can see the size difference.

Lorelei,
This cushion is different from the other one in the GOG video. This one is a perfect square with a medium culet (almost like an old style stone), the other was a little rectangular. GOG will be preparing a video for me with this cushion. I have also requested a 5.3 mm PoH or square H&A side by side just to compare the size and light performance. Jon's swamped right now, so maybe next week?

Deelight,
We think a like.

 

[chrono]

Gyspy,
It''s not a done deal yet. GOG will be doing a vid for me sometime next week. I have requested a 5.3 mm PoH or Square H&A (comparable to my current Jubilee) next to the 0.97 ct cushion to check the following:
1. Gauge the performance difference.
2. See the size difference
3. See the difference in facet patterning

 

[ImpatientOne]

Well, I can''t wait to hear what you decided!!! That stone truly is gorgeous