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Trapped in an upgrade policy?

Igotarock

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
98
Is the current stone certified? What colour is it? I tend to agree with @nala why not consider a lower colour, which should face up pretty white in a superideal anyway, then work up if you want to? Here’s a 2.3ct I in the budget range you’re talking about,
Yes it is GIA certified F in color 1.02ct si2. We are considering going lower and color but not past g she is color sensitive.
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4018656.htm
 

tkyasx78

Brilliant_Rock
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May 28, 2017
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1,640
I would take the 1ct and turn it into a pendant.

Buy a 2 ct with a company like whiteflash. Personally I think you would loose too much buying another inflated priced and inferior cut stone with the B&M store to justify the cost.
 

Igotarock

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
98
This. If only. I had done this. However. This is not to say I am unhappy but it was a long road to get here. You will have to be very selective. 17k is a ton of money. They better bend over to please you and you should not settle for less. This does not make you a pita. That’s what I did. I finally demanded the exact parameters for my stone from my beloved jeweler who was making me feel like I was being a pita. But I’m so glad that I did because prior to that, my upgrades had left me feeling like sucker.
So, if you think you can get what you want without settling for less, use the trade up. Give them a chance. Go to the top to get what you want. If they still can’t produce what you want, take a loss and sell outside or keep it as a pendant. Something tells me your so is a true PSer who might enjoy starting a collection. Or maybe make it a 3 stone for now. But I would not pay over 17k to be unhappy. If you dropped to an H or I, you could keep your pendant and your 2 ct. bc diamond prices are low right now. If you go with whiteflash, you can try out the I to test your color limit And slowly upgrade. Actually. I would go this route rather than back to Robbins’s.
She would love to start a collection, but our finances wouldn’t allow it. She loves this website but just creeps in the background like a total schmuck ... or she’s shy. Keeping the current stone has been a third option we’ve considered, but in order to get what she truly wants in this next ring we should probably use it as either sell it or the trade in policy. It’s kind of a go all in at Robbins Brothers (but maybe settle on cut quality depending on their inventory), or get what we can from this stone and cut our losses. Either way is not the most desired outcome, but we will need to make that choice regardless.

Is keeping the stone an option? You can keep the existing stone, have it set into a pendant for a special occasion one day? Then find a nice stone online with a vendor that offers a great upgrade policy such as Whiteflash, then gradually upgrade over the years? Just a thought. I wish you luck in whatever you chose to do.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,030
I really wouldn't stick with RB. They won't have the cut quality you want, and they might just string you along and make you feel crappy about wanting an excellent cut stone. Remember that cut is king in diamonds--you can get a larger poorly cut diamonds that looks less big and sparkly than a smaller excellent cut stone.

I think you need to cut your losses at RB and go with a vendor who has an excellent upgrade policy. WF and CBI both have incredible upgrade options. I would just try to sell the stone (even at a significant loss--it's sad but at least you're getting more than $0) and buy from somewhere better.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 31, 2014
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18,030
EDIT: I strongly suggest looking at the HPD and WF inventory. For example, https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3947722.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4045351.htm

These are pretty darn close to 2ct, and you can definitely upgrade to 2 ct when you are ready. If you want it to be under 18K then you can go a little smaller in size, or lower in color (because it will look whiter since it's a super-ideal cut). I would call WF and have them talk you through what they have and what they would pick in your position.
 
Q

Queenie60

Guest
I agree with lovedogs. You're better off selling or keeping the stone. Going with a vendor such as WF or CBI, get a smaller, well cut stone and upgrade from there. Maybe a simple solitaire with a blingy band, then once you reach the size she wants, do a custom setting. Just a thought. Personally, I would rather start new with an ideal cut stone. Wishing you luck.

Another thought would be to contact Yekutiel at ID Jewelry, they have a good upgrade policy as well. He may take your stone in trade, find an excellent cut stone for you within your budget and confirm with him that you have upgrade options in the future and exactly what those options are - get it in writing. You would at the very least, have a much better stone than Robins could provide. And before purchasing, run it by the PS experts on this forum.
 

Igotarock

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
98
I agree with lovedogs. You're better off selling or keeping the stone. Going with a vendor such as WF or CBI, get a smaller, well cut stone and upgrade from there. Maybe a simple solitaire with a blingy band, then once you reach the size she wants, do a custom setting. Just a thought. Personally, I would rather start new with an ideal cut stone. Wishing you luck.

Another thought would be to contact Yekutiel at ID Jewelry, they have a good upgrade policy as well. He may take your stone in trade, find an excellent cut stone for you within your budget and confirm with him that you have upgrade options in the future and exactly what those options are - get it in writing. You would at the very least, have a much better stone than Robins could provide. And before purchasing, run it by the PS experts on this forum.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I didn't think about IDJ--definitely reach out to them! I bet they could give you at least something for your current stone, and they are wizards with budgets. But I think that's only a good choice if you are sure you aren't upgrading in the future. If you want to upgrade in the future, it's best to go with the vendors who have particularly great upgrade policies.
 

Igotarock

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
98
Thanks everyone for your advice. Sorry if we haven’t responded to some of your posts, we have been out all day with the children running amuck. I think I’m going to attack this two ways. First, I think I’ll push Robbins brothers harder to see what they can do for us. Then we will be looking to some of these online vendors and see what we can get from selling our own stone to see which option gives us the better deal. We were passively waiting for Robbins brothers, but will push them a little harder now thanks to your advice. I’m assuming we will end up going the online route though. Either way, once we see our options in stones we will post what they have for you guys to evaluate because we are not experts and appreciate everyone’s advice. Thanks again.
 

LLJsmom

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Oct 24, 2012
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12,633
Recut your current stone into something beautiful at some point. Start smaller than ideal with a company that has a great upgrade policy like WF and maybebin 3-5 years you can get to your ideal size. It doesn’t have to be all in one go. You said your wife was already thinking about another future upgrade.
Don’t be stuck with Robhins. It’s a restriction you are putting on yourselves. Cut is not the top priority with them, nor is getting you your dream stone. Just accept it and move on if they don’t come up with something that meets your criteria.
 

cmd2014

Ideal_Rock
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The nice thing about going with a vendor like whiteflash is that their upgrade policy is generous enough that you could take the loss on selling your existing stone, buy something in budget now (maybe a 1.5 carat which would still give a significant size increase), and upgrade as your budget allows. You’d probably end up ahead even with taking a loss on your current stone over the course of a few upgrades.
 

rockysalamander

Ideal_Rock
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May 20, 2016
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One thing to consider is would you still have spent the $6200 if the vendor did not offer an upgrade policy? If it was like every single other expensive thing in our lives (eg, cars, boats, houses, tools) and there was no guarantee you'd ever get a penny more than you spent (and likely take a big loss). If that is the case, you would have bought the ring anyway, then the upgrade policy is nice but did not drive your decision. Don't let it drive it now.
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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While I know many rave about IDJ, I haven't seen much about their upgrade policy. I tried looking on their website but I did not see anything. I seem to recall reading various threads where upgrades weren't guaranteed with them but rather negotiated on a case-by-case basis. But perhaps I am remembering wrong. Can some of our members that have worked with IDJ confirm/deny any of this? I'd hate to see the OP end up with a great priced stone that they love only to face this dilemma again when/if they decide on another upgrade.

Jumping back to the Robbins Bros dilemma. I think you are ready to break free of them personally, but I think you need "permission". I know this sounds silly, and who are we to give you that permission? It doesn't mean that you aren't subconsciously seeking it.

If this is the case, you have permission!

In fact, I think it's the smarter play. To me, it seems you've outgrown Robbins Bros. They can't offer you the quality of stone you want, for what YOU consider a fair value and they make you feel poop about it. Cut the strings now. Take your losses and move onto something that is more positive and makes you happy.
 

oldminer

Ideal_Rock
Trade
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Sep 3, 2000
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6,691
Upgrade policies have benefits attached to a variety of penalties. Working with reliable firms and becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the products, diamonds and jewelry, will allow many of those who initially found an upgrade policy highly important to change their minds as their personal ability, knowledge and market sense develops over the years. Others may simply find it a continuing comfort to have a buy-back and upgrade policy in place over an extended period of time.

Buying at a very good price is no longer nearly as difficult as it was decades ago. Selling well is still a very tricky and daunting task for most consumers. Consumers are not generally well versed in closing a high value sale, collecting the money safely and handing off their used item to a new owner. There are plenty of risks and finding a perfect buyer for the item you happen to no longer want is not the easiest thing to master. There are many pitfalls to avoid. Becoming aware from the start that not every upgrade policy is equal and that not every vendor offering such policies is equal is a very good starting point. By the time you get to an upgrade moment, it is too late to do much about a poor selection of vendor years before.

Upgrade policies are meant to keep loyal customers on the books. They can make it relatively safe and easy to select a much more costly upgrade and to unload the old choice with safety. Is there a cost to do this? Of course. If the cost is fair and justified, then no problem. If the cost ends up punishing you for some reason, then it the deal was not good from the beginning and it can't be altered so late in the game. If you can do better outside an upgrade policy deal, then just cut the cord and go it alone. If the upgrade deal has some feature that makes it more efficient and less painful, then that is what it is mostly all about.

It is a lot like selling your old used car versus trading it in to the dealer. There is a major convenience factor in a trade-in, but don't think the dealer won't try to make some money on your trade-in car, too. If that money left on the table is a problem for you, then you will need to sell your car to another individual and avoid trading in for the sake of convenience. We have to choose what suits each of us best. What is your time worth? Do you have sufficient sales ability? Can you complete the deal properly?
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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Nobody says you can’t have two cars.:mrgreen:

Got a great story to share here, but not sure this forum can handle it. :mrgreen2:

In this case, the OP says they can't. They have to sell or trade the original stone to help fund the upgrade.
 

Miss Marple

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
253
If I read earlier posts from OP correctly, the current budget is based on the presumption that RB is the only vendor under consideration and the upgrade policy at RB will not allow for another upgrade. Then OP decided to look at the online options and decided that RB may not be the only vendor under consideration but the current diamond would need to be sold to fund the upgrade.

What about option 3: keep the current stone, decrease the current budget appropriately and use a super ideal vendor with an upgrade policy that will allow for multiple upgrades in the future?

given that many PSers have said that ideal cut stones face up whiter, it might be possible to drop color a bit to G or even H on this upgrade to get a bit more size with the comfort that if you end up feeling like you made a mistake you can trade it in.

Given the size of the purchase, it might also be worth the cost of shipping and returning a diamond or two in order to assess color tolerance. I believe that HPD has a "try before you buy" program if you're near a CBI retailer.

The big downside to a trade in policy is that you can't keep using the same setting if you keep trading up in size. :cry:
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 3, 2004
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33,852
I think you need to cut your losses at RB and go with a vendor who has an excellent upgrade policy. WF and CBI both have incredible upgrade options. I would just try to sell the stone (even at a significant loss--it's sad but at least you're getting more than $0) and buy from somewhere better.
Agree with LD 101%. :clap: . Stop throwing your $$$ at RB. If I were you I'd give Wink a call at HPD and let him know your budget. HPD offers the best upgrade policy on earth.
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonds/diamonds-search
 

ringo865

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 14, 2014
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2,897
+1 to dancing fire and miss marple

Sledge, we have nine cars (4 are daily drivers) and are babysitting two others. I think I have fewer diamonds.

Unless melee counts... then I’d need more cars:eek-2:
 

sledge

Ideal_Rock
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Apr 23, 2018
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5,791
+1 to dancing fire and miss marple

Sledge, we have nine cars (4 are daily drivers) and are babysitting two others. I think I have fewer diamonds.

Unless melee counts... then I’d need more cars:eek-2:

Only 1 logical solution....you need more diamonds. ;)2 :cool2:

As I've eluded to, I'm very much a car guy. For whatever reason, they speak to me and I've found it will be nearly impossible to find one car that truly satisfies me. As such, if resources are ever as plentiful as I would like, I would give Jay Leno a run for his money. I love diamonds too, but those are for my fiancee. Heaven forbid her passion go ablaze like mine has, as we will own too many stones.

Oddly enough, this reminded me of a poster I had growing up labeled, "Justification for Higher Education". It was an old poster, which I didn't mind (even when I was younger) as I love old & new cars both. But when Googling for an image to share I see they've updated the poster a few times.

Original Version I Remember:
Justification%20for%20Higher%20Education%20Poster.jpg


Updated Version:
u-g-F4DHIW0.jpg
 
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