7.5 or 8 mm round brilliant

[ellie bowers]

I am getting to upgrade my wedding rings with money we have from an insurance claim on a lost/stolen item. I previously had a 1 carat princess cut.
I can get a Round Brilliant 1.55 carat H AND an eternity band now or get a RB 2 carat J, and wait a couple of years on the eternity band. The difference in the stones in only .5 mm. My husband says he wants to go big for our 20th anniversary, and I think he would get me a 2 carat or possibly 2.25 or 2.4 in the coming years (we've been married 19 in August), but we also have 3 kids, one of whom is about to start driving, so who knows exactly what finances will look like in 2 years. ha ha! Both stones are beautiful cuts, and I have seen both in person. I tried them on for a couple of girls that were at the jewelers, and neither could really see the difference in size until I pointed it out. I am having the HARDEST time choosing. My husband really wants us to the the H and eternity band now. Our jeweler will give us the full value we pay on the diamond we purchase now if we come to trade up in a few years.
Oh...the setting will either be solitaire or have pear side stones.
I'd love to see pics of your 1.5 carat rounds with pears or solitaires as well as 2 carats! Someone choose for me! Ha ha!

 

[Lorelei]

I am getting to upgrade my wedding rings with money we have from an insurance claim on a lost/stolen item. I previously had a 1 carat princess cut.
I can get a Round Brilliant 1.55 carat H AND an eternity band now or get a RB 2 carat J, and wait a couple of years on the eternity band. The difference in the stones in only .5 mm. My husband says he wants to go big for our 20th anniversary, and I think he would get me a 2 carat or possibly 2.25 or 2.4 in the coming years (we've been married 19 in August), but we also have 3 kids, one of whom is about to start driving, so who knows exactly what finances will look like in 2 years. ha ha! Both stones are beautiful cuts, and I have seen both in person. I tried them on for a couple of girls that were at the jewelers, and neither could really see the difference in size until I pointed it out. I am having the HARDEST time choosing. My husband really wants us to the the H and eternity band now. Our jeweler will give us the full value we pay on the diamond we purchase now if we come to trade up in a few years.
Oh...the setting will either be solitaire or have pear side stones.
I'd love to see pics of your 1.5 carat rounds with pears or solitaires as well as 2 carats! Someone choose for me! Ha ha!

Hi Ellie and welcome!

It would be a no brainer for me, I'd go with the larger diamond as you'd probably notice a big difference in face up size between 7.5 and 8mm - but - I'd want to check out how well both diamonds were cut and I'd need a lot more info on them both to decide.

Are these diamonds GIA graded?
Can you post all the info from each report if so here so we can help you judge which is going to be the best looking diamond?

Do you prefer to buy from your jeweller or are you open to buying online? Just saying as it might be possible due to the generally lower online prices to maximise your purchase. Also, you'd need to read the small print very carefully concerning his trade up offer, some want you to spend double the price of the original stone before they'll let you upgrade and then it depends on what they have available, so be careful there.

I think there's a thread with pear sides and a 2 carat thread, I'll see what I can find.

 

[ellie bowers]

I really need to buy from a jeweler. We are trading in my princess to add to the insurance money for the upgrade. He is giving us almost the full value of what my husband paid...kind of unheard of I have found in doing research. I love this jeweler, and he has worked with me to maximize what I can get on my budget.
I had thought the 1.95 carat J for sure, but when the two girls that were there could hardly see the difference in the 2 stones, it really made me wonder if the $2000 price difference was worth it. I love eternity bands, and I would so love having one to wear right now. I had in my mind I would not go below an I in color, and color is so important to my husband. He can really see it. Me, now so much. Still, I want him to be excited about it.

 

[tkyasx78]

I would do the 2 carat.

 

[Lorelei]

I really need to buy from a jeweler. We are trading in my princess to add to the insurance money for the upgrade. He is giving us almost the full value of what my husband paid...kind of unheard of I have found in doing research. I love this jeweler, and he has worked with me to maximize what I can get on my budget.
I had thought the 1.95 carat J for sure, but when the two girls that were there could hardly see the difference in the 2 stones, it really made me wonder if the $2000 price difference was worth it. I love eternity bands, and I would so love having one to wear right now. I had in my mind I would not go below an I in color, and color is so important to my husband. He can really see it. Me, now so much. Still, I want him to be excited about it.

Fair enough and that's good to hear. And with your Husband, I think you definitely do want him to be excited about it.

What I'd do is post the report numbers of each diamond if they are GIA graded- this is another factor to consider, are these diamonds GIA or AGS graded? Or post all the info from the report and we can go over each with you to point out any potential pitfalls and the positive attributes of each.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Please get and post the GIA reports (or report numbers) on both stones and let us tell you whether they are worth buying. Because there is a definite visual difference in 1.5 and 2 cts. So if you are not seeing much difference, it's possible the 2 ct is cut too deep and not facing up as large as it should if well cut. Please slow down and we will help you get the best possible diamond. Many people do find that they do better just selling the old diamond and starting over online because the selection is better and upgrade policies can be equal to what your jeweler offers. People get trapped with local jewelers and sometimes overpay for the upgrades. That can cost a whole lot more in the end than just taking the loss on the current stone now.

But even if you absolutely only want to stay with your jeweler, we can help you choose the best cut diamond, and we also can help you with what the price on the new stone should be so you can negotiate with your jeweler on that price (and any future upgrades).

I'd want some I color options in addition to one H and one J. Your choices are way too limited. But please show us the GIA reports on these two first.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Ask your jeweler to show you only GIA or AGS graded stones.

 

[sledge]

I will just echo the others and encourage you to get details on the diamonds you are looking at, preferably GIA or AGS certified stones. Also share the prices.

The people here are amazing and will be able to quickly confirm the value you are getting but more importantly how firey and beautiful it will be. Remember, a well cut diamond will always impress! In my own search I’ve seen them help guide me from a good stone to several great stones and some at lower costs.

I’m not sure what you do or don’t know but weight is only one characteristic of a diamond. In my own recent search I’ve been comparing a 0.90 carat to an 0.867 carat. Not much difference but the lighter weight diamond actually has slightly larger dimensions because it’s cut different. In this case both are excellent but the smaller appears to be even better. I mention this because if you can’t see much difference a similar issue may be happening. If your diamond is poorly cut it may be too deep so there isn’t much of a face dimension difference. It can be a trick they use to hit a higher weight (like 2ct instead of 1.87ct) because people sometimes get stuck on numbers.

Another scenario that worries me more is the girls working there are not good enough at their jobs to recognize the difference in size. Or intentionally persuading you a certain way. Not saying this is the case but they are biased.

Lastly I would use caution about banking on trade in value. Your jeweler might be the best and most honest guy around or he could be using sleazy car salesman tactics by offering you a higher trade in value and then jacking up the sales price on the new diamond to compensate the difference. This is a great reason to consider some of the sources this site frequently uses like JamesAllen, WhiteFlash, Brian Gavin, etc. At the least you Get confirmation your jeweler is offering the new stone at a fair price.

Now to answer your main question. I would choose the stone with the best cut, color and clarity and that meets your budget goals. Either way it’s a great upgrade over your current stone and I personally prefer quality to quantity. And if you post details I promise you these guys and gals will ensure you get nothing short of a quality stone!

 

[GolfingGreen]

Hi! Assuming both stones are cut equally, I would not get a J. It will be yellow against the eternity. You may not see it at first, but you will as your eyes adjust. And if your husband is eye sensitive, he will for sure see it. If you ever plan to put any diamonds or eternity band next to your J, you may have problems and regret the color mismatch.

Also, life is unpredictable, both good and bad. I have learned to buy what you love now and not plan on what you might get in the future.

I vote the H and the eternity band.
That's just my two cents. Hope this helps!

 

[ellie bowers]

Hi! Assuming both stones are cut equally, I would not get a J. It will be yellow against the eternity. You may not see it at first, but you will as your eyes adjust. And if your husband is eye sensitive, he will for sure see it. If you ever plan to put any diamonds or eternity band next to your J, you may have problems and regret the color mismatch.

Also, life is unpredictable, both good and bad. I have learned to buy what you love now and not plan on what you might get in the future.

I vote the H and the eternity band.
That's just my two cents. Hope this helps!

 

[ellie bowers]

That is exactly what I did, and could not be happier! It is gorgeous! If I never get an upgrade, I will have no regrets! Thanks for your input.

 

[Lorelei]

Congratulations and please post some photos in Show me the Bling!