Amazing ring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Klub1016]

Hi everyone,
I''m 23 and I''m ready to propose to my girlfriend. Recently my aunt gave me a 1/2 carat diamond ring to use anyway I wish, it was from her first marriage that ended in divorce. I have the papers which say it cost $700 in 1980, not sure if it''s worth more or less now. I though it was a nice gesture but I feel uncomfortable giving it to my girlfriend as is. In everyone''s opinion which will I have the most luck doing.
a. Just use the 1/2 carat diamond to customize my own ring.
b. Sell ring and use that money towards a bigger one. (my first choice if I could find someone to buy it and give me a fair price.)
c. Give ring back to aunt and do everything on my own.
I''m just starting to think about marriage so I''m not in any hurry. The ring I have in mind is gold,has a 1 carat in the middle with two small sidestones. But I don''t know how to go from the ring my aunt gave me to that ring. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Klub

 

[pqcollectibles]

Or D. Save the diamond to use in a pendant later./Give the ring to your son or daughter one day as a family heirloom.

You might want to start by having the diamond checked professionally. It could be a truly great stone or it could be an OK diamond. You won't know for sure until you get it checked.

Start your ring from scratch. You have a great plan there. If your Aunt's diamond works with what you plan to do, it could make a great side stone for you 1 carat center. If not, and you need the funds, sell/trade it to make your ring.

Personally, I'd hang on to your Aunt's ring for sentimental reasons and pass it on down through the family. Maybe even take the diamond and make it into a pendant for your wife someday.

Just some thoughts.

 

[tnd]

Go for the pendant idea. I am searching for a new center stone for my original wedding set and I am using the original 1/2 carat in a pendant. It will make a BEAUTIFUL Christams or birthday gift.

My husband is buying the new stone, but letting me do all of the leg work. I am not complaining, that way I get what I want.

 

[Mara]

A pendant is an excellent idea. It can be passed down through the family.

Or if you really want to use the stone in a ring...get it checked out as PQ suggested, then use it as a side stone. Get a 1c or .75c middle stone, and use the .5 in a side stone and get another matching .5 for the other side. If your budget does not allow that, then use the .5 as the middle stone, and get two .25c stones for the sides.

You have alot of options since the diamond is a good size. Pendant or re-used in a ring, it's a great tradition. But definitely get it checked out, it could be a great cut, or a mediocre cut, which is important to know IF you consider using it in the ring. If it's a so-so cut then a pendant is a better bet, as pendants NORMALLY are not of the best quality anyway (not like PQ's anyway!), so it wouldn't be a huge thing to have a decent pendant. But to place a so-so stone in a 3 stone ring means that you'd have to try to find so-so stones for the other 2 or know that you have an okay stone and 2 great ones. Kinda detailed

Good luck!!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Ok, Ms. Mara! I'll fess up. A week of people oooooo'ing and aaahh'ing and I couldn't stand it. They all get to see it, but I don't. I'm gonna enjoy it this way for a while and then into a ring it goes 4 ME!

Kids will have to enjoy it after I've worn it out! LOL

 

[Caratz]

If your aunt's ring is a good quality ring, you could always

E. Remove the diamond and design your own e-ring, then put a blue sapphire (or any other stone for that matter) into your aunt's ring.