Any tips for third upgrade?

[kcoursolle]

Date: 5/2/2007 6:32:47 PM
Author: Sparkles22

Date: 5/2/2007 5:35:24 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 5:25:11 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz

Date: 5/2/2007 4:25:40 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 2:09:17 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz
Yes they do carry AGS and GIA certified stones. It hasn''t been a year quite yet and I honestly couldn''t tell you if the year started with our first purchase or my last upgrade. I will have to ask about that. I guess I will make my decision on whether to exchange or upgrade once I have the extra money in my hand and can visit and actually view the diamonds. Thanks for the tips surfgirl.

Does anyone know if any on-line vendors accept trade-ins?

You might be able to sell your stone to bill pearlman for consignment. He took 15% of my sales when I sold a few pieces through him.

Does that mean he subtracted 15% off your purchase from him?

No. I had a few estate rings that I wanted to sell. He sold the items for me and took 15% of the final sales value. I never ended up purchasing anything from him.

However, you might be able to work in some sort of trade in or something, it''s worth giving him a call. He is very friendly and easy to work with.

Do they have to be branded or estate pieces? I have a semi-mount I want to sell, no idea where to start. I was told by one store they could only use it for scrap metal and would give me $50 (it has 0.5 ct diamonds in it). I originally (over-)paid $1900 for it!

In general, you won''t get much compared to how much you paid. However, Bill definitely sells things other than designer, but of course they don''t command as good of prices. My pieces weren''t designer. Bill won''t take in anything he doesn''t think he can easily sell, but they definitely don''t have to be designer.

Also, another option is ebay. You might be able to sell your old setting for $100-200 or something...which is much better than $50. Another option would be putting a colored stone like a sapphire in your old setting.

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/3/2007 8:28:50 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 6:32:47 PM
Author: Sparkles22

Date: 5/2/2007 5:35:24 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 5:25:11 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz

Date: 5/2/2007 4:25:40 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 2:09:17 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz
Yes they do carry AGS and GIA certified stones. It hasn''t been a year quite yet and I honestly couldn''t tell you if the year started with our first purchase or my last upgrade. I will have to ask about that. I guess I will make my decision on whether to exchange or upgrade once I have the extra money in my hand and can visit and actually view the diamonds. Thanks for the tips surfgirl.

Does anyone know if any on-line vendors accept trade-ins?

You might be able to sell your stone to bill pearlman for consignment. He took 15% of my sales when I sold a few pieces through him.

Does that mean he subtracted 15% off your purchase from him?

No. I had a few estate rings that I wanted to sell. He sold the items for me and took 15% of the final sales value. I never ended up purchasing anything from him.

However, you might be able to work in some sort of trade in or something, it''s worth giving him a call. He is very friendly and easy to work with.

Do they have to be branded or estate pieces? I have a semi-mount I want to sell, no idea where to start. I was told by one store they could only use it for scrap metal and would give me $50 (it has 0.5 ct diamonds in it). I originally (over-)paid $1900 for it!

In general, you won''t get much compared to how much you paid. However, Bill definitely sells things other than designer, but of course they don''t command as good of prices. My pieces weren''t designer. Bill won''t take in anything he doesn''t think he can easily sell, but they definitely don''t have to be designer.

Also, another option is ebay. You might be able to sell your old setting for $100-200 or something...which is much better than $50. Another option would be putting a colored stone like a sapphire in your old setting.

Thanks! Do you think if I went through Bill I''d be able to get more than on e-bay? I would be happy getting $500 for it, but I don''t know if it''s possible. The setting looks a LOT like my current e-ring, so it sort of feels like 2 of the same rings only the memories with dealing with the jeweler for the old one are there and I don''t think I would wear it often.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 5/3/2007 8:42:45 PM
Author: Sparkles22

Date: 5/3/2007 8:28:50 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 6:32:47 PM
Author: Sparkles22

Date: 5/2/2007 5:35:24 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 5:25:11 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz

Date: 5/2/2007 4:25:40 PM
Author: kcoursolle

Date: 5/2/2007 2:09:17 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz
Yes they do carry AGS and GIA certified stones. It hasn''t been a year quite yet and I honestly couldn''t tell you if the year started with our first purchase or my last upgrade. I will have to ask about that. I guess I will make my decision on whether to exchange or upgrade once I have the extra money in my hand and can visit and actually view the diamonds. Thanks for the tips surfgirl.

Does anyone know if any on-line vendors accept trade-ins?

You might be able to sell your stone to bill pearlman for consignment. He took 15% of my sales when I sold a few pieces through him.

Does that mean he subtracted 15% off your purchase from him?

No. I had a few estate rings that I wanted to sell. He sold the items for me and took 15% of the final sales value. I never ended up purchasing anything from him.

However, you might be able to work in some sort of trade in or something, it''s worth giving him a call. He is very friendly and easy to work with.

Do they have to be branded or estate pieces? I have a semi-mount I want to sell, no idea where to start. I was told by one store they could only use it for scrap metal and would give me $50 (it has 0.5 ct diamonds in it). I originally (over-)paid $1900 for it!

In general, you won''t get much compared to how much you paid. However, Bill definitely sells things other than designer, but of course they don''t command as good of prices. My pieces weren''t designer. Bill won''t take in anything he doesn''t think he can easily sell, but they definitely don''t have to be designer.

Also, another option is ebay. You might be able to sell your old setting for $100-200 or something...which is much better than $50. Another option would be putting a colored stone like a sapphire in your old setting.

Thanks! Do you think if I went through Bill I''d be able to get more than on e-bay? I would be happy getting $500 for it, but I don''t know if it''s possible. The setting looks a LOT like my current e-ring, so it sort of feels like 2 of the same rings only the memories with dealing with the jeweler for the old one are there and I don''t think I would wear it often.

Just go ahead and contact him with some pictures and see what he says!!! He is really friendly and easy to work with.

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

Date: 5/3/2007 5:59:11 PM
Author: yellowsparkles
M. Cruz, Do you have a picture of your ring/ stone. I would love to see it.

I don''t have any good ones yet....I wish I did, but my camera''s batteries died (they are rechargable and a real pain in the butt) recently and I haven''t made it to the store to get new ones. I have tried to post some of my other stones in the past but I wasn''t able to. I even changed the file name and made sure the file was small enough. I should probably check out the FAQ area but I''m too lazy!

I will try to post some when I can. I wish I could show you the pavillion. That is the main thing bothering me about this cushion.

I went to Sams Club today and I am even more upset with myself because I could have got a Regent HA .50 ct for only $1500. I know I can''t upgrade with them but at least it is a secure/safe purchase. After my honey saw them he told me to trade in my cushion for a better round and try to sell it. At least that way we could get some money back or towards another purchase. I really doubt anyone would want a yellow, semi-cloudy cushion without any paperwork to go with it. I''m going to take everyones advice and contact some on-line vendors and see if they would accept a trade-in.

yellowsparkles-- Sorry to get off topic but is that an American Eskimo in your avatar? I am curious because I have a year old eskie here at home. It is a very rare breed for this area....I guess because of the heat.

 

[yellowsparkles]

Date: 5/3/2007 9:00:58 PM
Author: Mrs.Cruz

Date: 5/3/2007 5:59:11 PM
Author: yellowsparkles
M. Cruz, Do you have a picture of your ring/ stone. I would love to see it.

I don''t have any good ones yet....I wish I did, but my camera''s batteries died (they are rechargable and a real pain in the butt) recently and I haven''t made it to the store to get new ones. I have tried to post some of my other stones in the past but I wasn''t able to. I even changed the file name and made sure the file was small enough. I should probably check out the FAQ area but I''m too lazy!

I will try to post some when I can. I wish I could show you the pavillion. That is the main thing bothering me about this cushion.

I went to Sams Club today and I am even more upset with myself because I could have got a Regent HA .50 ct for only $1500. I know I can''t upgrade with them but at least it is a secure/safe purchase. After my honey saw them he told me to trade in my cushion for a better round and try to sell it. At least that way we could get some money back or towards another purchase. I really doubt anyone would want a yellow, semi-cloudy cushion without any paperwork to go with it. I''m going to take everyones advice and contact some on-line vendors and see if they would accept a trade-in.

yellowsparkles-- Sorry to get off topic but is that an American Eskimo in your avatar? I am curious because I have a year old eskie here at home. It is a very rare breed for this area....I guess because of the heat.

M. Cruz. YES that is an American Eskimo in my avatar. We rescued him about 7 years ago from the Washington DC animal shelter. He is probably 11 years old now. Where are you located? Yes, eskies have A LOT of fur (constant shedders).... but they can handle the heat (within reason). Vlady (our eskie) has been to Nigeria with us and now he is in the UK with us. I don''t think there are a lot of Eskies around because they are kinda hyper and shed too much for most people.

I hope you are able to find a buyer for your ring. I know it is frustrating and that you are dissapointed with your ring now. Please keep us posted on your quest.

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

Yellowsparkles: I am very sorry for the late reply.... I didn''t see your question. We are located in Tampa, FL. Our eskie Chico is the perfect apartment dog. His bursts of energy is what we enjoy most. I love to get him excited to the point where he is running in circles at roadrunner speed and barely missing walls.

We trained Chico not to bark like most dogs... which I know goes against nature but it doesn''t affect his happiness....just ours. LOL! Chico is our first dog and we are so blessed to have him. We treat him like a son with a lot of love and affection (and yummy treats). We take him for rides in Oscar''s truck and he loves it! When we go to visit Oscar''s family (which is pretty often) everyone asks about Chico and if we leave him at home we wont hear the end of it!

I finally figured out how to post pictures....You inspired me to use Chico as my avatar... hope you don''t mind. I will try to post pictures of my last two solitaires if you want to see those (I still haven''t been to the store for batteries yet).

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

This should be my original e-ring. I am not sure this is going to turn out. If it does you will see why I want another camera, preferably a Canonn. The digital I have now is a Sony cybershot that my Granny gave us for our engagement. I would never get rid of it.....I just want an additional one.

 

[erica k]

this post is confusing me so much!

so excuse me if i''ve misunderstood the details.

what is the ctw. of this original RB (i.e. ring #1)? i didn''t realize you still had this first ring. i don''t know what your ring size is, but it looks pretty big on your finger (similar to my deep-cut 1.01 ctw. on a size 5.5). i have two e-rings, the 1 ctw. is a gift from my mom. my first ring is an ideal cut with a pretty well-defined h&a pattern, but only .52ctw. the second stone is not the best cut, i think the dimensions are 6.14x6.09x?, which is not the optimal spread for a 1ctw, but it''s pretty sparkly anyway.

speaking as a relatively young married person (27, married for 1 year, in grad school) who feels the pull of the 1.5ctw+ upgrade, i would recommend exchanging the current ring #3 for something smaller but with a great cut. you''ll probably be a lot happier saving that extra money and waiting until you can buy something that''ll make you happy for many many years. is it too late to exchange ring #1 at the same time as ring #3 in order to get something bigger and well-cut? was it already upgraded and this is an old photo? will you take a photo of the current cushion?

even with my 1ctw ring, which I had wanted from the very beginning but couldn''t afford, i''m still dissatisfied. it''s difficult to go from a really well cut stone to something that is just ok. yet, even if someone dropped $6000 in my lap right now, i probably would wait. it''s been a little weird for me to go through two rings within the first year of marriage. plus, no thanks to pricescope, i''ve become so picky that i doubt i''ll ever be able to afford my dream diamond (RB, 7.5x7.5ish spread, ideal cut F-G color), so maybe i should just be content with what i have rather than upgrading but never getting exactly what i want. sometimes i lose perspective on this whole diamond thing. i''m sure my husband would be a lot happier if we spent a hypothetical $4000 surplus on a vacation or paid off more of the mortgage, etc. but he''s understanding (to a point) about my diamond obsession, too.

as a non-expert, i think the picture you posted shows a pretty nice e-ring. i''d love to know more about it.

 

[yellowsparkles]

Date: 5/9/2007 8:10:09 AM
Author: Mrs.Cruz
Yellowsparkles: I am very sorry for the late reply.... I didn''t see your question. We are located in Tampa, FL. Our eskie Chico is the perfect apartment dog. His bursts of energy is what we enjoy most. I love to get him excited to the point where he is running in circles at roadrunner speed and barely missing walls.

We trained Chico not to bark like most dogs... which I know goes against nature but it doesn''t affect his happiness....just ours. LOL! Chico is our first dog and we are so blessed to have him. We treat him like a son with a lot of love and affection (and yummy treats). We take him for rides in Oscar''s truck and he loves it! When we go to visit Oscar''s family (which is pretty often) everyone asks about Chico and if we leave him at home we wont hear the end of it!

I finally figured out how to post pictures....You inspired me to use Chico as my avatar... hope you don''t mind. I will try to post pictures of my last two solitaires if you want to see those (I still haven''t been to the store for batteries yet).

mrs cruz. Thanks for the pic of Chico. What a cutie. I love our eskie. I think ours is special and probably not the tyical eskie since he was severly abused in his previous life. He had to overcome a lot - and we love him dearly. He is a handful though... and not everyone understands him. I am amazed that you trained your dog not to bark.... Eskies are known for there vocal ability. When we lived in DC, I am sure he kept away a few unwanted visitors....

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

Date: 5/9/2007 4:28:13 PM
Author: erica k
this post is confusing me so much!

so excuse me if i''ve misunderstood the details.

what is the ctw. of this original RB (i.e. ring #1)? i didn''t realize you still had this first ring. i don''t know what your ring size is, but it looks pretty big on your finger (similar to my deep-cut 1.01 ctw. on a size 5.5). i have two e-rings, the 1 ctw. is a gift from my mom. my first ring is an ideal cut with a pretty well-defined h&a pattern, but only .52ctw. the second stone is not the best cut, i think the dimensions are 6.14x6.09x?, which is not the optimal spread for a 1ctw, but it''s pretty sparkly anyway.

speaking as a relatively young married person (27, married for 1 year, in grad school) who feels the pull of the 1.5ctw+ upgrade, i would recommend exchanging the current ring #3 for something smaller but with a great cut. you''ll probably be a lot happier saving that extra money and waiting until you can buy something that''ll make you happy for many many years. is it too late to exchange ring #1 at the same time as ring #3 in order to get something bigger and well-cut? was it already upgraded and this is an old photo? will you take a photo of the current cushion?

even with my 1ctw ring, which I had wanted from the very beginning but couldn''t afford, i''m still dissatisfied. it''s difficult to go from a really well cut stone to something that is just ok. yet, even if someone dropped $6000 in my lap right now, i probably would wait. it''s been a little weird for me to go through two rings within the first year of marriage. plus, no thanks to pricescope, i''ve become so picky that i doubt i''ll ever be able to afford my dream diamond (RB, 7.5x7.5ish spread, ideal cut F-G color), so maybe i should just be content with what i have rather than upgrading but never getting exactly what i want. sometimes i lose perspective on this whole diamond thing. i''m sure my husband would be a lot happier if we spent a hypothetical $4000 surplus on a vacation or paid off more of the mortgage, etc. but he''s understanding (to a point) about my diamond obsession, too.

as a non-expert, i think the picture you posted shows a pretty nice e-ring. i''d love to know more about it.

The picture I posted of my original engagement ring was taken before I upgraded. I no longer have it although I wish I did for sentimental reasons. The diamond wasn''t certified but I know it weighed approximately 3/4 carat and faced up even smaller. The diamond looks larger in the pic because it is a blurry close-up. If it were taken with a better camera you would be able to see the huge crystal that formed in the middle

. The surprising thing is how much sparkle it gave off in every lighting. I am posting a handshot which happened to be my first pic taken the day my great-grandmother and aunt gave us our digital camera. I wear a size 6.5 by the way.

This next trade-in will be my last for a couple years. I plan on getting a well cut diamond between .50 ct and .75 ct. Size was my initial concern when we went searching these past few times but I have realized that we can''t afford a well cut stone in the range I wanted. I have gotten to the point where I have begged my husband to pick for me like I had hoped to receive an engagement ring as a child.......but he is afraid of selecting another that will disapoint me. He doesn''t want the burden...LOL...heck I don''t either. I HAVE to pick a good one this time to shut myself up!

It sounds to me like you snagged a real winner. I know Oscar is ready to buy a muzzle for me!

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

Sorry I forgot to attach the photo.

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

Date: 5/9/2007 4:36:13 PM
Author: yellowsparkles

Date: 5/9/2007 8:10:09 AM
Author: Mrs.Cruz
Yellowsparkles: I am very sorry for the late reply.... I didn''t see your question. We are located in Tampa, FL. Our eskie Chico is the perfect apartment dog. His bursts of energy is what we enjoy most. I love to get him excited to the point where he is running in circles at roadrunner speed and barely missing walls.

We trained Chico not to bark like most dogs... which I know goes against nature but it doesn''t affect his happiness....just ours. LOL! Chico is our first dog and we are so blessed to have him. We treat him like a son with a lot of love and affection (and yummy treats). We take him for rides in Oscar''s truck and he loves it! When we go to visit Oscar''s family (which is pretty often) everyone asks about Chico and if we leave him at home we wont hear the end of it!

I finally figured out how to post pictures....You inspired me to use Chico as my avatar... hope you don''t mind. I will try to post pictures of my last two solitaires if you want to see those (I still haven''t been to the store for batteries yet).

mrs cruz. Thanks for the pic of Chico. What a cutie. I love our eskie. I think ours is special and probably not the tyical eskie since he was severly abused in his previous life. He had to overcome a lot - and we love him dearly. He is a handful though... and not everyone understands him. I am amazed that you trained your dog not to bark.... Eskies are known for there vocal ability. When we lived in DC, I am sure he kept away a few unwanted visitors....

We bought Chico when he was a 10 wk old puppy but I have a feeling he was abused also. The man we got him from had two teenaged boys which I believe hurt or played too rough with them, because Chico has always been very skiddish. It took more than two weeks before he would allow me to come near him without running away. He was socialized from the day we got him, but he is still afraid of strangers. He even growls at our family from time to time as though he doesn''t recognize them (although it is always less than a month between visits). He will not walk up to anyone other than us. People don''t believe me when I praise him for being such a loving, well-behaved dog. He is completely different around other people. I wish they could see how bright and sweet he can be. It really breaks my heart because I can''t share his wonderful qualities with the rest of the world.

 

[Skippy123]

Mrs. Cruz; beautiful

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

Here is a pic of my cushion mounted in a yellow gold cathedral setting.

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

In both of these pics the yellow tint is very obvious. I will try to capture the faceting later.

 

[Mrs.Cruz]

This is a handshot from when I first got it (right before my batteries died).

 

[yellowsparkles]

Date: 5/2/2007 11:52:24 AM
Author: Mrs.Cruz
I want this exchange or upgrade to be the last with them so now I have decided to get the stone I originally fell in love with... the round brilliant. I would stop all together but after looking at some pictures here on PS I realized my cushion has almost no pavillion at all...the sides come to meet at a line down the middle insted of meeting at a point at the culet. I don''t know if this common with cushion cuts but it was just the opposite with a larger cushion I saw recently. Once I saw that picture I realized I might own a ?experimental? cut that isn''t even recognized. If I am wrong please someone tell me.

I also have another question that some might be able to answer: Last time I went the jewelry store I asked them about round stones with graded cuts and the woman told me that it is a brand new thing with certifications. Is this true or do they only supply stones that have no cut grade? When a company has diamonds certified is that even an option? If they do not carry graded stones will the measurements alone determine whether it is a good cut? I am only asking because I don''t know how they feel about me taking in an ideal scope (the store is one of those ''factory direct'' chains that offer diamonds for a fraction of retail which ends up being close to on-line prices). Thanks again for all your help.

Mrs Cruz,
Thanks for the pictures. I am trying to understand what you mean by your cushion having no pavillion (see highlight above). If you get your camera working again, please take a profile photo of your ring.

I like the setting and the yellow gold is refreshing to see.

 

[diamondboy77]

Hi Mrs.Cruz--

I have been deeply involved in the diamond and jewelry business for over 8 years (including continuing my education at the Gemological Institute of America). In full disclosure I am a diamond retailer, however I offer my advice not to try to "recruit" business, but because I care about the reputation of my industry. First, I agree with many of the postings...true love and marriage are not defined by a diamond ring on your finger...that being said, here is my advice if you want to trade your diamond up. You have traded your diamond several times (with the same person and organization I assume by the postings). I recommend going to a different diamond dealer. Many jewelers offer trade-ups even if you have not purchased the original diamond from them (I do). To take a step back, you have to be comfortable with your jeweler and trust them...a relationship with your jeweler is just as important as your relationship with your doctor, dentist, real estate agent, etc. Contrary to popular belief (and I hate to say this), the general public may think they understand diamonds but they really don''t! Unless one has completly imerssed themselves in the study of diamonds, you need an expert that you trust to help you...if you can''t build this relationship it could end up costing you thousands of dollars that you did not need to spend. But, to get back on target and to answer your question, here is what i recommend. Before going to see a new jeweler, do a little research, write down your questions and go in with an open mind. Any true professional will answer all of your questions, offer their professional opinion, present the facts and let the decision up to you. Now, in regards to buying a certified diamond. Most diamonds (usually 0.75 cts.) and larger are certified, however, it is not a bad thing to buy an uncertified diamond. Any tue professional selling an uncertified diamond should be able to guarantee a diamonds grade. In regards to the store lighting and your enthusiasm, calm down and ask them! In my store, i use LID lighting that mimakes sun light. I use these lights to show a diamond in a natural environment. To answer you last question, it is not rude to ask to see a diamond outside in natural light, however, 99.9% of the time, this is not an option due to security and insurance purposes. When diamonds are being shown, I am not concerned with the person I am showing the diamonds to but with who is around. And lastly, a professional should be willing to take the time to make you feel comfortable, answer all your questions and help you find the diamond of your dreams. However, keep in mind, if you make an appointment, be respectful. A true diamond professional is very busy (I work 15-16 hours days and meet up to 75 clients a week). If you make an appointment, be on time, be prepared and be serious about purchasing (not necessarily on that day, but in the near future). Reputable jewlers want to have you as a client for life and will treat you respectfully and fairly, however, this is an expensive business to be in (I have over 10 million in inventory) and we need to make sales in order to keep our doors open, but never pressured. The bottom line, open communication is key. I have become friends with many of my clients and they trust me and I trust them to the point where I have clients all over the world. You need to develop the same relationship with someone. Well, I have ramble on enough, but I hope I have answered your questions. If you have any additional, please post them and I will try to answer. Congrats on finding the love of your life and best wishes for the future.