From solitaire to diamond band- crazy?

[E B]

For about a year, I've been thinking about trading in my solitaire and going with a blingy, ~.75 ct 7-stone band, something Memoire-ish. Low to the finger but still very sparkly. If I went custom, I might have enough to get a thin diamond stacking band too, so I'd have three bands (inc. my etoile-esque current wedding band) to play with.

I love my solitaire, but I find myself not wearing it as much as I used to. In fact, I think I've worn it once in the last month. To be fair, part of the reason is that it's summer, and I find it's uncomfortable to wear both my e-ring and wedding band together, even though they both fit fine. But I like the ease of a band. I'm a casual gal.

Another thought: My husband and I are trying for a baby, and I'm wondering how much I'd wear my solitaire after I give birth for fear I'd scratch my baby with it in the "rush" of daily life with an infant.

Don't get me wrong- I love the ring, and I'd likely keep my beautiful setting and pop a gemstone into it to wear on occasion.

So...going from 1 ct. solitaire to a diamond band (or two

). Would I regret it? Has anyone out there done this?

I'm only in the *beginning* stages of thinking about this, but it's been on my mind for a while. I'm not going to rush into anything, I just thought I might get some opinions first. Unfortunately, keeping the solitaire AND getting a blingy band isn't an option: we're trying to save for both a baby and the down payment on a house.

Thanks for reading!

 

[surfgirl]

Ebree, your ering is lovely! Dont change it...yet...You cannot beat a solitaire and yours is so pretty - you dont think you''ll regret it later on? Do you have any other jewelry that you can re set as a 5-7 stone ring? Are you very sentimental about things like wedding jewelry, or not really? If yes, I wouldn''t do it. Why not wait until you have a baby and see how you feel about wearing it then? Or perhaps you could get a more modest birth gift and wear that until you feel comfortable wearing your solitaire again?

 

[Miranda]

Ditto what Surfgirl said. Could you just get a small band to stack with your current wband if you find yourself not wearing the solitaire a lot? FWIW, I wore an ering and wband all the time with babies.

 

[Skippy123]

I would look for a think stacking band somewhere. I love your ering

I agree w/the other lovely lady's.

 

[february2003bride]

I vote for keeping the solitare and getting a diamond band more blingy than your etoile-style one. How about a half eternity one so it''s not as costly as a full eternity? Your solitare would look amazing with a blingy band!

 

[E B]

Thank you all so much for weighing in, and thank you for the compliments! Unfortunately, a diamond band isn't possible right now, or for a long time without money/credit from MY solitaire diamond. My wedding ring is platinum, and what I pair with it would need to be platinum, so a platinum diamond band would be too costly if I didn't trade the diamond in. I also prefer platinum.

I wouldn't be trading in the setting- the setting would stay with me, and I'd want to put a light to medium blue sapphire in it, since we got married in September. I'd still have A solitaire, just not a diamond solitaire.

As for thinking I'd regret it or not, I'm not sure. It's just been on my mind for so long. It doesn't help that recently, I tried on a few Memoire bands, and...WOW.

We couldn't afford Memoire, but I'd probably have something similar made with the diamonds set as low as possible.

In fact, this is my inspiration. From Knox Jewelers:

 

[Fly Girl]

I hear you about not wearing your solitaire much in the summer. I don''t wear my big diamond much at all during the warmer months. When my children were small I wore a channel set anniversary band along with a plain wedding band most of the time. It worked great.

But, I think you should keep your beautiful diamond solitaire. Wear a plain band when you are busy with the baby. I don''t remember spending a lot of time looking at my jewelry during those busy years. I would hate to hear that you traded in your solitaire, then didn''t wear the 7-stone much either. I like the idea of getting a stacking band that you can afford for a bit more bling when you aren''t wearing the solitaire. Or at the very least, wait under this winter before making the move.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[february2003bride]

Ah, gotcha! I misread your post (it''s late!).

I would still keep your solitare though. When you become a mom, you might not wear any jewelry on your hands except when you go out because the first few months all you are doing is washing your hands! From changing diapers, to cleaning, to washing bottles, pumping ,etc. At home the first 9 months I didn''t wear ANY rings because there was no point.

What does your DH say about you thinking of selling your diamond? Would you then buy another one later in life? Honestly, your etoile style band is perfect. It''s comfortable, slides off and one easily but has some bling on it! And when you and your DH go out, it''s always nice to know that you''ll have that fab e-ring waiting for you to pair up with your w-band!

 

[Circe]

I will be the first one in line to congratulate you if you do make the change, because, a) I''m the impetuous sort, and you''re already light-years ahead of me in terms of patience, b) I understand and applaud the instant-gratification gene for the delightful satisfaction that it can bring, and c) being a huge fan of band rings, it''s not like I can ever see too many of them.

All that said, and moving away from the selfish identification? I''d say, don''t do it. Trading back a large diamond and buying retail, you''re looking at a huge financial hit on the value of the diamond in a way that''s not worth it fiscally or even emotionally (down the line, on the off-chance you miss your solitaire and then can''t replace it for ages because of baby, house, etc., or "even if" it''s just the pure emotion of wanting that tangible little symbol of the thing you used to mark your engagement to your hubs). I know it''s impossible to spend gobs and gobs of money impulsively, but maybe you could start a miniature savings account? I''m doing that on similar principle: I want a square-cut eternity band like the dickens, but this is my first (well, beginning of the second) year out of grad school as a Real Grown-Up, so I''m stuffing my spare change and random small bills into an old wallet. Hopefully, by the time my 30th rolls around, I''ll have enough in the kitty to swing it ....

P.S. - You know, if you get an eternity ring to pair with your wedding band, it doesn''t *have* to be platinum, though I can definitely understand the preference: without prongs or other outlying parts, the wear is minimal, which does leave a WG band as a more affordable option ....

 

[novicebuyer]

I am not sure that having one white gold and one platinum ring will work. I have been told that the white gold ring may get banged up by the platinum ring since the later is harder.

 

[geckodani]

Date: 8/1/2008 1:08:30 AM
Author: Circe
I will be the first one in line to congratulate you if you do make the change, because, a) I''m the impetuous sort, and you''re already light-years ahead of me in terms of patience, b) I understand and applaud the instant-gratification gene for the delightful satisfaction that it can bring, and c) being a huge fan of band rings, it''s not like I can ever see too many of them.

All that said, and moving away from the selfish identification? I''d say, don''t do it. Trading back a large diamond and buying retail, you''re looking at a huge financial hit on the value of the diamond in a way that''s not worth it fiscally or even emotionally (down the line, on the off-chance you miss your solitaire and then can''t replace it for ages because of baby, house, etc., or ''even if'' it''s just the pure emotion of wanting that tangible little symbol of the thing you used to mark your engagement to your hubs). I know it''s impossible to spend gobs and gobs of money impulsively, but maybe you could start a miniature savings account? I''m doing that on similar principle: I want a square-cut eternity band like the dickens, but this is my first (well, beginning of the second) year out of grad school as a Real Grown-Up, so I''m stuffing my spare change and random small bills into an old wallet. Hopefully, by the time my 30th rolls around, I''ll have enough in the kitty to swing it ....

P.S. - You know, if you get an eternity ring to pair with your wedding band, it doesn''t *have* to be platinum, though I can definitely understand the preference: without prongs or other outlying parts, the wear is minimal, which does leave a WG band as a more affordable option ....

I agree with Circe. You''d take a hit on the diamond, and it is possible that you''d miss your solitaire in a few years and not be able to replace it.

The idea of a blingy band is a cool one (and in fact I''ve thought about it for down the road too). But, I think saving up for it as opposed to trading in your solitaire might be a better option.

As someone else noted, most of my friends with small children rarely wear their rings in the house, since there is so much chaos with a baby around.

Good chaos, but chaos nonetheless.

As for the summer wear... I''m actually having my ER reset as we speak into a setting that has the look of 2 bands, but that I can wear alone. It''s thin enough that it should be comfy in the summer, but I can still stack it with my wedding band in the winter to keep them from falling off. Stupid weather, playing havoc with our jewelry! What about what Miranda suggested, about getting another thin band to stack with your current band when you don''t want to wear your solitaire?

 

[honey22]

Yep! Crazy! Please don''t trade it in. Altough you may not wear it as much as you could, I am sure you would miss it as soon as it''s gone!

Can you afford to get a cheaper band for the times you don''t wear your solitaire?

 

[mrssalvo]

ebree, I say to keep it too. I actually wore my old wedding set 24/7 even when my first 2 were babies and think I only scratched my oldest once

. If you are really wanting a diamond band, just take your time and save up and get one. Sure, you won''t get the instant gratification but you''d be on your way to a nice, classic jewelry collection and then you could also have the best of both worlds. Your diamond ring AND a diamond band..it might just take you some time.

 

[vslover]

DON''T DO IT!
I really think you''ll miss the simplicity of the solitaire at some point. I wanted a 3 stone ring quite badly several years ago, so I changed my ring to a 3 stone.
A year later I was missing the solitaire really badly...had to buy another one. Although this is a happy ending...it''s not always financially possible. I really think you should wait a bit and/or buy a less expensive band and see if you end up wearing the solitaire still. FWIW I''ve never scratched DS with any of my rings.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

When I first read your post, I thought "Go for it!" for selfish reasons: I''d love to have a chunky eternity band to wear to replace my e-ring, so I definitely understand how you feel. I think that women who love bands are simply happier wearing bands than a larger diamond and there''s nothing wrong with that. That being said, to give up your e-ring is a pretty big sacrifice. It''s sentimental. You might miss it. Heck, you might even want to pass it down to the son/daughter you''re currently TTC (how exciting!!). I think that it''s worth it to wait, even if you have to wait several years, to get the nice 7-stone band.

My thought is that you can always get another ring, even if it doesn''t happen right away, but you can never get your e-ring back.

 

[Bliss]

Well, first of all...CONGRATULATIONS on starting your family!!!!!!!!!!!

May you have an amazing little one soon! *DUST*

That having been stated, may I urge you to reconsider trading in your e-ring stone?

I do think you will regret it! And once there are little ones, your priorities will change. The "tomorrow" will turn into "next year" and so on if you ever want to replace your diamond.

I would save up for a diamond band instead. Keep your e-ring stone. I echo the other wise posters who write that you would be taking a hit on trading in. If you want to add to your collection, work on that! But don''t subtract unless you know for sure you will never want to wear it again. There are also so many ways to reset your diamond. Maybe you could bezel it and keep it super low? Or a 3-stone later on?

If you''re on this board, you LOVE diamonds. And I think looking on here from time to time will make your heart ache for your e-ring diamond again once it''s said and done. I love love love your ring!

But hey, you''re going to have a REAL precious jewel in your household soon... a BABY!

CONGRATS IN ADVANCE!

 

[RxTechRN2b]

I think band rings are so elegant and refined. But you might miss your solitaire someday. I wear my halo''d solitaire on one hand and 3 diamond stack rings together on the other hand. I wouldn''t know which to choose if I could not have both styles, I love them equally!

 

[darling]

Please keep your ring!
I got married with an eternity band, as I am a huge band lover, and didn''t get a true ering until my youngest of three children was five years old. The years when my children were babies i hardly wore any jewelry at all - it just wasn''t very practical for me. Life changes all the time though, and now I really enjoy my new ring. During summer months I do find myself wearing it less because of constant sunscreen contact, but I am really glad I have it. I think one day you may feel this way too.

I think being patient and saving up for a new band is a good way to go.

Good luck with TTC.

 

[orbaya]

I did this. I switched from a 1ct solitaire and channel set band to a 5 stone 1.65cttw diamond band. It's good for work because it's low profile, and I just needed a change. I'll be looking to get a band (or 2!) to go with it eventually.

I'm having my 1ct diamond set into a pendant. Are you thinking of getting rid of your ering??

 

[snlee]

Another vote for keeping your ering and saving up for a 7 stone band. The Knox one is beautiful btw! I''ve been thinking about if I''ll be able to wear my ering much in the near future. It''s starting to get snug and I worry I''ll scratch the baby with it. It makes me sad thinking about not wearing my ering. I know I could never trade it in because of sentimental value and I love the look. I''m also thinking about getting a 5 stone band to wear on my right hand or left hand (with my eternity wedding band) when I''m not wearing my ering.

 

[E B]

Thank you all so much! You've given me quite a bit to think about. You're right- going from a 1 ct solitaire to seven 10-point stones would be quite a big hit.

I already asked for a quote from Knox, and we're looking at around ~$2k for that band in plat, probably more since I asked about it several months ago. And to be honest, I don't think my husband would be okay with spending that much on MORE diamonds when we've got a kiddo on the way (in the future) and a house payment to save for.

I've got a lot of thinking to do, that's for sure. But I truly appreciate all of your opinions!

 

[cara]

Date: 8/1/2008 8:41:34 PM
Author: EBree
Thank you all so much! You''ve given me quite a bit to think about. You''re right- going from a 1 ct solitaire to seven 10-point stones would be quite a big hit.


I already asked for a quote from Knox, and we''re looking at around ~$2k for that band in plat, probably more since I asked about it several months ago. And to be honest, I don''t think my husband would be okay with spending that much on MORE diamonds when we''ve got a kiddo on the way (in the future) and a house payment to save for.

Maybe take the long view here? This research is to plant the seed, Ebree likes diamonds, wants more than one diamond ring in her life, wants 7 stone band for 5 yr anniversary. Or a push present (Dust for you!)

Life gets expensive and it might not be the right time for another ring expense NOW, but if you set it up as a goal now, it will be easier to later actually make it a priority when kids and houses and other expenses will be clamoring for all they can get.

If you really don''t get much enjoyment out of the solitaire, its a little like Ellen''s cocktail ring aquamarine - best recut and make something useful! But it doesn''t sound like your solitaire is there yet. If in another year you can honestly say it doesn''t get much use or bring you much pleasure as a piece of jewelry, then trade it in for a more wearable piece! But I second the others... go slow and make sure.

 

[partgypsy]

Another thing to consider is that ring sizes can change during and after pregnancy, and anniversary bands are less easy to size than a solitaire.
I guess what people are cautioning you about, is that though you want a change, you are essentially going to be buying high and selling low on your solitaire diamond, and while it is possible that in a few years time you may be able to swing an anniversary ring (say for an anniversary

) and end up having both your solitaire and a anniversary ring, if you do the switch now you will have the 7 stone ring but it will probably be prohibitively expensive to save up to buy another solitaire again.
I would only do it if you were very very sure you would not want a solitaire diamond in the future.

If I was in your shoes I would put away my solitaire ring for a lreally ong time (6 months, year). If you really didn''t miss it then I would consider it.