How important is trade-up?

[bitterd]

Hi, hope you all don''t mind me jumping in with a question.

If you see two diamonds you like and, all things considered, they are quite equal in cut and are both really great but from different vendors, at what point do you start considering that one vendor gives a lifetime trade up and the other doesn''t? OK, that maybe didn''t come out too clearly.

I''m considering two diamonds. One is about .80ct and one is about .90ct. They are about equal in cut (both AGS ideal and about 1.5 on the Halloway). The smaller has a better clarity (VVS1), the larger is SI1 but is eyeclean. THey are the same color H. The smaller is from the vendor with lifetime tradeup, the other''s vendor doesn''t offer that but they are a PS vendor.

I''m not sure I''d ever want to trade up, and I''d like the larger diamond although it''s not a huge difference in size, but I''m not sure what to do. Is the size difference even that noticeable anyway? What kinds of thoughts would be rolling around in all your heads? Help!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 2/3/2007 1:34:17 PM
Author:bitterd
Hi, hope you all don''t mind me jumping in with a question.

If you see two diamonds you like and, all things considered, they are quite equal in cut and are both really great but from different vendors, at what point do you start considering that one vendor gives a lifetime trade up and the other doesn''t? OK, that maybe didn''t come out too clearly.

I''m considering two diamonds. One is about .80ct and one is about .90ct. They are about equal in cut (both AGS ideal and about 1.5 on the Halloway). The smaller has a better clarity (VVS1), the larger is SI1 but is eyeclean. THey are the same color H. The smaller is from the vendor with lifetime tradeup, the other''s vendor doesn''t offer that but they are a PS vendor.

I''m not sure I''d ever want to trade up, and I''d like the larger diamond although it''s not a huge difference in size, but I''m not sure what to do. Is the size difference even that noticeable anyway? What kinds of thoughts would be rolling around in all your heads? Help!

is this for you or for a girlfriend? What it boils down to is whether or not you or she may ever want a larger stone. If it is for a girl I''d bet she might... not because she will but because if you don''t plan for it she''ll want it - murphy''s law LOL

I knew that the diamond I was getting was IT so buying from someone who didn''t upgrade wasn''t an issue.

 

[bitterd]

I'm the girl, hehe.

I'd like the larger stone, it's just a little more expensive ($300) and I wonder how much of the cost of the smaller stone is 'paying for something I can't see'. With the smaller stone, I'd get lifetime trade up, but I don't know if I'll ever use that. So my dilemma is sort of the 'paying for what I can't see' instead of getting the larger stone, and the nagging point of 'do I want lifetime trade up anyway'?

 

[:)]

Well, there may be a comfort level to knowing you can have a trade up for later if you want!

 

[bitterd]

I know, there''s definitely that, but I''m not sure I want to give up size for it. Is .90ct much noticeably bigger than .80ct? I''m losing it, lol.

 

[:)]

Have you tried contacting the vendor with the trade up policy and asking them to find a similar one for you? Or asking if they can get the one from the other vendor for you?

What are the diameter spreads on each stone? Do you have IS pics? What are the table/depth/crown/pav/girdles?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 2/3/2007 2:00:36 PM
Author: bitterd
I know, there''s definitely that, but I''m not sure I want to give up size for it. Is .90ct much noticeably bigger than .80ct? I''m losing it, lol.

oh if you''re just starting out I would DEFINITELY go for the .8 and get the tradeup LOL what''s that old saying... a penny saved is a penny earned? no.... one egg now two chickens later?.... no.... LOL Um.... okay cliche people what is it? a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush? .8 on the hand is worth 1.6 in the bush? hahaha well, whatever it is... I''d go for the upgrade. .1 diff isn''t *enough* difference for me to give up the trade up. OMG what has PS done to me? I used to say never trade up hold on to that first one with your life you unsentimental person you!! LMAO!! seriously - go for the upgrade. I got my e-ring and ALL of my upgrades in one fell swoop so the upgrade thing wasn''t for me but if I were to go back I''d probably do the upgrade.

I still stubbornly refuse to budge about upgrading wedding bands though!! ::takes mule pose::

 

[bitterd]

OK, actually, I just found another one, a VS2. I truly am starting to go nuts.

Here's a larger ones I'm considering:

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00994983&filter_id=1

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00442736&filter_id=1&track=summary_image_link

The smaller one has these sats:

Clarity VVS1
Color H
Carat: 0.81
. Depth %: 61
. Table %: 57.2
. Crown Angle: 34.8
. Crown %: 15
. Star : 51.4
. Pavilion Angle: 40.8
. Pavilion %: 43
. Lower Girdle %: 77.6
. Girdle: Thin to Slightly Thick Faceted
. Measurements: 5.99-6.01X3.67
. Light Performance: 0
. Polish: Ideal
. Symmetry: Ideal
. Culet: Pointed
. Fluorescence: Negligible Edited, added another one.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 2/3/2007 2:06:14 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 2/3/2007 2:00:36 PM
Author: bitterd
I know, there''s definitely that, but I''m not sure I want to give up size for it. Is .90ct much noticeably bigger than .80ct? I''m losing it, lol.

oh if you''re just starting out I would DEFINITELY go for the .8 and get the tradeup LOL what''s that old saying... a penny saved is a penny earned? no.... one egg now two chickens later?.... no.... LOL Um.... okay cliche people what is it? a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush? .8 on the hand is worth 1.6 in the bush? hahaha well, whatever it is... I''d go for the upgrade. .1 diff isn''t *enough* difference for me to give up the trade up. OMG what has PS done to me? I used to say never trade up hold on to that first one with your life you unsentimental person you!! LMAO!! seriously - go for the upgrade. I got my e-ring and ALL of my upgrades in one fell swoop so the upgrade thing wasn''t for me but if I were to go back I''d probably do the upgrade.

I still stubbornly refuse to budge about upgrading wedding bands though!! ::takes mule pose::

lol!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

I''d go with the vendor that offers an upgrade policy. You may not want it right now but down the road if you do want it, it''s there for you.

 

[whatmeworry]

From reading your posts, it looks like size is important to you. Is having a branded Hearts and Arrow important too? Will a run of the mill AGS-0 be okay? If so, then you could just search on Blue Nile or James Allen (apparently there might be an upgrade policy in the works) for a unbranded AGS 0 diamond. For me, I can only tell the difference between branded H&A and run of the mill AGS-0 only through a hearts and arrows viewer. Branded H&A have very crisp patterns. I''ve bought six AGS-0 from BN and I would say 2 of them have crisp patterns that rival the H&A. The others have wavier H&A patterns, but once you look at them without the H&A viewer it''s hard for me to tell the difference. So I guess what I would tell you is that if size matters to you, to just look for a regular AGS-0 diamond from one of the PS vendors because they are generally cheaper than the branded H&A and you can use that extra $$ to get a bigger diamond.

BTW, I have nothing against branded H&A. I admire and love the craftsmanship. I''ve bought some in the past and will buy some in the future. But regular AGS0 works for me too.

Good luck, don''t go nuts. Figure out what''s important to you regarding the 4 Cs.

 

[kcoursolle]

To me, an upgrade policy was very important. I didn''t even consider vendors without one. Even though I was content with my stone when I purchased it, I wanted the option of changing it if I wanted a different shape or a bigger stone. It''s nice to have that flexibility down the line if you change your mind. Not surprisingly, even a few months after wearing my ring I realized that I wanted a bigger stone when we can afford it.

 

[bitterd]

Thanks, everyone. I''m going to keep thinking on it.

 

[kenny]

I like the trade up policy.
If you try to sell a diamond you stand to get maybe only half of what you paid for it.
Getting 100% is cool.

But keep in mind it is a better deal if you trade up sooner rather than later.

Diamond prices go up each year but what they give you for your old one doesn't.

So when considering how important trade up policy is consider how long till you trade up.
THe longer that will be the less it should be a factor.

 

[Eva17]

Trade up is really important to me. Like Kenny said, where else will you get the 100% value.

Lovely today, bigger someday!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This is a .85 H VS2 for only $3667. I am surprised it is not gone. It has a lifetime trade-up, too.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2723/

 

[ILikeBond]

Date: 2/3/2007 7:14:37 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
This is a .85 H VS2 for only $3667. I am surprised it is not gone. It has a lifetime trade-up, too.


http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/2723/

Wow - nice stone...

 

[bitterd]

Oh dear.

Oh my.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 2/3/2007 10:12:13 PM
Author: bitterd
Oh dear.

Oh my.

wow that stone is like perfect!!

 

[kcoursolle]

That stone won''t last long in their inventory!

 

[diamondfan]

To me, since the smaller one is better and there is a trade up policy, that is the one I would take. I do not think .10 of a carat is going to be much visually, and if you really ever want to trade up, you will appreciate the policythen. Is it for full value or what you paid? Always good to read the fine print...

 

[diamondfan]

To me, since the smaller one is better and there is a trade up policy, that is the one I would take. I do not think .10 of a carat is going to be much visually, and if you really ever want to trade up, you will appreciate the policy then. Is it for full value or what you paid? Always good to read the fine print...

 

[MiniMouse]

Hmmm

I thought I''d jump in and say the first one hands down, but at VVS1, I don''t think I''d spend the money on such a high clarity (with or without an upgrade policy). I think I''d wait and find a VS2 or an eyeclean SI1 from a vendor with an upgrade policy. That would be the best of all worlds.

A lot of us ladies have said we never want to upgrade and what a whopper our diamond looks on our finger, but diamond shrinkage is a disease that spreads fast! It''s great to have the upgrade option available, even if you decide not to utilise it.

 

[Gothgrrl]

I too agree that you should find one with a trade up policy. I swore that my engagement ring would be perfect. That I didn''t want any bigger....EVER....well whatta ya know. Turns out later that I would like a bigger diamond. So never say never.