How much money should I put to an upgrade ?

[Mrs.soontobealfonzo]

I have a beautiful 1.55ct E color VS1 Asscher, and want to upgrade in 2 years instead of getting a expensive wedding band. My budget would be 3k on top of what my fiance paid for the engagement ring. I want to go up to 2-2 and a half, but since I really care about the color and clarity. I dont think I can go bigger then 2ct.

Can I get some feed back

Is 3k enough to get something larger ? I dont want to show up and look like a fool.

 

[Lorelei]

If you have to keep the colour and clarity up there for an Asscher, how about a different shape - which might enable you to drop these a bit to increase size? Asschers are superb diamonds, but are said to face up a little smaller for their weight than rounds and other fancies, so would that be an option in getting a different shape? Also as budget needs considering, maybe you could go slightly smaller in another shape and avoid the 2 ct price jump, might be hard as just below is a desirable size, but you could get an almost 2 carat look in another shape if you were lucky and keep the price a little lower.

Maybe someone can do size comparisons for you which might help...

Ha - I knew Miss Belle had done a great comparison example somewhere! The examples are 3 caraters, but you get the idea.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-stone-looks-biggest-for-its-carat-weight.43874/

Also carat weight to MM chart.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mm-to-carat-stone-conversion-chart.17578/

There used to be a chart from Amazon which showed the different shapes at different carat weights for comparison, but I can't get it to work.....

Anyway, I hope some of this helps.

 

[Mrs.soontobealfonzo]

thank you ! but alex told me i can upgrade be he doesnt want me to change the shape so I want to respect him. But I still have time to change his mind if I decide i want too

 

[diamondfan]

I think it might be hard to determine that now, since there have been price jumps supposedly and it might be tough to figure it out til you get closer.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/6/2007 10:29:27 AM
Author: diamondfan
I think it might be hard to determine that now, since there have been price jumps supposedly and it might be tough to figure it out til you get closer.

Ditto. You could try the search by cut tool to get an idea of what the prices are now, but in a few months you might find it will cost more...

Also I forgot to ask, when you say 3k more, will you be trading in your current Asscher for 100% of what you paid and be getting the upgrade through the same vendor? Even then I don't know if 3k will get you the size jump you want for those colour and clarity specs. You might expect to pay for that size Asscher of around 2 cts in the region of 15 - 28k at a rough and widespread estimate, I would think those figures aren't too far out anyway, looking at the price comparison. Another PSer bought a stunning Asscher recently, can't remember exactly what he paid for it, but it was within that region I think. There is a D VVS 2 ct Asscher out there for a bit over 32k on the search tool, to give you some idea.

 

[Ellen]

I would also look at some G Asschers, I can''t imagine there being a huge difference, and at VS2 (if eyeclean), it would really help bring the price down. You lucky girl!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/6/2007 10:57:49 AM
Author: Ellen
I would also look at some G Asschers, I can''t imagine there being a huge difference, and at VS2 (if eyeclean), it would really help bring the price down. You lucky girl!

I was wondering where you were Miss E on this Asscher thread

 

[decodelighted]

I think you''re VASTLY underestimating how much it costs to upgrade. If I''m remembering right -- Mara said the other day her jump from 1.6 to 2.2 was DOUBLE the cost of her original stone. And she was going "J" to "J" .. in "E"s or "F"s I bet it would be even MORE!

Do you know if your ring (or stone) was purchased in a place that allows trade ups?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 2/6/2007 10:59:24 AM
Author: Lorelei

I was wondering where you were Miss E on this Asscher thread

 

[Mara]

yep deco that was for my round upgrade, but the price does get really crazy at 2c+. even worse around 3c! if i wanted to get a 3.2c stone...aka less than 1carat upgrade from what i have now, it would be probably be about 130% of what my trade-in is. i''m like sheesh that''s a new car! at some point it totally doesn''t seem ''worth it''...but who knows. the size sickness is a disease, lol.

honestly mrs...if you have a 1.55 asscher now then going to a 2c asscher won''t seemingly get you THAT much more finger real estate...and i''d question if it was really ''worth it''...asschers look smaller to begin with and what if the only asscher you can find in the 2c range is deeper than the one you have now or something that would make it look not even as big as it could? also who knows what diamond prices would be like in a few years.

it''s very hard to say what the landscape would look like in a few years, but i would venture a guess that $3k extra would not buy you much bigger. my suggestion (from someone who loves size!) is to just be happy with your diamond now and see where your life is in a few years, maybe a priority will not be upgrading your ring in the next 3-4 years after all like it is now.

 

[decodelighted]

It seems to me that around here if folks have 2-3K to spend and they want a bigger look ... they reset the stone they HAVE into a HALO design ring. Especially in that size range (over 1.5 to begin with) the dollar does not stretch very far size-wise.

 

[phoenixgirl]

It might work if you''re getting 100% of what you paid for the ring and something like a G VS2. I don''t think it would work to stay at E VS1.

 

[Mrs.soontobealfonzo]

Oh i failed to mention that its clarity enhanced, and where it was bought they do have a lifetime upgrade policy. I thought 3k would be more then enough to at less get 2ct. lol

 

[Mara]

Date: 2/6/2007 11:29:11 AM
Author: decodelighted
It seems to me that around here if folks have 2-3K to spend and they want a bigger look ... they reset the stone they HAVE into a HALO design ring. Especially in that size range (over 1.5 to begin with) the dollar does not stretch very far size-wise.

Ditto, a nice halo is about $1500-2000 depending on what metal etc and I would just halo a stone and keep the original stone if I didn''t have enough cash to get me to a much bigger size!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/6/2007 12:22:13 PM
Author: Mrs.soontobealfonzo
Oh i failed to mention that its clarity enhanced, and where it was bought they do have a lifetime upgrade policy. I thought 3k would be more then enough to at less get 2ct. lol

Well it might be best to speak to them directly as you are tied into upgrading with them, but I still think you will need considerably more to get the upgrade you want. It might be worth asking if they will give you 100% of what you paid for your enhanced diamond towards another - also how much extra do you have to spend? Sometimes you might have to spend 50% more for a new diamond to be able to trade in the old one, best to ask them.

Also the halo is a good idea Deco and Mara!

 

[Mrs.soontobealfonzo]

yeah your right thats why im asking here. I was just wondering about it. I dont plan on doing anytime soon. I''m still pretty young and think its a perfect size for me now. I dont want to be pretentious. thanks everyone