I need a cure for my diamond fever...

[Dreamer_D]

My upgrade fever! Or rather, spending too much time thinking about changing my ring

Is walking away from PS the only real cure? That is a tough thing to do because this has been a hobby of mine for 2 years now.

I have never been fully satified with my ring and keep thinking that I will be happy with a bigger diamond, different shape, different setting. But I know it is all in my head. Or is it?

When you have been somehow disatisfied with your ring, did you finally make a change that cured you? Or is it really just a mental illness

?

 

[Laila619]

Don't look at me, lol. Since coming to Pricescope I upgraded my diamond from a .98 to a 1.8 carat. It's a sickness I tell ya!

I have dreams of a 2.2 carat someday. I think the only real thing that helps is to stop viewing the Show Me the Ring sub-forum.

 

[AGBF]

I am desperate for a 3.00 to 4.00 carat diamond. I have several lovely diamonds I do not wear. Two are 1.25 carat E colored VS clarity diamonds set in platinum earrings-worn once or twice-that were just too big for my ears. (I bought .50 carat earrings instead.) Another is 1.38 carat a G colored VS stone I have set in a 24K ring I had custom made to resemble Gurhan bands. I think I have worn it once. I want to stop "wasting" these and use them towards getting a larger solitaire. But the logistics of selling/consignment/trading are beyond me. Since, if I traded up, I wouldn't need my current solitaire either (I bought it froman on-line vendor before getting into Pricescope) I could add that into the mix, too. It is a VS clarity F color ideal 1.67 carat stone. All my stones have GIA or AGS certs. Who wants to handle all the messy details for me?

AGBF

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I don''t know what will make you happy or satisfy your wants; all I know is larger did not make me any "happier": and if the truth be told if I could, I''d downsize or unload my 6.12ctw ER and just keep my asscher eternity ring. Recently I have gotten rid of my large diamond pieces (earrings, pendats, bracelets) because of nonuse. Great satisfaction received in that. I am wanting what I have, and it''s all good.

cheers--Sharon

 

[AGBF]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:14:05 PM
Author: canuk-gal

if I could, I'd downsize or unload my 6.12ctw ER

Sharon,

I have no idea what your e-ring is like, but I wrote in the thread called, "suggestion box" that I'd like to see a place where longtime members could do a simple "swap" of jewelry! Wouldn't it be cool if we could forgo all the muss and fuss and simply swap two E colored 1.25 carat VS earrings for 1 H colored 2.50 carat VS solitaire or something? (I didn't run any numbers on these stones. The prices may be way off!)

Deb

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:14:05 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I don''t know what will make you happy or satisfy your wants; all I know is larger did not make me any ''happier'': and if the truth be told if I could, I''d downsize or unload my 6.12ctw ER and just keep my asscher eternity ring. Recently I have gotten rid of my large diamond pieces (earrings, pendats, bracelets) because of nonuse. Great satisfaction received in that. I am wanting what I have, and it''s all good.

cheers--Sharon

Sharon, did you sell your beautiful things without taking a real hit- money wise? I''d just hate losing money if I sold my stone to buy a bigger one. I don''t think I could live with that.

 

[neatfreak]

Honestly Dreamer I do think a PS break is the only way. Or at least a break from SMTR and RT. When I feel I''ve gotten obsessed with it I take a break and find I don''t really have the same desire as I do when I see tons of huge rings on a daily basis.

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 10/6/2009 1:57:39 PM
Author:dreamer_dachsie
My upgrade fever! Or rather, spending too much time thinking about changing my ring

Is walking away from PS the only real cure? That is a tough thing to do because this has been a hobby of mine for 2 years now.

I have never been fully satified with my ring and keep thinking that I will be happy with a bigger diamond, different shape, different setting. But I know it is all in my head. Or is it?

When you have been somehow disatisfied with your ring, did you finally make a change that cured you? Or is it really just a mental illness

?

dd, what has snapped me out that mode of thinking very quickly, has been something serious happening in life which almost instantaneously causes me to feel VERY grateful for what I have. Truthfully, I haven''t experienced much upgrade fever in the fourteen or so months since the recession hit because I was afraid I couldn''t pay my regular bills. Even now, we''re OK and I am SO chomping at the bit to call Lesley and get started on a project, but...... I just can''t bring myself to do it. I guess my cure was a reality check. I do have to say though, staying away from SMTR does help. Booooo!!!!!!! LOL!

 

[kenny]

After being spoiled wearing a killer 2.26 ct F VVS2 asscher I don't have diamond fever. (If anything I feel it's a tad big on me.)

Then again . . . there ARE those natural colored diamonds . . .

Hmmm.

Maybe it will end when I die.

 

[violet3]

Oh Dreamer, I am sorry you are feeling this way - i follow your threads often, and it does seem like you are always looking for the next project/stone/ring as soon as you have one completed (but i love following your projects!).

For me, it's pretty simple - there is no money to be spent

. So, when I got engaged, I thought hard about what i would want to wear eventually (i.e. not just while engaged, but way down the road). From there, I realized I'd always wanted an eternity band because i just love the look. So, that's what we picked from the start - a little untraditional, but very cost effective (more so than a solitaire would have been and i knew i'd never be happy with the size we could afford). I've never been sorry and i love looking at my ring. Sometimes I wish it was bigger, but only for a minute - i just love the sparkle, and there's not really a comparison to other people's erings, because mine is not really comparable.

For you, it seems that you are always stretchinig to get whatever the next size is that you can afford, rather than what you WANT overall. Would it be at all possible to imagine what you really want overall, and then save for it, even if it for a REALLY long time? maybe that's not a good suggestion, but perhaps the (relatively) minor incriments you have been acquiring just arent' enough to quench your diamond thirst?

either way, i agree with maybe laying off the SMTR threads - it's just too tempting sometimes!!!!

 

[E B]

Date: 10/6/2009 1:57:39 PM
Author:dreamer_dachsie

I have never been fully satified with my ring and keep thinking that I will be happy with a bigger diamond, different shape, different setting. But I know it is all in my head. Or is it?

Probably. I suspect PS- particularly the SMTR section- is the leading cause of upgrade fever. I'm the only one of my friends and family who knows this forum exists, and not one of them has ever (to my knowledge) upgraded. In fact, I didn't even know it was done until I joined.

My cure? Having a baby.

A bigger diamond or blingier setting just isn't practical at this point in my life, and won't be for a long time. It might never be. Imagine a three-sided pave Leon smeared with baby poo or pureed carrots.

It'd never get worn. Any extra money we have is going to hospital bills, savings, or a down payment on a house.

I am currently having something made to replace my last ring because it, too, just wasn't practical. But we aren't spending any extra money on it, and to the horror of many here, I'm sure, I technically downgraded. I took quite a while to think about what I really wanted, and since I made the decision, I haven't looked back. I'm cured- for now.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/6/2009 1:57:39 PM
Author:dreamer_dachsie
My upgrade fever! Or rather, spending too much time thinking about changing my ring

Is walking away from PS the only real cure? That is a tough thing to do because this has been a hobby of mine for 2 years now.

I have never been fully satified with my ring and keep thinking that I will be happy with a bigger diamond, different shape, different setting. But I know it is all in my head. Or is it?

When you have been somehow disatisfied with your ring, did you finally make a change that cured you? Or is it really just a mental illness

?

May most of us have addictive personalities and need something to fixate on. If you can find another (less expensive!) passion and participate in other forums, you may find another way to distract yourself. I did that with a makeup board for about a year. . .unfortunetly, I have drawers of makeup. . .enough to last me 10 lifetimes, but I found a side outlet. . .when I came back to PS, I never quite found myself as obsessed any more.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:57:22 PM
Author: EBree

Date: 10/6/2009 1:57:39 PM

Author:dreamer_dachsie


I have never been fully satified with my ring and keep thinking that I will be happy with a bigger diamond, different shape, different setting. But I know it is all in my head. Or is it?

Probably. I suspect PS- particularly the SMTR section- is the leading cause of upgrade fever. I''m the only one of my friends and family who knows this forum exists, and not one of them has ever (to my knowledge) upgraded. In fact, I didn''t even know it was done until I joined.


My cure? Having a baby.

A bigger diamond or blingier setting just isn''t practical at this point in my life, and won''t be for a long time. It might never be. Imagine a three-sided pave Leon smeared with baby poo or pureed carrots.

It''d never get worn. Any extra money we have is going to hospital bills, savings, or a down payment on a house.


I am currently having something made to replace my last ring because it, too, just wasn''t practical. But we aren''t spending any extra money on it, and to the horror of many here, I''m sure, I technically downgraded. I took quite a while to think about what I really wanted, and since I made the decision, I haven''t looked back. I''m cured- for now.

I was going to say, wait until the baby starts walking and see if you want to upgrade. My best friend has really small hands. Her e-ring is just over 1 ct, but it looks like a 2 ct stone on her. She never wears it. Between working as a PHD in a lab and her 3 mo old it was not practical, and just kept getting in the way.

I don''t have an e-ring yet, but I know I can''t deal with a stone bigger than my sapphire RHR (6.6mm) because it would get in the way of my work. Your everyday jewelry should be practical enough to wear everyday! I know other people have different lifestyles and can handle bigger jewelry.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I didn''t have any input picking out my ring, and sometimes I dream of upgrades, just because it sounds like fun to hunt a diamond!

But when I''m feeling a little dissatisfied, I remind myself how lucky I am to have such a gorgeous ring, it''s huge compared to that of most of the women in his family. If I''m feeling the DSS really badly, I have a cute cz ring that''s 2ct that I''ll wear. It has me going back to my original ering in no time, just because I realize that it''s actually too big for me!

I also have a vintage .25ct emerald ering set that I"m wearing as a RHR, and so in comparison, my ering is huge, hehe.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

My cure? Having a baby.

A bigger diamond or blingier setting just isn't practical at this point in my life, and won't be for a long time. It might never be. Imagine a three-sided pave Leon smeared with baby poo or pureed carrots.

It'd never get worn. Any extra money we have is going to hospital bills, savings, or a down payment on a house.




EDITED - lost background color on quote - this is my part


I was going to say, wait until the baby starts walking and see if you want to upgrade. My best friend has really small hands. Her e-ring is just over 1 ct, but it looks like a 2 ct stone on her. She never wears it. Between working as a PHD in a lab and her 3 mo old it was not practical, and just kept getting in the way.

I don't have an e-ring yet, but I know I can't deal with a stone bigger than my sapphire RHR (6.6mm) because it would get in the way of my work. Your everyday jewelry should be practical enough to wear everyday! I know other people have different lifestyles and can handle bigger jewelry.

 

[D&T]

oh DD,,, I know what your feeling, only my problem right now is just the stupid setting. I haven''t quite been satisfied, I love the size of my diamond so I won''t be upgrading the stone, but I can''t get the setting quite right, so every few months I seem to be "resetting" wasting a lot of money! when I was pregnant, all I wore was a plain gold band, and was totally fine. I have been on the setting hunt since Feb 2007 and still have not had success. I have folders and tons of pictures of what I *Think* I might like, but then I factor my lifestyle and whether I''m really a chunky girl or an e ring and wedding band... Uh when you find the cure,,,, please let me know too

 

[dragonfly411]

Dreamer - go to the mall.... look at all the diamonds there.... you''ll be happy after that.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

sorry about the double post

 

[MustangGal]

I''ve technically upgraded twice in the 10 years since I got my first e-ring, more for setting changes than stone changes, and didn''t spend much either time. As others mentioned, do you know your end goal? Maybe start saving towards that and don''t settle for something inbetween. Another option is "fun rings" made of non diamond materials

to try out different sizes/styles/shapes.

 

[Steel]

After I reset my stone to the tiffany replica I worried that I might jump on the crazy upgrade buy buy buy train. Which I did not want. But something just clicked and I have not thought about it again. I am a lucky lady to have the jewellery I have and I have more than I could ever wear at once. More will not make me happier and I think I worked that out in the nick of time.

That said, who would say no to a beautiful asscher in a leon double claw prong setting? Not me

.

As a suggestion, I agree with the idea of stepping away from SMTR and RT for a little while.

 

[Lula]

Oh, Dreamer, I''m sorry to hear you''re feeling this way. I understand the upgrade fever, having gone through it myself this summer (I upgraded my .53 Infinity to my 1.0 Infinity in less than a month!). Your posts were very helpful to me in that thread. I do worry that upgrade fever will strike again -- and I haven''t even received my custom setting from Wink yet! It''s a PS sickness, I''m afraid.

Like D&T, I have a hard time with settings, and I left my M loose for a long time while I considered every possible setting option.

I feel more "attached" to this Infinity than I did to my other stone -- perhaps because it''s an odd color and clarity (M, SI2), so it''s got a strong "personality." I don''t know.

I agree with the other posters that a break from SMTR would help. Also, I agree with Mustang that you might want to spend some time thinking about your ultimate "goal" -- is it a certain color/clarity, a certain carat size? Write down your "goal," along with a timeline/budget for achieving it, file it away, and remind yourself when you find yourself thinking about an upgrade, that you''ve got plan for it in the future. That way you''re not denying yourself the possibility of an upgrade, you''re just postponing it for awhile.

Who knows, you may forget all about it, or it may seem less important, once you focus on other areas of your life. And I think visiting a mall is the best thing for upgrade fever -- just make sure you don''t go to any "good" stores --- crappy chains only!

 

[isaku5]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:14:05 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I don''t know what will make you happy or satisfy your wants; all I know is larger did not make me any ''happier'': and if the truth be told if I could, I''d downsize or unload my 6.12ctw ER and just keep my asscher eternity ring. Recently I have gotten rid of my large diamond pieces (earrings, pendats, bracelets) because of nonuse. Great satisfaction received in that. I am wanting what I have, and it''s all good.

cheers--Sharon

If my memory is reliable, I think you had some fabulous diamond pieces, Sharon. Was it a matter of ''smart sizing'' your collection?

I''m interested in your methodology as I''d like to smart size my jewellery wardrobe in order to afford the condo with a water view (or something similar) that we saw a couple of weeks ago. Niiiiiiiiice

 

[Lynn B]

Oh, I'm no one to ask!!!

So yeah, please put me on the memo list, too, if you find a cure!

Honestly, it's craziness. I *KNOW* better!

And I am not this *all consumed* or frivolous in ANY OTHER aspect of my life! It's ridiculous and unnecessary and irritating and still I cannot seem to stop myself!

Upgrades... new settings... new projects... the list is exhaustingly endless.

Stepping away from PS does help, I've done that. Having another big project going on (like our recent kitchen remodel) helped, too. (Only room in my brain, apparently, for ONE HUGE OBSESSION at a time, thank goodness!)

Well, I tell myself it could be worse. But then again, I think a drug or alcohol addiction might be cheaper!!!

 

[coda72]

I, too have upgrade fever. My original wedding set was not upgradable, but my hubby bought me a pendant from WF about 5 years ago. I am on my 3rd upgrade of that stone! I went from a 0.435 carat to a 0.735 carat 2 years later, and to a 1.331 carat just recently. I put it in a ring, so I could see it instead of having to look in a mirror. I know almost for certain this is not my last upgrade of that stone, but I do like to keep my stones a couple of years before upgrading. I don''t know what to tell you about upgrade fever because I obviously haven''t found a cure for it yet. I do find that I''m not very interested in buying anything else right now. My birthday is coming up next month, and the hubby is asking me what I want, and for once I don''t want a piece of jewelry. So, maybe I am slowing down.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:23:16 PM
Author: gemgirl

Date: 10/6/2009 2:14:05 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I don''t know what will make you happy or satisfy your wants; all I know is larger did not make me any ''happier'': and if the truth be told if I could, I''d downsize or unload my 6.12ctw ER and just keep my asscher eternity ring. Recently I have gotten rid of my large diamond pieces (earrings, pendats, bracelets) because of nonuse. Great satisfaction received in that. I am wanting what I have, and it''s all good.

cheers--Sharon

Sharon, did you sell your beautiful things without taking a real hit- money wise? I''d just hate losing money if I sold my stone to buy a bigger one. I don''t think I could live with that.

HI:

GG--big money hit, no other way to say it!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ahhh the wisdom of PS!

Several people mentioned thinking about whether I have a diamond goal, and working towards that. I think I do have a goal -- I would like a 1.7ct diamond, J color, SI2 clarity.

And I think that a big part of my problem is that while I do want that size diamond, and I know that is the largest I would want to go in an RB based on my lifestyle, social circle, etc... I am not sure that it is a good thing to spend my money on!

I keep wondering if there is *another* way that I can scratch that itch... maybe a halo, maybe a three-stone, maybe maybe maybe... that wouldn''t cost as much. Ands hence all my threads asking people about different options

I would save my disposable income for whatever we decided to do, it isn''t an issue of affording it, but in the end somehow I think "It isn''t worth it!!"

I struggled with this before I got my present upgrade diamond this year. I was thinking of all the options for re-setting my .80ct that would cost less than it would take to make a significant upgrade. But it never felt right, I guess because in my heart I knew I wanted a larger diamond. And when I got this diamond, I knew that the money was TOTALLY well spent! I love having a larger diamond -- even though I knew when I got it that it was not my forever size. I enjoy it a lot... but still those nagging questions remain -- Is it OK to spend that much? Do I deserve it? What will people think? (already I think that my social circle looks ascanse at my ring sometimes). What price is ok to spend on meaningless, hedonistic pleasures?

So I suppose that I am struggling with accepting that I will save for that next upgrade, versus being happy with what I have and leaving it at that. And there is the fever.... I have not decided yet what I want to do, and it makes this obsession a bit much at times!

 

[deegee]

I have been going back and forth trying to decide whether or not to upgrade my diamond for my 15th anniversary in January. I had decided that the setting gets changed in January no matter what. I haven''t been wearing my rings because I have lost weight and they''re slipping off. I put them on for the first time in a while the other day, and wow! They''re beautiful rings, and what on earth am I thinking? I fell in love with them all over again.

I''m still thinking about having the setting changed because it''s white gold, and my skin seems to eat the plating. I think taking it back every so many months to be re-plated is one of the reasons I decided I didn''t like it in the first place!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:01:03 PM
Author: Laila619
Don''t look at me, lol. Since coming to Pricescope I upgraded my diamond from a .98 to a 1.8 carat. It''s a sickness I tell ya!

I have dreams of a 2.2 carat someday. I think the only real thing that helps is to stop viewing the Show Me the Ring sub-forum.

Would I be an enabler if I said I can''t wait to see your upgrade?

That is my dream ideal size diamond. I worry though that when I have it that eventually I would want something bigger. Maybe I would walk away from PS at that time??

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 10/6/2009 2:13:48 PM
Author: AGBF



I am desperate for a 3.00 to 4.00 carat diamond. I have several lovely diamonds I do not wear. Two are 1.25 carat E colored VS clarity diamonds set in platinum earrings-worn once or twice-that were just too big for my ears. (I bought .50 carat earrings instead.) Another is 1.38 carat a G colored VS stone I have set in a 24K ring I had custom made to resemble Gurhan bands. I think I have worn it once. I want to stop ''wasting'' these and use them towards getting a larger solitaire. But the logistics of selling/consignment/trading are beyond me. Since, if I traded up, I wouldn''t need my current solitaire either (I bought it froman on-line vendor before getting into Pricescope) I could add that into the mix, too. It is a VS clarity F color ideal 1.67 carat stone. All my stones have GIA or AGS certs. Who wants to handle all the messy details for me?

AGBF

Wow AGBF, I have not seen your collection, now I need to go look through your threads!

I have also felt the sting of "wasting" money on diamonds I don''t wear. One from my PS days is languishing in a box! But I think we may be selling it to my BIL fr a small loss (20%) so he can use it towards an upgrade for his own e-ring pruchase! Win win! Now I need to convince myself that it is a good idea to spend that money on our new house and not put it in my upgrade fund

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 10/6/2009 6:12:50 PM
Author: isaku5

Date: 10/6/2009 2:14:05 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I don't know what will make you happy or satisfy your wants; all I know is larger did not make me any 'happier': and if the truth be told if I could, I'd downsize or unload my 6.12ctw ER and just keep my asscher eternity ring. Recently I have gotten rid of my large diamond pieces (earrings, pendats, bracelets) because of nonuse. Great satisfaction received in that. I am wanting what I have, and it's all good.

cheers--Sharon

If my memory is reliable, I think you had some fabulous diamond pieces, Sharon. Was it a matter of 'smart sizing' your collection?

I'm interested in your methodology as I'd like to smart size my jewellery wardrobe in order to afford the condo with a water view (or something similar) that we saw a couple of weeks ago. Niiiiiiiiice

HI:

So sorry for the hijack!

Isabel, I was looking for part of a necklace that separates--and in my search found things I had forgotten I owned....that "oh gosh I have this...and this..." shook me up a little...and I realized that I wore the same items over and over and much of it was not diamonds. So downsizing or smart sizing seemed the sensible thing to do: I returned my Infinity diamond and GOG HA earrings thru the buy back policies; sold a dozen items to an Estate dealer in town, gave some to family and the rest friends wanted. As I mentioned to GG above, I took a sizable "hit" (especially on the custom pieces) but that is the name of the game. I feel very settled!

AGBF: I saw your idea about the swap! In case it is any consolation--in my "selling", it was my certed stones that got me the 'best "yield". Would not one dealer take all your stones for one? I know it can be troublesome....

Back to your scheduled programming!

cheers--Sharon