If you could do it all over again....

[mrs-b]

....what would you buy for your e-ring? Would you even have one? Would you swap eras? Gems? Styles? Would you give the money to charity?

What would you do?

If I could do it all over again, I'd skip the e-ring altogether and just have a wedding band of some description. Probably something carved and heavy in yellow gold. Then I'd save aaaalllll my pennies, and when I had the money I needed, I'd buy the biggest, reddest ruby I could find!

Perhaps this ring's little sister? ( - since Christie's estimated that this one would sell for between 10 and 15 million dollars!)

 

[TweetyBird23]

Whiteflash from the start.

 

[D&T]

I went down a rabbit hole of custom designing.... save up a bit more and hit the 2 carat mark from the beginning (well this is talking about my 5 year upgrade) otherwise for my engagement, I wished I would have done a blingy band and called it a day because there was no way we could have done a 2 carat or even 1 carat 15 years ago. I also wished I learned more about yellow diamonds back before I got engaged, I so love them and appreciate their features, and sometimes their price point so much.

 

[Starfacet]

I would have kept my well-cut .25 ct MRB with good clarity and not traded it for the .33 ct Marquise with I1 clarity. Knew nothing about diamonds at the time. I just wanted Marquise. I realized later my little stone would have been great for a three stone. Oh well. I can't even find the Marquise. It's lost somewhere in my house.

 

[missy]

I'm not sure I would do it differently. The way I did it led me to where I was meant to be and where I wanted to be and for me it was a necessary journey.

I started with an MRB (well my dh proposed with an MRB and before the proposal I never gave the ring any thought) and realized that wasn't quite right for me almost immediately. I reset her but still it didn't suit my aesthetic. At that point I realized I was an OEC girl and then searched and found a lovely OEC but after some time I knew something was still missing for me and finally I found my HG OEC. Bubbalah. The jewel that waiting for me but I had to go through what I went through in order to know she was the one and to fully appreciate her.

And I am not fully finished with my journey as this is most likely not her final setting. Anyway for me the journey is a big part of the fun.

 

[Bron357]

A part of me regrets not buying that Argyle tender pink diamond (.50 carat) because to buy one now you’re looking at close to $200,000 - seriously!
BUT it’s a moot point, I instantly fell in love with my Art Deco emerald cut diamond the second I saw her and I’ll never be selling her.

 

[kmoro]

I'm not sure I would do it differently. The way I did it led me to where I was meant to be and where I wanted to be and for me it was a necessary journey.

I started with an MRB (well my dh proposed with an MRB and before the proposal I never gave the ring any thought) and realized that wasn't quite right for me almost immediately. I reset her but still it didn't suit my aesthetic. At that point I realized I was an OEC girl and then searched and found a lovely OEC but after some time I knew something was still missing for me and finally I found my HG OEC. Bubbalah. The jewel that waiting for me but I had to go through what I went through in order to know she was the one and to fully appreciate her.

And I am not fully finished with my journey as this is most likely not her final setting. Anyway for me the journey is a big part of the fun.

If I had to do it over, I’d probably do it the same since it was quite recent. And I am so happy that I’m not sure that I will wish I had done it differently in the future. However, I’ve had years to think about it.

I should probably come back to this question in a few more years.

I have noticed that I am still browsing settings and diamonds, something that I did not predict. I’m starting to feel like I might end up changing settings over the years, just like changing outfits. I’m also starting to wonder if I will really never upgrade.

When I dreamed of the diamond purchase and when I completed the diamond purchase, I never imagined that it could put me on some kind of long term journey. Now I see how it can be a continuing journey, and maybe I’ll get on it. Maybe I already am. I’ve had a lot of diamond fun so far, so why not keep it going?

@mrs-b - I can certainly see where you’re coming from with that ruby! WOW! I agree that any “little sister” to that beauty would be breathtaking!
... it’s just ... rubies do not sparkle the same way as diamonds ... when I was a kid, I did not understand why anyone would want a colourless gemstone ... then I saw diamonds in person I dunno ... maybe it’s because you’ve had diamond for a long time (have you?) and now would like a change??? ... for me, I have only recently had the diamond to enjoy ... not ready to go to colour gemstones as a center stone for my main every day bling ring ... I did get some in the matching wedding bands though. I suppose part of me still thinks that white is boring, lol. Obviously, a few 1 mm rubies are not what you were thinking.

Maybe I would not want to do the original thing over exactly ... but I am certainly eyeing up big bling piece #2 using what I’ve learned from #1. It’s an addiction!!! Beware!!! (a glorious addiction, lol)

 

[molecule]

I think I would have asked for a diamond band for the engagement ring and then gone for a plain or engraved band for the wedding band.
Over the years, for anniversaries/big milestones, a couple of different 0.5-0.75 cuts would have scratched the diamond itch.

I mentioned to my husband recently after an acquaintance got engaged with an eternity ring that that would have been my preference as well and my husband went .

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I still love my original ER even though I've had additional rings made into the mix. The ONLY thing I wish I would have done would have been to spring for the pink diamond halo

 

[Swirl68]

If I had it to do all over again, I’d look high and low for a stone with very strong blue fluorescence, one that had a noticeable change in direct sunlight.

 

[Luvallgems]

....what would you buy for your e-ring? Would you even have one? Would you swap eras? Gems? Styles? Would you give the money to charity?

What would you do?

If I could do it all over again, I'd skip the e-ring altogether and just have a wedding band of some description. Probably something carved and heavy in yellow gold. Then I'd save aaaalllll my pennies, and when I had the money I needed, I'd buy the biggest, reddest ruby I could find!

Perhaps this ring's little sister? ( - since Christie's estimated that this one would sell for between 10 and 15 million dollars!)

I agree, there is nothing more beautiful than an untreated, pure red ruby!!! Junk they sell at B&M .....no
comparison!

 

[Matthews1127]

It hasn’t been long for us.

It’s funny this thread should pop up, today.

Earlier, I asked DH if HE liked my rings; he doesn’t comment on them, often. He’s proud as a peacock when others notice my rings, but he doesn’t say much.
He seemed concerned & asked if I like them. OF COURSE I LIKE THEM! lol!!

He agreed he liked them, then he said, “But, I’m sure you could make them better. You’re creative; I don’t have an eye for things like that.”

It was a sweet compliment, but I wouldn’t change the style. Perhaps the size or the amount of diamonds....lol....but not the style.

Then he joked & said, “One of these days, you’ll run into someone & they’ll scream, ‘OMG!! Is that 75cts?? And you’ll struggle to get your hand on the table, and reply, ‘Why, no....it’s 78cts!!’” We both got a good laugh out of it, but the thought of having a 78ct EC is rather tempting...lol!!!

I believe we’re both comfortable with what I have....for now. Everything is still very new, I still get multiple compliments on my rings, daily, and every time I look at my hand, my heart skips a beat.

I consider myself fortunate to have what I have; I look forward to the future, and the jewelry journey ahead. There’s a matter of 7 sparkling, Vintage Asschers who are looking for a home!! That should keep me busy, and build the excitement for adding additional bling to my finger!!!

 

[headlight]

Whiteflash from the start.

AMEN to that!!!

 

[quaddio]

I would have kept my well-cut .25 ct MRB with good clarity and not traded it for the .33 ct Marquise with I1 clarity. Knew nothing about diamonds at the time. I just wanted Marquise. I realized later my little stone would have been great for a three stone. Oh well. I can't even find the Marquise. It's lost somewhere in my house.

Is this purely because the .25 is better to re-use or also sentimental?

 

[Mixtress]

Not sure if this is something I can do over, since it has more to do with my husband/then fiancé's bank account. But let's say he was financially able to do so 6 years ago, I would love a 2-2.5 carat round or 3-4 carat emerald.

 

[Starfacet]

Is this purely because the .25 is better to re-use or also sentimental?

Because it was better cut/clarity and better for re-purpose. I'm not really sentimental about either one. If I ever find the marquise, I want to set it into a pendant.

 

[headlight]

Let’s see... over the course of 30 years, after 4 diamonds and 7 mountings (I need to have my head examined), I think if I had to do it all over again I would keep the original diamond (marquise) but have it In a basic solitaire or the classic style with baguette on each side - and either style in a white metal.
Fortunately, for my husband’s sanity as well as my own, I have no need nor urge to look at mountings (gosh, what style have I missed!) so I guess I’m making progress. I’m loving my 2 carat size (not too small, not too big, just right!) and it’s E color (I’m a bit obsessed, I’m sure you are all sick of hearing it). I’m still a bit if-y on the depth but I just had 4 people (on separate occasions) last week stop mid-sentence to comment (positively) on my diamond, to the point I was a bit self-conscious so apparently the HCA does work!!!
I’ve even considered trading my current diamond (yes, the one I’ve had for a mere 3 months) for one with less depth but I think I’ve become attached. And we see stones posted here every day that have super tight specs yet don’t get all Excellents on HCA for fire/light return/scintillation as my does so I think it just may be a keeper.
On that note, I kid you not... when I was selecting this stone, the jeweler had placed 5 stones on one of those trays and I swear that my diamond, the one I chose, winked at me!
This is a fun thread!

 

[lovedogs]

I would have gotten the same style, but in a lower color CBI (like the N I ended up with), except in a larger center stone. Rather than 1ct center, maybe 1.5 so that overall it looks larger. Preferably, it would be like the Q CBI that @cflutist has, but in the style e-ring I have. I mean I guess if we are talking about doing it ALLLLL over again I'll pretend I could afford the emylia or some other halo from VC.

Like this: https://www.victorcanera.com/rings/engagement/the-emilya-halo-solitaire but with a Q color CBI.

Or like this: https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin.../sold-1-dot-84-ct-u-v-oec-in-david-klass-halo

 

[bludiva]

i would have bought the 1st thing i saw that we liked and never gone down the custom and/or PS rabbithole i ended up with an arguably better ring in the end but it was time consuming and stressful....!

 

[GliderPoss]

I would have just stuck with a plain band (we were young & poor) instead of getting a sh*tty ring coz I felt I needed one. Would have waited 5+ years and saved up for something REALLY GOOD like a huge flawless lavender EC spinel set with diamond sidestones...

 

[gm89uk]

Nothing different. The blood and sweat with buying the ering adds to how special it is.

 

[foxinsox]

Nothing. I love my ering and spent 6 months searching for it.
I am planning an upgrade to a larger OEC (2-2.5ct) for our 10 year anniversary which is also very close to my 50th birthday (and 8 years away) - therefore a great excuse to splurge a bit.
I will probably need to reset in a few years though just to make sure it stays secure and I’m seriously considering adding a subtle underhalo* if I can work out a way to keep the parts of the setting that I love like the fishtail prongs and cushion shape they give.

*or maybe vertical baguettes/French cuts to play up the Deco vibe. It’s a work in progress

 

[Weeivy73]

I would have stuck to my original and previous aesthetic of antique/Art Deco, but the same ruby and diamond cluster style.

My engagement ring from my ex which I've just sold to help fund my new ring, was an original art Deco diamond cluster and I loved it. But you live and learn right?

 

[joelly]

I wouldn’t change a thing. CBI was a perfect ring for my original e-ring. I love it.

For our 10th anniversary, hubby suggested to take advantage of Wink’s upgrade policy but I just don’t have the heart to do it.

 

[dk168]

OEC diamond flower cluster, G/H, SI1/2 as long as it is eye clean, platinum with plain comfort shank.

Instead of diamond centre, I may opt for a neon pink Sapphire instead.

I am likely to have a ring like this made myself, as it is unlikely I would walk down the aisle again. And OH is not one that would buy jewellery for me, so I shall get them myself.

DK

 

[srke]

I initially didn't even think I'd get an ering. We were going to just go with matching platinum wedding bands. And then one day I impulsively decided I would in fact get an ering (during a week when I had the flu and did nothing but browse jewellery!), and I was adamant it had to be in platinum to match the wedding-bands-to-be. (So it sort of figures that we ultimately decided on matching mokume bands and didn't even get the plain platinum wedding rings :p.)

So I basically just went with the cheapest diamond with reasonable specs to fit in the setting. And I went overkill on clarity with an H-IF as the vendor at the time didn't have many stones with actual photos in the sizes I was looking at, so I decided to avoid worrying about potential eyecleanliness and just go vvs or higher, since the price difference wasnt that much anyway compared to the total cost (which was mostly the cost of the setting :p.)

Now a couple of years later, and with fingers that are gradually getting fatter, I think I should have gone for the largest superideal <1ct D-SI I could find.

That's my sweet spot if I ever upgrade, though perversely I think I now want a yellow gold setting, even with a D stone, since yellow gold looks better with my skin tone.

So basically the one thing ive learned is that I have terrible foresight about what I might like in the future

 

[Johnbt]

After just more than a year, we're both still completely happy with our ring... a platinum U-113 and a 1.5 carat WF ACA F VVS2. Perfectly happy.

I was originally leaning a little in the direction of a 1.8 to 2.0, but after shopping around she thought a 1.5-and-a-hair looked better on her 5.5 finger and would wear better day in and day out.

 

[eapj]

I would have actually shopped to figure out what I liked. Instead, we took a family diamond ring to one very overpriced jewelry store. The owner described a setting, I said sure, and a few weeks later my then boyfriend (now husband) picked it up. The general idea of it was fine but I didn’t like the execution.

Fast forward and we both admit we liked colored stones better and the original setting was too much as was the diamond. Had we actually shopped, I probably would have ended up with a petite and classic sapphire ring. Instead, I’ve spent a ton of money trying to find “the one” and have bought and sold a lot (small potatoes compared to many).

As I said in another thread recently, I think the expectation to use an heirloom is a blessing and a curse. I wish we’d had the opportunity to do the whole engagement ring shopping thing together (we would have for sure) to have that experience and the chance to pick one thing I’d want for life (or at least a chance to like for life).

 

[mrs-b]

After just more than a year, we're both still completely happy with our ring... a platinum U-113 and a 1.5 carat WF ACA F VVS2. Perfectly happy.

I was originally leaning a little in the direction of a 1.8 to 2.0, but after shopping around she thought a 1.5-and-a-hair looked better on her 5.5 finger and would wear better day in and day out.

Yes, but @Johnbt - you guys really started at the top! Yours is a truly stunning ring.

 

[mrs-b]

OEC diamond flower cluster, G/H, SI1/2 as long as it is eye clean, platinum with plain comfort shank.

Instead of diamond centre, I may opt for a neon pink Sapphire instead.

I am likely to have a ring like this made myself, as it is unlikely I would walk down the aisle again. And OH is not one that would buy jewellery for me, so I shall get them myself.

DK

Sounds wonderful, @dk168