opinions -

[bootsiekin]

Hi everyone,

Some people may have noticed I have made a few posts recently, and I wanted to see if anyone had ever done what I am contemplating, or had opinions on whether or not to go through with it...

History:
I have the RB with bead-set band e-ring from Tiffany : http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/item.aspx?GroupSku=GRP10020&selectedSku=18853353#f+9/0/0/0/0/0

I didn''t know DH had been ring shopping, wasn''t aware of the huge mark up early on enough to return the ring, etc. I have always been dissatisfied with the size of the center stone (0.57ct) and the fact that it is F, VVS1 doesn''t really make up for wishing I had a larger stone.

We don''t want to upgrade through Tiffanys, because for one, we don''t really have the budget to spend the required amount to upgrade (and with only 3 years left to decide - you have to upgrade within 5 years, I doubt our money situation will be drastically different in that time frame), and I want to basically keep the same ring I have now, as I really like the setting and have the matching wedding band. The approx.1ct version from Tiffanys is priced significantly lower than what we would be "forced" to purchase with the upgrade plan. However, upgrading is overshadowed by the fact that DH is squeamish about not keeping the original ring/diamond he proposed with, though he says to do what will make me happy and satisfied.

A friend suggested purchasing a loose stone (somewhat lower color and clarity) and having it put in the Tiffany setting, and keeping the original stone and reset it for an anniversary down the road, most likely in a 3 stone ring. I know Tiffany would not do this work, so I would have to find a reputable jeweler to do it (I am in the Philly suburbs- any recommendations?) DH is much happier with this idea rather than trading in the original to upgrade or selling the original to buy a new ring.

What would be the downside of dismantling the Tiffany ring? Do you think they would no longer guarantee the quality of the bead-set diamonds in the setting since the setting had been "altered"? Any other disadvantages? I am assuming the basket would need to be replaced as we are thinking about going to around 0.9ct stone(?)

Your thoughts are appreciated..I am very excited at the prospect of having a stone closer to the size I have always wanted, but I guess I am wondering if it seems like a crazy idea?

 

[bootsiekin]

sorry about the ambiguity of the subject line - I accidentally deleted the second part of it!

 

[arjunajane]

Hi boots,

you are correct, if you're buying your diamond elsewhere Tiff will not set it for you.
Also, once it has been worked on by someone else, it would void any kind of guarantee or warranty plan from T&Co.
This doesn't really matter though, as long as you do the new work with a qualified bench who
will guarantee *their* own work.

It's hard to say whether your ring would need a whole new head, but I'm guessing from a 0.57 to a 1ct the answer would be yes.
This is not a problem either with a skilled bench, it's a very common (albeit very pretty) ring style.

I think you have a good idea to get a larger stone in lower colour and clarity if you're truly dissatisfied, and keeping the original stone is a more romantic idea for sure. I am a big proponent of not paying for what you can't see, and it's been shown that the majority of folks cannot tell difference between an F to H and especially a VVS to VS2 or SI1 (accurately graded only, of course). If you're not big on a "mind clean" stone or really really want a super white diamond, this is a great way to get a larger stone - just don't compromise on CUT!

Are you considering buying your new diamond from a PS online vendor? This is where you will find the most value.

I would recommend starting another thread perhaps in RT, with a title like "Jeweller recommendations in Philly area", as yes you're title is a lil confusing, lol

Also, just a hint Rocky Talk will likely garner alot more answers for you on these kinda topics, as usually in SMTR folks are just here to ogle completed rings etc

Good luck, pls ask more questions and do lots of research before you commit to a second diamond!

 

[bootsiekin]

Thanks, arjunajane. I re-posted in RT. I guess I posted here because I was more asking for opinions on changing the existing ring and if people thought that was a mistake.

Sorry again about the subject line! When you do Preview it doesnt show the subject line, so I didn''t realize there was something wrong with it. Thanks for reading my post in spite of that!