Ring upgrade - please help with new diamond size

[Happytobemrsg]

There are many things DH & I are not happy with in regards to my current engagement ring & so are planning on upgrading.

I will be keeping essentially the same design (diamond set tapered shoulders, platinum, milgrain) but will be increasing the platinum thickness (depth not width), changing it to 6 prongs instead of 4 & going for a larger diamond.

This is my current set. 0.30ct, size 2.25 finger:


This is us doing something very scientific- we stuck a 0.80ct diamond on top of my current set with blutac!

What do you think of the finger coverage on me?

 

[Matthews1127]

It’s substantial size jump & looks great on you!!
What is the upgrade policy & budget? Can you go bigger without breaking the bank?

 

[Happytobemrsg]

This project will cost about £7k. I can't see us paying more than that. The problem is we are going with the same jeweller who made both our wedding rings & other key pieces for us - so although I'm sure we could get it cheaper DH wants to stick with him. His quality is superb just not the cheapest!

Re the diamond size - I'm in the uk & I already have the biggest diamond in my family at 0.30ct. With my tiny fingers a 1ct looked HUGE. Of course I'd rock it but DH isn't sure...

 

[Happytobemrsg]

It’s substantial size jump & looks great on you!!
What is the upgrade policy & budget? Can you go bigger without breaking the bank?

I messaged you above! Sorry I forgot to quote you x

 

[Matthews1127]

This project will cost about £7k. I can't see us paying more than that. The problem is we are going with the same jeweller who made both our wedding rings & other key pieces for us - so although I'm sure we could get it cheaper DH wants to stick with him. His quality is superb just not the cheapest!

Re the diamond size - I'm in the uk & I already have the biggest diamond in my family at 0.30ct. With my tiny fingers a 1ct looked HUGE. Of course I'd rock it but DH isn't sure...

I’d go for the 0.90-1.00ct range. That would be it...max size & beautiful coverage for your lovely, slender fingers. If you can maximize your budget with a nearly 1.00ct rock with great color & clarity, I’d recommend it. I realize the UK & US differ in these opinions, but if you can do it, then you should. Why not enjoy it, while you can? I have the largest rock in my circle & at my workplace. I make no apologies for that...lol!! Compared to some, my heavy 1.07ct EC is tiny, so I appreciate what I have, and ogle at others’ 2+ct rocks. My dream is a 3+Cut EC....but a girl can dream, can’t she?

 

[Matthews1127]

I’d go for the 0.90-1.00ct range. That would be it...max size & beautiful coverage for your lovely, slender fingers. If you can maximize your budget with a nearly 1.00ct rock with great color & clarity, I’d recommend it. I realize the UK & US differ in these opinions, but if you can do it, then you should. Why not enjoy it, while you can? I have the largest rock in my circle & at my workplace. I make no apologies for that...lol!! Compared to some, my heavy 1.07ct EC is tiny, so I appreciate what I have, and ogle at others’ 2+ct rocks. My dream is a 3+Cut EC....but a girl can dream, can’t she?

5ct+ EC would mean I died & went to heaven...lol!!

 

[Happytobemrsg]

I’d go for the 0.90-1.00ct range. That would be it...max size & beautiful coverage for your lovely, slender fingers. If you can maximize your budget with a nearly 1.00ct rock with great color & clarity, I’d recommend it. I realize the UK & US differ in these opinions, but if you can do it, then you should. Why not enjoy it, while you can? I have the largest rock in my circle & at my workplace. I make no apologies for that...lol!! Compared to some, my heavy 1.07ct EC is tiny, so I appreciate what I have, and ogle at others’ 2+ct rocks. My dream is a 3+Cut EC....but a girl can dream, can’t she?

The 0.90ct did look great on me! I might be able to swing it if I offer to pay for the difference... it's a lovely problem to have! I showed my mum the photos of the 0.80 expecting her to hate it but she thought it looked wonderful on me.

Edit: EC cuts are so dreamy. I'd love to have one one day.

 

[Matthews1127]

The 0.90ct did look great on me! I might be able to swing it if I offer to pay for the difference... it's a lovely problem to have! I showed my mum the photos of the 0.80 expecting her to hate it but she thought it looked wonderful on me.

I agree. 0.90 would look even sweeter....I know it will....lol!! We haven’t seen 0.90....I’d love to see the comparison. Usually, the size difference isn’t noticeable until you hit the 0.20ct mark, but you have tiny fingers; I’m sure it’s noticeable at 0.10.

 

[yssie]

1. The uses of bluetac are many and varied
2. The larger size looks beautiful on you and is a substantial change! I must say your original set is gorgeous too, though - you wear these styles and stones beautifully
3. Size 2.25 you say? That’s the same size as my littlest finger on a low-salt day - colour me green

 

[Happytobemrsg]

1. The uses of bluetac are many and varied
2. The larger size looks beautiful on you and is a substantial change! I must say your original set is gorgeous too, though - you wear these styles and stones beautifully
3. Size 2.25 you say? That’s the same size as my littlest finger on a low-salt day - colour me green

You're so kind!! I've grown up hating my skinny fingers (boys would comment in school) though DH thinks they are great- he saves lots of money on diamonds!!

I do love my original set which is why we want to keep the original style as much as possible. Right now the claws are stumpy from us having to lower the stone & are set in an awkward rectangular shape. The platinum is wearing away at the bottom & the diamond is not of the best quality (read: I want a bigger diamond)

 

[AprilBaby]

I’ve never seen 2.5 fingers! My chubby 8 is jealous! Go for the .90! Even the .80 looks like 2 CT’s on you!

 

[Dancing Fire]

This is us doing something very scientific- we stuck a 0.80ct diamond on top of my current set with blutac!

What do you think of the finger coverage on me?

Looks good to me!...Go for it!

 

[Happytobemrsg]

Good to see no-one thinks 0.80ct is too small on me. When I'm next at my jeweller I will ask him to bluetac 0.90 & 1ct so we can compare. I don't want diamond shrinkage to set in as DH said this would be my one & only upgrade!

 

[IssyBelle]

The 0.80 size looks amazing & highlights your beautiful wedding ring but if I were you I’d be (very) tempted by a 1 carat

 

[Dancing Fire]

Good to see no-one thinks 0.80ct is too small on me. When I'm next at my jeweller I will ask him to bluetac 0.90 & 1ct so we can compare. I don't want diamond shrinkage to set in as DH said this would be my one & only upgrade!

Check the diameter on the 1ct. A well cut 1ct stone should measure about 6.45-6.50mm in diameter.

 

[foxinsox]

Make sure you maximise your budget by getting a diamond that’s as well cut as possible - great light return should help it look as big as possible. There’s a set of parameters a lot of people here use to get well cut stones - make sure your jeweller is showing you stones which are inside these:
depth - 60 - 62% - some allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees (hopefully I found the most up to date set)
The other thing is to run the diamond’s angles and details through the HCA calculator at the bottom of the page. It’s a broad rejection tool - a score <2 means the stone is worth further investigation and over 2 usually means it has problems with the proportions that won’t have as good a light return as it could have.
What colour/clarity are you getting for £7k? Is your current jeweller taking your existing diamond as a trade in?

 

[Happytobemrsg]

Make sure you maximise your budget by getting a diamond that’s as well cut as possible - great light return should help it look as big as possible. There’s a set of parameters a lot of people here use to get well cut stones - make sure your jeweller is showing you stones which are inside these:
depth - 60 - 62% - some allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees (hopefully I found the most up to date set)
The other thing is to run the diamond’s angles and details through the HCA calculator at the bottom of the page. It’s a broad rejection tool - a score <2 means the stone is worth further investigation and over 2 usually means it has problems with the proportions that won’t have as good a light return as it could have.
What colour/clarity are you getting for £7k? Is your current jeweller taking your existing diamond as a trade in?

Thank you for all of that information. We were just playing around when we went in last time but when it comes to us finalising designs & the diamond I will refer back to this. No i will be keeping my current engagement ring. I think I might make a pendant with the centre diamond one day

 

[LittleRed]

Make sure you maximise your budget by getting a diamond that’s as well cut as possible - great light return should help it look as big as possible. There’s a set of parameters a lot of people here use to get well cut stones - make sure your jeweller is showing you stones which are inside these:
depth - 60 - 62% - some allow up to 62.4%
table - 54- 57%
crown angle - 34- 35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6- 41 degrees (hopefully I found the most up to date set)
The other thing is to run the diamond’s angles and details through the HCA calculator at the bottom of the page. It’s a broad rejection tool - a score <2 means the stone is worth further investigation and over 2 usually means it has problems with the proportions that won’t have as good a light return as it could have.
What colour/clarity are you getting for £7k? Is your current jeweller taking your existing diamond as a trade in?

I hadn’t come across this information before. This is quite helpful. Is this true for stud earrings as well or mostly just e-ring diamonds?

 

[LittleRed]

I think the .8 looks great on you. It will be good to see pics of the .9 and 1.0 too for comparison.

 

[sledge]

I can Photoshop a larger diamond on there if you'd like. Actually I use GIMP, a free version of Photoshop.

In the interim, this is cool site that is good for size comparisons:

https://www.diamdb.com/compare/0.8ct-round-vs-1.0ct-round/

Here I've compared a 0.80ct to a 1.00ct on a size 3 finger (sorry, they didn't go down to 2.5). You can see there is a little bit of a difference, but I don't think a 1ct would be too large if your budget allows.

FYI, although we always talk carat weight on these forums, it's worth stating that sometimes a stone with less carat weight measures out bigger than a stone with more carat weight. I encountered this when I bought for my girl. The 0.867ct I bought her was slightly bigger than a 0.90ct that was the main competition.

With the site I referenced, you can put in ACTUAL dimensions of stones as well, which makes it more accurate. On the screen caps below, I've just let the site use average sizes for the carat weights.

 

[Rivendell]

I live in the U.K. too If you are never going to upgrade agin I'd go for the best cut, colour, clarity and size you can afford You quickly get used to a larger stone

 

[foxinsox]

I hadn’t come across this information before. This is quite helpful. Is this true for stud earrings as well or mostly just e-ring diamonds?

I’m not sure - the cheat sheet parameters is often referenced and I hope I got the most up to date version! I think earrings you may be slightly more relaxed with since they’re not usually looked at as closely as a ring is but of course these should help you ensure you get a bright sparkly stone regardless of how you want to set it

 

[Happytobemrsg]

I can Photoshop a larger diamond on there if you'd like. Actually I use GIMP, a free version of Photoshop.

In the interim, this is cool site that is good for size comparisons:

https://www.diamdb.com/compare/0.8ct-round-vs-1.0ct-round/

Here I've compared a 0.80ct to a 1.00ct on a size 3 finger (sorry, they didn't go down to 2.5). You can see there is a little bit of a difference, but I don't think a 1ct would be too large if your budget allows.

FYI, although we always talk carat weight on these forums, it's worth stating that sometimes a stone with less carat weight measures out bigger than a stone with more carat weight. I encountered this when I bought for my girl. The 0.867ct I bought her was slightly bigger than a 0.90ct that was the main competition.

With the site I referenced, you can put in ACTUAL dimensions of stones as well, which makes it more accurate. On the screen caps below, I've just let the site use average sizes for the carat weights.

I've looked at that website! The 1ct definitely seems a lot bigger than 0.80ct, in person too. Seems silly to be on Prices ops considering less than 1ct - everyone seems to have MUCH larger diamonds here! If you could use photoshop to show 0.90 & 1ct that would be so helpful. The last photo is probably less fuzzy!

 

[Happytobemrsg]

I live in the U.K. too If you are never going to upgrade agin I'd go for the best cut, colour, clarity and size you can afford You quickly get used to a larger stone

I'm starting to think this too...

 

[chanieish]

First of all, so jelly of your beautiful slender fingers! That 0.7 ct looks amazing on you.

I agree with the other posters that perhaps trying on a 0.9/0.95/1ct might be nice. I think it will be perfect on your finger. That size would have the diamond really stand out without being over the top!

Congratulations on the upgrade!

 

[Happytobemrsg]

This really helps me see the jump I'll be making!

 

[giamari23]

This really helps me see the jump I'll be making!

I love your setting such a refined look. I think the proportion to your finger size is a great bump and it still looks substantial within the scope of your setting. One thing I’ll say is I didn’t realize how attached I was to my setting. You think you can always upgrade and you can but your emotional attachment is another investment that you don’t realizes grows at a different rate than your ability to buy in these situations.

For yourself, go big if that’s what you want. It will look beautiful. And also I recently really experienced what a difference an excellent cut can make. It’s unreal.

 

[LightBright]

I agree. 0.90 would look even sweeter....I know it will....lol!! We haven’t seen 0.90....I’d love to see the comparison. Usually, the size difference isn’t noticeable until you hit the 0.20ct mark, but you have tiny fingers; I’m sure it’s noticeable at 0.10.

Hi, what a nice dilemma to have. First, the .80 looks fabulous on your hand and with your current setting. But if you are considering going bigger, I think .90-1.00 is a satisfying forever size for a lot of people. If you buy a .90-.99 carat stone you can realize a substantial price savings per carat and get the same substantial “look” as a one carat. (Along the same lines, you can also get a carat size .84-.89 and get a stone that looks like a .90, at a cost savings.)

In my own experience, the diameter size increase between .80 and .88, .94 and 1.0 is noticeable. I recently bought a .94 carat superideal CBI. I have a size 5.25 ring finger. Comparing its diameter size (6.33mm) to my .79 carat (5.9mm) 60/60 diamond, the size is noticeably bigger. My original .88 diamond (6.1mm) seemed -slightly- too small for me. When I compared the .94 to 1.0 carat (6.5mm) there was a noticeable difference to me. But I still liked the 6.33mm size and think it looks substantial. The fact that it is a superideal gives it edge to edge brightness and flash that makes it look big and gorgeous to me.

My advice is to get the diamond with the best cut you can find, and if you can, please consider a superideal. My superideal is so different and superior to any other MRB I’ve seen. Be sure to compare diameter sizes between .80-.99 carat and get the prettiest one, the one that speaks to you. Your setting is beautiful. I personally would keep it for sentimental reasons (like the previous poster says) and put the money into a bigger stone. . Good luck!

 

[OoohShiny]

Ok, so £7k budget.

Assuming £1k for the new ring and 20% VAT on importing a stone, that would give £5k to buy something from overseas if you wanted to purchase from the PS-recommended vendors, which at current exchange rates is about $6500.

Also being in the UK I know that we tend to see higher colours in the shops (nothing really below an I). Do you have a preference for colour?

An H should look perfectly white from all angles, although an I would still look very white face-up if cut well but be likely to have some slight tint from the side.


To throw in some in-house stones from the PS Search Engine...

https://www.pricescope.com/diamonds...1&pageview=24&adv=false&days=100&cert_number=

1.091ct I VS1 WF ACA:
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4007475.htm?source=pricescope

1.05ct H VS1 B2C 'Perfection'
https://www.b2cjewels.com/dd/11452188/round-diamond-H-color-VS1-Clarity?sku=11452188
I am seriously impressed with the symmetry on this one, plus the high crown and small table and short (75%) Lower Girdle Facets should make it very, very 'fire-y'! This stands out to me as potentially being amazing!

1.002ct G VS2 WF ACA
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3488744.htm?source=pricescope

0.90ct F VS2 WF ACA
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3997343.htm?source=pricescope
I'm a clarity-freak so the inclusion under the table would probably bug me but it is an F!

 

[OoohShiny]

One from CBI/HPD

0.93ct H VS1 (looks to be on Hold but that doesn't mean it's sold, just currently being considered by someone!)
https://www.hpdiamonds.com/en-us/diamonddetail/HPD8250


And some from the Virtual Inventory list, which your jeweller should be easily able to call in (if you do not want to purchase the superideals above directly and/or he does not want to set an outside stone he hasn't directly sourced!):


1.000ct I VS2 JA True Hearts
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...color-vs2-clarity-true-hearts-cut-sku-2430871
Inclusions are small and scattered and barely visible in the video - which IMHO is better than having one large one under the table!

1.03ct H VS2 on WF
https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3836491.htm?source=pricescope
Long (80%) LGFs are very different to the ones on the B2C stone mentioned earlier - see which you prefer!

1.04ct H VS2 on B2C
https://www.b2cjewels.com/dd/11276532/round-diamond-H-color-VS2-Clarity?sku=11276532
No images so hard to tell how the table inclusion looks.