Root of upgrade/changes - setting or stone?

[PierreBear]

Hey PSers,

After reading a thread on jewelry changes, I was curious for those who want to make a change/upgrade was it because of a desire for a different setting or was it more on the stone (size, color, or cut)? Thanks in advance for those who participate. Thought that this might help first-time buyers know where future issues might be and allocate their funds.

 

[AdaBeta27]

For me, the upgrade was prompted by the setting I'd planned on buying being discontinued. I would have had to find a good bench to recreate the look and make the mounting as a custom. This would have increased the cost of a setting by at least $2500 - $3000 beyond what I'd budgeted. My choices at that point were either pony up $3000 more toward the mounting, or put that extra $3000 into an upgrade to a larger diamond. The upgrade diamond seemed like a smarter and more prudent choice. I had it mounted in a used mounting I bought on ebay. Now, I've kind of hit the price point where any upgrade is going to involve a large amount of money because I found that as the diamond size increases, the more it increases the tint. I don't think I could upgrade to anything below F or G. I think my upgrading is done. The diamonds I own are large enough and nice enough.

Fwiw, there are also people on here who used to own large diamond(s), but downgraded to a smaller diamond, or sold their high-dollar H&A RB superideal and bought a much lower color and less expensive OEC diamond. There are some who started a family, or decided to buy a house, and then decided that they'd rather have the money than a diamond, and they sold their diamonds. Lots of women in my town wear only a plain gold wedding band. Sometimes people's lives take a different course and owning or upgrading diamond(s) becomes unimportant to them.

 

[momhappy]

Mine was motivated by setting.
Had I expressed interest in upgrading my stone too (to a larger size), I could have made that happen, but since I am (mostly) happy with my stone, I thought the money could be better spent (or saved) elsewhere.

 

[dk168]

For my right hand ring that I purchased for a significant birthday, I made a mistake by not getting involved with the ring setting design except to specify the EC diamond needed to be bezel-set and in platinum. No CAD or hand-drawn design, nothing.

The ring was beautifully made, and the EC diamond was bezel-set. However, I was never in love with the ring setting as the diamond was set too high, with a rectangular shank profile and the band was too narrow.

I had never worn it on its own, and had always paired it with a 2mm plain Titanium band.

The EC diamond has sentimental value and I do not wish to part with it, ever.

I did not change the ring setting for 10 years as I thought the old wedding bands formed part of the ring setting, therefore, had sentimental value; until I learned via PS that it was highly unlikely for any bench to melt down old settings to form new ones.

I eventually changed the ring setting in time for my next significant birthday, and the EC is now in its forever home, in an air line/gap diamond halo, with a comfort shank 4mm at the top.

It provides much better finger coverage, and I wear it as often as I can, just one ring on my right hand (I wear a much smaller EC in a plain band for work), and it always give me comfort, joy and pride.

No need to upgrade further as I now have the diamond ring I have always wanted.

DK

 

[missy]

My changes were motivated by finally realizing what diamond made my heart go pitter patter. The MRB my dh proposed with didn't do it but all I knew at the time was it was pretty but not a ring I was in love with and then my dh found PS for me (when I was looking at resetting) and the rest is history. It took time to realize what I wanted was an OEC and we spent (lost) lots of money to get to that final point but it was all worth it. I love Bea. Is she my final and forever? IDK because I realize never say never but I am pretty sure it will always be an OEC for my ER because that is my very favorite diamond. An OEC. Romantic and special.

 

[lyra]

My 25 year upgrade was based on size, but the setting part is still more relevant to me. It's 10 years later, and I'm still looking at different settings and thinking about how they would look and feel. I almost never wear that ring because I feel the setting is delicate, and I am anything but, lol. I did have my original ER reset as well, and I've even bought a bigger than original, half the size of upgrade ring to fill the gap. But...I want to reset it. There you have it.