Sentimental Value of original stone?

[Jelly]

Question to the ladies who have upgraded...

What did you do with your original engagement diamond?

Did you use it towards the price of the upgrade?

Did you keep it for sentimental value?

Any regrets? Comments?

Thanks!
Jelly

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I just cannot trade my original stone in. I think it would hurt my husband''s feelings. I probably will set it in a pendant and save it for my daughter.

 

[Dee Jay]

I just traded in my original center stone at Christmas for my upgrade. For a fleeting second I considered having it set in a pendant, but I knew that I would wear it about once a year (and only then because I would feel like I SHOULD since I had it). If I had an infinite amount of $ to spend on jewelry I guess I would have kept it, but it paid for about 25% of my upgrade, so trade it in I did!

 

[AndyRosse]

I''ll be honest, I''m not that sentimental about my diamond...however, having said that, I would prefer to be able to keep it if I ever do upgrade. And my fiance has already said that he would not want me to trade in my diamond at all. So it looks like if I ever upgrade, it will not include trading in my diamond

.

Also, I should note, that this is actually my third diamond. The first one was chipped by the bench person setting it, and the second one was returned when an appraisal of my e-ring showed that the setting was barely holding my stone (long story). So I guess that affects how I see my current diamond. If I still had the "original" diamond, I think I would be very sentimental about trading it in.

 

[autumngems]

I have my origiranl E ring put away for my daughter which I will give to her on her 16th birthday.

 

[devientdrow]

I think it depends on a few things. One, your original situation. My original diamond was not good at all. It was poorly cut, low in color and clarity and very included as well as small, .25ct. It was what my now hubby could afford on a part time wage. He didn''t know anything about diamonds or really even think about how important an engagement ring is for someone. In getting the upgrade I actually feel like it''s my real diamond. My hubby was involved in the researching and purchasing process and he was sooo very proud of the end result. I feel like it''s my real diamond. Since it''s in the original setting which was always very nice I don''t really feel anything about it except happy for my new diamond! I had my original diamond in my jewelry box and I ended up coming across a VERY moderatly priced white gold antique style .20ct setting. I bought that and had my original diamond set into it and wear it as a RHR and I will admit it''s somewhat nice in a sweet sentimental way to be able to wear it. However, there are quite a few people on here who get very good quality diamonds from the start but just want to go bigger or even higher in quality. They may have a harder time of it considering that thier original has nothing wrong with it.

Two, your financial situation and how badly you want something. If you have a lot of cash you can go out and buy a larger diamond later if it''s what you have your heart set on and have something else done with your original, but others HAVE to trade in to get larger. I can see where that would be hard, but I think if I truly had my heart set on larger and I couldn''t afford it without the trade in then i''d do it.


So are you thinking of upgrading?

 

[Momoftwo]

My original .46 poor cut, I color I1 stone (who knew in 1980?) has been reset into a three stone right hand ring with a pair of .15 stones from a pair of earrings. It''s only real value is sentimental so I wear the ring a few times a week and would never get rid of it. I did trade in my 1.06 ct solitaire, also not a great stone towards my new 1.98 ct, but it had no emotional attachment as I won it in a mall jewelry store drawing. As for the .46 ct stone, my DH bought what he could afford when we got engaged and none of us knew anything about diamonds other than we wanted one. A little knowledge can be financially dangerous.

 

[Mara]

I actually am not sentimental at all about my diamonds or rings, Greg was a bit sentimental with the first diamond but I got him over that by showing him his new small ACA next to my not so great cut original stone.

Now that we are over that hump, I know that each stone I have is just a ''stepping stone'' and it''s actually really fun to be able to try out and see various types of stones on my hand and in my ring for a year or two or 10 (next upgrade!).

I would actually LOVE to keep my existing 1.60 J stone for something like a big honkin'' pendant because it''s such a fabulous stone, I just adore it...but alas unless we win the lotto or something that ain''t happening!

So there are no real regrets at all...it would have been nice to keep my original stone for a pendant but it just wasn''t in the cards financially.

But if say it was year 10 or 15 and I was upgrading from the original diamond as many gals here have done, I would definitely recommend keeping the original stone for a pendant or a RHR if it''s financially possible, that would be such a great idea IMO!

 

[Catmom]

I kept my original diamond ring. It has much sentimental value as it was my husband''s grandmother''s stone. It is small, .30ct J VS-1, but is well cut. I do wear it occasionally as a RHR but intend to pass it on to one of my children when the time comes. It is my hope that this stone continues to be handed down in our family.

 

[lumpkin]

I traded my orginal, original diamond with no regrets at all. It was very small on my hand -- so small you couldn''t see it in our wedding photos of our hands (now that''s SMALL!). I regarded the quick upgrade as my actual original stone because it was upgraded within 6 months. Fudging a little, but, hey....

I did trade my second original stone in. It was actually a very nice diamond, but not nearly an ideal cut. Still, it was a nice H, VS1 or VS2 stone. I do actually regret trading it in. But on the other hand, I do not have daughters, and if I were getting engaged I KNOW I would not want my MIL''s diamond, so it went. I don''t have DEEP regret, just sort of a wistful regret. It definitely does not keep me up at night, though. My husband does not understand my love of diamonds. But my bridal jewelry is the only thing of sentimental, dollar, or any other value that is mine alone. Everything else I have to share. Or clean up after others (the house, the car, etc.). It became very important to me a few years ago. That has waned somewhat, but I still really get a lot of pleasure and enjoyment from my bridal jewelry.

 

[Patty]

I had no regrets trading in my original diamond. My first stone had an eye visible inclusion so we brought it back the next day. The new stone was eye clean but it was a deeper stone and slightly smaller and I never liked it or felt like it was "mine." I was glad to see it go.

I had a new wedding ring made in 1998 using my solitaire diamond and annivresary ring stones. The only regret that I have about that is that I wish I''d kept the solitaire setting. I loved the setting and it was the first ring my husband gave me. It never occured to me at the time to put a CZ in it which is what I now wish I had done.

 

[snlee]

My original diamond was a round, .58, G, I1, ideal cut. I didn''t have it long and when I bought it I knew that I wasn''t going to keep it forever. It didn''t have much sentimental value to us since we bought it knowing that we would trade it in when he was willing to pay more money.

Now, I am thinking about upgrading again. This is the diamond he proposed to me with so it does have a little sentimental value but IF I want that larger stone, keeping this one isn''t an option.

 

[Lynn B]

Well, my first diamond was an AGS-0 1.53 G/VS2. A gorgeous stone. When I was deciding about upgrading (to an AGS-0 2.36 J/SI2) I got myself all worked up and melancholy thinking, "Oh! How can I possibly get a new diamond???! Saying "yes" to a new stone will mean saying "goodbye" to the old one that I love so much..." Yadayadayada... Well, I am here to tell you that when I opened the box with the new diamond in it, and took my first look at it

, I turned to the old diamond and said, "BUH BYE!"

 

[Jelly]

Lynn, your post made me laugh!

I AM planning on an upgrade. We bought my new stone and it will be arriving tomorrow (for viewing) and I can''t wait to see it. I''ll probably start a thread once it gets here.

 

[Sundial]

I've done both. My first diamond (which I did not receive until we had been married for a year) was traded in on an upgrade. For my next upgrade I kept the old diamond and had it reset in a right hand ring.

 

[fisiogrl]

I was lucky in doing all the right research on my first ring - so I love it and it is a great stone. I WILL eventuallly have a bigger one, but since I didn''t blow the budget on my first stone (0.54 G Si2), I get to keep it as a right hand ring!

Also, the setting - which I love, wouldn''t tolerate a bigger stone, so it has to be a new setting too.

Actually, the trade in value would be negligable compared to my eventual new stone, so not worth the trouble! HAHAHA (Hope Hubbie doesn''t see this)

 

[Garysax]

Date: 1/20/2006 12:08:02 PM
Author: autumngems
I have my origiranl E ring put away for my daughter which I will give to her on her 16th birthday.

That''s a nice idea, especially if it was a more modest stone.

 

[marvel]

Date: 1/20/2006 12:08:02 PM
Author: autumngems
I have my origiranl E ring put away for my daughter which I will give to her on her 16th birthday.

That''s what I''m going to do with mine. I''m going to put it in a pendant for her. I didn''t want to get rid of it for sentimental reasons.

 

[cobrateach]

Kept my original stone and put it into a three stone ring before they ever became popular. Added a five stone band to go with it. Recently got the 1.61 solitaire for my right hand...and have now decided in two years to get a 2+. Will probably put the 1.61 into a pendant at that time and give my current .53 pendant to my daughter. I don''t get rid of the old....just add new.