Should I upgrade my 1.21 carat to a lower color and clarity 1.6 Carat?

[BostonBling1]

Hello,
A few years ago my husband bought me a beautiful GIA xxx 1.21 H VS1 diamond. Though it is beautiful and very sparkly it looks a bit small on my hand. I should add that it is currently in a simple solitaire setting.
My mother is upgrading her diamond and has offered to give me her diamond and trade in mine so that I can have the bigger stone. Her diamond is a 1.63 GIA Very Good Cut diamond that is a G SI2. I just ran the numbers and the HCA score is a 5.5. Is it worth it to get a bigger less sparkly stone or should I just keep mine and wait until I can trade up, or add a halo. Thank you!!!

Here are the stats
Carat 1.63
Color G
Clarity SI2
Depth 63.1
Table 58
Crown Angle 36
Pavilion Angle 41.2

 

[foxinsox]

I would not go from a sparkly (presumably well cut) smaller stone to a less sparkly bigger one - since the point of diamonds is to sparkle and reflect light, going for a poorer light return doesn't make sense to me. I'd halo your current one for now and wait for a trade up.

 

[Alexiszoe]

I would say it depends - having seen your ring and your mom's in real life, side by side - how do you feel about it? Is there a visible difference (size, brilliance etc), and does it appeal to you enough to want it? If it is, go ahead. If not, I would suggest waiting to trade up later.

The HCA is a weeding tool to help narrow down online diamonds, sight unseen so that those that are considered good are called in for the buyer to see IRL and determine if they love it. However, there have been cases where a PSer's stone fall outside of HCA parameters (We had a thread that discussed this recently) and perform beautifully. Being able to see it in real life helps a great deal. See how both diamonds perform in various lighting conditions - daylight, in the office, etc etc - and make your decision then.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would not trade for her stone. I'd wait until you can upgrade to another triple excellent within ideal specs.

 

[jadesilver]

I always feel it really depends on your personal preference. People will tell you to save up and wait to upgrade in an unpredictable 5-10 years, but it’s a free stone right now with the cost of setting (I was quoted less than $200 for replacing a stone in a simple solitaire setting, same band but with different head, costs may be different for you).

I think ultimately what matters is you borrowing her ring, wearing it on the same hand with the other ring for a few days and comparing both diamonds in different lighting, at the store, in the car, in shaded daylight. If you do want a size upgrade, will it matter to you that the bigger one sparkles less in some environments?

It would be a no-brainer for me if I liked the look of the stone in person, given that I am also looking to upgrade. Diamonds are always pretty in their own way (just my opinion on most diamonds), so it’s really up to you to decide how you feel in person about the new diamond vs. the smaller but sparklier one you have. Maybe the bigger diamond is truly much worse in stats on paper. Maybe you’ll like it a lot in person after spending time with it, partly because it’s bigger which has been bothering you. Who knows until you try it!

Another thing to be careful with is to make sure that the new diamond from your mom doesn’t have a lower trade-in value than your current diamond, which might cause you to lose out if you decide to upgrade in future.

 

[swingirl]

Maybe it'd be possible to have your mother's stone recut to improve the cut (and lose a little weight). Would you consider spending a little money and ending up with a smaller better cut stone.

 

[EvaEvans]

Keep your stone. It's the better one.

 

[doberman]

If you're asking this question it means you have reservations. In that case I'd stick with what you have and upgrade in the future.

 

[nala]

I don’t think the bigger size will compensate for the less sparkle. Bc it’s really not that much of a visual difference to me.

 

[cflutist]

I am from the delayed gratification camp and would keep which you currently have and save up for a larger superideal in the future.

 

[lambskin]

No.

 

[metall]

As DSS sinks in (ARGH!!) I understand the want to immediately go bigger, but for me if I'm trading quality for quantity the answer is always no.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I wouldn't do it!. Her stone is cut too deep,plus your well cut H VS1 is a nice combo. I'll take your stone over your mom's any day of the week.

 

[doberman]

I am from the delayed gratification camp.

I'm one of those campers lol. It's a good idea to take your time, save up and really think about what you want. When it's affordable, check out HP Diamonds/Crafted by Infinity or WF a cut above. The best is worth waiting for.

 

[valeria101]

.
Perhaps the stone looks better than the HCA implies ? Can you compare the two politely ?

___
Noticing: The HCA says that the proportions fall within the GIA 'Excellent' range, so I am asuming that the finish grades are responsible for the GIA 'Very Good' classification ... and I would not expect the 'Polish' and 'Symmetry' in GIA acception of the terms, to make much of a difference - certainly not between 'Very Good' and 'Excellent'.