Spending most of the budget on the stone or on the setting?

[Kim N]

Most of the advice I see on this forum is to spend most of the budget on the stone and get a simple setting that can be changed later on. But how many people feel the opposite way--that a dream setting is more important now, and that the stone is the thing that can more easily be changed later on?

For myself, "the ring" is more about the whole package, so the setting to me is equally or even more important than the size of the stone.

 

[Lynn B]

I can understand your rationale. My friend has a very beautiful, very elaborate/ornate antique setting with a .50 size diamond in it. The diamond had to be far less $$$ than the setting. It''s a gorgeous ring, no question about it... and she never intends to upgrade. (Unlike MOI, she seems to be inherently immune to DSS)... so it works for her.

 

[widget]

For myself, ''the ring'' is more about the whole package, so the setting to me is equally or even more important than the size of the stone.

I''m sure you''re not alone. I met a woman with a gorgeous mounting with what turned out to be a CZ centerstone.

It''s all a matter of personal taste/priorities. Probably there are so many ''stone first'' folks here because this is a diamond site!

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[Jelly]

I always knew I wanted more than just a plain solitaire, so we got my dream setting first and started with a .55ct diamond. Yes, the setting was around 40% of the total cost of the ring, but I really loved the setting! Since we were working with WF, I knew they had a good upgrade policy.

Within several months, I upgraded it to my .948 stone. I love the size of my new stone and couldn''t be happier!

 

[jcrow]

for us it was spendng on the stone yet loving the setting. our intent is not to change/upgrade later.

 

[Houseparty]

Some if this depends on one''s need for an change.

You buy a $5,000 stone today, in 5 years you will likley get back what you paid, plus...

On a setting, it depreciates much more.

To me, the real estate anology makes sence. The diamond is like the land/location, and the setting is like the house. Personally, I''d rather invest in location and the center stone.

Now I''m a guy and I care little for settings, so...

David

 

[thunkpad]

Setting prices can vary enormously, even for similar designs, whereas diamond prices are relatively similar between vendors. After plenty of searching and help on here I managed to find a stunning setting at a decent quality but at a price that meant I could afford to spend more on the stone - though it still worked out around 60/40 diamond to setting, spend wise.

 

[E B]

Date: 3/22/2006 4:13:17 PM
Author:Kim N
Most of the advice I see on this forum is to spend most of the budget on the stone and get a simple setting that can be changed later on. But how many people feel the opposite way--that a dream setting is more important now, and that the stone is the thing that can more easily be changed later on?

For myself, ''the ring'' is more about the whole package, so the setting to me is equally or even more important than the size of the stone.

I absolutely agree...you''re not just wearing the stone, you''re wearing the ring. I much prefer gorgeous, unique settings to a slightly larger rock in a plain 4-prong.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

For me, it''s the whole ring that''s important. I don''t have any plans to change anything about my ring for probably the next 25 years, so the setting and stone had to be something I would love for many years to come.

 

[pebbles]

I''ll give my opinion anyway since I got my ring in stages. I had a certain budget, so I basically spent that on the diamond. Then when finances allowed, I bought the setting I wanted.

I know of many people that put a lot of money into their setting which is fine. However, for me, since I change my mind so frequently, it would not make sense for me to invest a lot in a setting.

 

[Stephan]

Is Kim N for Kim Ngoc?

 

[stermag]

Date: 3/22/2006 6:29:30 PM
Author: pebbles
I''ll give my opinion anyway since I got my ring in stages. I had a certain budget, so I basically spent that on the diamond. Then when finances allowed, I bought the setting I wanted.


I know of many people that put a lot of money into their setting which is fine. However, for me, since I change my mind so frequently, it would not make sense for me to invest a lot in a setting.

I think I felt similarly. I see the setting as a frame of sorts to display my diamond in. It reflects my current taste and preferences. Down the road, should that change substantially, I might be inclined to change the setting along with it. I highly doubt I''ll ever replace the stone. The process of finding it with my boyfriend was quite memorable... when it came time to decide on a setting I basically just went "uhm, this one".

 

[firebirdgold]

Same, it''s the whole package. A great setting won''t make an ugly diamond sparkle, and a great diamond won''t look as good in an awkward setting. IMHO, of course.
I''m hoping for a 60/40 budget spilt as well. And I''d rather go 50/50 than 70/30. But that''s partly because I just can''t find any settings I like for under $600 and I''m hard pressed to find ones I love for under $850.

 

[Mara]

i agree it's about the package deal, but some people know they will never upgrade the stone, whereas some people don't care about the stone but won't upgrade the setting. some will upgrade both, some will upgrade or change out neither.

so in reality it's just about preferences, but for me the stone makes the ring...i know it's not the same for everyone though!

our ring was 80 stone/20 setting when all was said and done. if i could go back and do it again, i'd probably have done 90 stone/10 setting and gotten a larger stone since they have gone up SO much since we bought in terms of price hikes!

 

[Odilia]

I agree about the whole package: for me it''s about the beauty of the overall ring, not just the stone. Alas, when I first got mine, I wound up not liking the setting, and switched to an inexpensive solitaire setting until I can find the right setting.

But I agree with those that said it really depends on taste, priorities etc... If you can find the ring of your dreams, by all means get it, even if you have to go smaller in stone size. If you know that you will never want to change setting or stone, then of course make sure you like the whole ring. If you can''t find your dream setting, then I''d put the money into the stone and get the dream setting later. It really just depends.

 

[jetmal]

I guess "never say never" comes to my mind......when I got my set 10 yrs ago, I was totally in love with it.....never ever thought I would want to change the stone, or the setting....BUT....

here I am 10 yrs later, and now I want something totally different! I switched from yellow gold, to platinum, round center to princess... and etc.....

so, I am a beleiver of, get what you love at the time, and see how things go over the years.
to me too, the whole package is whats important.....but to each his/her own I guess.

 

[W2W]

I am all about the stone. For me that this is what will remain timeless. I imagine that I can pass the stone down in my family and my grand relatives can do whatever they like with it. The stone we are looking at is an antique that was actually in a non-ring piece of jewelry. Maybe in 100 years there will be engagement pendants

Anyway, over time I think that setting styles change and putting more into the stone has allowed me to be happier with the size. When we get closer to the wedding and have wedding money saved, we will look at a dream setting and bands together. If not affordable, we can wait for an anniversary.

 

[TheDoctor]

Date: 3/22/2006 8:14:17 PM
Author: miumi
I am all about the stone. For me that this is what will remain timeless. I imagine that I can pass the stone down in my family and my grand relatives can do whatever they like with it. The stone we are looking at is an antique that was actually in a non-ring piece of jewelry. Maybe in 100 years there will be engagement pendants

Anyway, over time I think that setting styles change and putting more into the stone has allowed me to be happier with the size. When we get closer to the wedding and have wedding money saved, we will look at a dream setting and bands together. If not affordable, we can wait for an anniversary.

Now, keep in mind that the setting is what keeps your precious diamond in your possession.
I can''t stress enough how important it is to choose a setting that has enough stability to keep the diamond secure for enough years that you will have a choice down the road for re-mounting it. Choose noble materials, not the mass-produced 14 karat white gold die-struck mountings that are inexpensive and prone to breakage. Don''t risk this precious heirloom trying to save a few bucks while making it wearable.
Also, "stone setters" are a dime a dozen. Find one that has a perfect track record.

 

[dani13]

Lucky for my FI, my taste is classic and simple- I actually wanted a solitaire setting...so I told him to pour all of the money into the center stone- buy me the BIGGEST and BEST one he could find for his $$$ he had!!! For me, it was all ABOUT THE ROCK! To each is own...

 

[Rhapsody]

I''m a whole package girl myself. My ring budget ended up being 50/50 diamond/setting. Ideally I would have wanted a bigger stone, but I wasn''t willing to compromise the setting I wanted for it.

I realized how much the setting meant to me when we had car problems and half our ring budget got blown, so I could afford either the diamond in a plain solitaire or the setting with a CZ. Logically, buying the diamond first made more sense since as Mara mentioned the prices were increasing more rapidly for diamonds than for the metal but I decided I would rather have the setting now and get the diamond later. I would rather have a ring and get the look I wanted than just have a diamond.

 

[W2W]

Date: 3/22/2006 8:54:34 PM
Author: TheDoctor

Date: 3/22/2006 8:14:17 PM
Author: miumi
I am all about the stone. For me that this is what will remain timeless. I imagine that I can pass the stone down in my family and my grand relatives can do whatever they like with it. The stone we are looking at is an antique that was actually in a non-ring piece of jewelry. Maybe in 100 years there will be engagement pendants

Anyway, over time I think that setting styles change and putting more into the stone has allowed me to be happier with the size. When we get closer to the wedding and have wedding money saved, we will look at a dream setting and bands together. If not affordable, we can wait for an anniversary.

Now, keep in mind that the setting is what keeps your precious diamond in your possession.
I can't stress enough how important it is to choose a setting that has enough stability to keep the diamond secure for enough years that you will have a choice down the road for re-mounting it. Choose noble materials, not the mass-produced 14 karat white gold die-struck mountings that are inexpensive and prone to breakage. Don't risk this precious heirloom trying to save a few bucks while making it wearable.
Also, 'stone setters' are a dime a dozen. Find one that has a perfect track record.

Good advice. Of course a cheap flimsy setting is a bad idea. But if you saw the setting I want, you'd understand why we have to wait

 

[Diachi]

Date: 3/22/2006 6:41:48 PM
Author: Mara
so in reality it's just about preferences, but for me the stone makes the ring...i know it's not the same for everyone though!

our ring was 80 stone/20 setting when all was said and done. if i could go back and do it again, i'd probably have done 90 stone/10 setting and gotten a larger stone since they have gone up SO much since we bought in terms of price hikes!

I totally agree Mara! We decided to put most of our $$$ into the stone and get a nice, secure, "temporary" setting to upgrade with wedding money (D. Vatche X-prong). I also wanted to wear the stone and see what it told me it would like to set in before spending a ton on $$$ on it.

10 months later, it has "spoken" to me and we are figuring out a new setting-in the end, we will spend about 60-40 on the stone/setting because there is NO way I could ask for a stone upgrade already, LOL

 

[firebirdgold]

Well after having read everyones opinions, I think I''m going to have to backtrack on mine.

If my bf promised to upgrade the setting for our first anniversary, I think I would prefer to go for the larger bigger diamond. Since I don''t believe in upgrading the diamond.

 

[lumpkin]

Well, I got a beautiful setting that I absolutely love. But I found that for me, keeping all the diamonds in the setting clean and being able to "live in" my ring was not very practical. I really want to live in my ring, so in the end, getting a diamond I love and putting it in a simple solitaire setting worked best. That was, of course, after spending an inordinate amount on a setting that now has a CZ in it and that I only wear on special occasions. (When I think of how much more diamond I could have gotten it kind of makes me sick, but it might have gone the other way as well. Live and learn, I guess.) I''m just not the kind of person to take my ring off to sleep, or fix a snack for my kids, or do ordinary things. Now, I don''t clean my bathroom with my ring on, but I don''t take it off and leave it in my jewelry box when I''m at home, either. Lifestyle probably plays as much a part in the decision for some people as personal preference.

 

[Kim N]

It''s so interesting to read everyone''s opinion on the subject. I haven''t thought too much about what my setting tastes will be ten years down the line, but I''m hoping my setting will hold up to those tastes. (thinking of jetmal''s comment

)

 

[Kim N]

Date: 3/22/2006 6:31:46 PM
Author: QueenMum
Is Kim N for Kim Ngoc?

Stephan, no, but that''s such a pretty VN name.

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/22/2006 7:41:25 PM
Author: jetmal
I guess ''never say never'' comes to my mind......when I got my set 10 yrs ago, I was totally in love with it.....never ever thought I would want to change the stone, or the setting....BUT....

here I am 10 yrs later, and now I want something totally different! I switched from yellow gold, to platinum, round center to princess... and etc.....

so, I am a beleiver of, get what you love at the time, and see how things go over the years.
to me too, the whole package is whats important.....but to each his/her own I guess.

On this, I am with you, jetmal...As most of you know, it took some doing to get DH to concede to even considering a new diamond, let alone a new setting.

With my original e-ring, it was not huge but extremely special because it was THE diamond he proposed with. When that became history thanks to little hands taking it and losing it, I got a princess cut in a baguette setting in YG that was bar set and simple. It worked for me, until I tried to move up to an upgrade and found out that the stone was not worth as much in $ as I had hoped...

...Thanks to PS, I got informed, educated and tutored. I also discovered that there is WAY too many choices for settings for diamonds. I went for a simple, yet elegant setting that is really nice for right now, but in all frankness, is not my "dream setting." I am beginning to think I do not know what my dream setting is...

...and that concerns me.

I always knew from the start with getting my current center stone, a more squarish cushion, that this stone was a step towards the one I plan to get. Do I love its sparkle? Oh yes...Do I feel emotionally attached to it? Yes...and no. It is very symbolic of the love my husband and I share at this time, but its not THE love...so no on that. As the years go on and we, as a couple grow and our love grows and changes, so will my desire to have something to represent that. I already planned on an upgrade when I bought my pet rock and everything is cool.

The setting might or might not change...I don''t know...but that''s part of the journey and that''s ok, too.

The princess cut ring never "had" me emotionally. This ring and stone has more of a hold on me than that ever did and with us renewing our vows and him putting it on my finger...I know this sounds so cheesy...but it was SO amazing! I am totally getting emotional just typing this! Sorry...

Anywho...that''s my take on this...

 

[roxy7]

Well, I''ll preface this by saying that every person should get what they want....of course.

I am in an odd situation. My bf inherited an old mine cut stone that he wanted to give to me. So from the very beginning, I only looked at settings because I knew that was the only thing he was going to buy and my only real choice in the matter. So I ended up getting an expensive setting (not tacori-expensive, but still a few grand).

Truth be told, though, if he hadn''t inherited a stone, I have a very strong feeling that our budget would have been 90% on the stone and 10% on the setting. Settings just don''t hold their value in the ways that stones do in the long term, so I see the stone as a better long term investment in case, God forbid, we wind up broke or in a very bad situation in which I would have to sell my jewelry to stay in our house (also, my grandma was a Holocaust refugee, so I really appreciate the value of a diamond and sometimes contemplate that people traded their family diamonds to save their lives in war situations - I know, how weird am I? I''ve actually thought about having to hide a diamond in my shoe before!).

However, someone told me on PS before that this time in your life, engagement and pre-wedding period, is your "cinderella" time and when YOU should do what YOU really in your heart want to do. So think really hard about what you really want, decide, and then you''ll always be happy.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 3/22/2006 9:23:02 PM
Author: miumi

Date: 3/22/2006 8:54:34 PM
Author: TheDoctor

Good advice. Of course a cheap flimsy setting is a bad idea. But if you saw the setting I want, you''d understand why we have to wait

i go for "cheap" settings.all my wife''s rings are in cheap 14k setting except her 5 stone from WF which is in plat.she has never had a bent prong or a lose stone.i often see post here on PS, were those 5-6k settings with small stones popping out left and right. i don''t understand it