Upgrading when diamond prices have gone up so much

[milton333]

This is not an attempt to solicit offers to buy my current diamond ring, to be clear. I am aware of the preloved forum. Mostly, I am looking for opinions about my next upgrade.

My original e-ring was purchased when DH and I were 19, it's a mall stone, nothing spectacular, but I've kept it for the sentimental value. A little more than 4 years ago, I bought myself an upgraded diamond ring that I wear with my wedding band.

I bought a .82 ct H SI1 (eye clean) ACA AGS 000 RB. I'm feeling the itch, and have been looking, but diamond prices are so high.

I'd have to spend almost triple what I paid for my .82 to get just a hair over 1 ct in a super-ideal RB with similar stats, which is just not worth it for me. I'm interested in more like 1.2-1.3.

Also, and more pointedly - while there's a great upgrade policy available, it's dollar-for-dollar what I paid for the stone, not the current market value (which is 50% more than what I paid).

I love my ACA, but have been looking at antique cuts (including cushions), which have their own personalities. I can get a larger stone with a bigger ct number (even if it's not as spready as a super-ideal RB with the same ct weight would be, and have to admit that I'd like to be able to say that it's a 1.5 ct ) for less than just going to a 1 ct.

What have been others' experiences in selling diamonds (set or unset)? How much does the market tend to discount a "used" diamond? I don't think a .82 H SI1 is likely to be a dream to consign, so I'd be selling it myself. If I can't get much more for it than I would for an upgrade with the vendor, then I'll probably just wait and continue saving. Thoughts?

 

[susimoo]

Milton

I am no expert but I will tell you my own predicament and what I would do in your situation.

I would seriously think about consigning your diamond. I am not in the USA so I don't know all your options. I did just that with Jonathan at GOG. I sold a less than stellar 1ct and used it to buy my new stone. It took almost a year but it was more than worth it because unusually I did not lose a penny in the transaction because of the number of years I had had the stone and the subsequent price increases.

That way you will have as close to current market value as you can get and put it towards the purchase of a bigger carat weight. If GOG knows that you are using the proceeds of your consignment toward a purchase I am sure it would help in setting the consignment fee.



I too would love (in the future) to upgrade. However to get to the next stage I want to be at (+ 2ct's) I would have to pay more than double what i paid for my 1.7RB. To gain, what maybe 0.4mm.

So my options are either consign or stay put for now. I only got the stone 9 months ago so I am going to keep this for quite a while and will soon have it set in my dream "just now" setting. (I have learned that for me there is no such thing as forever so I will enjoy each reincarnation as it comes )

Good luck and please let us know what you decide!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think consignment is a great idea, and I also think you could easily sell an ACA yourself listing on DB and the Pre-loved forum. I think with more expensive items like that, it would be wise to send the stone to someone like Neil Beaty and have him verify that it is in original condition and let him handle the receipt of money and then transfer of the stone. That would protect both you and the seller. Anyone who bought before 2011 can probably do better selling than trading in. Even if you sell at 65-70% of current prices, you'll still get more than you would with a trade. H SI1 is a highly favored combination around here, so I think it would sell.

 

[zephyr]

This is a great question. I bought mine in 2008 and I am trading mine in at GOG. I am checking the prices for my stones and they have gone up ~ 30%.

In my case, I bought 3 diamonds. All G VVS. (price 9-11k, carat weight range 1 to 1.24). If I were to go buy the same diamonds now, I think they'd be at 12k+. (I checked prices at Blue Nile).

Maybe I should ask J to give me better prices for my trades.

 

[Gypsy]

I'd consign. Good Old Gold would be a good vendor for consigning an ACA.

 

[tenyearanniversary]

You can contact Perry Chen at Leon Mege also. He sold my RB for me for twice what I bought it at-- to a diamond cutter. (Of course we bought it ten years ago). I didn't have to consign either....the whole thing happened very quickly.

 

[Maisie]

Have you considered changing your setting? If you add a halo to your diamond it would look substantially bigger, but for a lot less money.

Check out this thread for lots of examples of before and afters.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/solitaire-to-halo-before-and-afters.130309/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/solitaire-to-halo-before-and-afters.130309/[/URL]

Here is my 1ct before and after halo.

 

[peachy4397]

Thank you for starting this thread. I don't have much insight to offer but have been wondering the same thing. My fiance bought my e-ring July 2011, and my worry is that I would need to spend a fortune to go up even a little in size (if I ever decide to upgrade).

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This is a great question. I bought mine in 2008 and I am trading mine in at GOG. I am checking the prices for my stones and they have gone up ~ 30%.

In my case, I bought 3 diamonds. All G VVS. (price 9-11k, carat weight range 1 to 1.24). If I were to go buy the same diamonds now, I think they'd be at 12k+. (I checked prices at Blue Nile).

Maybe I should ask J to give me better prices for my trades.

He will consign them for you at a reasonable commission. You may or may not gain much from consigning, though, if they are only 30% more.

 

[vintagelover229]

I'm not sure what your upgrade budget is but I saw this just listed and if you sold your ideal RB I'm sure you could get a good part to go towards this beauty!

http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/25653/Beautiful-157-J-SI2-diamond.html

 

[zephyr]

I am going to work with GOG on this and see what can be done.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I would sell your diamond and then start over on the secondary market, with a new or old cut.

I sold my diamond to a vendor, he paid a little more than what I paid to buy it 16 months previously. In retrospect, I wish that I had consigned it, because the stone sold quickly and also because the vendor discovered it was a higher color than the lab report said (I not J) and so the vendor regraded it and made the profit from that change, not I.

But basically, sell it yourself. You can likely get *today's* wholesale value, which is some percentage of retail that I cannot glean.

 

[ninitan]

Have you considered changing your setting? If you add a halo to your diamond it would look substantially bigger, but for a lot less money.

Check out this thread for lots of examples of before and afters.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/solitaire-to-halo-before-and-afters.130309/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/solitaire-to-halo-before-and-afters.130309/[/URL]

Here is my 1ct before and after halo.
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REALLY nice! I have a newbie question, would a diamind lose some brilliance and fire when setting in a halo?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Have you considered changing your setting? If you add a halo to your diamond it would look substantially bigger, but for a lot less money.

Check out this thread for lots of examples of before and afters.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/solitaire-to-halo-before-and-afters.130309/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/solitaire-to-halo-before-and-afters.130309/[/URL]

Here is my 1ct before and after halo.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


REALLY nice! I have a newbie question, would a diamind lose some brilliance and fire when setting in a halo?

Technically, no. Assuming it is well cut. But some diamonds do change appearance a little when bezeled, particularly if they are not ideal cuts. OECs for example migh do better in a more open mount, depending on their cut, as they tend to have some leakage under the table and/or other cut "issues".

That said you can prong set a diamond in a halo and it will deal with some of the downsides.

 

[Maisie]

My diamond was an Expert Selection stone from Whiteflash. I had it prong set into my halo and it sparkled a lot

 

[missjuliajoy]

Your diamond is exactly what I'm looking for! If you do decide to sell it I hope you post more details on here

 

[milton333]

Thanks, everyone. I'm undecided about what I'll do. I'm not totally in love with the halo look, but upgrading from a solitaire setting would obviously give me more ring presence without a major financial investment.

Just a few of the settings I had scoped out, if I were to go the route of changing the setting:

http://singlestone.com/images/catalog/zoom/NLR11153.jpg
http://singlestone.com/images/catalog/zoom/NLR101133.jpg
http://singlestone.com/images/catalog/zoom/NLR0710810.jpg
http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/JbEGSignatureSettingsandSpecia/Antique-Reproductions/The-Fiona-Special-Order/20110460_RJn4f6#1587021256_kpqsCDK
http://www.faycullen.com/Settings/Platinum-Ring-Settings/5712/ (would do similar design by someone else)

I will daydream some more, thanks for everyone's input.

 

[zephyr]

This is a great question. I bought mine in 2008 and I am trading mine in at GOG. I am checking the prices for my stones and they have gone up ~ 30%.

In my case, I bought 3 diamonds. All G VVS. (price 9-11k, carat weight range 1 to 1.24). If I were to go buy the same diamonds now, I think they'd be at 12k+. (I checked prices at Blue Nile).

Maybe I should ask J to give me better prices for my trades.

He will consign them for you at a reasonable commission. You may or may not gain much from consigning, though, if they are only 30% more.

Only 30% more is almost 8k more. Yup. Thanks though for your weigh in.