upgrading 1.56 ct RB, D, VS1, H&A. How would you spend your upgrade budget?

[diamondnut]

hi everyone, i''m new here. as the subject line might suggest, i''m doing research on my upgrade and came upon this forum and have been glued to it since!!! i''ve learned so much and have found my dream setting to boot!

the diamond i currently have is lovely but i''ve always stop dead in my tracks and drooled whenever i walk by a jewelry store window with sparkly large diamonds. it''s like a natural reaction. i''m sure you all know exactly what i mean : ) so after years of my dropping hints, my dear hubby finally agreed to let me upgrade the diamond.

based on my given budget, i can get around a 2.3-2.4 ct with all the same specs of my current one (D, VS1 etc.). However, do you think I should go even bigger and maybe go down a notch on the color?? I admit I am quite hung up on having a D stone but maybe you can convince me otherwise. I do intend to wear this ring on a daily basis so I suppose I don''t want it to be so enormous that it''s not practical. My finger is a size 6 so I think it''s big enough that it can ''downplay'' the size of a larger rock if I decide to go even larger.

please let me know what you think. thanks so much!!

 

[Sparkalicious]

You could go a smidge bigger and still obtain the icy whiteness that you love about your D by dropping to an E or F color stone and, inclusion wise, you should be safe to NOT see anything except sparkle, of course, with your unaided eye with a VS2, which of course, will also allow for a little more caratage for your budget.

What a fabulous size! You''re a lucky lady!

 

[diamondnut]

here''re some pics!

 

[diamondnut]

another pic...

 

[diamondnut]

last pic...

 

[Jelly]

Coming from someone who doesn''t mind color in her diamonds (I have a K e-ring) I would absolutely get a larger stone as long it was ideal cut and still had tons of sparkle. If you are used to the icy whiteness of a D, you may not be as thrilled with a warmer diamond. I''m guessing if you stay in the range of D-H, you will still have a perfectly white diamond that you will love.

Good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[Beacon]

What a fun project you have in front of you. I have a D color stone and I really like it, so I know where you are coming from. However, E or F will be ok too, especially if it buys you bigger size which seems to be the primary driver of your upgrade. I would come down in clarity quicker than color, but that is my preference and yours may be different.

Definitely go for the size you crave though, that is my biggest advice. Shrinkage sets in very fast so make sure you are totally thrilled with the size before you commit. Are you staying with a round? If you go with fancy shapes, you'll probably have to stay D/E cause they show color more and after having a D for so long, you won't like a lower color fancy shape.

Good luck and please keep us posted with your project!

PS, your current stone is extremely beautiful.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, your current stone is gorgeous, that''s for sure! If you are used to a D, I doubt you''d be happy going lower than F, but I''d for sure look at E and F. I also like VS1 for ring stones, so I can''t encourage you to go down on clarity (but there are many here who will!). Just to help you with respect to color and clarity, I recommend looking at the pictures of color and clarity on the Good Old Gold site:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/

Are you trading in your current stone with the same jeweler? It would make a fabulous pendant to go with your new ring!

The reason I ask is that you might be able to get a better deal on the new stone from one of the respected online vendors if you are not trading in.

 

[steph72276]

I would def. say go down a few notches in color to get a bigger stone! Since you already have a D and are used to that, you might notice color a little more, but I would look at stones in the E,F,G range to get an idea of your preference. I would also come down to a VS2 in clarity or even an eyeclean SI1, but it is all personal preference. BTW, I love your current ring, it is lovely....are you staying with a solitare?

 

[Ellen]

Since you are used to a D, you might not be able to go too low in color. I would shoot for an F, I don't think you would see much difference, if any, AND go as low as you can in clarity (SI1-SI2), as long as it's totally eyeclean. The lowering of clarity will really help get you a bigger stone while keeping the cost down.

 

[susi]

diamondnut, I like the whiter stones too....there's something about the D E F grades and especially the Ds!!

For me, I've learned that the cut brings out the "white" and that I could go lower if I had a knock 'em dead cut stone which is what I did with my I color graded Hearts on Fire. I didn't cut it, had nothing to do with it but pay for it

....but whoever did cut it made it face up like a headlight and it looks whiter than my E graded ideal cut Lazare Kaplan which, tho very well cut, still isn't cut as well as the HOF.

Now, seeing as how you love your D I am NOT suggesting you get a I even with fabulous cut. I feel you would not be satisfied even tho it pleases *me*

My point is that if you take your time and search the E's and just possibly the F's you could find a stone that shows up icey white as can be and it might please you (?) while at the same time stretching your purchase dollars a bit.

 

[marcy]

First I want to say your current stone is drop dead gorgeous. I am excited to hear you get to upgrade. Since you love the icy whiteness of your D stone I don''t think I would go any lower than an F stone. I have an E stone and when I bought it I could not tell the difference between a D and E stone but I could tell the difference between an E and F stone. I would look at VS2 or SI1 stones to help get a larger stone; I think they would be fine as long as they are eye clean. I can''t wait to see what you get. Have fun shopping.

 

[gemgirl]

My stone is a certified G, but when it was put into a color spectrometer, it actually registered closer to F than G. I didn''t see any discernable color in my stone when it was loose. I can''t even see any color in it in it''s platinum head but in a yellow gold ring and you would think it would pick up reflections from the yellow gold.

I have two G color VS2 certified studs as earrings. Even under 30x magnification, the jewelers couldn''t find any inclusions before they were set.

I think it''s pretty safe to look at Es and Fs, like a lot of the ladies have said. I don''t think you''ll see much difference at all. I''d go for a slightly bigger stone

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

Date: 1/25/2008 8:51:55 AM
Author: Ellen
Since you are used to a D, you might not be able to go too low in color. I would shoot for an F, I don''t think you would see much difference, if any, AND go as low as you can in clarity (SI1-SI2), as long as it''s totally eyeclean. The lowering of clarity will really help get you a bigger stone while keeping the cost down.

Ditto...

Just went through this exact experience 3 months ago, with the same size original diamond.
My advice would be to shop, shop and shop some more. Try on different sizes on your hand... but you can definitely get more size by going down a notch or two in color and clarity. If you are able to see some stones in person, line up yours next to an E, F, or G....and see if you can tell the difference.

Are you looking to get another round? Or are you considering other shapes?

Good luck!!! What an exciting time!

 

[lisa1.01fvs1]

Sometimes bigger is better.......and as for color I think F with an excellent cut should do the trick (but then again I''m biased)

 

[diamondnut]

Thank you all so much for your thoughts. I'm already quite excited about getting the new diamond but you guys are making me even more excited with your enthusiasm. I'm so glad to have found this forum!!

steph72276 & marcyc, thanks for your compliment. I have to admit the hubby did a good job finding this stone (though it was mainly luck...he confessed he looked at all of 2 stones!)

my situation is a bit tricky. i live in hong kong at the moment (but i'll always be a new yorker at heart!!) and i go home to ny at most twice a year. i'll be there in march and probably won't be there again until dec. my current diamond is from a jeweler in ny and as far as i know, they're the only one who will give me the full value of my current stone if i upgrade so i'm limited to purchasing through them again...which i have no complains about since i think their diamonds are of very high quality. so i'm praying that they'll have something that meets my criteria by next month...i didn't think it's that hard to find but according to them, they need a couple months lead time to locate it. if they don't find something by march, then i have to wait until dec and i would rather NOT have to do that!!

so with that out of the way, let's go back to the subject at hand...the diamond!...

beacon, i think i'm already experiencing shrinkage (except i didn't know there's a term for it until now)!!! before i got the green light to upgrade my diamond, the thought of a 2.3 would rock my world (no pub intended). so when my hubby asked what size i wanted, I told him 2.3 and we came up with a budget so that there'll be no sacrifice to the other specs
(color, clarity, etc).
but once i started looking at diamonds, the 2.3 doesn't seem as big as i had imagined it to be. so am i already experiencing shrinkage??? the only thing i'm considering is going for an E color if i want to get a 2.5 - 2.6 ct. My husband doesn't want to sacrifice quality for size...otherwise he could've just told me to get a larger stone in a lower color and clarity and
it wouldn't cost us a dime. But I think he'll go for a E.
I've been looking on PS to see what a 2.3 looks like on people's hand and trying to convince myself that it's plenty big. Luckily, I also came upon a page where someone put a friend's 1.6 next to her 2.3 which are the exact sizes I'm comparing. It's a good difference in size but it's not ENORMOUSLY different meaning if i saw the stones separately, I may not
immediately realize that one is that much larger than the other. It sometimes makes me wonder whether it's worth spending all this money on a proportionally small upgrade...basically over 200% more expensive for a stone that's 50% bigger. Do you guys ever feel bad about spending so much money for something so small and serves no other purpose than to look pretty??

Ehhh...I digress...of course I'm getting an upgrade. Who am I kidding??? I'll just have to think long and hard about what to get. And i'll definitely keep everyone posted cuz this is going to be a long and interesting process. And I know for sure I'll need so much more advice!!

Thank you all!

 

[Phoenix]

DN,

It's late here in S'pore, but here's my 2 cents:

Having said that, DSS does indeed set in and I know all about that. You mention you live in HK at the moment. I also know all about the Asian (particularly if you live in HK and S'pre) obsession - mine included- with higher colour and higher clarity stones. But you know what, there's VERY LITTLE difference btw D, E and F once the stone is set, at least from my own personal perspective.

I'd say go down to F and drop clarity to at least a VS2 (i'd even go for a very eye-clean SI1 - yes, such a thing does exist, I've seen it) and go UP in SIZE! I swear to God, as soon as a couple of months after I got my 3.02ct diamond, I wish I'd gone for a G or even an H (with medium blue fluor) so that I could have got a 4+ct instead!!! AND my finger size is 4 1/4 and I wear mine every day (I tell ya, DSS...DSS...DSS, LOL!!)

BUT you cannot sacrifice on cut. CUT is KING. An F or G well-cut stone would outdo a lesser cut D or E stone any day (but I'm sure you know all about cut already, judging from yr current stone - what a BEAUTY

).

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/26/2008 3:43:33 AM
Author: diamondnut

but once i started looking at diamonds, the 2.3 doesn''t seem as big as i had imagined it to be. so am i already experiencing shrinkage??? the only thing i''m considering is going for an E color if i want to get a 2.5 - 2.6 ct. My husband doesn''t want to sacrifice quality for size...otherwise he could''ve just told me to get a larger stone in a lower color and clarity and
it wouldn''t cost us a dime. But I think he''ll go for a E.

I''ve been looking on PS to see what a 2.3 looks like on people''s hand and trying to convince myself that it''s plenty big. Luckily, I also came upon a page where someone put a friend''s 1.6 next to her 2.3 which are the exact sizes I''m comparing. It''s a good difference in size but it''s not ENORMOUSLY different meaning if i saw the stones separately, I may not
immediately realize that one is that much larger than the other. It sometimes makes me wonder whether it''s worth spending all this money on a proportionally small upgrade...basically over 200% more expensive for a stone that''s 50% bigger. Do you guys ever feel bad about spending so much money for something so small and serves no other purpose than to look pretty??

Ehhh...I digress...of course I''m getting an upgrade. Who am I kidding??? I''ll just have to think long and hard about what to get. And i''ll definitely keep everyone posted cuz this is going to be a long and interesting process. And I know for sure I''ll need so much more advice!!

Thank you all!

Unfortunately, what you''re seeing is the reality. Once you get past 1 ct and up, to see, to really notice a visual difference, you have to make BIG jumps in ct. weight.

I''d really consider an F, that''s not really "compromising".

And clarity, if you can''t see it with the naked eye, well, you can''t see it.

Going down in color and clarity doesn''t mean you''re getting a lesser quality stone, really. Most, if not all on here would agree, quality means CUT. None of us would ever suggest going down on that. Cut is what truly makes a stone sparkle and razzle and dazzle. So if it were me, to maximize and get a size you''ll be able to apporeciate, I''d get the best cut, with the previously suggested specs.

And I''d ask your jeweler to look for AGS0 (zero in light performance) graded stones. That will help ensure you get a great rock.

Just my humble .02.

 

[gwendolyn]

*sighs wistfully* Can I just tell you that your current ring is my dream ring? It''s perfect in every way.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/26/2008 10:29:59 AM
Author: Phoenix
DN,

It''s late here in S''pore, but here''s my 2 cents:

Having said that, DSS does indeed set in and I know all about that. You mention you live in HK at the moment. I also know all about the Asian (particularly if you live in HK and S''pre) obsession - mine included- with higher colour and higher clarity stones. But you know what, there''s VERY LITTLE difference btw D, E and F once the stone is set, at least from my own personal perspective.

I''d say go down to F and drop clarity to at least a VS2 (i''d even go for a very eye-clean SI1 - yes, such a thing does exist, I''ve seen it) and go UP in SIZE! I swear to God, as soon as a couple of months after I got my 3.02ct diamond, I wish I''d gone for a G or even an H (with medium blue fluor) so that I could have got a 4+ct instead!!! AND my finger size is 4 1/4 and I wear mine every day (I tell ya, DSS...DSS...DSS, LOL!!)

BUT you cannot sacrifice on cut. CUT is KING. An F or G well-cut stone would outdo a lesser cut D or E stone any day (but I''m sure you know all about cut already, judging from yr current stone - what a BEAUTY

).

Edited to delete: "Having said that"

 

[Jenn5504]

My vote would definately be to drop a bit in color and clarity and go for the 2.5-2.6! (...........and if I was as lucky as you to be able to upgrade to such a nice size, I''d go to an I or J color, SI1 or 2 clarity and get hte BIGGEST darn thing I could find!

) Your current ering IS gorgeous. I think you''ll see and feel a HUGE difference going up to even 2.3, but I''d go for 2.5+ and E or F since you''re used to a D and since your sweet husband who is the one offering this wonderful opportunity wants to keep it colorless.

My current stone is 1.59 and 2.3 is EXACTLY what I hope to acheive some day......It couldn''t have ANYTHING to do with my OBSESSION with Mara and Lynnb''s rings.........no, not at all.

Look up those 2 ladies'' rings and you''ll see why I''m obsessed! It''s a GREAT size.

 

[ringabling]

I pretty much agree w/ everything Ellen said

Regarding your budget. . . have you based the budget on what you''d get at your local jewelry store?
If so, it''s VERY likely for that same budget you could get up to 3/4 carat larger from a recommend PS etailer without sacrificing anything.

 

[diamondnut]

thanks again for all your comments. i'm definitely taking your feedback to heart. before i found this website, i wouldn't even entertain a non-D stone. After reading through alot of this website, I started toying with the idea of an E. Now after posting my thread and getting your thoughts, I'm seriously considering an E. Slowly but definitely making progress : ) I completely agree that I won't be able to tell the difference between a D and an E so I KNOW that it's more of a mental hurdle than anything else. I'm very stubborn that way : )

And I also completely agree that cut is the most important factor. To be honest, I don't really think I have an eye for this. I'm not sure I can tell the difference between a well cut stone and a remarkably cut stone. I may be able to tell between an average cut stone and a remarkably cut stone. But this doesn't mean I don't want a remarkably cut stone. It just means I have to rely almost purely on the specs. So my question is this...

Assuming the specs for two stone are identical and ideal/excellent across the board with proportions of heart and arrow stones. Can one still be more fiery, brilliant, sparkly than the other?? Because at this point, you would have to rely on your eye and like I said, I don't trust my own eye. Are there other specs that might help me or tests I should put the stone through??

Uhhh, this is bordering on stressful. I think the saying that people are actually more unhappy when they're given too many choices is definitely true!!

 

[diamondnut]

ringabling,

yes, the budget is based on a quote from a B&M jeweler...the same jeweler that the current stone is from. i''m limited to buying the upgrade from them since they''re the only ones who will give me the full value of my current stone if I upgrade. Does that sound right or are there other retailers/etailers that would give you the full/fair value of your existing stone (even if you didn''t buy it from them) if you buy an upgrade from them.

I also priced it on bluenile and it''s pretty close to the jeweler''s quote. So assuming bluenile''s prices are competitive, I''d like to believe I''m not being taken to the cleaners : )

 

[diamondnut]

Date: 1/26/2008 10:29:59 AM
Author: Phoenix
DN,

It's late here in S'pore, but here's my 2 cents:

Having said that, DSS does indeed set in and I know all about that. You mention you live in HK at the moment. I also know all about the Asian (particularly if you live in HK and S'pre) obsession - mine included- with higher colour and higher clarity stones. But you know what, there's VERY LITTLE difference btw D, E and F once the stone is set, at least from my own personal perspective.

I'd say go down to F and drop clarity to at least a VS2 (i'd even go for a very eye-clean SI1 - yes, such a thing does exist, I've seen it) and go UP in SIZE! I swear to God, as soon as a couple of months after I got my 3.02ct diamond, I wish I'd gone for a G or even an H (with medium blue fluor) so that I could have got a 4+ct instead!!! AND my finger size is 4 1/4 and I wear mine every day (I tell ya, DSS...DSS...DSS, LOL!!)

BUT you cannot sacrifice on cut. CUT is KING. An F or G well-cut stone would outdo a lesser cut D or E stone any day (but I'm sure you know all about cut already, judging from yr current stone - what a BEAUTY

).

Phoenix,

I think you hit the nail right over the head with the living in Asia bit!! I've only been living in HK for 4 years and guess when I got into the whole diamond thing...4 years ago!! Though admittedly getting engaged 4.5 years ago has alot to do with it too. But when I got engaged, I was still in NY and was thrilled with my diamond. Then I moved to HK and suddenly my diamond looks like child's play. I try not to get caught up with all the flash here but naturally when you're surrounded by enourmous rocks all the time, your frame of reference starts shifting.

I'm generally a very casual person. I'm always in Havaianas and tank tops...so much so that my good friend (who's also a very blunt friend) asked if I owned anything else in my closet!! so i'm not sure if i'd be comfortable wearing a stone that is 2.5 to 3 ct which is why I initally chose something 2 to 2.5 ct. When you wear your ring, does it attract attention and cause people to stare? I think I want something that's big enough to be posh and indulgent but not so big that it attracts too much attention. does that make sense?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/27/2008 2:36:48 AM
Author: diamondnut
Assuming the specs for two stone are identical and ideal/excellent across the board with proportions of heart and arrow stones. Can one still be more fiery, brilliant, sparkly than the other?? Because at this point, you would have to rely on your eye and like I said, I don''t trust my own eye. Are there other specs that might help me or tests I should put the stone through??

Yes, that''s why I suggested sticking to AGS0 graded stones. They''re graded for their light performance, so that takes a lot of the guesswork out. After that, then you do need to use your eyes (assuming you have several to choose from). Just get them in natural lighting, spend some time with them, see what your eyes like. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Mara]

what color is your skin tone in person? i ask because i find that darker skin tones can pull off lower colored stones quite easily. i have a light brownish (undertone of yellow) skin tone and i used to have a G. then i got an H. both were incredibly TOO WHITE for me against my skin tone. honestly i never even saw a whit of color in my G and maybe the barest touch in my H but not really. D would be too white for me, i don't think i'd ever want one even if we had the $$$ for me to get a D VVS or whatever.

i went to J and have been there since. while i wouldn't necessarily advocate someone who adores D's to go for a J...you could definitely go down a few notches in color to get a bigger stone if that is what you want to do. i would say that if you have a D now, maybe go to F or G and see what you think. stick with an exceptionally cut stone so that it returns max light and faces up more white than a non-well-cut stone.

i have a size 6 finger and a 2.32 stone...and for me my 'ideal' is more like a 3.3 or similar. i also dress pretty simply with jeans and juicy and a lot of flip flops, and don't wear much jewelry but i love my rock...it's kind of my one *thing* that i love the most for jewelry. hands down if i had an upgrade budget that could have gotten me to 2.3 D i would have dropped that down big time to get my 3.3...but that's just me hehe.

 

[asianhoney]

very pretty! 1.56ct is also pretty large!
i personally would feel uncomfortable wearing a >2 carat ring out everyday. but u do deserve a treat! if that is ur dream, then congratulations on finally fulfilling it! my ring is also D color and i personally would not downgrade from my current diamond. afterall, u ARE UPgrading, aren't u?

 

[diamondnut]

Before I forget...I have an Apple Ibook and for some reason, when I try to reply to any of the threads here, I can''t. The ''submit'' button just doesn''t work. But it works on the PC. Is it just my Ibook or have others experience this. So this just means I can''t reply to anything until I get my hands on a PC...which is really annoying!!

Mara, my skin tone falls into the pastey category. Believe it or not, the photo I posted shows my hand AFTER it''s been recently sunburnt so that''s the darkest it''ll EVER get. I doubt I''ll be able to see the difference between the first 3 or 4 color grades...it''s just a mental thing that I need to get the whitest I can. I''m trying really hard to get over it!

So after much deliberation, I think I''ve decided that I won''t be comfortable wearing anything larger than 2.5 ct...at least not on a daily basis. so I''ve narrowed down my two options to:

D VS2
E VS1

Assuming they''re both eyeclean and all other specs are the same, which would you gals choose? Hmmm...maybe I should start a new thread and take a poll...

 

[Venice]

diamondnut, I think that your two options are both fantastic! I am a huge fan of superior cut and D-E-vvs-vs stones. You will not regret dropping down any more than that. I''d like to add that your current stone is a stunner. Good Luck!