Upgrading from 1.02 to 1.50. Worth it or not?

[Ava]

Hi guys,

This is my first post on here and I recently discovered this website, so I haven''t gotten the chance to comb through all the different topics. I wanted to get your opinion on this.

So, I''ve had my engagement ring for about 4 years now. It''s a 3 stone princess cut with a 1.02 center G VS1 GIA certified and the sides are G VS1 too I believe. It''s set on a plain platinum band. Well, when I was originally looking at engagement rings 4 years ago, I really liked the 3 stone, but I wanted the side stones to be MUCH smaller than the center stone... not to the point where it would just be a really tiny sidestone setting, but enough to where the middle diamond pops out. Anyways, not only did it not turn out the way I wanted it to turn out, the way the jeweler made the setting has caused the diamond to be permanently loose. According to another jeweler, the diamond won''t fall out, but if you just tap the ring you can definitely hear a diamond shaking.

So anyways, I lived with the ring for 4 years, but now especially cause of the instability of the current setting, I really wanted to change it. I also kind of wanted to upgrade my diamond.

4 years ago, we obviously paid a lot more for the diamond and now if we go and sell it or trade it in we are getting much less, but I think also we are getting a cheaper bigger stone than we would have back then so it kind of balances out.

However, my husband and I have a goal of not spending more than 2k if possible... maaaaaaaaybe 3k, but so far the diamonds we have seen in our price range are lower end 1.5s and I''m not sure that''s a big enough difference to upgrade or if it''s worth going down to and I or J from my current G and SI1 from my current VS1.

I really wanted a 2.00 carat and based on what I have been reading in these forums, there are some really nice J diamonds that look really pretty and are much cheaper because they are J.

Do you guys think that we could find a nice diamond in the 2carat range for the amount we are looking to spend (after trade in)?

If not, do you think it''s worth it to even upgrade to the 1.5 or should I just change my setting and use my current diamond and make a pendant or something with the other stones?

Sorry for my long message. I am just SUPER confused. We wanted something by our anniversary which is in December but now I''m thinking we won''t have it in time... it would be nice to get it pretty soon though.

Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

BTW- what''s most important to me:

1. I definitely don''t want it to be yellow looking
2. Don''t want to see any flaws from the naked eye.
3. I like fiery diamonds

 

[MissGotRocks]

Does the jeweler that you bought your ring from have a trade up policy?

Going from a 1 carat center stone to a 1.5 carat center stone would definitely be a noticeable difference - whether or not it is worth it to you depends on what the jeweler would offer you in terms of price. If he has a trade in policy, he should give you credit for what you paid for the first stone. Some jewelers have trade up policies that require you to pay at least 50% more for a new stone.

 

[lknvrb4]

I tried on a 1.5 next to my 1.02 this past weekend because I was considering just getting a bigger diamond and we were shocked that it really did not look that much bigger. My husband and I decided it was not worth it with our trade in policy. We would have had to spend double what we paid for our ring with the trade in policy.
Have you thought about taking your nice center diamond and remounting it into something else? Just my two cents.

 

[AprilBaby]

Unless you get a trade in I doubt you can get a nice 2 ct with your budget. I would get a new setting, maybe a halo 3 stone? Would sure LOOK bigger!

 

[Liane]

Date: 12/9/2009 2:39:41 AM
Author:Ava
Do you guys think that we could find a nice diamond in the 2carat range for the amount we are looking to spend (after trade in)?

If not, do you think it''s worth it to even upgrade to the 1.5 or should I just change my setting and use my current diamond and make a pendant or something with the other stones?

1. Nope. $3K + a 1-carat stone will not get you a 2-carat of comparable quality. Sorry.

2. Whether it''s worthwhile is up to you. Try on some 1.5ers and see how they look on your hand. Then decide whether that change is worth the money. It is not a huge change, particularly with princess cuts, but it is noticeable.

If not having the slightest tint of yellow is important to you, and especially if you want to stick with a princess cut, a J is probably not for you. A J-colored RB can appear almost colorless from the top down, but princesses tend to show their color a little more. Go see some in person before making a final decision, but since you put color as your #1 priority I would not recommend shopping for Js.

You should definitely change your setting regardless of what else you do. If you can hear the stone rattling around, that setting is no good and might lose or damage your stone.

 

[vc10um]

Date: 12/9/2009 9:00:58 AM
Author: Liane

Date: 12/9/2009 2:39:41 AM
Author:Ava
Do you guys think that we could find a nice diamond in the 2carat range for the amount we are looking to spend (after trade in)?

If not, do you think it''s worth it to even upgrade to the 1.5 or should I just change my setting and use my current diamond and make a pendant or something with the other stones?

1. Nope. $3K + a 1-carat stone will not get you a 2-carat of comparable quality. Sorry.

2. Whether it''s worthwhile is up to you. Try on some 1.5ers and see how they look on your hand. Then decide whether that change is worth the money. It is not a huge change, particularly with princess cuts, but it is noticeable.

If not having the slightest tint of yellow is important to you, and especially if you want to stick with a princess cut, a J is probably not for you. A J-colored RB can appear almost colorless from the top down, but princesses tend to show their color a little more. Go see some in person before making a final decision, but since you put color as your #1 priority I would not recommend shopping for Js.

You should definitely change your setting regardless of what else you do. If you can hear the stone rattling around, that setting is no good and might lose or damage your stone.

Agreed. Perhaps just getting a new 3-stone setting with your preferred proportions on the sidestones? That will really set off your center stone and make it way more secure. And if you just out-right purchase a new setting, maybe you can set the old sidestones into a nice pair of princess studs???

 

[yssie]

Ditto previous posters, even with 100% back on your trade-in you'd be hard-pressed to get to a 2ct well-cut stone with the current budget. I do think you'd see a difference between 1 and 1.5ct, though whether that's worth it to you...

A J princess will show some tint in some lighting. So will an I, from the side especially.

If you go look at diamonds and decide that an I is right for you, would you be okay having an I centre and G sides, or would that disparity bother you? Changing sidestones may be more loss or expense. Love vc10um's idea of getting the sidestones you want and setting the current ones into studs, though

Definitely time for a new setting, though!


ETA: you mention you like fiery stones - I though princesses leant toward brilliance over fire, generally? If I wanted 'FIRE!' I'd go cushion. Which is not what you were asking at all

 

[MAC-W]

Agree with all the above posters

You will definately notice a difference in colour going to a I/J colour and if mind clean is important then dropping down to a SI will also be a problem (at least it would be for me in a stone of that size. I can only tolerate SI on really small stones - LOL - I may be biased as I work as a Qualty and Risk Engineer, so as close to perfection as I can afford is more important than size).

 

[Stone Hunter]

I would definately go for a reset since the stone rattling around in the setting may damage the stone.

Then maybe try on 1.5 ct stones and see if they are big enough for you. If not, try out your current stone with smaller sidestones. Or maybe a 1.5ct and smaller sidestones??

Just go out and try on a ton of rings before making any choices. HTH

 

[Ava]

Thanks for all your help guys! I found one that is a little bit above our budget (2 carat princess), but to me looked like a beautiful diamond. I''m just waiting on the lady to send me the full certification so i can analyze it better. I think if I can''t get a decent 2 carat, then I''ll look at some 1.50 and 1.75s to see if they are worth upgrading. I think since I have a 1 carat princess and if I went to even a 1.50 Round, I would notice a huge difference. Only thing is, I''m not 100% sure I want round. So, we''re going to go try different rings on this weekend and figure out what we can/need to do! Thanks for all your help!

 

[diamondringlover]

I have a 1ct princess, I would love to have a 1.5 ct round! and as a side note my princess is an I and I do not see any yellow at in mine.

 

[dorianne]

Changing from princess to round is totally a matter of preference.

I would definitely not "downgrade" your color and clarity for a slightly larger carat weight. I''d rather have a stone that''s a little smaller but better "quality". In any case, I agree with the others....get your stone re-mounted!

 

[vespergirl]

You will definitely see a big difference between a 1 ct princess and a 1.5 ct princess. You will see an even bigger difference if you go up to a 1.5 ct round.

 

[just_looking!]

Have you thought about trading in all the stones and going for a solitaire? You might be able to get a bigger stone that way, but obviously it''s not going to give you the finger coverage of a 3 stone....

Or

If you like the facet pattern and angular look of a princess then maybe a radiant (rectangle with slight cut corners) would give you a similar look but a bit more height to compliment your current side stones?

Just a thought?