Upgrading the stone in my ring - The PASH Wedding Forums and Message Boards

AngelRoseFyre · #1 02-01-2009, 05:07 PM

I want to upgrade the stone in my e-ring, I have already discussed it with Ian. The thing is I have no clue where to start, or how much it will cost, I have been calling around to jewelry stores, but they are unable to really quote me, so I am kinda lost. Do you guys have any ideas or suggestions on where to start, or even a site that would give me an idea of diamond size, quality, etc. so I have a bit more knowledge going into this. I want to make sure I get what I want, but don't get bullied or manipulated into something I don't want/need, and to make sure I am not getting ripped off. Any suggestions would be great.

sarah+tim060609 · #2 02-01-2009, 05:48 PM

I know that as far as the stores in the malls (Kays, Zales, etc) that Kays is the only one that will buy your diamond and put it towards a new one. What they will do is give you a price for your stone and then to get the whole value of your stone you buy something that costs double. So if your stone is worth $1000 you pick a new diamond that costs $2000 you pay $1000. They are the only store that does that, everyone else will just give you your 1st diamond back. Also they can give you a price for your diamond in about 10 minutes.
I orginially wanted a princess but diamond but my engagement ring is a round. So we asked around about upgrading. As it turns out I love my ring, lol, and it has four prongs so it looks like a princess anyway. I didn't see that at first, a jeweler pointed it out.

AshyBekka · #3 02-01-2009, 07:01 PM

Go physically into jewelry stores and look at a bunch of different stones in different sizes and shapes. Ask questions. It's very difficult to learn about diamonds online or without looking. Also, make sure that the stone you select will fit into your existing setting-otherwise you'll end up needing a whole new ring.

Get an idea pricewise of what you can realistically afford and have fun!

Heather · #4 02-01-2009, 07:07 PM

Mike upgraded mine, but we went back to the place where he bought it (it's where he/we get all our jewelry) and they bought the original stone back and put it toward the new one.

Can you go back to where Ian bought it? As AB said, you'll want to make sure a new stone fits in your setting before you buy anything. I wouldn't ever buy a replacement online.

maroki13 · #5 02-01-2009, 09:49 PM

Our jewelry store (Jared) will upgrade my diamond, keep the old one, and let me pay the difference between the price I paid for the original diamond and the new diamond. I've looked in their store a couple times trying to get an idea of how much it would cost to upgrade to another diamond.

I also have used www.bluenile.com in the past for looking up diamonds. I wouldn't ever buy one online, but they let you search by specifications and the 4 Cs, and it will tell you the price of the diamond. It might help to start searching there!

Julz518 · #6 02-02-2009, 02:34 PM

Can I ask what exactly about your ring you want to upgrade? Do you want a larger stone? a clearer stone? a different cut? The price is going to vary a lot depending on what exactly you want to upgrade and whether or not you want to "trade in" your current stone.

I second what AB said - go into stores and ask questions. You don't even have to MENTION that you are looking to upgrade, just say you are trying to learn about diamonds (maybe under the pretense of finding out what yours is worth "for insurance purposes"?)

A couple things to think about when deciding what you want:

1) If you want a larger size or different shape - will it realistically FIT into your current ring?

2) If upgrading the color - will it match the side diamonds on your ring and wedding band? I have a couple of diamond rings that are obviously different color ratings, and they don't look good together. If your side stones are Gs, you probably don't want a center stone that is a D.

If you haven't had your ring professionally cleaned yet, then I would suggest you do that before you do anything else (especially if the clarity of the ring is wha tyou want to upgrade). That way you know your seeing the true sparkle of your diamond before you try to upgrade it.

Good luck!

Rosey · #7 02-02-2009, 03:38 PM

I did a ton of research on my ring and spoke with several diamond dealers and always came up with the same advice on diamond buying. Put your money into carat and color. The clarity need only to be an SI2 or 3 because that is the level where you cannot see inclusions with the naked eye. The goal would be to get a ring with the inclusions spread out over the stone rather than in a cluster and you won't be able to decipher them and the light will still reflect. No one is going to be looking at it with a loupe besides you. Cut is just going to be a personal preference, but rounds have the most fire and emerald cuts have the least.

So I focused on diamonds that were 1.5 carats, D, E, or F (colorless), and SI 2 or 3. We got this ring from a diamond dealer in a setting with side stones on three sides for just under $6K. We could not get close to the quality and size in a regular jewelry store for under $16K! The markup is astounding!

There are also proportions to consider. Namely the depth and table. An ideal diamond has a depth of 59.3 and a table of 53. If you buy a diamond with a larger table and an ideal depth, it can look a lot bigger........just make sure you do not buy a diamond with a table larger than its depth because it will look short and stout and give off less light. If you get a diamond with a depth too big it will be dark in the center.

The cheapest online prices are at buydiamonddirect.com and while I personally would order online, you can at least use the prices as a bargaining tool. Just find out the max stone your ring can hold.