20K budget for an upgrade....what would YOU do?

[jaysonsmom]

So dh and I talked about my upgrade yesterday, and this is not taking place right away.....it''ll probably happen in the next 2-5 years. He set my upgrade budget at 20K, which is not shabby, I don''t think it''s quite enough for what I want. Which one of the 5C''s should I sacrifice? Or should I sacrifice on the type of cert? What would YOU personally sacrifice....?

I want a rb around 2.5ct (preferably close to ideal, don''t know if it needs to be H&A because I also like the look of 60/60''s)
I would like to stay in the D-G color range....maybe an H if absolutely forced to. In a stone that size I prefer not to.
Clarity can be lower, as long as the diamond is not opaque or filled with visible black carbon spots.
I''m thinking of going for a EGL USA cert (I kow it''s not popular amongst PSers), seems to be a savings there though.
Thankfully, I already have an awesome setting that can be altered to fit that size stone, so only a couple hundred dollars on the setting fee.....so do you guys think I can get what I want if the price of diamonds don''t skyrocket i the next 2 years?

 

[Mara]

Well the prices of diamonds HAVE gone up alot recently after really not moving much for 5+ years...

If you are talking 2c+ stones then some say that increase will be 20% from spring of this year to next year (when next year who knows?). One example of a more expensive stone that I recall (because I liked it), is a 1.75c H SI2 H&A last year for $9500; a similar stone today would go for closer to $11500.

So if the prices continue to move....in a few years there will be big differences in what you can get with your money. Part of why I am getting my almost-last upgrade next spring as soon as possible, and prices may have moved up 5-10% from now til then even. It's somewhat intimidating!

You may be lucky to get a 2c G SI1 well-cut stone for $20k in ~5 years. Or if the prices fall....then it would be easier. I think it'd be hard to predict what is going to happen ~5 years out. But for the next year it sounds like prices will continue to rise, esp in the larger stones 2c+.

Lastly, inventory may really determine what you end up with. It's harder to find those larger stones in the specs that people want nowadays. There was a gal on here looking for something like a 3c G VS H&A and there weren't any on the PS search. So it may be also not only your budget but what comes up for sale and then how much of a premium those elusive stones may carry!

 

[jaysonsmom]

I''m beginning to think that my 2.5 ct requirement might have to come down a bit.....I just want it to be my last and final upgrade, and I don''t think a 2 carat would be big enough to be "the FINAL one". what to do, what to do?

Maybe I''ll tell my husband that we have to bite the bullet and to the upgrade now

 

[Mara]

For ME being a total size whore, I went down in color and clarity....and I have been VERY happy. But then again color doesn''t really seem to bother me or register much for me. I would hands down go J SI2 for my next stone (and plan to) in order to get as big as possible.

Are you really sensitive on color? Clarity can be an SI2 if you can find a good eye-clean one graded by AGS or GIA but if you can drop that color to maybe more like an ''I''...you may be more in the ballpark. But again, hard to tell!!

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 10/10/2005 6:32:39 PM
Author: Mara
For ME being a total size whore, I went down in color and clarity....and I have been VERY happy. But then again color doesn''t really seem to bother me or register much for me. I would hands down go J SI2 for my next stone (and plan to) in order to get as big as possible.

Are you really sensitive on color? Clarity can be an SI2 if you can find a good eye-clean one graded by AGS or GIA but if you can drop that color to maybe more like an ''I''...you may be more in the ballpark. But again, hard to tell!!

Unfortunately that''s not the case for me. While I''ve seen pictures of some gorgeous (dare I say icy white) I''s and J''s on PS, I''m a total color nut. Plus the fact that it''d be worn on my finger, and I''d catch glimpses of the pavillion allows me to believe that I wouldn''t be happy with the warm tint. I have/had 4 diamonds: E, F, G and H....and I can see body color in the F, G (face down)and the H (face up)!

I was e-ring shopping with a friend at Tiffany''s once, and under their blingy store lights, I was able to pick out a E, a G and an I with my naked eye without looking at the tags, and face up. The sales person thought I was amazing and even tried to recruit me. It was then I realized that I was doomed to be a color whore instead of a size whore.

 

[Mara]

"It was then I realized that I was doomed to be a color whore instead of a size whore."

___________________



(That would make a fabulous signature by the way...heehee!)

 

[Dancing Fire]

Jay''smon

in today''s market an ideal 2 ct H&A VS 2 stone....

E-$16.3k per ct
F-$16k per ct
G-$14.1 per ct

these are from GOG.

 

[HOUMedGal]

Date: 10/10/2005 7:47:56 PM
Author: Mara
''It was then I realized that I was doomed to be a color whore instead of a size whore.''

___________________



(That would make a fabulous signature by the way...heehee!)

This makes me laugh!!! J''smom, you should totally use that as your signature....although I like your slinky quote too! hehe!

 

[laney]

hmm. I think if your whole budget were just the stone, you could probably do it sooner than later for that price.

This summer (july) I got my 2 ct - H SI 2 H&A GIA for under 17K Yes, I came down from an F color to an H for this. At first, was not happy with the H - but after about a week or so - The H was fine - and as time went on, even better.

So I know if you are color sensitive, it is more noticable in larger stones... but my advice is try it - and give it some time if COLOR is your compromise.

So I say a nice SI2 (they are out there) and possibly some compromise on the color (from E or F) and you could do it...

Good Luck, nice budget!

 

[jaysonsmom]

Here is is one that is totally calling my name......if only my husband would act NOW!!!! It''s a whiteflash ES stone:

F SI2

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 10/10/2005 11:27:18 PM
Author: jaysonsmom
Here is is one that is totally calling my name......if only my husband would act NOW!!!! It''s a whiteflash ES stone:

F SI2

yes...i can read teh girdle inscribed "Jay''smom"

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 10/10/2005 11:43:38 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

yes...i can read teh girdle inscribed ''Jay''smom''

You have AMAZING eyes DF.

 

[belle]

Date: 10/10/2005 11:43:38 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 10/10/2005 11:27:18 PM
Author: jaysonsmom
Here is is one that is totally calling my name......if only my husband would act NOW!!!! It''s a whiteflash ES stone:

F SI2

yes...i can read teh girdle inscribed ''Jay''smom''

good one df

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 10/10/2005 6:28:21 PM
Author: jaysonsmom
I''m beginning to think that my 2.5 ct requirement might have to come down a bit.....I just want it to be my last and final upgrade, and I don''t think a 2 carat would be big enough to be ''the FINAL one''. what to do, what to do?

Maybe I''ll tell my husband that we have to bite the bullet and to the upgrade now

Jay''smom

tell your husband either he upgrades the diamond now or you will upgrade the husband.his choice.

it never fail.

 

[Patty]

Tell your husband that if he acts now, you will save him $1750!

My husband cringes when I tell him how much money I''m saving him.

 

[pebbles]

Do you have another stone you can trade in, or is your $20K budget it for the stone?

Assuming you don''t have a stone to trade in, I personally would sacrifice clarity, color then size in that order. I know the EGL stones save you a bit, but personally I would always wonder if I''m really getting what the cert says. I would have to have an ideal cut -- after having one now, I don''t think I could ever go back to a non-ideal cut.

You can say I''m a cut whore.

 

[butterfly 17]

I would probably sacrifice size, then color, then clarity, but definitely not cut.

A trade in does sound like a good idea.

I am surprised at how the prices have gone up. I probably would not even bother purchasing the diamond I have now if I had to buy at todays prices.

I think all of us have sacrificed something in exchange for something else that we wanted in our diamonds. I know I sacrificed color and clarity in order to get the size I wanted, for the price I wanted to pay.

In retrospect, I do wish at times I had just gotten the F color I was thinking about instead of "settling" for a G.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I have a couple diamonds ( both over 1 carat) that I''d be willing to trade in if any vendors here would want to work with diamonds that I didn''t buy from them (I doubt it though). I have a GIA certed rb that''s 1.12 ct H/VVS2 (GIA) and my current princess e-ring (EGL LA), a 1.25 E/VS2....neither of them are well cut IMO. I can''t make anything selling them on e-bay either. that is a total bummer, because I''m not in love with either of them, I just wear them for variety''s sake. If I were able to sell them near their market value, I''d have over 10K more to work with!

The reason I want something preferably >2.5ct is because I also have a 1.53 G/VS2 ideal rb that was passed down to me by my mom.....I don''t want to get something close in size because that would make it redundant. That''s why I''m probably not going to sacrifice size.

 

[Lynn B]

Interesting thread.

I upgraded in July from an AGS-0 1.53 G/VS2 to my gorgeous new AGS-0 2.36 J/SI2 and I have never regretted A THING! (BTW, the price was less than 15K.)

My priority was cut. After that, it was budget... and trying to find the best, biggest, most beautiful stone I could within the price I wanted to pay. I LOVE my J. I scrutinized it next to my G and found the difference to be baaaaaarely noticeable from the side, and completely UN-noticeable from the top. It''s completely eye-clean, so clarity was not an issue, either.

It''s a killer stone in a wonderful size. Sometimes I think I may still aspire to a 3+ carat... and hey, who knows? If someday the perfect 3+ carat stone appears with a price I can swing... maybe! But the longer I live with this one, the more I think that this diamond is absolutely perfect -- for me, for forever.

The bottom line is this... most people have a finite amount they can spend. So it all comes down to choosing what is most important to you from what is available, within that budget. I wouldn''t want visible inclusions, or anything less than a killer cut... but obviously I was not going to get a D color stone in an almost 2.5 size with the amount of money I was willing to pay.

 

[phoenixgirl]

I was going to recommend a 2.19 H SI2 from WF until I saw the stone you are looking at . . . which has a bigger diameter and better color! I think it really is calling your name!

 

[MissGotRocks]

I upgraded my stone in March of this year. I really wasn''t looking to upgrade at that very moment but ran across this stone on the website of my jeweler that I have traded with before. There were several things about this stone that spoke to me; decided to see it just to see. After seeing it, I decided no way. Wasn''t going to spend the money - only going up 20 points, yada, yada. But the more I thought about it I knew that that stone wouldn''t be there in another two years at that price. That was a big swaying factor for hubby who actually encouraged me to go for it. So of course I bit the bullet and did it.

I have never regretted that decision. It is obvious that there has been such a price hike and doesn''t look like they will come down in price anytime soon - although you never know. It is also obvious that 2+ carat stones are harder to come by - particularly if you are looking for a certain cut, color or clarity or combination of all three. If you cut the price by a certain amount and sacrifice one of the attributes that you really want, you will never be able to add just that much money to it again to accomplish that. You can always trade again - but usually always at a higher price than you can do today.

 

[jaysonsmom]

LynnB, you''re partly to blame for my 2.2ct+ diamond craving lately. At least 3 people recently got diamonds in the 2.3-2.7ct range...I think it was LynnB, Demelza and LadyLuvsLuxury. When each of them posted their new upgrades, my heart started beating faster and my yearning started getting stronger. My husband said it''ll happen at our 10 year anniversary for sure, but I can''t wait another 5 years. He''s now saying "when the time is right" and when you see "the one", and "if" we happen to be able to swing it at the right time, we''ll do it. So he''s not limiting it to our 10 year anniversary anymore. I have been torturing him with the SMTR thread about 2-3 carat rings all weekend, and he''s slowly caving.....I can feel it!

If anyone wants to take those diamonds I listed off my hands, PM me!

 

[roppongi]

Jaysonsmom, you are talking to the wrong crowd here

.

When it comes to upgrading I don''t think any one of us could wait until a milestone anniversary. think it''s great that your husband is showing signs of caving so if you can score it earlier, I would definitely do it. I know that Jennifer upgraded really fast because of the "diamond inflation" and I know that Mara always has her eyes open for her next upgrade to two carats plus. Have you thought about looking at another cut of round (old mine) or another shape altogether in order to get the size you want or do you have your heart set on a round?

In one year I went from a 2 carat to a 3 carat, and in two years I had one solitaire setting and two different 3 stone settings. When I get the urge to upgrade it happens almost immediately and then I can''t stop obsessing about it. As the mother to two boys (still looking for my girl), my husband has no problem pampering me.

 

[Mara]

Upgrading is a sickness!!

J'Mom what about selling your other two stones on consignment with a local jeweler or doing classifieds? Even if you can get a few thousand for each stone, that would help if you could add the $$ to your $20k...it may make the difference between an H and a G or something without having to give up on size? Just a thought...

 

[koko]

I am soooo behind here. This year for out 25th anniversary, I got an upgrade from a .33c E/SI2 rb, in yellow gold setting, to a 1.15c E/SI2 ec in a white gold setting, and my husband wasn''t happy that I was willing to wear a new wedding set, instead of the original with the sentimental value. I don''t know what he would do if I wanted to upgrade before another 25 yrs!! How do you do it?!

 

[koko]

oops, meant upgrade was SI1

 

[Demelza]

Date: 10/11/2005 8:52:10 PM
Author: Mara

Upgrading is a sickness!!

YES, IT IS!!! I've only had my 2.35 for a few months now, and I am jonesing for a 3+ct stone. I was sure that a 2.3ish ct stone would be plenty big, but, no, not for me. I'm sure if I upgraded to a 3ct, I might want to go bigger yet! Sick, indeed!!!!! There really does seem to be a shortage of larger stones. I wonder when that will change.

ETA How did I pick up Mara's font????

 

[moremoremore]

Some people look at me in horror when they see I've upgraded. Little do they know there is an entire underworld of price scope people like me!!

And I agree, I can't find any mod cushions in the 2.5 range online...well, there are a few but it's slim pickins...

 

[jaysonsmom]

Date: 10/12/2005 2:02:35 PM
Author: moremoremore
Some people look at me in horror when they see I''ve upgraded. Little do they know there is an entire underworld of price scope people like me!!

And I agree, I can''t find any mod cushions in the 2.5 range online...well, there are a few but it''s slim pickins...

THAT would be my second choice. I''d love a H&A modern cushion too. They are cut kinda deep though, so it would be the biggest bang for the buck. I''d have to get aorund a 3 carat to get the size of a 2 carat H&A.

 

[Mara]

haha i know mmm, all my real life friends and family think i am INSANE about upgrading my ring....but i point out to them that i don''t want to drive a nice mercedes...i would prefer to wear my luxury car on my finger!