Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Anyone start small and stay small?

Platinumplus

Platinumplus

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
69
My ering is just over a carat, super-ideal from BGD. I love it, it still does a great job of being a beautiful diamond ring. Now that BGD offers lab diamonds, I’ve toyed with the idea of going bigger, but mostly just because of the novelty of relatively inexpensive super-ideal diamonds. But I realize that I don’t necessarily want a bigger diamond, just because I can have one. I could have easily gone bigger the first time around. Size just wasn’t that important to me. (Takes all kinds, right?) I liked the idea of having the best possible cut, not the biggest possible stone. So my question: Has anyone else chosen a “small” diamond and stuck with it?
 
Man made diamonds/gems are not my thing because I don't feel like spending thousand Euros on mass product gemstones.
My biggest diamond is 1.01 ct F if : a very very modest carat weight and a clarity/color overkill for PS standards, but I'm happy with it because I bought it after learning a lot on these forums, so I felt quite confident when I chose it.
I had a couple of opportunities to upgrade (at no cost) the carat sacrificing color and clarity, but I know I would have missed my diamond: my local jeweller keeps on tempting me, he also offered to give me back all the money I spent, because he realized he wants my diamond for his granddaughter (I bought my diamond a couple of years before the jeweller's granddaughter ' s birth).
Please, note that I'm European, so bigger isn't always the better for me.
 
Me.
Sort of.

Over the last 50 years or so ...
First, 0.25 ct
Then, 0.83 ct
Then, 2.26 ct
Now, 1.51 ct, my Goldilocks size. :))
 
purplesilk said:
Man made diamonds/gems are not my thing because I don't feel like spending thousand Euros on mass product gemstones.
Click to expand...

For me it’s the craftsmanship that makes a diamond unique. I’m paying for a skilled cutter, regardless if it is natural or lab made rough.

purplesilk said:
My biggest diamond is 1.01 ct F if : a very very modest carat weight and a clarity/color overkill for PS standards, but I'm happy with it because I bought it after learning a lot on these forums, so I felt quite confident when I chose it.
Click to expand...
I bought a merely eye-clean K! I only wanted to pay extra for cut. We all have our own priorities!
purplesilk said:
Please, note that I'm European, so bigger isn't always the better for me.
Click to expand...
I’m American, but I can definitely appreciate this mindset.
 
There is serious selection bias at play when asking this question on this forum. When I am satisfied with my jewelry, I don't spend much time on here; when I get a diamond bug, I show up! My mom still loves her 1/3ct engagement ring, and feels luxurious and special when she wears it. She has a sterling silver garnet ring which must be 30 years old by now which she wears on "normal" days. She would absolutely have zero interest in PS. :think:

I'm curious how many people have been moderately-to-highly active on these forums and yet have no interest in stretching the boundaries of their budget. 8-) I am not one of them! :oops:
 
No , I’ve upgraded 3 times
 
evergreen said:
There is serious selection bias at play when asking this question on this forum. When I am satisfied with my jewelry, I don't spend much time on here; when I get a diamond bug, I show up!
Click to expand...
I would never, ever mistake Pricescope as being unbiased about diamonds! I’ve never really been active, but I’ve read a massive number of threads. First when I was purchasing my ering, and most recently on the occasion of a tenth anniversary band purchase. I love the diamond and jewelry geekery more than I care about stretching my budget. I enjoy collecting “insider” knowledge more than collecting jewels. Although that’s fun too!
 
Can we see your 10th anniversary band? And please stick around!
 
evergreen said:
There is serious selection bias at play when asking this question on this forum. When I am satisfied with my jewelry, I don't spend much time on here; when I get a diamond bug, I show up! My mom still loves her 1/3ct engagement ring, and feels luxurious and special when she wears it. She has a sterling silver garnet ring which must be 30 years old by now which she wears on "normal" days. She would absolutely have zero interest in PS. :think:

I'm curious how many people have been moderately-to-highly active on these forums and yet have no interest in stretching the boundaries of their budget. 8-) I am not one of them! :oops:
Click to expand...

im on here every day and only have my grandma's and my great aunt's rather modest depression error ERs
but i very much enjoy looking at other people's bling and dreaming and i partake in the community of the forum

do i lust over a much bigger stone for myself ?
yes
but out here in the real world 1ct is large in NZ

I do plan on getting a lab princess cut at some stage but i doubt it will be anywhere near a 1 ct
 
Daisys and Diamonds said:
im on here every day and only have my grandma's and my great aunt's rather modest depression error ERs
but i very much enjoy looking at other people's bling and dreaming and i partake in the community of the forum
Click to expand...
I think I might be a fair-weather diamond friend :lol: but yes, the learning aspect is incredibly valuable, whether or not someone is in the market for new shininess!

I might hazard a guess that more male PSers find themselves not compelled to serially move up in carat weight, since society does not dictate that they Ought To Be Claimed By A Diamond On A Finger. ;) Or, anyway, perhaps societal expectations make it more difficult for them to be dripping in jewels, so they are forced to be more selective.
 
My Ering has a 2.14 carat center. I haven’t “upgraded” it in the 5 years I’ve had it, but I did recently reset it.

I have toyed with the idea of upgrading size multiple times (I love wearing my friends’ rings and admire the various rings on PS), but I always go back to my original diamond because it’s the perfect size for my hand/lifestyle.

I’ve even bought smaller diamonds recently (0.70 ct Asscher EMD & 1.77 ct emerald LGD) for ring projects, so I guess a size upgrade is not (yet) in the cards for me (never say never haha) ;)2
 
My very first diamond purchase was in my early teens using red packet money I collected during Chinese New Year, and it was a band that cost about 600 HKD back in late 1970s. I was so happy with it, however I got told off by my mum for wasting money on chips. :roll2:

My original e-ring was a 3-stone ECs totalling 0.75ct, which I sold after my divorce when I needed the money for relocation.

My 1.19ct E VS1 EC is small by PS standard, however, I am in the UK, and over 0.5ct is considered to be big. ;)2

It is too big even in its original plain solitaire setting to be worn on a daily basis.

So I bought a 0.47ct EC for daily wear instead set simply East-West in a plain band, for the large EC to be worn at dressier occasions.

The large EC has been reset twice and is now in its forever home in a setting that I had always wanted.

It has a sob story or two attached to it, so it is hugely sentimental. The ring is the one to trump them all, and I will never buy a bigger diamond to be set in a ring.

I have a 1.94ct MRB given to me by my mum. I don't like MRBs so I repurposed it into a bangle instead and I wear that as often as I can with my large EC ring.

DK :))
 
evergreen said:
I think I might be a fair-weather diamond friend :lol: but yes, the learning aspect is incredibly valuable, whether or not someone is in the market for new shininess!

I might hazard a guess that more male PSers find themselves not compelled to serially move up in carat weight, since society does not dictate that they Ought To Be Claimed By A Diamond On A Finger. ;-) Or, anyway, perhaps societal expectations make it more difficult for them to be dripping in jewels, so they are forced to be more selective.
Click to expand...

if i had the money i'd rock a PS quality 3 ct :lol-2:
but i would still wear my grandma's ER and aunty Neeter's one too :kiss2:

i dont think anyone here would care if a ring was too big, but jewlery in general is very overpriced in my part of the world
 
purplesilk said:
Social expectations and Pricescope can be hell: it seems that everybody owns or should own big beautiful diamonds...
Click to expand...

I strongly disagree because I understand that people vary, as do their diamond sizes, and their expectations.
Perhaps a few people do what you claim, but certainly not everybody.
Many here speak up about how they are happy with relatively small diamonds.
I've never read and example of them being put down for it.

Just because you're part of a group in which some have X does not mean they expect you to also have X.

That's all in your mind, so don't do that to yourself; it's not fair to you.
We can all be at peace with whatever we own, if anything.
 
Have you seen this thread?

Under 1ct diamonds

Here on PS...I have seen alot of different beautiful rings...different sizes, shapes, cuts, colors, cuts and settings And my hunger for eyecandy is always satisfied. And as much as I love,love, love staring, and drooling over the giant sized sparklies. There is just a special place in my heart...
www.pricescope.com
 
I have upgraded but let’s ignore if your diamond is “big “ or “small” because that’s all relative. Moreover it’s “do I have to upgrade?” Which- obviously not. The vast majority of people don’t. If you’re happy with what you have then you could spend that money on idk lab grown studs or a lab grown pendant.

For me I won’t probably trade in rings I have for larger stones. I’d rather just get more rings. But I wouldn’t let a small group of enthusiasts make you jaded to what is normal and not normal.
 
You do you.
My Mum has a friend who is like mega rich. I really like her, she’s so nice and money hasn’t changed her.
She still wears her original engagement ring which is like a .35 carat piece of “spit” in an illusion setting. It is her most precious piece of jewellery she says. She started going out with her still husband when she was 15 and got engaged at 17. Took him over a year to save up for the engagement ring. Married over 60 years.
She wears other $$$$$ diamond rings, bracelets and earrings etc but is still most proud of her engagement ring.
 
Most of my immediate friend circle (ages 50-65) are not on PS, and are not into diamonds at all. Even though they appreciate and admire my sparklies, and my interest in diamonds, none have upgraded from their original e-rings. Most of them have center stones in the .5-.75 range. So I think that in the real world people who stick to their "smaller" original e-rings are the majority rather than the minority.
 
Kim N said:
Have you seen this thread?

Under 1ct diamonds

Here on PS...I have seen alot of different beautiful rings...different sizes, shapes, cuts, colors, cuts and settings And my hunger for eyecandy is always satisfied. And as much as I love,love, love staring, and drooling over the giant sized sparklies. There is just a special place in my heart...
www.pricescope.com
Click to expand...

Oh yes! I’ve only read the first 30 or so pages, but so many lovely, lovely rings.
 
I think I will always stay with mined diamonds. Id also rather have a smaller, well cut, colorless stone than a warmer larger stone.
My favorite diamond might just be my .62ct D/VS1 CBI. It’s smaller in size and looks relatively modest in my town but it really performs!
 

Attachments

  • 4F6B4361-94EF-457B-A85C-ABC40529F89A.jpeg
    4F6B4361-94EF-457B-A85C-ABC40529F89A.jpeg
    133.2 KB · Views: 92
Lakefront said:
I think I will always stay with mined diamonds. Id also rather have a smaller, well cut, colorless stone than a warmer larger stone.
My favorite diamond might just be my .62ct D/VS1 CBI. It’s smaller in size and looks relatively modest in my town but it really performs!
Click to expand...

What a gorgeous ring! Do you know the size of the side stones? I really like the ratio.
 
Platinumplus said:
For me it’s the craftsmanship that makes a diamond unique. I’m paying for a skilled cutter, regardless if it is natural or lab made rough.
Click to expand...

I agree with this sentiment on the LGD/EMD debate! I feel similarly about custom fabricated vs mass-produced settings: I'm paying for the skill and expertise of the person on the other side of the transaction, not just a product.
 
kenny said:
I strongly disagree because I understand that people vary, as do their diamond sizes, and their expectations.
Perhaps a few people do what you claim, but certainly not everybody.
Many here speak up about how they are happy with relatively small diamonds.
I've never read and example of them being put down for it.

Just because you're part of a group in which some have X does not mean they expect you to also have X.

That's all in your mind, so don't do that to yourself; it's not fair to you.
We can all be at peace with whatever we own, if anything.
Click to expand...

Kenny you got me wrong.
The key word is not EVERYBODY, but IT SEEMS: I was talking about what I perceive ...

IMHO the most frequent threads in the RockyTalky forum are about:
1) my budget is xxx and my priority is carat, so how big can I get?
2) help me to upgrade carat.

Most frequent advice:
1) carat not much lower from what it is worn by your social circle
2) go with low color and clarity to maximize the carat.

Thanks God people vary.
Thanks God many people are happy with their diamonds no matter the carat.
Thanks God many people don't care about diamond at all.
 
purplesilk said:
IMHO the most frequent threads in the RockyTalky forum are about:
1) my budget is xxx and my priority is carat, so how big can I get?
2) help me to upgrade carat.

Most frequent advice:
1) carat not much lower from what it is worn by your social circle
2) go with low color and clarity to maximize the carat.
Click to expand...
My mom had a two carat diamond, and my sister has a three carat diamond…. I didn’t really want to be responsible for something so expensive, but I felt I had to get at least a carat so my husband didn’t look bad to my family. I went lower on color to save money. The budget wasn’t what we could spend, but how much money I wanted to wear on my hand. I’m not sure *why* I worry about that, we have insurance etc.,
but I do.
 
People have different priorities.
I think you were smart because you managed to find a compromise between "family expectations" and the budget you were comfortable to wear on your finger.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top