I'm curious - What % of cost was spent on your setting vs. diamond?

[BlingDreams]

Based on a discussion in another thread, I got to wondering what the average percentage is that people spend on their setting vs. center stone. Given the amount of bling on here, I'm limiting my question to engagement rings (since that seems to be the most common reason people are on PS) and not the gorgeous RHR's, colored stone rings, and other such beauties some are lucky to possess . You can decide if you want it to be your original e-ring or upgraded e-ring(s)

Feel free to post details below if you have several responses, or would like to say how your e-ring choice compares to decisions with other bling!

 

[rubybeth]

I like this question! My original engagement ring is a half carat in a solitaire. I think the setting cost about 20% of the diamond price. It's a simple solitaire. I have an upgrade in the works and it's already in a simple solitaire, so I keep thinking about resetting my original into a halo, so then I'd have two awesome options for an engagement ring or could wear my original as a RHR--but halos are so expensive! It would easily cost double the price of the original diamond... might be worth it for sentimental value, but it's hard to justify spending that much for a small stone.

 

[BlingDreams]

I think we did ours a bit backwards from most. We knew we wanted a bespoke setting so, after coming up with our "all-in" budget, we backed out a buffer amount for the setting and then chose a diamond with the remainder; from what I usually read, most seem to focus on the diamond and then choose a setting with what's left.

Thankfully IDJ was amazing and we were still able to get a diamond we were more than happy with with the remainder of our budget.

 

[Austina]

My new setting was quite expensive because I particularly wanted platinum, and it came in at 12 gms.

 

[drk14]

My wife's custom setting ended up costing almost as much as the center mq, in part because of the use of pink melee in the inner halo.

 

[OoohShiny]

I didn't know which option to tick for 15% lol

 

[BlingDreams]

I didn't know which option to tick for 15% lol

Ha! Good point. I'd say 15.0 and down, use 10-15%. 15.1 and up, use 15-20%

 

[Niel]

Mine has ranged,current as my goal was finding a true vintage soli, mine at this point is about 3% after purchase and refurbs.

 

[BlingDreams]

Mine has ranged,current as my goal was finding a true vintage soli, mine at this point is about 3% after purchase and refurbs.

I've come to realize through this that the more expensive the center stone, the smaller the percentage you're probably spending on the setting. Maybe a better view would be dollar amounts. But then I'd want to know how much the center stone was per setting amount - lol.

No all-encompassing way to capture the data I'm curious about I guess!

 

[Dancing Fire]

As cheap as I can just incase of an upgrade or downgrade in size. I paid $2K for my 500 fine Palladium tension setting and IMO it is way too much.

 

[Akalahab]

My diamond isn't very large at .795 and it was only 2k thanks to Gypsy finding it! I'm a musician though and for me, as a fellow artist, I value craftmanship and artistry over a big stone - so I don't care if I end up with a setting that costs more. I'm not here to compete with anybody's sized stone and I have small hands anyway! I'd rather support someone's blood, sweat, tears, and years of practice, thought, and care for what they do. I think I've brought hubby onboard for handforged! I don't even care what style of ring so much - for me it's about the level of care and vision and something that won't just become junk in 80 years!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You are right that the percentages will be lower the more expensive the center stone is. My Vatche solitaire temporary setting is around 5-6% of the diamond price, but I would maybe spend up to 15-20% on the final setting. On the other hand (haha), my other e-ring with the antique asscher (which was a less expensive stone), has a setting that is a between 20-25%. I have another diamond I may set in CVB's Casablanca, and that would be about 35% of the value of the diamond!

 

[tkyasx78]

I wont spend more than 3 K on a setting. styles change every few years and it is better for me to have a wonderful center stone that I can set with the styles of the day that I like than to invest too much into a setting that will likely be " dated " in 10 years or even sooner.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

This is a fun thread to keep up with - thanks for posting everyone!

 

[LLJsmom]

My recent VC setting was in at about 13%. I would have gone up to 20% if I felt that:
1. It was what I really wanted
2. Would be the final setting for the forseeable future

I guess I'm just lucky that my setting ticks the boxes at 13%.

I have a few projects that I would love to execute, but the settings would be about 90% of the total cost of the finished piece. Thus, those must wait.

 

[ringbling17]

I have a temp setting so it's only 2%.

 

[doberman]

My recent LM setting (halo, micropave) was about 14%.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/little-miss-sunshine.231186/page-2#post-4176894

 

[alene]

My original setting was about 12% of the diamond cost. The reset a few years later was about 40% of what we paid for the diamond. (Of course at that point, the diamond would've cost a lot more too).

 

[Matthews1127]

I looked for options long before DH & I searched, together. Actually, long before we became a couple. 15 years, to be precise.
I knew what I wanted; I was a woman on a mission. However, my main focus was on the diamond; I wanted an EC over all others, and he knew that. I shopped alone, and selected a setting I absolutely loved, and asked the jeweler to log it in her book, for future reference. When we sat down to discuss our future, I explained to DH that I didn't care what he chose for a setting (it could have been temporary), as long as the diamond was an EC (any size). We went back to the jeweler, together, the following year, and she pulled out the setting I selected as reference & we sat down together to look at potential stones.
I left him to decide what he wanted, and what he chose was the setting I loved with my EC, Uisce. The cost of this stone was amazing (other jeweler's quoted us prices Thousands to DOUBLE what he paid for a stone around the same carat weight), and the setting was extremely reasonable (I expected it to be twice the asking amount). The setting was under $2K & the stone was under $4K. He spent approx. 33% of the cost of the stone on the setting because the stone was such a steal! I know that no matter how styles change, this setting will always remain MY style, and something I will never change. My ring truly means "forever" to me. I intend to add more rings to my set, and if I ever "upgrade", it will be an addition to my existing collection; I could never part with what I have. Don't misunderstand me, I have drooled over everyone's upgrades...and more than once, I've said, "Maybe, someday". Then, I look down at my playful Uisce, and the thought is erased from my mind (temporarily...lol!).
I appreciate all of the wonderful advice I have been given, and for the learning experience PS has provided for me, this far! There is so much left to learn! It has really been an amazing experience, and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead!
I was referred to an independent jeweler by a friend, who, at the time we were looking, had 2 EC's she just "couldn't sell" because they aren't "popular": the first was "over a carat" for approx $5,500, and the other was "one and three quarters" for almost $9,000. Needless to say, we never stepped foot in her shop, after those quotes...it broke our budget expectations (I refused to allow him to pay over 4K for my diamond). We have an existing family of 8 (6 kids between the two of us); it just wasn't practical. For all I know, they are "Square EC's". Quite frankly, I wasn't impressed with the way she handled me over the phone (I couldn't imagine dealing with her in person). It's no wonder she "couldn't sell" them...she treated them like they were the "red haired step child". Quite honestly, I felt as though she was trying to talk me out of purchasing an EC, altogether. To give her the benefit of the doubt, and to demonstrate good consumership, her diamonds may have had better cert specs, accounting for the price gap, and both very well may out perform my Uisce. I'll never know, and for the money it saved my DH, it is really irrelevant. The $2K-5K he saved was used to plan our impromptu wedding! No regrets!