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Looking for upgrade / trade in advice please

Lschneids01

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 9, 2020
Messages
90
We purchased my E ring 1.5 years ago from a local jeweler that offers 100% trade-in credit toward equal or higher priced item. I currently have a 1.00 carat diamond ring but I want to upgrade in size to a diamond that’s at least around 1.5 carats or more. The local jewelery store I bought it from isn’t a chain and only has one other store an hour north from the one I bought my diamond E ring from. I want to keep my A Jaffe setting I already have that I love.
My current diamond ... It’s 1.00 carats. It is a Forevermark diamond. F in color, The Cut is Very Good. It has Excellent symmetry and Polish. No fluorescence. The measurements are 6.20-6.25 4.01 mm. And it’s a S12.
I looked up the measurements for my 1.00 Carat diamond and it’s deep and on the smaller size for that weight in carats. Would you go shop and choose the replacement before telling them you want to trade? I’m afraid they will inflate the price of new diamond.
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I was under the impression that forevermark diamonds were well crafted??? What are the specs of yours?
As a side note, do you know if a larger diamond will fit in your mounting? From the look of the style I do not believe it will.
Can you post more photos as well as include proportions?
 
Agree with @headlight. By the looks of your setting, I dont think it would take a bigger stone.

Where are you planning on looking for a stone? How do you know if your jewelry store can get the stone you find?
 
I looked up the current setting I have on the
A Jaffe website and the setting holds a diamond anywhere from 0.4 - 4.00 in carat weight. So I think I can use my current setting for the upgrade.

Yes my Forevermark is well crafted and I’m happy with it. Except the size. It is 1.00 carats. It is a F in color. S1. No flourecense. Very good cut. 6.20 - 6.25 x 4.01mm in size.

However, we want to upgrade my diamond I have now because I want a LARGER diamond that is at least 1.5 carats instead of the 1.00 carat I currently have.
The private jewelery store I bought my original diamond E ring from offers an upgrade/trade in program where you can upgrade the diamond you bought from them trading in it for the same price or more and they will put the money you spent on your original diamond towards the new one. So I would be returning to my original jewelry’s to buy the larger diamond.
My question is though should I go into my Jewelers’s and shop for the replacement diamond without telling them it’s a trade in before hand? I’m scared they are going to inflate the price of the new diamond if they knew it was a trade in. Should I not tell them til after I pick my larger diamond??
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I looked up the current setting I have on the A Jaffe website and the setting holds a diamond anywhere from 0.4 - 4.00 in carat weight. So I think I can use my current setting for the upgrade.

Are you sure the website doesn’t mean that the setting style is available for stones in the 0.4 to 4 carat range? There’s a small degree of tolerance in most settings, but that range just doesn’t seem possible.
 
Are you sure the website doesn’t mean that the setting style is available for stones in the 0.4 to 4 carat range? There’s a small degree of tolerance in most settings, but that range just doesn’t seem possible.

Agree with this. I believe the note means the setting is available for diamonds between those sizes. I think a new setting will be needed if going from 1ct to 1.5ct. OP, if keeping the setting is important to you, you may want to confirm with your jeweler how much larger of a diamond your setting can accommodate.
 
Yes, to what @lissyflo and @Kaycee2018 comments. The setting can be made to hold a 4 carat stone but your specific
setting was made to hold a 1 carat so it will only hold something about the same size. For a 4 carat they would make a
whole new setting with a bigger basket to hold the bigger stone. Maybe they are willing to take yours in and give you
credit towards a setting that will hold a 1.5 carat. Some jewelers do that but I'm not sure how yours works.

We understand how trade-ups work. You can certainly go in and ask about larger stones (1.5 carats) without giving any
further detail. I thought you were talking about having him order a stone from virtual inventory. I would think it odd for a jeweler
to up the price of a stone because it is a trade-up but odd things do happen.

Look for Excellent cut stones while you're in shopping.
 
Ok thanks for the info about the setting. If i have to get a new setting, then I would get one that looks like my current setting but for a lot less money than my A Jaffe. I would look into Vatche settings because I’ve seen a few that look like the current one I have.

*****But I still wanted to know if anyone thinks I should go into my Jewelers’s to shop for the larger diamond without them know it’s a trade in at first until after I pick the upgrade out? I’m worried they will inflate the price of the new diamond if they knew it was a trade in. Anyone have opinion????
 
@tyty333 thank you for your advice! Much appreciated and needed.
 
I don't think you can just walk in on any day and say you want to trade in. They'll need to unmount the diamond to inspect and then take it from there. I don't see any reason why they'd inflate the price of the new diamond, but I understand your concern. Weirder things have happened. I think you should give them a heads up that's what you're looking to do.
 
@LIGemzGal thank you for your advice. I appreciate it. I would call my jewelry’s first. Then make an appointment to come in from there. I know I wouldn’t be getting my upgraded diamond E ring overnight and don’t mind being without it while I wait for them to do what they have to.

I do have to see if they would make a larger basket for me with the same setting I have now. And most importantly if I could trade in my old setting and put the money to the new one for the larger diamond. Or if it would be cheaper to just get a new Vatche setting that has quality for a good price.

I would also have to see if my upgrade would be worth it. I love my Forevermark diamond I have now but we just wish it came out looking bigger when we received the finished ring. I have large hands and long fingers with big knuckles so the 1 carat looked a lot smaller on my hand than we thought it would. Even though we tried a 1 carat on in my setting in the store when we bought it. But as weird as it may sound, I tried a 1.5 carat ring on with a band width similar to mine now and it looked a lot larger than the 1 carat I have now. I know it’s cheaper also to get a1.53 or 1.52, not an exact 1.5 carat on the spot. So we will try different sizes. We also are more informed about buying diamonds being on this forum. I know to look at the report for the diamond and to look at the size of the diamond not just weight in carats.
 
I wouldn't tell them you're looking to trade in until they've found you the right diamond.
 
@LIGemzGal thank you for your advice. I appreciate it. I would call my jewelry’s first. Then make an appointment to come in from there. I know I wouldn’t be getting my upgraded diamond E ring overnight and don’t mind being without it while I wait for them to do what they have to.

I do have to see if they would make a larger basket for me with the same setting I have now. And most importantly if I could trade in my old setting and put the money to the new one for the larger diamond. Or if it would be cheaper to just get a new Vatche setting that has quality for a good price.

I would also have to see if my upgrade would be worth it. I love my Forevermark diamond I have now but we just wish it came out looking bigger when we received the finished ring. I have large hands and long fingers with big knuckles so the 1 carat looked a lot smaller on my hand than we thought it would. Even though we tried a 1 carat on in my setting in the store when we bought it. But as weird as it may sound, I tried a 1.5 carat ring on with a band width similar to mine now and it looked a lot larger than the 1 carat I have now. I know it’s cheaper also to get a1.53 or 1.52, not an exact 1.5 carat on the spot. So we will try different sizes. We also are more informed about buying diamonds being on this forum. I know to look at the report for the diamond and to look at the size of the diamond not just weight in carats.

I'm not aware that jewelers take back or trade in the setting by itself but I could certainly be wrong. I thought the center stone was always the negotiating piece when an upgrade was in play. But if your jeweler does take back your setting and gives you credit for it towards a new setting then that would really be a win! If your jeweler doesn't take back your current setting but you really want to keep that setting for the upgraded diamond, perhaps you can have a similar style ring custom made for less than what purchasing a new designer setting would cost.

Are you planning on the upgraded diamond also being a Forevermark diamond as well? Are those the only type of diamonds that your jeweler sells? I'm just thinking that you can get excellent specs from an unbranded diamond as well. And perhaps saving you more money so you can put towards an even larger stone, say a 1.6-1.75 carat stone if it came down to you paying more just for the Forevermark brand. If having a Forevermark branded diamond is important to you then by all means buy what your heart loves. I just would love to see you get a larger stone if it means not having a "brand" associated with it so long as all of the specs were still on par with a Forevermark.
 
@LIGemzGal Yes I’m not really sure they would take my setting and put the money towards the new setting they would have to make for the larger diamond. I couldn’t find any info about that on their website. Only about the exchange program to upgrade the diamond. So you’re probably right. If not I would look at the Vatche settings that look visually similar to mine, but for a much better price.
That’s a really good question about still wanting a Forevermark diamond when I upgrade... I wouldnt care if it wasn’t a Forevermark like my current diamond. And I will definitely look into whether or not they only sell Forevermark or if they sell unbranded diamonds as well where I can save money and put it towards an even larger unbranded diamond like you said. That was a great idea. Thank you! Definitely a lot to look into and think about. I appreciate your thoughts.
 
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