More sense to buy now and upgrade, or just wait until I can afford the larger stone?

[codex57]

Normally, I'd say wait, but 5 years is sufficiently long enough that you might want an upgrade then as well. If you're comfortable with the vendor's upgrade policy, I'd just get it now. You're talking a big enough jump right now anyways to make it worthwhile.

I wouldn't worry about what's "normal" in the Bay Area. Too many people on all ends of the financial spectrum. You'll never really get what "normal" is. In SF alone, you're gonna see a huge difference in what the average is in say Hunter's Point vs. the Marina district. Just go with what makes you happy.

 

[Kim N]

Gail, I think halos are gorgeous too. They just don''t look "right" on my hand. But I know they''d be great for maximizing size.

KimberlyH, I have seen pictures of your rings, and they''re beautiful. I do know that the size won''t make mine less beautiful or significant. Thanks for the input.

LadyKemma, thanks for the tip about pears, and Tacori and Susane, thanks for your input about marquises.

makemepretty, thanks for the input. I''d like to go with a vendor with an upgrade policy, so for this ring I won''t be going to eBay. But I do know you can get great deals there if you know how to buy and you''re careful.

Thanks, codex. You''re right about there being a lot of variation on the financial spectrum. I know some days I don''t see anything over 1ct, and then other days I see 2ct+ constantly.

 

[E B]

Kim,

I agree with Stone Hunter about trying an oval. If you were thinking of rounds, ovals will be the most similar AND you''ll get tons of spread. ephemery1 has a gorgeous oval...check out her thread:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-oval-e-ring-picture-heavy.46482/

 

[starryeyed]

Kim,

I would agree with the others regarding the size of your stone in SF. There are so many diamonds out there. There will always be someone with a bigger diamond than you. There will always be people with smaller diamonds than you. You should get something that will make YOU happy. Consider what the diamond represents for you and feel proud of it. I got a pair of studs when I graduated with my masters. Even though they are not the honkers that I see some women wearing, I know that they represent a milestone for me. Every diamond has a story - why you got it, who gave it to you, etc, so it''s the meaning that the stone has that counts, not the size.

And, if you are still worried, you can always get a really nice, unique setting. The halo idea is great, as are sidestones for that extra sparkle. I saw this ring from Diamond Brokers of FL and thought of you. I''m not sure how you feel about Asschers, but they are a very "spready" stone for their size. This ring from Daniel K adds a baguette halo which mimmicks the diamond''s facets nicely and makes the stone look larger. Just a thought.

Good luck!

 

[starryeyed]

PS - I know you said you thought halos didn''t look right on your hand, but I thought this might be different because of the baguettes and the diamond''s shape....I hope introducing another new shape isn''t overwhelming. Have fun with this!

 

[Kim N]

Ebree, thanks for adding your input on ovals. I have seen ephemery1''s thread, and I agree that it''s gorgeous.

Date: 11/20/2006 1:06:00 PM
Author: starryeyed
I would agree with the others regarding the size of your stone in SF. There are so many diamonds out there. There will always be someone with a bigger diamond than you. There will always be people with smaller diamonds than you. You should get something that will make YOU happy. Consider what the diamond represents for you and feel proud of it. I got a pair of studs when I graduated with my masters. Even though they are not the honkers that I see some women wearing, I know that they represent a milestone for me. Every diamond has a story - why you got it, who gave it to you, etc, so it''s the meaning that the stone has that counts, not the size.

Thanks, starryeyed, these are very wise words! I appreciate the idea of the baguette halo with the asscher. I think a local jeweler has something similar, so I''ll try it out to see if it looks better on me than traditional halos.

 

[codex57]

Are you even in SF? Just curious. I just threw in SF cuz I know the names of the districts in there. When you first posted, I took Bay Area to mean South Bay, East Bay, SF, Marin all the way out to like Gilroy and possibly Sacramento. Obviously, you''ve got a wide spectrum of diamond sizes when you say Bay Area.

 

[starryeyed]

Any updates Kim?

 

[momof3]

hello!

i would do it now, especially if you have the trade in - can i ask what the policy is???

my original jeweler gave trade in value of purchase price, but i ended up being very unhappy with their service so i a different found jeweler who would take my trade in - for near the same price and i didn''t buy it from them so don''t feel stuck if you aren''t happy w/ your current merchant.

i lived in the bay area and do understand there are a lot of people there w/ a lot of money but there are also a lot of people there who could care less, so do what makes you happy! this will also facilitate the future upgrade, instead of having to make a huge leap later, and be happy in between...