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Upgrade help!

MLobo17

MLobo17

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
38
My husband and I are upgrading me for our anniversary. He's left everything (but the budget) in my hands. I have a $11k budget. I love ornate, classy, halos, white and rose gold, and round stones. I love Verragio, but I've read some not so great things about them (like the rings aren't as pretty in person as they are on their site). I have no idea where to start looking. Any suggestions on designers? Any pointers help! I don't know much about this. My current ring is a .72ct RB center set in a halo. Both the stone and setting are from Jared. I also want something that I can easily find a band to match since I wasn't able to find anything for this ring. I wear an enhancer/wrap and I'm not a fan.
 
Some people would suggest finding the stone first and then choosing the setting from the leftover budget, but in your case, I think that you should figure out how much the setting is going to cost. Halo setting prices seem to vary quite a bit. You can get an idea if what you like by looking through this thread: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-collection-of-halos.121549/page-20']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-collection-of-halos.121549/page-20[/URL]

After you've figured out how much your dream setting is going to cost you, you can go about finding a diamond.
 
MLobo17|1358358089|3356954 said:
My husband and I are upgrading me for our anniversary. He's left everything (but the budget) in my hands. I have a $11k budget. I love ornate, classy, halos, white and rose gold, and round stones. I love Verragio, but I've read some not so great things about them (like the rings aren't as pretty in person as they are on their site). I have no idea where to start looking. Any suggestions on designers? Any pointers help! I don't know much about this. My current ring is a .72ct RB center set in a halo. Both the stone and setting are from Jared. I also want something that I can easily find a band to match since I wasn't able to find anything for this ring. I wear an enhancer/wrap and I'm not a fan.
Click to expand...

What type of center stone were you hoping to get to as far as size? Could you spend that much on the stone now and upgrade the setting later? Really well done settings can cost a lot of money some even half your budget if not more...This is why I'm asking if maybe you can do it one step at a time.
 
I was hoping to get a 1ct center. I'm in grad school and my husband is military. I don't really aspire to anything huge right now. We always intended to upgrade as we ht anniversary milestones. I thought about buying the setting now (my setting is the root of my problems with my current ring) and then upgrading my stone later on. I could also trade up my stone through Jared and they'll put what we paid on my current stone ($2700) towards a new one. So total budget could be $13700 (and I could make that $14k).
 
well you could get at least that!

http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/Round-cut/1.51-carat-J-color-VS2-clarity-Excellent-cut-sku-148606

With this setting:
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/Engagement-Rings/Halo/18k-White-Gold-Pave-Halo-and-Shank-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-Round-Center-item-6802

Would put you at your 11k budget - a bit about 5% PS discount from JA...

Or something with better color:
http://www.jamesallen.com/#!/loose-diamonds/Round-cut/1.27-carat-G-color-VS2-clarity-Excellent-cut-sku-185453

does jared have a decent collection? You'll find better deals going through our online vendors. I wouldn't suggest going through the process of getting a custom made halo now if you're going to upgrade the center later only because you'll have to do it all over again for the larger stone. Unless it's possible to pop out the head and put a new one in. I'd suggest calling Engagement rings direct, or Victor Carera (sp?) and ask if that's possible and see what it'd cost to get your ring made.
 
I've noticed that Jared online offers some of the same stones that JA does, but Jared has priced theirs much higher. You will likely end up spending as much for a new stone through Jared even with your trade in as you will with an online vendor. What is your current stone? Is it graded? It may make sense to try to sell your stone yourself and take advantage of online pricing. You should be able to get a gorgeous 1ct or larger stone and a beautiful hand forged setting with your budget.

If you want a ornate and well done halo, I would suggest that you consider Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, or Leon Mege. Here are their websites.

http://www.victorcanera.com/
http://www.stevenkirsch.com/
https://www.artofplatinum.com/vault/

Settings from these designers will likely cost between $4-6k depending on what you decide on, but they will be of heirloom quality. Pave is tricky and if it's isn't done correctly you could end up losing stones and having to spend lots of time and money to replace them. However if you think you may upgrade again in the future you may want to consider a temp setting instead of investing in permanent home now. If this is a forever ring, I wouldn't consider any of the settings offered by Jared.
 
spend the bulk of the money on a CERTIFIED GIA stone and save $1,000 or so for the setting. The setting is the easy thing finding an IDEAL cut diamond for maximum brillance.....Been through this several times and the diamond is the important the setting should be there eto maximize and show off your gorgous stone. Just my opinion and that's a nice budget......
 
Also Jared is a brick and mortar chain store and you can get certified stones there but you are also ppaying their rent and salaries. Better off with on line e store......
 
To be honest, I thought the designers mentioned (specifically Leon Mege) were far out of our price range. My stone is GIA certified, but I have to find the paperwork to tell you what it is. There are designs from each of these designers that I love. I was nervous to consider shopping online since I don't get to see the ring on me before it's complete.
 
It's official.. in LOVE with Leon Mege and all of his round halo's.
 
MLobo17|1358370517|3357158 said:
It's official.. in LOVE with Leon Mege and all of his round halo's.
Click to expand...

If you have a particular piece in mind, then I would contact him to get a general idea of what you can expect to pay for the settiing.
 
MLobo17|1358370517|3357158 said:
It's official.. in LOVE with Leon Mege and all of his round halo's.
Click to expand...

White gold and rose gold settings will usually be a little cheaper than platinum, leaving you more money for the diamond! I think LM's work is beautiful too, but I went with a stock JA setting just so I could get the biggest diamond.
 
You may really love this one too then...
http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-emilya-halo-solitaire-81.html

Many PSer find VC easier to work with LM. I have to personally experience but LM has a reputation of being difficult to work with, though, as you can see he is very talented.

Here is a thread of the Emilya..[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/3-075ct-h-vs1-rb-diamond-in-victor-canera-emilya-halo-ring.181019/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/3-075ct-h-vs1-rb-diamond-in-victor-canera-emilya-halo-ring.181019/[/URL]
 
You may find this helpful too, although it's using a cushion center stone rather than a RB, but lots of useful information just the same.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/#post-3338217#p3338217']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/#post-3338217#p3338217[/URL]

ETA I just re-read your original post and since having a matching wedding band is important to you I thought it was worth mentioning that Leon isn't a fan of wearing both the ering and wedder on the same hand. He is notorious for setting his stones very low as well. Just something to consider when selecting a designer. I'm not saying that he won't do it, but others have been frustrated with his resistance.
 
That is gorgeous!
 
This thread is fantastic. Thank you so much. I can definitely see the differences when they're side by side like this. I have to say, I think I prefer the VC.
 
So you are definitely making some progress! :)) There are settings very similar to these that aren't as costly if you decide that you would rather put the majority of your budget into the diamond. Have you considered a cushion rather than RB? I love a gorgeous chunky cushion in a halo! The drawback though is that cushions tend to face up a bit smaller than a RB so you may not get the same increase in spread as you were hoping..
 
MLobo17|1358374366|3357205 said:
This thread is fantastic. Thank you so much. I can definitely see the differences when they're side by side like this. I have to say, I think I prefer the VC.
Click to expand...
'

You're right, it's hard to see the subtle differences between them until they are side by side. It's a fantastic thread and has been used as a reference many times. I think I prefer VC as well, but everyone has their favorites. I don't think that you could really choose wrong. If you decide to contact each of them for pricing you may find that one personality just appeals to you more than the others, or that one just seems to 'get it''. I think it's really important that you feel comfortable enough to toss ideas back and forth with your vendor and to know that your ideas are understood and that the 'vision' is shared.
 
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