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When did you upgrade?

M

missindecision

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
18
Just curious to see when the “average” time frame is that most people like to start their upgrade process. I know a lot of couples wait for a big anniversary or milestone. I have shared some anxieties about my ring journey and I will be living with her and appreciating my blessings for now - but doesn’t hurt to dream of someday too I guess! Lol
 
Okay I'll bite!

Married in 1987, upgraded a 1.01 E VS1 Oval cut diamond in yellow gold
to a 1.61 I color VVS2 MRB. (in a yellow gold with princess diamonds

In 1997 I reset it a 18K yellow gold setting with princess diamonds
(was by far my most fav setting for this stone).

In 2005 I reset it in a 14K white gold with baguettes (hated that setting)

In 2006 I had a 14K white gold setting with the baguettes from the 2005 setting,
setting the baguettes horzontally on the band , that setting was made by a out of business vendor in Austin TX, it was a POS, total, it it was poorly done, they cracked the baguettes, I totally hated it.

In 2014 I had it reset in a channel set baguette band in platinum, which it is still set in now (but eventually I'm going to make a pendant out of it, once covid is a memory) this was handmade that some bride walked away from and we bought it with the matching wedding band, it's nice but not me.

2018 I upgraded to a 2.95 I color SI 1 ACA in platinum. I wear that as my engagement ring now.
 
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My first upgrade was close to 20 years when my original setting was just worn out and I almost lost my diamond. I didn’t know enough then and didn’t love the new ring...but I wore it for 5 or 6 years. It took me a little while to determine what I didn’t like about it and longer to determine what I would want instead. When that was all known it took a year or so to find the center, contemplate a specific design and have the ring made. I have no plans for a future upgrade but have enjoyed explanding my jewelry collection in other directions.

ETA...the first upgrade had less to do with 20 years of marriage and more to do with the worn setting, wanting to change the gold color and being able to do something to celebrate reaching some personal and financial goals that we had set for ourselves.
 
I got engaged on Christmas Eve 1986. We picked out the diamond and the setting together. I originally wanted an emerald cut, but my friends talked me out of it (which would not happen now), so I opted for a marquise cut, .80ct, F, VVS2 in 18kt yellow gold with side stones totalling 1ct. I was thrilled!!!

Flash forward 4 years, and I couldn't wear my ring after giving birth. So I took it to the jeweler, who sold my husband the ring, to have it sized. When I went to pick it up, I was horrified. It was not my original diamond. It's a really long story, but since we didn't want to deal with this jeweler, we decided to upgrade the switched stone elsewhere.

My first upgrade was to a 1.51ct MRB with beautiful proportions, E, VS1, set in 18kt white gold with side stones. I loved that diamond, but after a health scare DH decided an upgrade was in order.

My second upgrade was a disaster. I really don't know what I was thinking. It was a MRB, 2ct, D, VS2, with fluorescence, same setting with a new head. It wasn't my stone. I think I had it for a week when I traded it in.

The third time, which was a few years ago, I actually upgraded to a smaller stone. It's a 1.77ct MRB, D, VVS2, with great proportions, set in an 18kt white gold Michael M setting with 1.70ct tw in side stones. I still love this diamond and setting. Yay!!!

I won't even get into my emerald cut ring! :roll2:
 
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My husband and I upgraded for our 14th wedding anniversary (it was also our 15th anniversary of meeting each other.)

We were originally going to do it for our 15th wedding anniversary (which is next month) but decided we could afford it a year early. It was a joint purchase with us both chipping in for it.
 
Got my original engagement ring in 2001, princess cut solitaire from Zales it was a little less than 3/4 carat. We were married in 2006 and my wedding band was a princess and baguette half eternity.

Upgraded in 2016 to a 1.01 G VVS2 princess cut in platinum with round stones bead set in the sides, there was also a matching bead set wedding band. I wore the set for a year but in 2017 we went through some problems. Wearing the new set just reminded me of the bad times so I sold it.

Now I wear a vintage platinum ring with a .85 old European cut diamond surrounded by hearts and it's perfect for me.
 
I got an upgrade for my 29th anniversary. My original ring didnt fit after 4 babies and was worn out. I needed a new setting so I proposed an entire new ring.
 
I’m not married yet, but I guess I can chip in with my mother’s experience! She has had the same ring since she got engaged, for my parents’ 25th anniversary my dad got my mom a new ring so she wears her original engagement ring as an RHR. Her original RHR has been converted to a pendant.
 
If changing the setting from a solitaire to a diamond halo for my RHR constitutes to an upgrade, then it took me 10 years.
However I could have done it a lot sooner had it not been for my own mis-understanding with regard to reuse of old wedding rings in the first setting, and wrongly applied sentimental value to it.

DK :))
 
I got married in 1978, I didn’t have an engagement ring. For our 40th anniversary I ‘upgraded’ from zilch to a 4.56ct VSi L OEC.
 
IIRC I upgraded during our engagement lol. To make a long story short Greg proposed (so romantically and it was a complete surprise) and after the shock wore off and I said yes a few days passed and I realized the ring wasn’t me.

We have an honest relationship with no secrets and I gently shared my thoughts. After he processed it he was OK with it and I upgraded for the first time. Not the last though lol. Turns out I didn’t yet know what I wanted.

Took a while but I finally have my dream stone. After a few “upgrades”. Now I just have to get my dream setting. No clue as to that yet. Hope it doesn’t take me another 21 years :lol:

But if it does it’s ok. All that matters is I have my dream partner in life. I am rich beyond material things. ❤️
 
I got my first Whiteflash ACA diamond from my husband on our 10th anniversary (never got an engagement ring or diamond until then) and slowly upgraded it. It started off at ~1.5 carats and now it is about ~3.1 carats. This last upgrade occurred for our 25 year anniversary and I’m pretty sure this is my last one.
 
I got engaged over forty years ago with a .60 pear with a gigantic dark gray square inclusion under the table. I was thrilled. I wore that ring for about twenty years. We upgraded it to an almost one carat mrb..It was probably an I clarity. It also had dark inclusions you could see with the naked eye. People would always try to rub off what they thought was dirt. I would laugh and say it was just inclusions and laugh. About fifteen years ago my husband suggested we upgrade again...I traded that diamond in for Libby...2.03 VS1 G color. I love her color and clarity. She only has clear inclusions on the edge. The table is flawless...Since being a PS’er Libby started shrinking. My husband suggested another upgrade. I couldn’t trade her in. When my husband saw me drooling over the rocks on here he suggested I get another diamond but I could keep Libby. I purchased a 2.78 VS2 I color ACA. She’s gorgeous but I’m color sensitive enough that I will upgrade my I to a G when my husband gives me the green light. That may be around Christmas/birthday...That will be my last upgrade. I’m not a spring chicken anymore..haha
 
My upgraded wedding ring arrived a couple of days ago! I was married in Cancun in February 2011, and loved my princess cut 1.39 I VVS1 from Blue Nile. This August I'll turn 50 (!) and will celebrate our 10-year anniversary in February. Before the 'Rona, we were planning for a trip of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands. However, as the summer went on we decided to pause our planning as it's unlikely we'll feel totally comfortable planning a huge trip in Feb. So I got the idea to upgrade my ring and DH was totally supportive! The new ring is just a bigger solitaire, 2.3 J VVS1. 11B3F58D-206C-44E6-8327-AFE36A0F00CB.jpegBF468A18-F7C3-4B96-BFD7-D045AFE3D6E3.jpeg501DC27C-458A-4915-8F86-A253E3ABAB58.jpeg148143AC-A024-47DE-A329-A3E73ADB79EA.jpeg
 
When I got engaged, it was spur of the moment and there was no ring. Also, I was student teaching and DH was working a low paying job and not in college. With a little money from his dad we were able to pick out a .4 RB with a feather in it. I always knew I wanted a big diamond but was so happy to get one at all. He supported us through my student teaching and then when I got my first teaching job he worked part time and finished college.

Ten years later I upgraded to a .71 RB in a bezel setting that I absolutely loved. At 15 years (and a more complicated journey to get there plus I had found PS) I finally hit the 1.0 ex/ex/ex mark. I loved my diamond!

Two years later I am now upgrading again because I want a bigger (size 7 finger here!) and better performing stone. This one scored a 1.6 on the HCA and was an excellent price so how could I pass. The upgrade is in process with my local jeweler, and I have to wait until my anniversary day to get it.

The one thing that will never change is my wedding band. DH and I have been through so much and when this band was given to me at 15 years of marriage, it was highly symbolic.

great thread!
 
I still wear my original engagement diamond from our 2000 marriage with my wedding stack (I have a couple of thin anniversary bands that I rotate)....

However! I began an anniversary diamond upgrade process in fall 2018. The first diamond was .80, then .90, then 1.23. I am currently upgrading that solitaire into a proper anniversary three-stone this fall for our 20th anniversary. :)
 
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I purchase for my own fun, and landmark/life commemoration, rather than as a specific upgrade.

My first diamond is a vintage ring with an OEC that is 0.40 I VS2. I had liked the OEC look for nearly a decade before that purchase, which was partly justified as something to wear to a relative's wedding in summer 2018.

2 years later, now in summer 2020, I sought another OEC that would be a slight sort of upgrade. This one is in part spurred by the pandemic. I had always wanted to get another Old European cut diamond someday. So, I decided I would benefit from looking at, and studying, something beautiful daily as I sheltered in place. I shelled out for an 0.71 H VS1 with what I think is a pretty nice cut. I'm happy with it and looking forward to figuring out a setting in the future.

@gerbera222 I really like the milgrain detailing on your upgraded wedding set -- it is very subtly pretty and accents the stones nicely.
 
TL,DR version: Aside from an "upcoming" upgrade for our 10 year anniversary in 2022, my ring upgrades have not been tied to anniversaries/time frames, rather they came about as we gained financial stability. Started with CZ, currently still wearing moissanite, and 10 yr anniversary will be a 3ct+ diamond of my choosing.

I was proposed to in 2011 with a 1.25 carat CZ ring (we were both broke college kids and I did not want to "waste" money on something that just sits on my finger, so he selected from 3 choices I gave him).

Married in 2012, and later that year purchased a 1.5ct moissanite (again, still broke, but wanted something more durable), set in to a solitaire. I was out of school and we both had jobs (although mine was not in my field yet).

In 2014 when the new colorless moissy was a thing, we purchased a roughly 2.5ct and put it in to a halo setting, and that is still my "every day" ring. At this point I had been in my career for a year or so but DH was a couple months away from having a job, thankfully I made enough it wasn't an issue and we had just enough extra fun money to (my mind at least) validate the purchase.

Fast forward to 2020! We've both been stable in our careers for 5+ years, we purchased our new build home end of 2018 with 20% down and just refinanced from a 30 to a 15 year last month. We are maxing out our retirement contributions, and have 3 months of all expenses saved for an emergency. 8 years of marriage so far. We are mentally and financially comfortable now with the purchase of a diamond, but this year I wanted diamond earrings (going with lab grown for those) which I should have some time early next month, next year I want solar panels and a deck for the back yard, so 2022 is when we'll pull the trigger on the next upgrade, which happens to be our 10 year and I thought it kind of fun/fitting.

If we are only counting the diamond ring upgrade process...... well, it will have taken 10 years to get that first upgrade! :lol:
 
I love reading all of these !

I have shared a bit on other threads but I have had a bit of a journey with my ring. Long story short I always pictured myself with a classic solitaire but after a few tries at settings after the proposal ended on a halo for a number of reasons (FH wanted quality over size and did not want to finance - I got caught up in the vanity of finger coverage) I don’t want to sound like I am ungrateful because I know I have many blessings in my life! But still thinking about when / if that someday dream could be a reality
 
my upgrade story is a little weird because in all areas except sentiment, it's a downgrade.

Story begins in 2011. My now-husband and I had been dating about a year and were thinking about buying a house. We took a trip to NYC and shopped all up and down 5th. I dragged him to Tiffany and was drooling on the engagement ring floor when the salesman offered to let me try one on. I still remember my now-hubby's eyes got really big but he kindly didn't say no :lol:

So the salesman pulled out a .52 H/VS1 Novo, and I put it on and got all starry eyed. The salesman, being clever, wrote the numbers down on the back of his card and slid it across the counter. My better half took it without saying anything, and I reluctantly handed the rings back over.

Two ish years later, we've got the house, and the boyfriend becomes a fiance with an OEC 3 stone in the butterflies setting (new at the time!)

I wore that ring for 2 years and discovered I actually really disliked that setting. We got married in 2015 and by then I wasn't ever wearing the ring. So in 2016, when I got promoted, we agreed to upgrade and we traded that ring on a new 3 stone, with a 1.72ct center and (I had to go look this up) .55 sides in a classic setting.

I happily wore that for awhile, but then stopped wearing that one too because it just felt...big and flashy. I worked from home by this time, so wearing that to the grocery store just felt weird.

Then one day in early 2018, husband comes home and sets two Tiffany blue boxes on the coffee table in front of me and, in his engineer style, says "I got you something."

So I opened it and it is a .52 H/VS1 Novo, with the matching eternity band. He didn't go out and find a very near ring - he kept the salesman's card and it was the exact same ring I had tried on in the store in 2011. He'd been searching ebay for the serial number since before our wedding and it came up pre-loved. He didn't buy it to be my engagement ring, he just thought it was a nice sentimental surprise. Still, I got all misty eyed about it and wore it as my e-ring quite often.

I have some other pieces that I've bought for myself, like an asscher in a Sholdt setting that I sometimes wear as my engagement ring, and a 1.23ct round that was a master's graduation present from my parents.

We've decided this year to replace my 3 stone round on our 5th anniversary. Turns out that I am just not a round girl (I don't much wear the one from my parents, either). I've settled on a Singlestone 5-stone ring that will be revealed at some point, once the Covid delays resolve and it finally makes it to me :)
 
Ohhhhh, these are really fun to read.

My first ring was a 0.5 to 0.6 carat MRB SI1 G or H (haven’t pulled the cert in years) set in plain YG solitaire. It was 1993 and I was a freshman in college. I was thrilled and wore it for many years. We married in 1999 (long engagement at my request to finish college and grad school). Kept the same ring through the birth of two sons and the purchase of 2 houses. Even though I don’t wear it now, I still have this ring and would never part with it unless dire circumstances required it.

By 2014, I was well established in my career. I also had fallen in love with both yellow diamonds and step cuts. I purchased a 2.26 VS2 fancy intense yellow radiant diamond set with two white trillions. My husband was supportive of this purchase and was fine if I wanted to wear it as my engagement ring. He even surprised me by taking off work to go get it early and got down on one knee again. I still love this ring (and of course him :mrgreen2:).

In 2016 I fell in love with OECs which I had never encountered before PS. I bought a 3.36 OEC and loved the facet pattern and bright light return. However, I underestimated how much my love for step cuts would endure. After much thought, I sold this ring earlier this month.

In 2020 (yesterday actually), I bought a 5.01 carat emerald cut. No posts on it yet. I finally have my forever ring. Hubby is too much of an emotional enabler.
 
My first upgrade was for our 5th anniversary in 2010. We got engaged a month before I graduated college and I didn’t have a penny to my name. I had already started my first “big kid” job in my field but our most pressing expense was a car to get me to and from work (I had a beater with a heater that broke down every time I drove it). Five years in, we had improved finances and 2 kids. I went from a .55 octillion (zales) to a 1.543/I/VS2/ACA. After a few years (and too many halo threads on PS), I decided I wanted to try a halo. I kept the same diamond but put it in a beautiful cushion shaped halo from Verragio. Although the halo was gorgeous, I found that I didn’t wear it as much as I had worn my solitaire. A few years ago (maybe 12th anniversary), we sent the halo and 1.543 back to Whiteflash and upgraded to a 2.67/H/VS1. My husband jokes that he’s working on getting me a carat for each kid (we have 4). I’m very happy with the size, color and clarity of my diamond. I don’t see upgrading in my future. Although, I wouldn’t say no to an AVC three stone someday. ;)
 
I've had my original ring, it has a nearly half carat centre stone, for almost 18 years with no plans to change it. I wear it infrequently, maybe 20% of the time. Mostly I wear just a band.
 
With my first marriage he proposed with a white gold diamond floral cluster from a high street jeweller. It was exactly what I wanted in terms of style, but poor quality (included diamonds, also not keen on white gold due to replating).

So a year before the wedding we had it copied in platinum with D VVS diamonds. Absolutely love it and still wear it as a RHR even though we split 2 years ago.

About to get engaged for the second time, and have gone for a 1.04ct (but spready) marquise centre in a vintage/antique style halo. I haven't seen it yet but provided the diamond performs well I can see myself upgrading. I love the extra sparkle/interest of halos and I can't go much bigger on the diamond if I keep a halo as it would encroach on my knuckle. Plus it took AGES to find the centre stone and that is not a process I am keen to repeat lol.

For a big anniversary I would like a big 5 or 7 stone ring though.
 
Loving all the stories. Now we need pics please.

4921B994-4CD1-47F2-9756-7E3A0DF56893.jpeg

Here’s my first upgrade. While we were engaged. I don’t have a photo of the MRB he proposed with but at least I have a photo of the ER I had when we got married.

1DD8729D-D003-40B1-893F-4216861F7353.png

I no longer wear the shared prong eternity either. That is my original wedding band and I still have it in my home safe.


And my final OEC.

2B139125-61EB-4B58-BAD3-BB522B6E68DA.jpeg


387740E6-FD54-40A7-AEFF-BB4E5E228F80.jpeg


Please share pics if you can. We’re a visual bunch. ❤️
 
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