would you upgrade e-ring (diamond and/or setting)?

[heart prongs]

I have to say that I wouldn''t...To us (husband and I), that stone and that setting together with our wedding rings represent a very special and significant time in our lives. That''s not to say that I wouldn''t get other diamonds in my life for other fingers, ears, neck, etc... but I just cannot see disassembling the one piece of jewelry that a girl waits her entire life to receive. It was such an amazing moment getting engaged; I always want to be able to look at my left finger and remember that awesome day. klr
Others thoughts on this topic???

 

[Kamuelamom]

I wholeheartedly agree. But then again, I'm very old fashioned.

Besides, I waited 13 years for my wedding set (it was waaay past ering stage when I got it

) so I really can't see resetting it, now, or ever. When I mentioned the idea of upgrading, and how many women I've met on the forums upgrade their erings, my husband (who's old fashioned too) choked at the thought, and then surprisingly said, I can see getting another (separate) piece, but not resetting this one. We chose it together and that was special.

Needless to say, I almost fainted.

 

[KBerly]

i agree heart prongs. i am not engaged yet, but this has come up and my BF and i have decided there will be no upgrades. this is one of the main reasons why he wants me to have such a big part in picking out the ring. we want it to be what we both want from the get go, and there will ever be a reason for an upgrade. even if he did it on his own, there would be no upgrade! but he's afraid to do that

of course, well hopefully, there will be more diamonds, but there will only be one engagement ring.

editted to add: i think it's wonderful though for those PS'ers who have upgraded. i think i have just conformed to the fact that my BF would never agree to it

 

[Upgradable]

Here's another perspective.

Hubby and I are coming up on 20 years together. He gave me a beautiful .6 H VS2 Old European diamond he inherited from his great aunt. We had it reset in a lovely yellow gold setting.

As important and meaningful as that ring is, we have traveled through 20 years of marriage, have two children, and have a deeper relationship than either of us could have conceived of when we became engaged.

We are currently looking at buying a beautiful new stone set in a new setting. This will be my new "wedded" ring. I won't have separate e-ring and w-ring.

His aunt's diamond now sits in a brand new yellow gold contour setting made from the gold wedding band that belonged to my great grandmother. This "new" ring will go to my daughter. It contains all of the love and committment from 120 combined years of wedded bliss.

I think that's pretty sentimental too.

 

[Jennifer5973]

I did not upgrade my original stone, i.e., trade it in, because it is tremendously sentimental. However, I took the center stone and all of the side stones in my original 14K wedding set and re-set them into one platinum ring, which I wear frequently on my right hand. I guess that puts me in the middle.

 

[innerkitten]

I think if I wanted something larger or different, I would just buy a new ring for my right hand.

 

[Patty]

I've changed my stone and setting several times over the past 25 years. I think it's easier to think you will never change yours if it's a new ring and a stone and setting that you adore. But as I got older and more educated about diamonds, I wanted something different. Also, my tastes changed with the times. I don't take it as having anything to do with how I feel about my husband. He's changed his style over the years too. I've been told that I am not sentimental. It's true. But I do love my husband.

 

[Kamuelamom]

----------------
On 10/11/2004 10:05:25 PM Patty wrote:


I think it's easier to think you will never change yours if it's a new ring and a stone and setting that you adore.
----------------

I'm with you on this Patty. This could be the very reason I'm content to keep this ring forever. Not only is it new, it has a story and now that I have my daughter, I will give it to her someday. She will know how mommy and daddy couldn't afford a set like this when we started out, and how she was part of presenting it to me when I did finally receive it and that is why I love it soooooo much. I was very fortunate that we came upon these diamond education forums while we were looking for my wedding set. This allowed us to make an educated purchase from the get go, thus leaving me feeling very content with both the stone and the ring. I've only had it for two years and I do still adore it very much.

It took me exactly 12.5 years into my marriage to get this set. I love sparklies as much as any of you so don't any of you think that I'm not already dreaming of what to get for my 25th anniversary.

About the only thing I know is that it will be a separate piece from this one. Only 9 years to go and counting.

 

[Patty]

Yes, Kamuelamom, you sure got a gorgeous set...It was well worth the wait! I'm so glad that I got a totally new ring for our 25th. I'm just sentimental enough to appreciate having something new to symbolize that anniversary.

 

[fire&ice]

My hubby always called my orig e-ring my "starter" diamond.

Just goes to show how well he knew me.

 

[ame]

Im sure in a few years we will go up in size but hopefully not drasticlally. I tried on a few bigger stones and was kind of freaked out by their size. I don't know how you girls with 2+ carat stones do it.

 

[fancyrock]

I wouldn't upgrade eigher. With that one special "set", i'm sure all of you have a wonderful story to share and to look back on. To change your "love symbol" would be terrible. (can't you tell i'm very sentimental) However, to desire for a larger stone or a different style setting, I wouldn't mind getting a whole new one. And maybe this one would have a sweet story attached to it too. (say... 10, 15, 20, 25 year annisversay or birthdayor JUST BECAUSE)

 

[Mara]

I am definitely upgrading!

I went into this with my then-fiance knowing that I would most likely want something bigger later...little did I know I would be bitten by the diamond bug big time.

Since I don't wear alot of jewelry at all, my rings are almost all I have on a daily basis, besides platinum hoop earrings. So I don't necessarily want other rings or bracelets...not now anyway.

So before we were even married, I sold the old stone and got a new one, same size basically but a 10000% better cut. At first then-fiance was sentimental towards old stone but now he's not sentimental towards my diamonds at all. Our wedding rings are important to us though...we went into those purchases saying we wanted to keep them.

Now, for my combo 30th birthday, Christmas and 1st wedding anniversary, he's agreed to think about upgrading me next May. Woo hoo!

I better behave.

 

[sevens one]

I've upgraded more times than Michael Jackson has changed his face!
I've changed stones, settings, bands and now I'm changing colors.

Sorry-no sentimental value here. My first wedding band is lost somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean- I lost it shortly after we wed. (should've read the signs back then!)

 

[ringbling17]

I actually never got engagement ring when we got married 11 years ago, but I do have two diamonds that I purchased myself during those 11 years that I never plan to upgrade. Both I had reset, one is currently in a pendant and the other one I had set into a tradition wedding ring set.


For my 10th anniversary, I knew I wanted something larger than what I had and opted for a 1.5 carat RB, but unfortunately for me, I had purchased a 2 carat CZ a few weeks prior to getting the real diamond, so I naturally grew accustomed to the size of the 2 carat.


I wound up upgrading the 1.5 carat diamond for a 2 carat size after three months. I figured that I waited so long for the diamond of my dreams, I may as well get exactly what I want.

At this point, I don't think I would upgrade that diamond, but I would like to reset it.


I think in a few years, I may either decide to upgrade to a 2.75 to 3 carat or get a whole new diamond. I am thinking about a pear shape.


As far as wedding bands go, although I have a lot of diamond wedding bands, I always wear my original plain platinum band on my left hand. I almost never take it off and when I do, I have my husband put it back on my finger. Since receiving it, it has been resized, from a 4.5 to a 5.0 and now it is 5.5.


I really place alot more sentimental value on it than any other piece of jewelry I own!

 

[hoorray]

My original e-ring setting had strength problems, so I had to switch it out early on. Since the original was gone, the original sentimentality is not attached to later settings. This gave me free reign to change occasionally

. I feel that the ring in general is an important symbol, but I'm not too sentimental about the specifics. I kept my original stone for 17 years, through various settings, and finally upgraded it last year. It's a beautiful pendant now, and I will never get rid of it, although it may evolve into different uses.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I'm very sentimental and plan to upgrade. Just because you love your ring and are attached to it, doesn't mean you can't buy another AND keep your original stone for a RHR

The more diamonds, THE BETTER!

 

[fancyrock]

MC, i'm with you on that all the way... Why not just ADD to the collection of "love symbols".

 

[fire&ice]

What exactly does one mean by upgrade? I have all my original rings. Does one have to trade in the original ring for it to be a true upgrade?

 

[Momoftwo]

I have my original engagement diamond (.45 ct) that I reset into a 3 stone right hand ring. I only did this after I won a 1.05 ct solitaire in a jewelry store contest and of course it's not a great stone. Oh yeah, we had to pay income taxes on it, so it wasn't exactly free. I recently (anniversary) had my 1.05 ct reset into a four stone setting that will accomodate a 2 ct stone. For our 25th we will be buying a 1.75-2 ct stone for the ring. I'll probably trade or sell the stone I have now since it has no real sentimental value, but I'm keeping my original in the 3 stone setting. I don't think of this as upgrading. Upgrading to me is using the original stone you have to trade up. Also, after you've been married a while, you'll see it a little differently. Yes, the days you get engaged and married are awesome, but the marriage itself is the really important part, and the commitment is what really matters, not whether you wear the same ring.

BTW, gold does wear down over time and even with the best intentions, you'll have to have the prongs redone and the band either replaced or added to. So, it'll never stay exactly the same ring anyway.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

----------------
Does one have to trade in the original ring for it to be a true upgrade?----------------

One dictionary definition says yes by stating upgrade to mean, "to exchange a possession for one of greater value or quality; trade up."

lol

Oh well. . .so here on PS we have our own private interpretation of this action based on whether we plan to keep our original stone or not.

Michelle

 

[hoorray]

I may not be technically right, but I know that DH considers it an "upgrade" everytime my ring "evolves" into something bigger or better or even just different, no matter what I do with the original. He is proud that he still wears his original wedding ring. (Even tho I did buy him a second one when his original was lost for a few years. No that can be his RHR

.)