Inspired by the engagement ring thread: Anyone "upgraded" their diamond later?

[Laura]

I agree with Kimberle. I couldn't upgrade my engagement ring. It has too much sentimental value, and I thought a lot about its design. If I lost it, that would be different. Although I would probably replicate the first ring. I could understand something like vettechick's situation, not liking the setting when choosing a wedding band. We had all 3 rings made at the same time, though, and I knew how it would look together, so that didn't happen to me.

If it's "just jewelry", why does the size of the diamond matter? I figure there's always going to be someone with a bigger rock; why should I try to compete?

 

[KathyTX]

On a side note, if you want to re-create setting I suggest "Harolds" on Main Street by Hobby Lobby. He has reset a few things of mine and I have been happy.

Oh, that's good to know! Actually, I have one ring that I bought on a cruise last summer that I'd like to have modified a little, and I didn't know who to take it to. It's not a really special piece or anything, but it's fun. The only problem is that the band is really skinny and it's probably a tad too big, so it moves around on my finger way too much... I'll have to check out Harolds!

Hmmm... all these ideas. A platinum eternity band sounds like something I could really love. My bridal stuff is in yellow gold, but I mix gold and silver all the time. Or a really nice tennis bracelet... Hmmm...

 

[DisneyPhD]

We (mostly me hubby isn't as interested, he wants more DVC points instead, I tend to agree with him.) have the same issue. Infact my ring sounds a bit like yours (OP).

We got married age 22 I was still in college, he had just finished and started grad school so it was the small ring and get married, or wait. I just wanted to get married and he picked the ring out himself (he did a good job with it really.) However it is rather small (1/4 carrt I think). The plan was always to upgrade someday.

Well we have been married for over 11 years now. I have always loved the look of a single 1 carret round dimond (just like my mothers) and would like that. I have decied instead of changing my oringal ring at all I am going to keep it just the way it is and get a second wedding ring someday. This way I can where the one I have right now to events where I don't want a big expensive dimond on (I am a social worker/ clinical therapist and wouldn't feel right at work with a ring that cost more then some people live on etc...)

Hubbies GM has a ring with 3 1 carret dimonds on it, MIL keeps saying we all will one each some day so I will just wait until then and be happy with my current tiny ring.

Rings and jewerly mean nothing to hubby. It does to me though, but I really only like stuff I can were daily. (he has never taken his wedding ring off ever, so I guess it does mean more to him then he says.)

Of course I still put my foot down, he can't get his REALLY REALLY big T.V. until I get my big dimond! It is a matter of princeible. Besides 27 inch is big enough for me.

 

[luv2nascar]

would not trade my engagement ring for anything
it isn't that modest and I love it
it is the ring of my dreams that I thought was too expensive and that I wouldn't get
we are approaching 10th anniversary and I do want a band looking for one with 10 stones I know I know I'm different don't want the 3 stone
but haven't even starting looking yet

 

[CamColt]

Hmmm... all these ideas. A platinum eternity band sounds like something I could really love. My bridal stuff is in yellow gold, but I mix gold and silver all the time. Or a really nice tennis bracelet... Hmmm...

Uh-oh,the wheels are turning now. Should we email this thread to your DH?

 

[missypie]

I'd like to upgrade, but it would hurt DH's feelings. He said he took a lot of time and effort to pick out the stone (it's an emerald cut and those have to be really clear or you notice). So I guess I'l stick with this one forever.

 

[becka]

I personally would not want to upgrade mine. The diamond is really quite small (1/8 ct. small) but we were poor college students at the time and that is what we could afford. At the time DH kept saying he felt bad that he could not afford a ring and that as soon as he could afford it he would upgrade it for me. I told him he had better not lay a hand on my ring. It has a story behind it and it is a reminder of the time we were engaged and I wouldn't change that for anything. I still wear it everyday - although since my hands are swollen now I have it on a necklace - and I still love it. The size doesn't matter - the feelings and the memories are much more important to me.

 

[DisMN]

I'm not attached emotionally to my ring. It's only jewlery......it's the man I don't plan to upgrade any time soon.

 

[mudnuri]

I can't imagine not having my engagement ring. Its just under 2ct's so theres no reason size wise to upgrade. DH has bought me a few other diamond rings in the past, and I do wear them occasionally though not on my left hand. He gave me one both times I gave birth to our DD's and they will eventually be given to them.

I think the thought and meaning behind the original ring will outweigh any thought of "trading" it in

Brandy

 

[motherhen17404]

My engangement ring was upgraded, but it was not my idea.

DH and I had been married for 6 years when things happened that broke us up. I gave him back my wedding band and engangement ring and told him that if we could work things out, that I would ask for them back. Well, after a year of hard work on our issues, we decided to get back together. I asked him for my rings back, and he had upgraded the stone in my ring. The old stone was just a chip. The new stone is a nice 1/2 ct. DH said that he wanted to put aside the past 6 years and start all new, including a new engangement ring. Well, it must have worked, we have been married for 21 years and things could not be better!

 

[poochie]

There is a story attached to my engagement ring. It is small only a 1/4 caret. After about 18 years of marriage the stone fell out at work and dispite everyone's effort we never found the stone. I cried that night pretty badly. I put the ring away in my jewelry box. My mother passed away about 10 years ago. I was given her ring which I proudly wore. Well the stone also worked loose (I am very hard on jewelry) but I was able to catch it before it fell out. I had already had the stone reset one before. I put that ring away in my jewelry box also until I was able to afford a new setting which was more durable.

Well 2 years ago for Christmas, my DH took both rings and the stone to a jeweler who remade the engagement ring using my mother's stone. When Christmas rolled around I had a huge box under the tree in which many smaller boxes were inside each getting smaller well by the time I reached the final box inside was this special ring which he proceeded to explain what was done. I cried so much that day. This ring has now double sentimental value to me. I never stopped smiling that day. I would tell anyone I cornered how I was engaged again and what my DH did.

 

[mkymouse1928]

I always said that I would never upgrade my diamond. That was until I LOST my diamond. I was devastated. I have replaced with a better quality diamond, but it is still the same size as the lost one. Now it wouldn't bother me to have the diamond upgraded. This particular diamond does not have the same meaning as the old one. If I should ever be so lucky as to find my orginial diamond (I think it is in the yard somewhere) I would immediately have it reset into my engagement ring and the upgraded diamond set into a different setting to wear on my right hand.

 

[diznygirl]

I'm Chiming in for not upgrading my ring due to sentiment. And I wouldn't change the setting either. Both have a story - DH bought the diamond first then drove three hours to the jewelry store where I had showed him a setting I liked. It was for another gem, so he had it replaced with the diamond. He didn't have to drive the three hours - it's a chain and there are stores in malls so much closer! But I love that he did that for me.

We both upgraded our wedding bands - we had them custom made originally and they actually turned out pretty bad, but it was too late to do anything about it. So on our five year anniversary we both got really nice bands that we both love.

 

[LindaG4458]

I still have my original 1/3 carat stone, but it was set, along with my mother's engagement diamond, into another ring. When we had been married about 15 years DH bought me a new 1 carat oval solitaire. When my mom died and left me some cash I decided to trade the 1 carat ring for a larger, really nice one. It ended up being a 1.7 oval solitaire. I love that ring, and she would have, too.

 

[KarenC]

I've had my engagement diamond reset twice. Originally it was a plain solitare in a tiffany setting. For our tenth anniversary we had it reset in a gold setting with channel set diamonds. Sometime after that I developed an allergy to my rings and wasn't able to wear them. I got a red, itchy rash from them. So for our 20th anniversary, we had the original diamond reset again in platinum as a 3 stone anniversary ring. There is a diamond on either side about half the size of my engagement diamond.

Both times we reset my diamond, we talked about upgrading it. While I'd like a big diamond, keeping my original diamond reminds me that we were just as happy when we were making a tenth of what we do now. So, for now, I'm happy with what I have--and I'm happy to say that so far the platinum doesn't bother my skin at all!

 

[MELSMICE]

Nope, I would never change the ring I have. How about getting an anniversary band instead.

DH picked this ring out for me. It is very unique & I have loved it from the day he gave it to me. It is not a simple band - it has a unique shape to it - I've had it 19 years & I still get compliments on it. The wedding band matches it. It has a lot of sentimental value. I don't care if the stone were a chip - I would never change it.

JMO!

 

[mill4023]

At the time DW and I were married, we had very little money. We spent a couple hundred for both rings and a total of about $600 on our wedding and honeymoon (Las Vegas).
After 11 years of marriage, I'm earning roughly 5 times as much as I did then, but with 4 kids, a mortgage, car payments, and WDW vacations, money is still tight. But we've always planned on upgrading our rings when we could afford it and I'm hoping we can do that sometime in the next year.

Our original rings are nice gold bands with diamond chips in them that are so small you can barely see them. DW doesn't want anything too extravagant, but she would like a nice ring. We've been looking and she's picked out what she wants. Platinum 3 stone with small channel set stones on the sides. Something around a half carat for the center and quarter carat on either side.

We'll definitely keep our current rings for sentimental reasons, but I'm not sure what we'll do with them. Since they are yellow gold, they won't match the platinum at all.

 

[mrsg00fy]

I picked out my own ring, so the stone was what I wanted to start with. At the time, we bought the best that we could afford..
After we were married for almost 15 years, I reset the stone in a platinum 3 stone setting.
The stone itself is nice, a 1.25 carat oval, so I added a 40 point stone to each side. I love the ring. I kept my original wedding set and had a topaz stone set into it.
Just a word of advice if resetting a stone, don't do platinum! It is soft and scratches and loses its luster pretty quickly.

 

[KimR]

DH and I got engaged when we were in college and he could only afford a small stone. He bought me a much larger diamond for our 10th anniversary and then later updgraded to add baguettes. I absolutely love it. But then again, I like large, sparkly diamonds and was never terribly sentimental about my engagement ring. I guess I always knew in the back of my mind that we would eventually upgrade to a larger stone.

 

[jodifla]

Well, here's a story for you.....I changed my ring within three months!

Here's what happened....I was walking my dog, playing endlessly with my new engagement ring, when I felt what seemed like a chip in the ring....I ran inside, dragging the poor dog, looked under the light, and sure enough, it had cracked.

But there's more. The phone rang a bit later, and my mom told me the news. The factory that was making my wedding dress burned down, so they wouldn't be making the dress any more.

We were wondering if it was some kind of sign, but we're still married, almost 18 years later.

I did switch out my wedding band...DH got my a Tiffany anniversary ring...but I still wear the fixed engagement ring.