upgrade e-ring-change shape or cut?

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Phillyfan

O.G.
Nov 25, 2007
6,343
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I have a 1.25 round in a Tiffany type setting. Eventually if I upgrade, I wonder if I should stay with round or switch to emerald. Such a hard choice. Has anyone else switched shapes when they upgrade? Also if it is an $8,000 ring, do you think it would cost an additionally $10,000 more to bring it closer to a 2 carat? I know I can get a lot of this info on pricescope but I was wondering more from people's own experiences on TPF. I'm not sure I will do this but sometimes I wonder about switching to the emerald shape. Keeping all characteristics (4 Cs) the same, do you get more for your dollar with the round shape? Thanks!
 
I am not a jeweler and do not have a technical answer to your question.

I do, however, have some experience as a buyer, comparing rounds to emeralds. Maybe it's just my eyes, or just my personal preference, or maybe the emeralds I was looking at weren't as well cut as they should have been....but.....

I personally thought that the rounds gave off more sparkle and seemed to shine more, therefore seeming bigger than they actually were. That's why I went with a round instead.

For me, I couldn't get into the more ''glassy'' appearance of the emerald I guess.

But you need to pick what makes YOU happy and what YOU like b/c it's your ring!
 
I think you should check with where you bought your e-ring to start with to see about their upgrade policies. If you went with a pricescope vendor than I think they all have upgrade policies. The round brillant is the most sparklely cut and appears larger than other cuts. I was orginally looking at Radiant, Princess and decided that the round looked the best to me. I do however like the emerald cut it seems more classy and elegant however it is definately not as blingy as the round cut.
 
Keep in mind that with an emerald cut stone you'll have to pay more for a better clarity because inclusions are seen much more easily with that cut.

With a round stone, you can go for SI clarity and still have an amazing diamond. With an emerald cut diamond, you're talking at least VS1 or higher in most cases.
 
When we upgraded last year I changed from a Princess to a round.
You really to try them on and see what your heart says about the shapes. I KNEW Princess cuts no longer reflected my opinion and style and when I tried on different shapes the round was what I fell in love with.
 
I ended up going the opposite way - round to princess! I just love variety, so I first changed the setting a couple times on the rb, then I finally changed the stone to a larger princess cut. If you already think you'll be upgrading in the future, then definitely check out your retailers upgrade policy. But keep in mind that most jewelry stores will do trade-ins. Some require you to go double what they take your trade in for (if they give you $5000, then you must buy something for at least $10,000), but some will just give you the $5000 towards whatever you want to buy.
 
Thanks everyone! I begin these similar threads quite often and I always walk away thinking - "stay with round"! I really do love the round - just wanted to explore all options. In general, keeping 4 Cs the same, do you think visually there is a big difference in a 1.25 carat compared to a 2 carat? Also does $10,000 give or take sound reasonable for this kind of upgrade? I know if I trade-in at same store of original purchase, they will give what I initially paid for towards the trade-in.
 
yes, there's a visual difference between 1.25 and 2crt.
There's a thread stuck at the top that helps you visualize sizes.
Have you tried on all the shapes you think you may be interested in?
 
People seem to think round shape sparkles the most and is the most classic. So I will probably stick with that. I like to have a "wishlist" or big goal to look forward to. Sounds silly but I rationalize by giving up on trendy clothing, shoes, and miscellaneous stuff I don't need will help me afford this in the future! I will still look at stones sooner even though I'm not ready to do this just yet. I'm really curious to put a 2 crt one next to mine in person. Which thread that you mentioned will show me picture of this? Thanks!
 
I found the thread above! Yes - big difference in size between 1.25 and 2. Is it true that once it measures 2 crt, the price goes up significantly? I think I heard that a 1.8 or even 1.9 is a lot less in price than a 2 and you can't visually see a huge difference . What is your opinion on this?
 
Yes, to go to a full 2 is a lot more expensive than to go just a little under. Visually, I really think it looks about the same. Depending on the setting, you can make a stone look bigger/smaller, too.
 
I think it's best to try different shapes on to see what you like. My ering is round in shape because that's what suits me at this stage in my life. We plan to upgrade for our 5 year anniversary at which point I am planning to switch to an emerald cut. But,we"ll see how I feel at that time.
 
Actually, it doesn't really go up that significantly to get over the next carat hump, at least not anymore.
Case in point - on Pricescope I just priced 3 rounds both w/ the same color and clarity but 1 is just under 2crts and the other 2 are just over - they were:
1.91 = $21,104
2.00 = $22,957
2.01 = $23,902
 
I understand your point. However if I'm looking to spend $18,000 and even try to scrape together an extra $2,000, the 2 crts are approx. $1,800 -$2,700 more. What could I get for around $18,000 if you don't mind doing the research for me? I know this is your topic of interest! I can probably go no higher than $19,000- $20,000 max.
 
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