Upgrade Your Engagement Ring
From LoveToKnow EngagementRings
So, you'd like to upgrade your engagement ring. Despite the most careful shopping and selection, many women’s engagement rings aren’t the fairy tale pieces of jewelry they’ve dreamt about. Fortunately, upgrading your engagement ring is easy to do whether it’s for a special occasion or simply a change in stylistic preferences.
Why Upgrade?
You can choose to upgrade your engagement ring for a variety of reasons. Perhaps your original engagement ring was a family heirloom that simply doesn’t suit your style, or you couldn’t initially afford the type of ring you really wanted. Your preferences for diamond size, shape, or cut may have changed, or your ring may have become damaged.
Regardless of the reason for upgrading your engagement ring, it is important to shop as carefully for a new ring as you did for the original. You may need to refresh your memory about how to judge diamond quality and how to interpret the four Cs. You may also want to investigate new or unusual types of engagement rings, such as pave settings or Asscher cut diamonds to expand your options for different styles.
When to Upgrade Your Engagement Ring
Many couples choose to upgrade an engagement ring for a significant wedding anniversary or other special occasion, such as the birth of a child. Most likely the upgrade will not be a surprise and both husband and wife can shop for a suitable upgrade well in advance of a particular event. For a more elaborate occasion, you may want to upgrade your engagement ring before renewing your wedding vows, perhaps on your tenth, twentieth, or twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
If you are upgrading an heirloom or antique engagement ring that doesn’t fit your style, you may want to shop for the replacement before the wedding, and use the new ring as your wedding ring. That will lend monumental significance to the piece, and the antique ring can serve as the “something old” in wedding attire tradition.
How to Upgrade Your Engagement Ring
There are many ways to upgrade your engagement ring, depending on the style of the original ring.
Upgrading a Diamond Solitaire
Diamond solitaire engagement rings are the simplest to upgrade. Most jewelers sell a variety of diamond ring enhancers: specially designed rings that literally wrap around a solitary diamond and transform a single gem into an elaborate setting with multiple accent stones. These enhancers are available for any size or shape diamond, but you may need to shop around to find one that best fits your particular engagement ring. Because such enhancers are made to fit with different rings, it would be best to have the two rings soldered together to insure a smooth, tight fit. Diamond solitaires can also be accompanied by diamond bands or reset into more elaborate settings that are made specifically for the stone in question.
Upgrading a Wedding Set
A wedding or bridal set that includes an engagement ring and a wedding band is more difficult to upgrade. Typically, these ring sets are designed to fit snuggly together and may have elaborate edges or curves that are difficult to match to an additional upgrade. The easiest way to upgrade a wedding set is to add another thin band: channel set anniversary bands or diamond eternity bands are the most popular choices. Always try on several variations first, however, to insure that the set does not look overshadowed or unbalanced by the new ring.
Upgrading an Heirloom Ring
Heirloom engagement rings can be difficult to upgrade because many of them are antiques, and the metal is more fragile to work with when adding enhancements. The easiest way to upgrade an heirloom ring is to reset the original stones into an entirely new ring with the setting and design of the bride’s choice. This allows personalization and customization while still incorporating family tradition and sentimentality into the piece.
Upgrading to an Entirely New Engagement Ring
For some couples, the best option is to upgrade to a new engagement ring altogether. This may be because the original ring used imitation diamonds or the stone was far smaller than what the woman would like to wear now, and resetting it would not accomplish the feat. The original ring design and setting can easily be preserved while using larger or higher quality stones, effectively upgrading the ring without losing the nostalgic appearance.
Other sentimental significance can be added when upgrading to an entirely new ring. Children’s birthstones can be added to the new design, or specialized filigree metalwork can be incorporated to add words or numbers to the band itself, such as the wedding date or couple’s initials. Three stone rings are popular choices for their natural symbolism of the couple’s past, present, and future.
Couples choose to upgrade engagement rings for many reasons, including budgets, sentimentality, and personal style preferences. Careful consideration of the original ring’s style paired with savvy shopping and attention to the woman’s preferences guarantees the new engagement ring is just as valued as the original, and in the spirit of love and commitment that pervades the relationship, both rings will continue to symbolize the couple’s life together.
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Comments
Rachael - Yes, it would be possible to swap out the large stone for a different shape. The jeweler would remove the mounting (the prongs that hold the ring) so the new one would fit the new shape. You'd have to find the stone you want, however, and keep the carat size similar so the ring doesn't look overbalanced. As for price, that will depend on the quality of the diamond you choose and the trade-in value of the one you'd be exchanging. I'd recommend you get an appraisal on the stone before getting started, so you will have a good idea of what price range you have to work with.
-- Contributed by: MayntzI have a very nice wedding ring with an anniversary band as well. So it is three parts all sautered together. I love my ring with the tow tones and baguettes. However, I don't like the main shape of my big stone. It is above the rest of the ring. It is a marquis and I would much rather have a princess cut. Can that be done or would it be too difficult and costly. I am willing to trade the big marquis diamond in for the princess as well. Just wondering if it is possible and if it would be too costly to talk hubby into. Thanks in advance for your help!!
-- Contributed by: RachaelBridget - I'd suggest you let him know that you love that he went to that sort of effort to make you a beautiful ring, but you'd prefer a straighter band because you want to be able to wear the engagement ring and wedding ring together. If you don't let him know how you feel and what your preferences are, you may eventually no longer want to wear the ring and he won't understand why, or he may buy you other pieces of jewelry that you really don't care for and you'll have set a bad precendent for just accepting it. I'd suggest you have the diamond reset into an engagement ring style you prefer, but keep the custom one he made for you and choose another gemstone (perhaps a birthstone) to be put into it so you can still wear it as a lovely ring.
-- Contributed by: Mayntz
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