Help me with my engagement ring re-design: am I over-thinking sentimentalism?
I've been going back and forth on this for a while and need some outside perspective.
My husband proposed with a beautiful natural diamond 10 years ago, a 1.5ct near flawless, round brilliant. It's currently in the original setting (a halo) and I have decided I want a 3-stone engagement ring. For context, my fingers are on the shorter size, I'm a size 6.5-7, and all the new stones I'm considering will be lab.
My current stone feels slightly too small to be a center stone in a 3-stone, but slightly too big to work as a side stone. I've always wanted a larger center (2-2.25 ct), but I worry the 2 ct + two 1.3 sides will be too overpowering for my short fingers. But I really like the idea of including my original stone somehow
BUT what I have grown to become OBSESSED with are old euro diamonds. I'd love to use true antique stones but I also know lab would save me a lot of money while still giving me that aesthetic
The dilemma is: if I go the antique lab route with a new ring, I lose the sentimental connection to my original diamond. I mean, my husband will pay for the new stone and I'd have my original stone set into a charm so I'm always wearing it. But again, if I went the 3 stone antique lab route....what if I had the small accent stones from my current ring set inside the band of the new one? Like hidden, only I know they're there. They've been with me for almost 10 years so they mean something
Would you:
try to incorporate the existing 1.5 natural into a new 3-stone ring with a slightly larger center
or go the fully new antique lab route and try to include tiny stones from original set?
here's the look(s) I'm going for
