Anyone who asks someone they love to marry them hopes that they’re able to offer the perfect engagement ring. That’s not always possible depending on available finances at the time. And that’s OK. It’s never a great idea to start a marriage with a huge financial burden because you wanted to get a ring you couldn’t afford. That doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade the ring later on in life once you’re more financially able.

Whether you’re interested in changing the quality of a diamond, adding more stones, or you want to replace the diamond with a different type of stone, here’s what you’ll need to know.

There’s a Good Chance You’ll Need a New Setting

It’s very common, when upgrading an engagement ring, that your ring will need a new setting. This is especially true when upgrading to a larger stone as the new stone likely won’t fit in the original setting. The shape of the stone may change, also requiring a new setting. In some cases, when simply upgrading the quality of the stone while the size and shape remain the same, you may be able to use the same setting – although this usually isn’t the case when upgrading.

You May Need to Change the Band as Well

If you’re upgrading your stone and do require a new setting, the new setting may not fit properly on the existing band. In this case, you may also need to upgrade the band, usually making it easier to replace the entire ring.

Keeping the stone but upgrading the band? If you decide you want to keep your existing stone but upgrade your band for a new design or metal, the jeweler may be able to attach your existing setting and stone onto a new band. This isn’t always the case, especially if you choose a new metal for the band. In that scenario, you could keep your existing stone and have it moved it to a new band and setting.

You’ll want to speak with your local jeweler to determine the best route to take and what options are available to you.