Help with Whiteflash half/full bezel earrings

[saltymuffin]

Ok, I am planning on getting some small earrings from whiteflash, total weight .25-.30.

I originally had my heart set on the full bezel ones. I tried on the .29 Tiffany ones, and they are just about perfect - maybe just a touch large (if such a thing is possible). While waiting for my quote from whiteflash, I took a look at their site and noticed the ready-set-go half bezels. The .25 set are $525, which is a pretty nice price. I am drawn to them as I have a half bezel ering. But I am not sure if 1/2 bezel earrings would be too "matchy". I also have only seen the one picture of them - which shows them at an angle, and I am not sure, from that angle, what I think. Does anyone have these? I would love to see some pics at different angles, and "on ear". I have small ears, so one thing that draws me to the full bezel ones is how they sit very low on the ear, like a martini. It looks like the half bezels have sort of a flat bottom . . . I assume that from the front you wouldn't see that lower band of metal?

 

[saltymuffin]

Here are the full bezel ones -

 

[decodelighted]

I much prefer the full bezel ones but I think the price on the settings for those is outrageous ... as much as .25 bezel set studs are on several other sites. Sure, you don't get ACA stones but geez ...

I've reseached similar full bezel studs at thediamond.com, blue nile, and adiamor (which had the best price = $285... don't know much about their customer svc. or quality) ... I'd almost be willing to risk it for the difference though & return before the 30 day limit if I wasn't happy. My other top pick is the Peretti style from thediamond.com $535... these are the ones pscoper Wallermama got that I've been obsessed w/ever since. YUMMO.

I know it's CrazyTalk(tm) around here to consider less than ACA stones but in this case -- I duuno... I sure am.

 

[saltymuffin]

Thank you for all the possible places to look for this same style! I had checked blue nile, but don''t like their bezel setting, it doesn''t look like it tapers, so looks like it would sit higher on the ear. One of the reasons I was beginning to consider the 1/2 bezels was the price difference, if I can get the full bezel somewhere I trust for closer to $500 I think I will go that way.

Are you considering a similar sized earring?

 

[saltymuffin]

decodelighted, I checked the links you recommended. The adiamor also looks like it sits quite high, but the ones at thediamond.com look like they would sit quite low and are a definite contender (although don''t have the nice curved bezel that the whiteflash ones do). Do you have a link to Wallermama''s photos? I did a quick serch but couldn''t find them.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 8/30/2007 1:05:58 PM
Author: saltymuffin
Are you considering a similar sized earring?

Yes! I'm piercing my widdle (huge) ears for my 40th b-day ... but have 6-8 weeks before I could wear a "real" earring. So it might be a little longer for me ... I'm also drawn to platinum which raises the darn prices so much!

I thought I was all set on full bezel .25-.30 (depending on price) in white gold or platinum (same) ... when I saw these .33 tcw ASSCHER studs in platinum for $420???. I have an asscher e-ring, I adore step cuts so I'm tempted ... but I can't totally decide because
a)it's going against what I've "always wanted"
b)will asschers so small show up as asschers?
c)i'll probably leave them in a lot & asschers get dirty so fast
d)no bezel plumping factor so they'll look smaller than similar sized round bezels

AIIGGGHHH. I hope you decide way faster than I do ... I'm frozen!

 

[FireGoddess]

I have the WF full bezel earrings. The only downside to them is that because they are hand made, the price is way higher than other settings. This gets offset in higher ctw diamond pairs like mine (0.8ctw...my ACA bezels were the same price as the uncerted pairs on thediamond.com), but it completely prices you out of lower ctw pairs, as the settings cost as much as the entire earrings elsewhere!!!

I did get my sister a 0.3 ctw pair at thediamond.com. They were nice. But the stones were definitely not near the caliber of ACAs. However, that was okay with me since getting them at a similar pricepoint from WF isn''t an option.

I hope they can bring the price down on those somehow - they are gorgeous and I would much rather get an ACA or ES pair than an uncerted pair elsewhere.

I don''t know of anyone that has the half bezel set though, sorry!

 

[decodelighted]

Here is Wallermama''s thread Can''t stop SWOONING.

I think Firegoddess just went through this ... but chose the Whiteflash version full-bezel for herself ... and someone ELSE''s version for her sister ... reported back that the diamonds weren''t as sparkly as the ACA''s but seemed a good value for the price point.

Calling Firegoddess!!!! Is that right???

 

[FireGoddess]

Here are Wallermama's.

ETA: Yes Deco! We must be cross-posting.

Those asschers are SUPERCUTE Deco. Only worry would be the sparkle versus the dirt. But they'd go so well with your ring!!

I recently had my second hole pierced...I had 2 in one ear and 1 in the other (damn 90's crap) and finally had the holes 'evened' up. After 6 weeks you can take out the piercing studs and wear your own earrings!!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 8/30/2007 1:17:44 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Those asschers are SUPERCUTE Deco. Only worry would be the sparkle versus the dirt. But they''d go so well with your ring!!

Thanks Firegoddess -- I was hoping you''d weigh in ... (Don''t mean to hijack!!! I felt silly starting a thread when its probably a couple months away) Cough, Traveling Gal ... get over here.

Don''t you just LOVE wallermama''s though??? I don''t mind the more squared-off bezel myself ...but agree the rounded is more like the Tiff.

Saw a pair of REAL Tiff bezel studs .42, H, platinum, VS2 go for over $1200 on ebay yesterday!! Didn''t post about them in case they sold for under $500

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 8/30/2007 1:25:33 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 8/30/2007 1:17:44 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Those asschers are SUPERCUTE Deco. Only worry would be the sparkle versus the dirt. But they''d go so well with your ring!!

Thanks Firegoddess -- I was hoping you''d weigh in ... (Don''t mean to hijack!!! I felt silly starting a thread when its probably a couple months away) Cough, Traveling Gal ... get over here.

Don''t you just LOVE wallermama''s though??? I don''t mind the more squared-off bezel myself ...but agree the rounded is more like the Tiff.

Saw a pair of REAL Tiff bezel studs .42, H, platinum, VS2 go for over $1200 on ebay yesterday!! Didn''t post about them in case they sold for under $500

I have Wallermama''s thread as one of my bookmarks! I looked at them all the time leading up to getting my own. Her thread was instrumental in all this, and in my sis getting a pair, which she would not have gotten if Wallermama hadn''t posted about her earrings. In looking at the ones I got my sis, they were definitely nice enough that I will seriously consider getting them for my 2nd holes, unless somehow a version crops up somewhere that actually has some sort of ideal cutting in a similar pricepoint. Blue Nile would also be a contender , though their bezel isn''t exactly the same. Good find on the Adiamor too!

Too bad about the studs on ebay...though that was a good price as the 0.29 ctw in yg at Tiffs is $1250.

This was an interesting graphic that thediamond.com sent me when I was debating between the 0.25 and 0.3 ctw pairs. Sort of a size on the ear perspective.

 

[saltymuffin]

Thank you both for the comments and the link! I agree, when you see them in Wallermama''s pics, the squaredness of them isn''t really a problem, and they do sit nice and low, they look great, actually.

My only hesitations are the comments about the quality of the cut of thediamond.com ones (small diamonds need to sparkle!), and the fact that I fell in love with the Tiffany ones. I am pretty certain that the whiteflash ones would live up to my expectations . . . and even though they are more than elsewhere they are still almost half as much as the Tiffany ones . . .

I also took a look at the whiteflash half bezel pendant, it does look like that lower band of metal is just visible from the front - I assume it would be the same for the earrings. I don''t like that, and since we are talking about not sacrificing, I think that it is the full bezel from whiteflash for me!

Now it is just a matter of timing. I can''t help but wondering if they might come out with "ready-set-go" ones sometime soon, as they seem to be getting really popular . . . do I wait?

I was left $600 in a relative''s will, and this is what i thought I would buy with it to remember her by, so I don''t want to cheap out or be disapointed.

 

[saltymuffin]

Firegoddess, Thanks for that ear illustration showing the .25 vs the .3, I didn''t think the size difference would be that visible . . . now I am leaning towards the .3!

 

[FireGoddess]

Why don't you give 'em a call and see if it's in the works to become a RSG item? If not, then maybe you want to just go for it and get upgradable stones in case you want to scratch a 'go bigger' itch later in life?

You won't be disappointed...I wuv mine. Have you seen the thread?

ETA: That's exactly why I asked them what the diff (between 0.25 and 0.3 ctw) would look like, and they said 'not much, hardly perceptible at all' and enclosed the picture. I was like, 'but that's definitely perceptible to me!!!!' LOL.

 

[saltymuffin]

Will whiteflash upgrade any ACA diamond, even if I am getting .30 total weight? I had it in my head that .20 was their lowest upgradable size . . .

Oh, and I went and looked at your thread, it just reinforced that I need the whiteflash ones!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 8/30/2007 2:25:29 PM
Author: saltymuffin
Oh, and I went and looked at your thread, it just reinforced that I need the whiteflash ones!

I KNOW ... rats ... her superior sparklies just make "bargain-shopping" so MEH!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 8/30/2007 2:37:19 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 8/30/2007 2:25:29 PM
Author: saltymuffin
Oh, and I went and looked at your thread, it just reinforced that I need the whiteflash ones!

I KNOW ... rats ... her superior sparklies just make ''bargain-shopping'' so MEH!!

LOL! I know, it''s rough. But it''s SO WORTH IT!! No comparing!!

I looked on WF''s website and couldn''t find anything about a minimum ctw to upgrade, ie. 20 pts or more. I''d ask ''em directly. If so, you might have to up to 0.4 ctw.

 

[iheartscience]

The diamonds have to be certified to be upgradeable...so almost all of their certed ACAs start at around .3ish carats each. But if you really want a dainty, tiny pair, I wouldn''t worry about not being able to upgrade.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 8/30/2007 7:57:44 PM
Author: thing2of2
The diamonds have to be certified to be upgradeable...so almost all of their certed ACAs start at around .3ish carats each. But if you really want a dainty, tiny pair, I wouldn''t worry about not being able to upgrade.

Is that the same with the ES stones? (Size at which they have reports, since those are upgradable as well). Either way, if you stay dainty, then it''s not as big a chunk of change to spend and not be upgradable in the future.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 8/30/2007 1:14:20 PM
Author: decodelighted
Yes! I''m piercing my widdle (huge) ears for my 40th b-day ... but have 6-8 weeks before I could wear a ''real'' earring. So it might be a little longer for me ... I''m also drawn to platinum which raises the darn prices so much!


I thought I was all set on full bezel .25-.30 (depending on price) in white gold or platinum (same) ... when I saw these .33 tcw ASSCHER studs in platinum for $420???. I have an asscher e-ring, I adore step cuts so I''m tempted ... but I can''t totally decide because

a)it''s going against what I''ve ''always wanted''

b)will asschers so small show up as asschers?

c)i''ll probably leave them in a lot & asschers get dirty so fast

d)no bezel plumping factor so they''ll look smaller than similar sized round bezels


AIIGGGHHH. I hope you decide way faster than I do ... I''m frozen!

I LOVE those earrings. Oh. My. God. Merry Christmas to meeeeee!!!!

PS: Happy almost birthday, deco!! When is it?

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 9/5/2007 5:52:54 PM
Author: gwendolyn
Happy almost birthday, deco!! When is it?

Thanks Gwendolyn ... um, last Saturday ...

Ya think you''ll get the ASSCHER STUDS??? Jcrow brought up a good point on a thread I started ... they *will* twist sit "crooked" sometimes unlike rounds. I do still love them though ... (did go through with the piercing so after the 6 wks of healing I''ll be able to experiment on my actual ears!!) Keep me posted on your XMAS shopping!!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 9/5/2007 11:36:38 PM
Author: decodelighted
Thanks Gwendolyn ... um, last Saturday ...

DOH, sorry, I totally have that in my planner too-yup yup, here it is! "deco's HUGE bday bash, don't forget the strippers!" .....crap! I suck.

Author:decodelighted
Ya think you'll get the ASSCHER STUDS??? Jcrow brought up a good point on a thread I started ... they *will* twist sit 'crooked' sometimes unlike rounds. I do still love them though ... (did go through with the piercing so after the 6 wks of healing I'll be able to experiment on my actual ears!!) Keep me posted on your XMAS shopping!!

I don't think I'd care too much about them twisting (I fidget and would straighten them back, although that'd make them dirty...); the thing I worry about is that they'd be too small to be obviously asschers, and that I wouldn't get to see much of their beauty because they'd be on my earlobes instead of in my line of vision. Hrmmm.... *strokes chin and contemplates*

Oh, and happy belated birthday!

 

[saltymuffin]

Just an update, I asked about the full bezel earrings becoming a ready-set-go option, and received a response, that they were looking into it, and to keep my eyes on the website.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/10/2007 4:23:48 PM
Author: saltymuffin
Just an update, I asked about the full bezel earrings becoming a ready-set-go option, and received a response, that they were looking into it, and to keep my eyes on the website.

Vedddddddddy interestinnnggggg....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It seems like full bezel would almost have to be custom made to fit a particular size diamond unlike prong settings which can handle a size range. But it would be wonderful if the price could come down a little for the smaller size studs.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/10/2007 5:45:20 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
It seems like full bezel would almost have to be custom made to fit a particular size diamond unlike prong settings which can handle a size range. But it would be wonderful if the price could come down a little for the smaller size studs.

Yes but the RSGs can come in pre-defined ctw.....so perhaps by offering certain sizes, the price would come down with mass producing certain size bezels...and if you want a ctw that isn't offered, you'd go back into the hand-made category (and cost)?

 

[saltymuffin]

Just an update - I decided to go for the the little tiny Tiffany ones.

Before this week, I had only seen the .29 pair in person, and liked them but thought they were a touch large. I was in Seattle and went into Tiffany's and tried the .10 and the .16 pairs. I was really taken with the tiny ones, and thought they were just perfect for daily wear. I likely should have got Whiteflash to make me a quote on similar ones, but there I was, the Canadian dollar was at par, they were perfect and in my ears . . . so I went for it!

Pics to follow!

 

[FireGoddess]

Oooooh - I think this calls for ear pics.

 

[poshpepper]

Date: 9/24/2007 2:09:17 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Oooooh - I think this calls for ear pics.

Yes yes!!! I wanna see too!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 9/24/2007 3:22:19 PM
Author: poshpepper

Date: 9/24/2007 2:09:17 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Oooooh - I think this calls for ear pics.

Yes yes!!! I wanna see too!

PIX PIX PIX PIX *stamping foot*

(very exciting! can''t wait to see ''em)