shape
carat
color
clarity

Detachable Gem Drops with Diamond Hoops

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Hi Victoria - I heard back from HN, and they said they have just got back from their buying trip and they have pink amethyst, blue quartz, and other colors (but didn't specify). They need to photograph them and then the drops will go up on the website. Exciting! :appl:
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
That is good news thanks you!
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Hi Victoria, I'm feeling really impatient!! I'm like, how long does it take to photograph the drops and stick them on the website, godammit!! Each morning, I pounce on the site. I think quite a few people are waiting for them, sooo....better be quick!

How many pairs of drops do you have your eye on? I like the idea of the pink amethyst and the blue quartz, but I wonder what other colors they have....I wonder if they will have transparent, which would look like big diamonds.

Are you going to get the silver ones or the gold plate? For $170 I was almost thinking about getting a yellow gold pair of hoops and then some of the HN drops in gold, because I think a lot of the colors would look lovely in yellow gold too. But they are only inexpensive gold-plate and I worry about the gold rubbing off over the years. At least with sterling silver it's real, solid 925.

Come on, HN! Put the drops up! Put the drops up!

It's such fun to collect these. The Kiki ones are really prohibitively priced for collecting purposes, at least for me. I hope you like them as much as I do, Victoria. I think getting drops first and then taking them to the jeweler to see which hoops they suit is a good idea. I can't wait to see your finished looks!
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
hi Jambalaya,
I have to second that, getting impatient. I keep checking back on the site and still nothing! Since you said they might have pink amethyst then I think i will get that one definitely. I can't wear pink cloths because of my skin complexion but I always get the accessaries :D I am going to get one other color and not sure of it, so very excited to see what they have.

I usually keep to the no plating for my self because I don't like upkeep. But its just a little hoop area so little rubbing while attached so not sure if much wear will happen. The yellow gold would be gorgeous also.

I do have very small huggie ruby hoops that I think might fit them until I can get to the jewelry store. The ruby hoops are plated white gold over yellow gold and has not rubbed off and had for 9 years, but they are not my daily wear. :wavey:
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Victoria - I have an update. HN emailed me saying sorry for the delay but that there is a problem with the drops. The loops on the top were made the wrong size and won't slide onto the thicker hoops that HN sells, only the thinner type and on studs. I emailed asking how small the loops were because my hoops are thin. However, perhaps she has to send the small-looped lot back to the manufacturer. I'm not sure. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know why there's a delay! They say the supplier is working hard to produce drops with the correct-size loop. :wavey:
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Hi Baroque, yes I definitely think the normal HN drops would fit onto the WF hoops. (But not the lot which went wrong, with the loops at the top being too small. They are not up on the website. HN is waiting for the shipment of drops with correctly-sized loops to arrive.)

I looked at those WF hoops and decided I liked the Kiki hoops better because there is less metal around the diamonds. With the Kiki hoops the metal is all in the channels at the sides. Of course, the Kiki hoops are very expensive. However, if you didn't already know, the 20% tax comes off when you input your address, assuming you live outside the EU. BUT, if you buy direct from Kiki you'll be charged 40 pounds for speed-of-light FedEx shipping, and you will get charged about 6.5% customs fees/duty.

If you order Kiki from Berry's Jewellers in the UK, shipping is 25 pounds and as of yet, I've never been charged the 6.5% when ordering through them. They do report an accurate value, but it just depends if customs decide to open the package, since they can't open every package that comes into the country. Ordering direct from Kiki you get charged customs fees automatically due to an administrative arrangement with FedEx. I found this out when I ordered a sale item direct from Kiki, and it was on my doorstep before I knew it, but about a week later I received a bill for the customs fees from FedEx.

You might not see the Kiki item you want on the Berry's website, but if you email them they can get any Kiki item and it only adds a day to the waiting time. Berry's takes the tax off, too, when you input your address and country. It's much cheaper to order through Berry's in terms of postage and customs fees, and the shipping takes about ten days. Given the high prices of Kiki, together with the shipping discount, you usually end up saving a three-figure sum by using Berry's. www.berrysjewellers.co.uk

I decided the Kiki hoops were too much money for 0.14 ctw (about $750) and I didn't like the WF ones so much, because of all the metal. I searched online and couldn't really find anything suitable. So I just bought one pair of HN drops and took them into a jewelry store, so I could try them with various hoops, and that's how I got a good match.

I hear you about wanting the Kiki drops. Just to be luxe! But they are so much money for semi-precious, and also only 10mm not 11mm. I also think the loop at the top is too thick - I find it distracting. But you're right, the Kiki drops are kind of a dream item. I love their new lavender amethyst.

The new HN drops are indigo quartz (like a demin blue), pink amethyst, clear rock crystal, and opaque aqua chalcedony.
 

baroque

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 13, 2005
Messages
308
Thank you for your detailed response! I definitely think I want the Kiki hoops now...so will check the vendors you mentioned.
I am a yellow gold girl so would want YG hoops and YG for the drops too. So Silver wouldn't work for me. I'd be ok with GF on drops so probably have to go with Kiki drops too? Or maybe a vendor here could duplicate by custom order for a better price than the Kiki ones.
I would like a pink stone for sure and green...maybe a black stone even! Oh the possibilities are endless!
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Well, here's some from the Kiki website to whet your appetite...Two for winter and two for summer....You could have the best-dressed royal ears in town... :naughty:

smoky_quartz.jpg

_30696.jpg

green_8.jpg

lavender_amethyst.jpg
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Baroque - one more thing, if you make a purchase from the UK, and you are not in the USA, check your card issuer's percentage that they charge for a foreign transaction. It's usually 2- or 3%. Both of my credit cards and Bank of America charge 3% of the total for a foreign transaction....but I also have a checking account at a local bank and they don't have any charges for foreign transactions. It's something to be aware of. Also keep an eye on the exchange rate.

You should also get on Kiki's mailing list as they have some very deep discounts in sales. They don't discount the core stock, like the stuff we've been discussing in this thread - anything worn by the Duchess of Cambridge is so popular they'd never discount it - but they do have other items at wonderful discounts. I bought a butterfly necklace at something like 45% off, so it was worth the 40 pounds shipping and the $31 dollars I had to pay in customs fees. (The total in pounds with shipping was approx GBP380.)
 

ccuheartnurse

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 22, 2002
Messages
1,915
Very smart thinking & a ton of ingenuity on your part. I like them a lot, & again, they look awesome on you.

Judy
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
baroque|1433009163|3883044 said:
Sooo...do you think drops would fit on these?:

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-earrings/huggable-diamond-earrings-431.htm

I love this look! I may even have to splurge on the Kiki drops!


Baroque, like you the thought crosses my mind to get a pair of the Kiki hoops in YG, since my current ones are WG. I kind of like the idea of having just ONE pair of Kiki hoops and drops. I'd probably get the lavender amethyst ones in yellow gold. But this is very much in the future, if at all! Anyway, I looked on Purseforum and a member there, Onebagtoomany, has the Kiki hoops. She posted a great photo and here's what she had to say about them: "I have the ones from Kiki in YG and, although they are a bit pricey, would totally recommend them. They are so beautifully made and the diamonds really sparkle."

They definitely sound better than the WF ones. A member here had those and said they didn't sparkle.

Photo from Purseforum below. It looks as if the diamonds show up really well, whereas the WF ones seem to be all metal.

By the way, I think I overestimated the dollar price of the Kiki hoops. They are 500 pounds minus 83.33 tax = 416.67 + 25 shipping = 441.67 pounds. According to today's exchange rate, that comes out at $675.51 including Berry's shipping. I don't think that's so bad if they're really well-made and are a brand whose value will hold, due to all the British royal ladies wearing Kiki. (Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson wore Kiki as well as the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister.)

purseforum_member.jpg
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
ccuheartnurse|1433045353|3883180 said:
Very smart thinking & a ton of ingenuity on your part. I like them a lot, & again, they look awesome on you.

Judy


Thank you so much Judy!
 

baroque

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 13, 2005
Messages
308
Thank you for all the details! I will look into ordering them...surprisingly, I was talking about them with my husband yesterday and he sais "I'm sure there's some occasion coming up"! as in...I may be able to have him get them for me :naughty:
I am in the U.S. so the advice on the card is good, I know my BOA card charges foreign transaction fee, but I think that the Chase card does not. At least that was how it was when we were traveling, you just had to make sure the vendor put the amount in dollars not local currency and there would be no extra fee...
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
In the meantime, while i wait for heavenly necklaces and the new drops, I am going to order the kiki McDonough citrine pear drop earrings. I've been eyeing since the first time you posted yours! Thank you again Jambalaya for showing all these beautiful earrings and combinations. I have been wanting to get new earrings for a while.
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Victoria10|1433096369|3883343 said:
In the meantime, while i wait for heavenly necklaces and the new drops, I am going to order the kiki McDonough citrine pear drop earrings. I've been eyeing since the first time you posted yours! Thank you again Jambalaya for showing all these beautiful earrings and combinations. I have been wanting to get new earrings for a while.


Oh yay!!! Please come back and show them here. I'd love to see photos :appl: Are you ordering them from Kiki or Berry's?
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
Hi jambalaya :wavey:

I ended up ordering from Neiman Marcus because I had a coupon. They are out of stock on berry's :(

I am so excited for the Kiki earrings and excited because the Royal family wear them!
 

baroque

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 13, 2005
Messages
308
Coupon???
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
Hi baroque,

I used the sign up for email and get 10% off coupon. I never ordered from them online, but was just like nordstroms.
 

baroque

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 13, 2005
Messages
308
Thank you Victoria10, Now I have to go back and look. Too bad they were out of stock on the hoops.
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
That's so cool about the coupon, Victoria! :appl:
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
Thanks Jambalaya, I will be sure to post too! Its nice to cross off my list finally, especially since it keeps growing since joining pricescope (in a good way :wink2: )
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Victoria10|1433103996|3883391 said:
Thanks Jambalaya, I will be sure to post too! Its nice to cross off my list finally, especially since it keeps growing since joining pricescope (in a good way :wink2: )


Promise you'll come and back and post them in SMTB? Can't wait to see them! How long before they arrive? :appl:
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
I just got email this evening that the earrings will be arriving by Thursday. And I will definitely post on the SMTB. I have a band I've been wanting to post as my first post too.
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Yayyy Victoria! I hope they're everything you want them to be! Looking forward to your SMTB post. That coupon was a stroke of luck, wasn't it? $74 is not a small saving!

I have purchased three pairs of the new-color drops from Heavenly Necklaces which aren't on the site yet, with the too-small loops at the top. They should fit on my diamond hoops as my hoops are ultra-thin. The colors of the drops are pink, blue, and clear. The pink is pink amethyst, the blue is a mid-blue, like denim and is made of blue quartz, and the clear is rock crystal. On the three pairs that I currently have, the faceting is so good that they're really sparkly, so I hope the next three pairs look as good! But they should take around ten days to get here. :wavey:
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Victoria, my pink, blue, and clear drops from HN have arrived, and they're beautiful! I will photograph them for this thread.

And where are your citrine drops? Did you like them? Can't wait to see them! :appl:
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Victoria10, where are your Kiki citrine drops??? I've been waiting to see them! :appl: Do you like them?
 

Victoria10

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 22, 2015
Messages
252
Hey Jambalaya, I did get the citrine kiki drops and I love them. Very lightweight and I wear every day now. Sorry I didn't write back here. I added them to my band thread, although not to good of pic. I thought diamonds were bad to photograph, photographing my ear is worse. I am not sure how ppl add their threads.

Oh, almost forgot. I got mine from Neiman Marcus because thehttp://www.berrysjewellers.co.uk website you posted was sold out. I wish I just ordered from your jewelers website because Neiman Marcus didn't give a kiki box only their own. Kind of petty, but it still would of been nice to have since they are designer earrings. I really haven't had to time to call up Neiman Marcus and, in a way, just decided to let that go. I did make sure it had the Kiki McDonough stamp on them, just to make sure. I am also still patiently checking heavenly necklaces weekly too.

Anyways, I hope your doing well and thank you again for all your help for helping my earring jewelry!
 

Jambalaya

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
4,784
Hi Victoria, I meant to reply before now but it's been a stress-filled summer. Things are looking up now though! On your other thread I saw your citrine pear drops and I think they look amazing with your hair! Are you still wearing them and enjoying them? I think you should ask Neiman's or Kiki themselves to send you a box. They are designer earrings which you paid a lot for, so I think you should have the real packaging too.

And, did you see that the Heveanly Necklaces website now has the new colors? I bought more drops in the mid-blue, clear, and pale pink. I now have six pairs! And I've decided to get some in gold as well, since the gold A.Link hoops are just $157 now.

I was seriously mulling the idea in my mind of getting a pair of Kiki hoops and drops, but ultimately I decided that they are just such bad value for money, and that I would get the gold hoops for $157 and the amethyst HN drops in gold. I don't have amethyst in the silver. I also thought I would get the pale pink drops in gold, as I imagine that yellow gold and pale pink will look lovely together.

Usually I don't like gold plate but in this instance, it's only $90 equivalent including shipping for a pair, as opposed to $1,100 for the Kiki square drops, and I figure that, being earrings, the gold won't rub off. If it does, I can always get it re-plated. Also, it's gold plate over 925 sterling silver, so not over a base metal.

And the really good news? Heavenly Necklaces is bringing out a winter drop collection in gold, not sure if silver also, but the planned colors are things like smoky quartz, black onyx, carnelian, green onyx, red quartz, lapis......I was just emailing with them and they said they have a selection of these colors planned, although I'm not sure exactly what. Exciting, no?

In the next couple of weeks I'll try to find time to photograph my collection of drops, which, by the time I receive my amethyst and gold pair and pick up my A. Link hoops, will have grown to seven pairs! But I think I'll have double that by the time I'm done, with the winter collection and new gold A. Link hoops. This wouldn't have been possible paying $1,100 for each Kiki pair!

Let me know if you bought any of the HN drops!
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top