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BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwbacks

Smith1940

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
427
This purchase was a little more expensive than most of my stuff, but having worn a tiny pair of diamond studs for about 13 years, I wanted a pair of "real" studs that I could wear forever and look amazing. I see it as an investment! They were $1,600 - which is a lot for me. They are 18k white gold bezels, and the diamonds from Blue Nile's Signature range are so fiery that they look a lot bigger on my ear than lesser diamonds would. They score 0.9 on the HCA, the tables, crown angles, pavilion angles are all the right numbers - you know, 56% table, 34.0 crown, etc. etc. You know the drill! One diamond is an F/VS1 and the other is an E/SI1.

However, I find myself not wearing these diamonds as much as I used to wear my smaller studs, because of the darn screwbacks! They are the most awkward sods this side of the Rockies! They take forever to put on and take off, the screw often doesn't screw straight when putting them on, and when taking them off, nine times out of ten I drop the back because...guess what...I can't see behind my ear, so I can't see when the back is coming off the post! Blue Nile offered to replace them with pushbacks for $40.00 and to pay the shipping and insurance one way. This is a pretty generous offer. However, they are expensive earrings and I recognise that the screwbacks are practical - once they're actually IN. Also, I don't know what the pushbacks are like - I could get the earrings back and the pushbacks could be a little looser than I'd like. Pushbacks vary widely in their tightness. So I decided not to mess around with something that isn't broken!

How do others cope with the screwbacks? Seriously, I've worn these earrings a fraction of the time that I thought I would, because I need extra time to deal with them and I'm often in a hurry going out, or I go to bed late, and the sheer hassle of getting them on and off isn't worth it. I had never seen these screwbacks before coming to the States, and I truly, truly hate them! :angryfire: But at least when I do manage to deal with them, I know they're never coming off!

Maybe I SHOULD replace the backs with pushbacks. Thoughts? I feel angry that Blue Nile offers no choice in this matter at time of purchase, because now that I'm thinking about it, these screwbacks have seriously hampered my enjoyment of these beautiful diamonds.

I have also realised recently that I don't like BN's style of bezel. I think it's old-fashioned. I prefer the type of bezel that's like a martini setting at the back, without the height of this BN bezel with those holes in the sides.

Maybe I'll just get them re-set at my local jeweller. The diamonds are amazing, but as I write this I'm realizing that I don't wear them much because the setting is all wrong for me.

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Smith1940

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Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
427
Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

Ear shots.

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Enerchi

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Oct 4, 2011
Messages
10,658
Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

They are so beautiful it is a shame you aren't able to wear them comfortably - or frequently enough! I'm sure you could approach any vendor (online/PS/local) and have the posts changed to be pushbacks... I am "assuming" that. Investigation may prove otherwise.

They are a perfect size for your ears - would be great if you could enjoy them more!!!
 

Smith1940

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Mar 10, 2011
Messages
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Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

Thanks Enerchi! Yes, I might just get them re-set, especially as I don't like the bezels. It's funny how BN hasn't really moved on in their style of bezels. BGD and WF offer much more modern designs - and James Allen doesn't offer bezels at all for pendants and earrings! Perhaps I'll take a pic of BGD's style of bezel to my local jeweller, cut my losses with the BN setting, and have them make a bezel and a pushback that I like!
 

Enerchi

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

Smith1940|1329844199|3130864 said:
Thanks Enerchi! Yes, I might just get them re-set, especially as I don't like the bezels. It's funny how BN hasn't really moved on in their style of bezels. BGD and WF offer much more modern designs - and James Allen doesn't offer bezels at all for pendants and earrings! Perhaps I'll take a pic of BGD's style of bezel to my local jeweller, cut my losses with the BN setting, and have them make a bezel and a pushback that I like!

Yup - sounds like a plan! OR... do you think that you could contact the online help and chat about them changing to martini style? I'm pretty sure I've seen martini's from BN ... they may be willing to do the custom alteration - worth a chat! (I don't know that for a fact, I'm going on memory --- not my strong suit!)
 

Smith1940

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Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
427
Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

I don't think BN does martini bezels, though. BGD's bezels are gorgeous - they don't have the height of the BN ones with those silly holes in the sides - they are more flush to the ear, and they have a more open back (easier to clean). I do think the BN bezels are really quite dowdy compared to these newer, more streamlined martini bezels.

I'm reluctant to do online because of the time and cost associated with packaging them, shipping them, insuring them, etc etc. The local jeweller did a great job with my pendant bezel and my rose gold scatter ring, so I'll see if they do the earring settings I like. It's also nice to give business to a local jeweller.
 

marcy

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26,329
Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

They are very pretty earrings. The way I deal with screwbacks is hand them back as soon as I buy earrings and say "please change these out to friction backs". I am all thumbs trying to get the backs screwed on and they hurt my ear. I am sure your local jeweler can change them out for you.
 

Smith1940

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Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
427
Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

Oh, thanks Marcy! It's good to know that this change-out is something that happens often for some, when buying earrings. And you don't find that taking off the post and soldering another one on weakens the earring at all? I just wondered if the post is more likely to fall off altogether, having been soldered on!

Glad I'm not the only one who just can't deal with those awful screws. I had diamond studs for years with friction backs (smaller one, admittedly) and I did everything in them. I never lost one!
 

geckodani

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Jun 25, 2008
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Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

I would absolutely have them switched out for friction backs. Screw backs are the pits!
 

marcy

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Feb 27, 2007
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Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

Smith1940, I have them put on new mountings. I don't think I'd trust them to just solder on a new back either.
 

Imdanny

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Jan 21, 2008
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6,186
Re: BN Signature Diamond Studs, E/F, with Terrible Screwback

They look beautiful on you! BUT that's not the point. You hate the settings! I think you should do something about that. Those are much too nice diamonds not to be able to enjoy them!
 
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