Can you help me with a blue Nile upgrade?

[Frumasring]

hello!!

I have a pair of .50 ctw E SI2 studs that I’m looking to upgrade. I need some advice regarding what to look for. I’ve been very unhappy with my current pair for 2 reasons. One, they are too small for my relatively large frame and two, they are very underwhelming in the sparkle department. They do however look great in the box right after cleaning. I think I fell fo the fact that they were E color and just assumed that that would be enough for me to love them a few years ago. So, if you’re familiar with blue niles upgrade policy - can you help me pick a new pair that cost at least 1400.00. Including the setting, I’d like to not spend more than 1600.00 so when I get the credit of 700 back, the total will only be about 900.00.

Do you think I can do this and be happy? Can I find a pair that are .75ctw or bigger and still get good clarity? I think that’s where I made my mistake before. Should I go down to G or H color? Should I go higher in clarity? What specs should I look for? Should I call Blue Nile and work with a rep?

Any and all advice is super appreciated. Thank you!!!!

 

[pinklemonadegurl]

With stones that small, I would be looking at cut FIRST. No one will see any inclusions to the naked eye. If you are willing to go down in colour, sure , ask a rep for the best cut matched pair, and give your price constraints. I just peeked on BN and saw many J ideal cut stones in the .37-.40 range, costing around 900 or more for two stones. I don't know what the settings will cost you? I just purchased a 2.53 Ideal(ACA) stone from Whiteflash. I have xxx 2.03 ct tw rb earrings in G or H? I think. The J is far more spectacular due to the super ideal cut. There are experts on PS. I'm not one of them but wanted to offer that yes, I think you can accomplish your goal to get larger stones for "around" 900 out of pocket. Good luck ps I used to be a high colour girl, owning D, E, F stones. For me, I've gotten over it, preferring an ideal cut stone which faces up white and sparkly as all get out.

 

[lovedogs]

For earrings, I 100% agree that since they are small you want to maximize cut quality over clarity . No one is going to see inclusions in your ears, nor are they going to notice warmer colors. I wouldn't hesitate to go down to H/I/J color to get ideal cut.

 

[headlight]

Can you post a photo of your current ones? Also, tell us why you say you like them in the box but not on your.

 

[Frumasring]

Thank you for the suggestion!! Should I be look for ideal cut and nothing below VVS1?

Thank you again!!

For earrings, I 100% agree that since they are small you want to maximize cut quality over clarity . No one is going to see inclusions in your ears, nor are they going to notice warmer colors. I wouldn't hesitate to go down to H/I/J color to get ideal cut.

 

[Frumasring]

Can you post a photo of your current ones? Also, tell us why you say you like them in the box but not on your.

Hi! Thank you for your help!! I’m attaching a picture. Boy oh boy I never get that close to my ears When I said I liked them in the box, they look excellent with a flashlight on them, right after cleaning in a navy suede box. They never ever sparkle like that in my ears.

Thanks again!

 

[Gussie]

Thank you for the suggestion!! Should I be look for ideal cut and nothing below VVS1?

Thank you again!!

Eyeclean SI1 would be best in order to maximize size. You won't be able to see most inclusions at this size. I would also look at J color. But be sure to use the guidance given above for the cut.

 

[the_mother_thing]

When I said I liked them in the box, they look excellent with a flashlight on them, right after cleaning in a navy suede box. They never ever sparkle like that in my ears.

When you say “they never sparkle”, do you mean fire (red/blue/green flashes of light)? Keep in mind that even well cut diamonds will not put on a fireworks display in certain lighting conditions. That’s not to say “don’t upgrade”; just be sure to understand how diamonds perform in different lighting conditions.

Also, be sure to take your earrings out when applying make-up, hair products/sprays, etc., and only put them in once all of that stuff is finished. A great practice would be to soak them in hot water and dawn dish soap while you’re getting ready, then when you are finished, give them a quick scrub with a baby toothbrush, rinse/dry, and put them on last. Just realize that your hair may brush against them throughout the day, so some of the product or even your hair/body’s natural oils may transfer to the diamonds, diminishing their performance a bit. Just like how you can’t see yourself as well/clearly in a dirty mirror, a dirty diamond will not be able to do its job of reflecting light if it is dirty.

 

[Frumasring]

When you say “they never sparkle”, do you mean fire (red/blue/green flashes of light)? Keep in mind that even well cut diamonds will not put on a fireworks display in certain lighting conditions. That’s not to say “don’t upgrade”; just be sure to understand how diamonds perform in different lighting conditions.

Also, be sure to take your earrings out when applying make-up, hair products/sprays, etc., and only put them in once all of that stuff is finished. A great practice would be to soak them in hot water and dawn dish soap while you’re getting ready, then when you are finished, give them a quick scrub with a baby toothbrush, rinse/dry, and put them on last. Just realize that your hair may brush against them throughout the day, so some of the product or even your hair/body’s natural oils may transfer to the diamonds, diminishing their performance a bit. Just like how you can’t see yourself as well/clearly in a dirty mirror, a dirty diamond will not be able to do its job of reflecting light if it is dirty.

Thanks for the suggestion!! I actually never do this so it’s a great place to start with my current and then new pair!!

Thanks again!!

 

[headlight]

Great advice on the part about with any jewelry: Put on last after you’ve moisturized, fragranced, etc. Do not shower or swim with them because it’s a huge cleaning issue to get all that gunk removed (but especially because you don’t want to lose them!).
So here’s my take...
While I think they look pretty in your ears, 25-pointers are very petite and I wonder if you are expecting a look that you just may not be able to get from their size which is why you are disappointed with them. You said you want to upgrade to .75 total carat weight which is going to be a little over a 3rd of a carat in each ear. That’s still not going to give you a sizable look so I want you to be prepared and not disappointed. While I know you are eager to trade up now, perhaps you should save up until you can go a bit larger and make a much greater impact. One of my pairs of diamond studs are Old European Cut studs that are 1.62 tcw (so approx 80-points in each ear) that look decent size on me but I have very small ear lobes (and, given they are OECs they have small tables so small spread for their weight). I just don’t know if going up 12-points in each ear is going to be enough that you won’t be disappointed. But, when upgrading, it often takes incremental changes until you reach your ultimate desired size.
You also have to remember that sometimes it’s hard to see how they look on oneself... perhaps you can have someone try them on for you so you can see how they appear to others when you are wearing them. And as it was stated above, the stone has to have a proper light source... even the most dazzling diamonds aren’t going to look dazzling in a setting that is just “flat” with regard to lighting.
Can you give them a really good cleaning and then take a photo of them closer up for us, not on your ears? Have you taken them to the jeweler to be cleaned in their ultrasonic machine and then steamed? What kind of mountings are they in? My current ring mounting is not a basket and there isn’t much room between the pavilion of the diamond and the inside bottom of the mounting and it is closed on the bottom of the mounting, not an open area as you would have with a basket style so it traps dirt (even from hand/dishwashing soap) throughout the day very quickly so I have to ultrasonic and steam every night. Diamond attracts grease. Grease has a higher refractive index (RI) than does air. This alters the critical angle of light return which results in light leakage. I want to make sure the issue of gunk isn’t causing the problem.
As to the upgrade, I have to respectfully disagree with the others as to color... if you have currently an E, going to a J is not a good idea IMO. That is a huge difference, I don’t care if they are the world’s most super cut ideal stones. On the ear, if you are ever going to wear your hair back or up (of course you are, you are going to want to show off your new diamond earrings!) the side view will be visible and even for those who will disagree with me about the color, the “face up” argument doesn’t apply because there will be a side view depending on the mounting. In that instance, I would suggest martini mountings as they will “snuggle” into the earlobe reducing the side view which is where the color will be more apparent. However, based on size I think you will want a mounting that sits up more on your ear to give the effect of a larger stone.
I would suggest you consider SI2 that do not have large and dark inclusions. My current ring is an SI2 and I wish I could take a photo for you through the 10x magnification loupe because it is so clean, it has a feather that I believe was the grade setting inclusion. Even if you get super ideal cuts, if they are J color and you are coming from E you will be disappointed. They may sparkle more but they will still have a darker appearance coming from your E.
Please go get them professionally cleaned and then let’s see what they look like. Personally, I think you should hold off and save your pennies so you can make a larger increase and then revisit the color and clarity issue within the context of cut. Remember that the larger the stone, the more a color will show.
On that note, do you know what the cut is for your current ones? I also think paying for super ideal stones is overkill in this situation... I think you will be fine with ideal cuts. I don’t think you will see the difference in your targeted size and as earrings. Some would even argue Very Good would be acceptable but I would still aim for ideal, but not pay the premium for super ideal in this size range.
If you ultimately decide to hold off for now and save toward going bigger to get more impact, just remember you have E color studs now which is very special as E colored diamonds are very rare... only less than 1% of all diamonds are of E color... so until you make the jump to something else, be proud to wear something rare and special!

 

[headlight]

ALSO, to add to my previous post...4 things:
1. When you go to the jeweler to get your current earrings professionally cleaned, try on studs in the size you are considering... but nothing larger, you need to compare as to what you will be trading for. Also try one of yours in 1 ear and the desired size in the other.
2. See what a J would look like if they have it. If they do, compare an H to a J. Compare your E to both.
3. Please keep in mind that even in flat light where a diamond isn’t appearing at its best, the E color still gives it a brightness that you will not see with the lower colors. In your case coming from the E color I don’t think you should go below G unless your only criteria is to have something larger and even with that I say hold on to what you have until you can make a larger jump.
4: WITH ALL THAT SAID... have you considered resetting your current ones in halo mountings? The halo gives an astonishingly magical bump up in size. I would strongly consider this as an option at this point it time. You will have a larger look than your targeted size for the upgrade.

 

[whitewave]

When I upgraded my BN studs, I kept a logbook of dimensions and price, lol. My husband thought I lost my mind. It looked like jibberish to him.

It took about a month, but I finally found a matched pair for a few dollars over what I needed to spend and they were perfect, F si1 (my most favorite combination in the world).

I used these parameters, which are Todd Grey’s “ideal stats” which I happen to agree with, as I want scintillation and Fire.

depth 59-61.8

Table 53-58

Crown: 34.3-35 (35.5 fire)

Pavilion 40.6-40.9

Lower girdle: 75-78

 

[sledge]

These should be sparkle bombs....$1,797 combined and 0.91 carats total.

I personally think VS1 clarity is overkill for stones this size, but it just happened to be what was available.

0.46 J VS1 @ $924 wire
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD10816783

56 table, 61.7 depth, 34.5 crown (15.5% height), 40.8 pavilion (43% depth), 55 stars & 75 LGF

Faint flour. Measures 4.95 x 4.97 x 3.06.


0.45 J VS1 @ $873 wire
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-details/LD11955372

56 table, 61.8 depth, 34.5 crown (15.5% height), 40.8 pavilion (43% depth), 50 stars & 75 LGF

No flour. Measures 4.92 x 4.94 x 3.05.

 

[Frumasring]

So much amazing information, thank you!!!!!!

Great advice on the part about with any jewelry: Put on last after you’ve moisturized, fragranced, etc. Do not shower or swim with them because it’s a huge cleaning issue to get all that gunk removed (but especially because you don’t want to lose them!).
So here’s my take...
While I think they look pretty in your ears, 25-pointers are very petite and I wonder if you are expecting a look that you just may not be able to get from their size which is why you are disappointed with them. You said you want to upgrade to .75 total carat weight which is going to be a little over a 3rd of a carat in each ear. That’s still not going to give you a sizable look so I want you to be prepared and not disappointed. While I know you are eager to trade up now, perhaps you should save up until you can go a bit larger and make a much greater impact. One of my pairs of diamond studs are Old European Cut studs that are 1.62 tcw (so approx 80-points in each ear) that look decent size on me but I have very small ear lobes (and, given they are OECs they have small tables so small spread for their weight). I just don’t know if going up 12-points in each ear is going to be enough that you won’t be disappointed. But, when upgrading, it often takes incremental changes until you reach your ultimate desired size.
You also have to remember that sometimes it’s hard to see how they look on oneself... perhaps you can have someone try them on for you so you can see how they appear to others when you are wearing them. And as it was stated above, the stone has to have a proper light source... even the most dazzling diamonds aren’t going to look dazzling in a setting that is just “flat” with regard to lighting.
Can you give them a really good cleaning and then take a photo of them closer up for us, not on your ears? Have you taken them to the jeweler to be cleaned in their ultrasonic machine and then steamed? What kind of mountings are they in? My current ring mounting is not a basket and there isn’t much room between the pavilion of the diamond and the inside bottom of the mounting and it is closed on the bottom of the mounting, not an open area as you would have with a basket style so it traps dirt (even from hand/dishwashing soap) throughout the day very quickly so I have to ultrasonic and steam every night. Diamond attracts grease. Grease has a higher refractive index (RI) than does air. This alters the critical angle of light return which results in light leakage. I want to make sure the issue of gunk isn’t causing the problem.
As to the upgrade, I have to respectfully disagree with the others as to color... if you have currently an E, going to a J is not a good idea IMO. That is a huge difference, I don’t care if they are the world’s most super cut ideal stones. On the ear, if you are ever going to wear your hair back or up (of course you are, you are going to want to show off your new diamond earrings!) the side view will be visible and even for those who will disagree with me about the color, the “face up” argument doesn’t apply because there will be a side view depending on the mounting. In that instance, I would suggest martini mountings as they will “snuggle” into the earlobe reducing the side view which is where the color will be more apparent. However, based on size I think you will want a mounting that sits up more on your ear to give the effect of a larger stone.
I would suggest you consider SI2 that do not have large and dark inclusions. My current ring is an SI2 and I wish I could take a photo for you through the 10x magnification loupe because it is so clean, it has a feather that I believe was the grade setting inclusion. Even if you get super ideal cuts, if they are J color and you are coming from E you will be disappointed. They may sparkle more but they will still have a darker appearance coming from your E.
Please go get them professionally cleaned and then let’s see what they look like. Personally, I think you should hold off and save your pennies so you can make a larger increase and then revisit the color and clarity issue within the context of cut. Remember that the larger the stone, the more a color will show.
On that note, do you know what the cut is for your current ones? I also think paying for super ideal stones is overkill in this situation... I think you will be fine with ideal cuts. I don’t think you will see the difference in your targeted size and as earrings. Some would even argue Very Good would be acceptable but I would still aim for ideal, but not pay the premium for super ideal in this size range.
If you ultimately decide to hold off for now and save toward going bigger to get more impact, just remember you have E color studs now which is very special as E colored diamonds are very rare... only less than 1% of all diamonds are of E color... so until you make the jump to something else, be proud to wear something rare and special!

S