Diamond Grades for Stud Earrings. Can I go lower?

[malnik]

I'm trying to find the best bang for the buck diamonds for stud earrings for my wife. I bought my wife a 000 H/SI1 for her engagement ring and it's a beauty. No flaws or yellow can be detected.

In the case of earrings, can I go even a lower grade like I/SI2 since they are normally seen farther away? They're just so much cheaper.

 

[Circe]

Yes, yes you can.

I wear H, Si2 earrings, and I'm delighted with them - they're eye-clean at 6 inches, and anybody closer to my ears than that had better be buying me dinner. But all SI2s aren't created equal: be sure you either get yours from a vendor whose standards you trust, or that you get the chance to check them out yourself. Ditto that on color: me, I love warmer stones, and would happily have gone down to J or K, but my vendor found me a great deal on these ... but if you or your wife are color-sensitive, best to know before the return period passes! Bottom line, though? I SI2 for earrings sounds just fine.

 

[shortee78]

I have J SI1 and they are a great value They don't look yellow at all!

 

[Smith1940]

My engagement ring is an I and faces up so white I thought it was an E or an F when he gave it to me...however, it's a Hearts on Fire so the cut is top-notch: AGS 000, HCA 0.9.

I would say that I/SI2 is absolutely fine for studs if the cut is top-notch. Would recommend Blue Nile's Signature diamond studs, which I have. You're guaranteed an amazing cut and a ton of sparkle with those. If you choose a white metal bezel setting the stone size will be maximized. Going high on the cut also makes the stones look bigger. I think combining a lower color and clarity with a fantastic cut is a great way to get both great sparkle and value for money.

 

[Imdanny]

I wouldn't go lower than SI2, no.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

for earrings I would get J SI2 if they were eyeclean and the cut was awesome! Neatfreak got WF Js for her wprong earrings and they were GORGEOUS and white!

 

[ihy138]

I have J SI2 earrings and they are eye-clean as far as I can tell. They're a fantastic value and never really appear as warm as they should. They are behind my hair most of the time, so it was hard to justify getting any stricter than that.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Bought AGS000 I1's; one Cut by Infinity and the other from GOG. Stunners. Perfect for earrings, IMHO.

cheers--Sharon

 

[marcy]

I think well cut stones HIJ and si2 or I1 are fine for earrings.

 

[Jax172]

My earrings are K's and they look just as white as my H pendant.

 

[Black Jade]

Yes, you can even go to J, as many posters have stated.
I have H VS2 earrings (also 000, ACAs from Whiteflash) and you don't need this kind of quality for earrings. I saw J SI2's in the store in the same size--just about 2 carat total weight) and really you could not see the difference, in earrings which you don't see right up close. and the JSI2's I saw were not Ideal Cut, even or AGS--they were GIA Very Good cut.
I only got mine so 'overkill' because at that time, they were the largest diamonds I owned and I didn't know if I might not want to make a ring using one someday. If there's a chance you might make a ring out of the earrings you are buying, then you want to keep your specs higher if you are color sensitive, but for an earring that will stay an earring, I would save my $$$. Especially since prices (though down a little) are still very high. I bought my earrings in 2008. If I were buying earrings today, they would definitely not have these specs (although I love mine).
If you go with Blue Nile, be aware they only sell screwbacks, which all women don't like.

 

[MissStepcut]

I would fearlessly go I1, as long as i could select the stones from pictures or in person. Lots of I1s are eye clean from 12 inches, especially in the half-carat and smaller range.

 

[Enerchi]

I purchased J SI1's thru BGD and I love them! They are spectacular in my opinion - H&A stones that sparkle and shine and the cut makes them appear a few colour grades higher than the J. I am very happy with them and the cost was well with in reason (for my budget)

Happy shopping....

 

[Smith1940]

The poster above who mentioned that Blue Nile only sells screwbacks when it comes to diamond studs has a great point. Also true that not all women like them. I don't like my screwbacks at all - in fact they take so long to put on and take off that I've actually worn the earrings quite a lot less than I would have done otherwise. On the other hand, I guess they're nice and safe. I had been thinking how much I hate those backs, and then I met a woman who was telling me that she'd lost one of her diamond earrings while wearing it and that it didn't have a screwback. So then I felt chastened...but it's true, they're very awkward. Sometimes it takes a while to put them on because they don't always screw straight, first time. And then, when you take them off the back always falls, because you can't see behind your ears so you don't know when the back is coming off the end. Oh yes, they're a pain all right, and I wish I'd been aware of what they were like before buying. I'm from the UK and had never seen them before.

 

[Smith1940]

BTW this post has made me think about those screwbacks and the fact that I don't like them so don't wear the earrings that much. They were supposed to be for everyday, too, and I haven't really worn them for the reasons above. I just called Blue Nile. They said they will change the backs to friction backs for $40 and there would be no shipping charge to send them back to me (I'd have to pay to send them in the first place, of course.) They're 18k white gold, bought about eight months ago. I was very impressed by BN offering to do this for $40. So to the OP, this is another thing to consider - screwback or friction?