Diamond solitaire pendant questions

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I’m considering getting an everyday diamond solitaire pendant, but I keep going back and forth on whether I want one!

A bit about me/my plans: I plan to set it in white gold, want an MRB, and will wear it everyday, but will take it off to sleep, shower and gym most days. I rarely layer pendants, and I don’t expect or want this to become my “special occasion” jewelry, it’s really for everyday, but I am fond of bling and a bit of a size ho. I’m not fussy about color or clarity (eye clean and reasonably white is good enough for me). I haven’t fully committed to buying one in my head yet, and there is no specific timeline, so this isn’t a “specific stone” question, and I have time to save up so the question isn’t so much about budget (within reason - I don’t think I could stretch my budget to a 5cter!)

My questions:
1) considering the above info, what is a good size range to target? Or is it more of a “ratio to studs/ering” situation? Is a 1ct size a good “everyday” size (that’s what I am currently leaning towards)

2) should I opt for a bezel or prong setting? Pros and cons? I’m leaning a bit towards prong over bezel, because I’m not a very big fan of bezels (especially thick bezels) but I do like delicate milgrain bezels.

3) should I opt for a pendant that moves on the chain / is removable from the chain or one that is fixed? Pros and cons?

4) Do I need to go for a super ideal/ideal cut? Or is a GIA 3Ex/ GIA VG good enough, since it’s around my neck and will only ever be seen at a distance?

5) I am not really color sensitive, I would say that I only start picking up tint at the I-J mark. Is I-J a good color benchmark, or should I be looking to go higher? Or maybe lower? Is there a limit I should draw since I want a WG setting? Similarly, what clarity grades should I stay between? Is SI1 going to be okay or should I be aiming in the VS1-VS2 range?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[RunningwithScissors]

What size and color are the other pieces of jewelry (studs, e-ring, etc) that you regularly wear? That might help give you some parameters.

Everyone likes different ratios of sizes from earrings to pendant to e-ring, but most agree that the e-ring should be the star.

For me, I like a pendant necklace to be larger than my studs (larger than the individual diamond weight, not the ctw.) For example, if my earrings are 1 ct each (2 ctw) than I'd want my pendant to be in the 1.5 - 2 ct range. (Just my personal preference -- your preference is unique to you.)

For me, because I am color sensitive, I don't want my earrings or pendant to be more than one color less then my e-ring, and I definitely don't want them to be higher in color than my e-ring. Since you are less color sensitive, you have more flexibility, but still, I would not have them be extremely far removed from your other jewelry or they won't "flow" well together (unless your pendant is truly a fancy color and it is meant to be its "own thing.")

While I'm tiny in frame/body type, I can still easily handle a 2ct pendant for everyday, even for the gym (just tuck it in the old tshirt). But everyone is different. I definitely wouldn't go less than 1 ct, unless it competes with your e-ring, or you may get DSS. And if you aren't purchasing your diamond from one of our super ideal vendors, you'll have a more difficult time trading up if you want to go larger sometime in the future.

Just my 2 cents.

Enjoy this fun project! Keep us posted!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

My current studs are around 3ct total with a halo, I VS2 MRB, no plans of upgrading for a loooooong while. I’m not engaged yet, but we’re talking about it in the next couple years and we’re looking at a 2.5-3ct step cut solitaire ring (if we can get bigger we will, but that seems feasible given our current discussions) to be paired with a pave wedding band. I also have a 1.5ct alphabet yellow stone (no idea on clarity, it’s uncerted but eyeclean) I’ll be setting in a halo for a blingy RHR.

I haven’t decided what I’ll be doing about upgrades - I lean towards just repurposing existing jewelry instead and buying new to supplement. I feel sentimentally about a future ering and I won’t ever let go of that stone - maybe far in the future (several anniversaries in) if we decide to get me a bigger stone as my new ering, I’d turn my first ering into the new everyday pendant. In general I don’t like the idea of trading in a piece - I like to tie my purchases to occasions (even if just Christmas or something) and then it feels wrong to just let it go. So I think for the next decade or so I’m going to have this combo of sizes, at the very least. I usually tend to change up my earrings and don’t always wear studs.

Keeping all of that in mind, it seems like a bigger size for the pendant might look more cohesive, but then I wonder if it’s too much for someone in their mid-late 20s? Am I then better off getting a smaller pendant in that 1ish ct size, or no pendant at all? I don’t really wear pendants at the moment, but they do seem super classic and I like the idea of a little bit extra sparkle. I won’t buy it unless I fall in love with the idea, but it’s been on my mind for a couple months that a pendant is a great staple even if it’s not been on my radar yet. I tend to let things rest on my wishlist for a while before buying so this won’t be a quick purchase, but just gathering opinions

edit: holy crap this turned out to be an essay!

 

[RunningwithScissors]

I totally get the need to think it over for a good long time because that's exactly what I do. I don't like to be rushed into major purchases.

Perhaps you could buy a CZ pendant and wear it for awhile, testing out how you like both the size and the setting, and if you'd wear it often or not?

I've been thinking about a tennis bracelet for awhile now. To help me, I ordered three different carat weight CZ bracelets. When I received them I tried them all on, selected the one that was closest to what I think I want and sent the others back.

Wearing the CZ bracelet has taught me things I hadn't even realized are issues with tennis bracelets (like how hard they are to put on without having someone help me, which equals not wearing it as much as I thought I would.) Also I've gotten to live with a particular carat weight and have had a good long while to decide if I like it or would prefer larger or smaller diamonds.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

A CZ pendant is a great idea! Thank you! Another thing I could do could be to just go to a jewelry store or two in a few months and try solitaire pendants (if they have them) in the magic sizes of 1ct - 2ct ideally at 0.25 intervals. A CZ pendant is super inexpensive though so I might just do that. I’m leaning towards 1ct right now also because I think it helps balance out the rest of the blinginess even though I see the logic in having all the pieces be proportional in size.

I think my hesitation comes from the fact that I love bold and in your face jewelry and so I adore statement (either big or multicolored or both) pieces, especially earrings, but at the same time, I dress extremely classic/formal, and so the other part of me loves staple pieces and sees the value in them!

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

Since you feel there will be a lot of sentimental value around your future ER and want to maximize size, what about getting a Lightbox lab diamond solitaire pendant for $1K and put the savings towards your ER budget? A 1-2ct earth mined pendant can cost $5-20K, so that could be used towards the ER!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Since you feel there will be a lot of sentimental value around your future ER and want to maximize size, what about getting a Lightbox lab diamond solitaire pendant for $1K and put the savings towards your ER budget? A 1-2ct earth mined pendant can cost $5-20K, so that could be used towards the ER!

That’s an interesting idea that I hadn’t thought of yet, thank you! Lightbox has sparked my curiosity before but I’ve always stuck to mined diamond, I don’t know why. I feel like I don’t want to go the synthetic/lab grown route though I really couldn’t even tell you why. The savings are tempting, and I’ve always said that I think LGs have their place and are a wonderful product but somehow I feel like this would be a weird mind clean issue? (And I’m someone who is the opposite of color or clarity sensitive btw, so it’s weird for me that I’ve discovered a hang up). Maybe it’s because I feel like for classic, staple pieces i should go for mined and LGs are more for occasional wear?

Nevertheless I am thinking about it now, so thank you!