Diamond stud earrings - bought from Mall jewerly store

[MFT]

I recently bought a pair of diamond stud earrings for my wife as a Christmas present at a Black Friday sale. I had been looking exclusively online at bluenile and James Allen, preferring James Allen because photographs of the actual diamond are available. But, I thought I would check out the Black Friday sales at the mall, just in case there were some hidden gems (pun intended) amongst the jewelry store stock.

Based on my research thus far, I knew I probably shouldn't have, but I picked up a pair of earrings from Ben Moss (a Canadian jewelry store) with Canadian 0.53/0.54 diamonds with the following specs:



Diamond Certification is from GGI - doesn't seem like a particularly well-known/reputable lab.

Below are pictures I took of the diamonds this morning with my macro lens.

Image 1:


Image 2:


I like the fact that they are of good colour and Very Good cut (supposedly), but looking at the close up images I took this morning, I am not at all impressed with the clarity - they seem like particularly included I1/I2 diamonds. I have a number of other photos of them too, including from the side if anyone wants to see them.

I am tempted to return them and get these diamonds from James Allen for a few hundred dollars more:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.41-carat-h-color-vs1-clarity-ideal-cut-pair-722682,722695

I'd like to stick to no more than $3,000 CAD for the earrings, and these seem pretty good looking at the specs. Any thoughts or words of wisdom?

 

[Sagefemme]

Yep, take those mall earrings back quickly! The JA stones make the mall stones look like lumps of coal!! Not even in the same ball park.

 

[MFT]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sorry to see the size of the stones be reduced by +/- 20%, but I am hoping that the quality of the smaller diamonds will make up for it.

 

[wildcat03]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sorry to see the size of the stones be reduced by +/- 20%, but I am hoping that the quality of the smaller diamonds will make up for it.

You could always drop the color to "I." And even SI2 would probably be ok if the inclusions were white. That would allow you to increase size.

 

[MFT]

You could always drop the color to "I." And even SI2 would probably be ok if the inclusions were white. That would allow you to increase size.

I wouldn't mind that, but JA diamonds jump from 0.41/0.42 to 0.51+ with nothing in between, which pushes the price up by $1,000 (even when the clarity and color drop). Blue Nile seems to be the same story where it jumps from +/- 0.42 up to 0.50+, accompanied by the expected price jump upon hitting that magic half carat mark.

 

[wildcat03]

You could always drop the color to "I." And even SI2 would probably be ok if the inclusions were white. That would allow you to increase size.

I wouldn't mind that, but JA diamonds jump from 0.41/0.42 to 0.51+ with nothing in between, which pushes the price up by $1,000 (even when the clarity and color drop). Blue Nile seems to be the same story where it jumps from +/- 0.42 up to 0.50+, accompanied by the expected price jump upon hitting that magic half carat mark.

That makes sense. You could try calling ID Jewelry to see what they could do for you.

 

[Andelain]

Better small than nasty. Return those things, ASAP!

 

[MFT]

Better small than nasty. Return those things, ASAP!

Returned yesterday! Now looking at some nicer 0.4 carat stones from James Allen and Brian Gavin: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opinions-on-ja-true-hearts-ideal-diamond-for-earrings.217723/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opinions-on-ja-true-hearts-ideal-diamond-for-earrings.217723/[/URL]

 

[kenny]

I'm so glad you got good First Aid after getting 'mauled'.

 

[Andelain]

Better small than nasty. Return those things, ASAP!

Returned yesterday! .......

 

[heididdl]

Garbage take them back good is good not ideal and I I means eye can see the flaws with my eyes should I go on. You had such good idea looking at James Allen om lime return these and go back to jakes Allen even their preset are nice

 

[Gypsy]

Whew. Glad you took those back.

 

[Rockinruby]

Excellent decision to take them back. Now let these knowledgable PS members help you find something better!

 

[Gypsy]

The JA stones are lovely. But for earrings you don't need H's. I-J is just fine. Seriously.

Stick to I-J (I personally like K's for earrings) and Si1 clarity.

The stones will only be seen straight on so no body color (especially at that size) is going to be visible from the side. And they will face up bright WHITE, trust me. And no one is getting closer to her ears than 10 inches, so clarity is a largely moot point.

Buy these:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.46-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-688852
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.45-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-690814


GORGEOUS pair of stones. Trust me. 5mm each. Just shy of a carat.

770+750= 1570 for the stones.

http://www.jamesallen.com/earrings/design-your-own-studs/pair-of-18k-white-gold-round-brilliant-6-prong-scalloped-basket-settings-item-2556

450 for the settings.

2200 USD and 2937 CAD.

Done.

 

[Sagefemme]

"Better small than nasty"--that made me laugh out loud. But damn, those earrings were.........nasty. One more loving husband (boyfriend, fiance) snatched back from the brink of disaster........

 

[Andelain]

...........
Buy these: .............

^^^ What she said. Because if you don't, I will.


And just ask these folks here if I won't!

 

[MFT]

The JA stones are lovely. But for earrings you don't need H's. I-J is just fine. Seriously.

Stick to I-J (I personally like K's for earrings) and Si1 clarity.

The stones will only be seen straight on so no body color (especially at that size) is going to be visible from the side. And they will face up bright WHITE, trust me. And no one is getting closer to her ears than 10 inches, so clarity is a largely moot point.

Buy these:
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.46-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-688852
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.45-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-690814

GORGEOUS pair of stones. Trust me. 5mm each. Just shy of a carat.

770+750= 1570 for the stones.

http://www.jamesallen.com/earrings/design-your-own-studs/pair-of-18k-white-gold-round-brilliant-6-prong-scalloped-basket-settings-item-2556

450 for the settings.

2200 USD and 2937 CAD.

Done.

Thanks, I appreciate it! The cuts do look good for a non-True Hearts diamond. Do you think those are a better value than the 0.40/0.41 True Hearts diamonds? I don't mind paying a bit more if it will make a difference in the sparkle of the earrings.

Also, I had read that the 3-prong martini settings are best and hadn't considered the 6-prong scalloped settings - is there a particular reason you would recommend those?

 

[Andelain]

6 prong setting makes the stone look bigger and rounder, 3 will make it look like a triangle. More comfortable to wear, too.

Those 2 stones are so close to the True Hearts, you'll never be able to see a difference.

 

[Gypsy]

Ditto what Andelian said. Those stones will be indistinguishable from True Hearts (you can't see the hearts when the stone is set, unless you set them upside down). I personally am wary about having only three prongs on a diamond and I like how large and round the 6 prongs make the stones look.

If she has previously liked martini's though, please get her whatever she wants. These aren't for me! (Though I wish they were).

 

[MFT]

Thanks for the finding the other stones Gypsy and for the advice everyone! These are meant to be a surprise Christmas present, so I'm not sure if she has a preference for the 3-prong martini or not, but I do like what you said about the 6-prong setting.

I am hoping to make a decision today and I'll let you all know what I end up ordering.

 

[MFT]

So, if I wanted to go bigger and up the budget to about $3,500 CAD + setting, what about these possible options:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...m=59.00&DepthTo=62&TableFrom=53.00&TableTo=58

I set the following parameters in the Advanced Search:

Total depth between 59 – 62%
Table diameter between 53 – 58%

Based on the research I've done, I am also looking for these specs on each Diamond Certificate:

• Crown angle between 34.3 – 34.9 degrees
  Pavilion angle between 40.6 – 40.9 degrees
  Girdle: 0.7% thin to medium, faceted or polished
  Culet: AGS “pointed” or GIA “none” (same thing)

I was also thinking I could go down to a K color and look for some Faint to Medium fluorescence as I've read that it can counteract the appearance of color in the stone?

 

[MFT]

How about these two in the 0.60 range?

1. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-774679
2. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-681564

 

[tyty333]

How about these two in the 0.60 range?

1. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-774679
2. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-681564

What about this one with your number 1 stone? Ask JA if it is eye-clean. Ask JA if they make a nice pair for earrings. Ask them
if there is any visible color difference.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.60-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-635181

 

[MFT]

Thanks tyty333! I think I saw that one too, but I was a bit concerned about the specs as it had a Crown Angle of 34 degrees and a total depth of 62 percent - but perhaps that is being too picky?

I'll check with JA and see what they have to say about the two stones...

 

[MFT]

How about these two in the 0.60 range?

1. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-774679
2. http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-k-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-681564

What about this one with your number 1 stone? Ask JA if it is eye-clean. Ask JA if they make a nice pair for earrings. Ask them
if there is any visible color difference.

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut/0.60-carat-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-635181

So I checked with JA and here is what they said:
- I think they'll make a great pair. The only thing a little off is the table sizes. 54 and 56 should be
close enough, but we usually recommend them being within one percentage point.
- They both have medium fluorescence too, which will look really cool.
- I think they're a great pair. Angles and proportions are nearly exact, so they should be very
comparable in all categories.

 

[Gypsy]

Perfect. 2 percentage points on table.is fine!

 

[MFT]

So I am 60% convinced to go for the two 0.60 ct J VS1 Excellent stones from JA:

http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-j-color-vs1-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-774679
http://www.jamesallen.com/loose-dia...-j-color-vs2-clarity-excellent-cut-sku-635181

Though they are J colour, they have a medium blue fluorescence which may help with make them a bit more white in certain lighting conditions.

The main thing that is holding me back is that I am a photographer and I'm pretty color-sensitive. My wife's E-ring is a D (supposedly), so I am worried that her J color diamond studs will look yellowish by comparison. That being said, my wife is not the type of person to notice/care about it, so it would be more my problem.

So, that brings me back to getting some REALLY nice 0.40 ct studs like JA True Hearts, Brian Gavin Signature, or WF ACA.

I'm also slightly worried that my wife might find the 0.60 ct to be a bit ostentatious - she is not very flashy with her jewellery and is quite modest about showing off.

Any thoughts before I make a decision? Given my concerns about color and potentially being too large, perhaps the nicer 0.40 stones are the "safe choice"? Her ear lobes are attached and not overly large, so the 0.40 stones will probably look fairly big on her ears. On the other hand, I don't want to go too small...decisions! Now that I am more educated, buying these earrings is more stressful than picking out her engagement ring LOL!

 

[LLJsmom]

If your wife is color sensitive, which she may be (I am. I didn't love I, VS2 studs from WF and returned them for G.), then I would go for the higher color in the smaller size. If you do WF or BGD, you can always upgrade her at an an overeat or bday in the future. I think you can with JA too. Just with the 2x price policy, I believe.

I get it that you look at studs face up, and not from the side. Maybe you are talking about the scenario that she just prefers a higher color. In your case, you were considering the super ideal cuts right, ACA or BGD? Those are very very beautiful. I have seen the difference and I personally prefer the super ideal. If you feel more comfortable knowing you got the best, that is fine. You should do it. I think 40 points would be beautiful and substantial on her ears. And if it looks to small you can always exchange them. I have the six prong martini settings from WF and they are gorgeous and delicate with sharp, tiny claws. I believe they are stock and can be exchanged or returned, no problem. Confirm with WF though.

 

[tyty333]

You will see a difference between her D ering and J earrings. Fortunately, she wont be holding her hand up by her ears all day
long.

It really comes down to whether you want to maximize size or color? You can always order the pair and send them back if they
are too colored (or to big). Or you could order the smaller ones and send them back if she things she would like bigger and the
J color wont bother her.

If you look at this thread you can see a comparison of an E colored cushion and J colored earrings. These are AVCs (not rounds)
though. Actually, the whole thread has some lovely J colored stones in it.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-diamonds-can-i-see.148778/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-diamonds-can-i-see.148778/[/URL]

 

[tyty333]

And this thread has an earshot of a .55 stone so you can get an idea of size. The poster is DandiAndi (scroll down a little).
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-studs-j-color.166811/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/diamond-studs-j-color.166811/[/URL]