Diamond studs - best way to shop?

[sapphiredream]

I'm in the market for a pair of classic diamond studs.
I'm sure questions around this staple have been asked a thousand times.
Problem is I don't even know where to begin but I know I wouldn't mind getting a pair of high performing studs (high cut, high sparkle) for a good price.
I'm also interested in pre-owned, anything, as long as they're very sparkly.

Where would you advise me to shop for
them?

 

[purplesilk]

Ask for help in the RockyTalky forum: there' s more traffic.

 

[Snowdrop13]

Yes, ask the mods to move this to RockyTalky instead- click on “report concern” in your post to do it.

It would be good if you had some idea of budget, or size requirement so that we can help you, here’s a preloved pair, for example, don’t know if these are of interest,

https://loupetroop.com/listings/earrings/bgd-signature-stud-earrings-92-ctw

 

[sapphiredream]

Thank you so much, I wrote to the mods.

I'm not sure what a good size is but I noticed that I actually don't like studs that are too big. I'm thinking right under 1 ct each would be good.

Because my focus is sparkle I would be weary to buy without a return policy.
But I would, in fact, prefer pre-owned for a better price.
Budget would be about 2000.

The earrings above look nice but I think I prefer the classic prong set, not bezel.

 

[Golden_bird]

Thank you so much, I wrote to the mods.

I'm not sure what a good size is but I noticed that I actually don't like studs that are too big. I'm thinking right under 1 ct each would be good.

Because my focus is sparkle I would be weary to buy without a return policy.
But I would, in fact, prefer pre-owned for a better price.
Budget would be about 2000.

The earrings above look nice but I think I prefer the classic prong set, not bezel.

There is no way to purchase 1 carat each stone for 2000$, the most for that money is around 0.60-0.70 each stone if you get lucky

 

[sapphiredream]

There is no way to purchase 1 carat each stone for 2000$, the most for that money is around 0.60-0.70 each stone if you get lucky

0.60-0.70 would be just right, I think.
And I would definitely hope to get lucky and get a good price on a pair of pre-owned.
I just don't even know where to start to find something like that.

 

[OoohShiny]

LoupeTroop
DiamondBistro

Both are sites used by PS members. Check out the pre-loved section of the forum.


If your budget is $2k and you are open to Man Made Diamonds, you may be able to get higher colour/clarity/carat weight for your budget.

 

[sapphiredream]

Hi Ooohshiny,

My number 1 criterion with stud earrings is cut.
I need them to perform at that "ideal cut/Hearts and Arrows or whatever" level where the sparkle and flash are maximum.
I love studs for being so classic and versatile but at the same time, I am aware that if they do not perform well, sparkle-wise, they can be a huge yawn.

I have considered the man-made diamonds but I am quite torn. The lower price level is surely attractive but I am afraid I will end up with a psychological hang-up.

What are the best man-made diamond imitations out there? What would people here recommend for a nice pair of stud earrings with a sturdy, well-made setting?

 

[OoohShiny]

Hi Ooohshiny,

My number 1 criterion with stud earrings is cut.
I need them to perform at that "ideal cut/Hearts and Arrows or whatever" level where the sparkle and flash are maximum.
I love studs for being so classic and versatile but at the same time, I am aware that if they do not perform well, sparkle-wise, they can be a huge yawn.

I have considered the man-made diamonds but I am quite torn. The lower price level is surely attractive but I am afraid I will end up with a psychological hang-up.

What are the best man-made diamond imitations out there? What would people here recommend for a nice pair of stud earrings with a sturdy, well-made setting?

The Lightbox MMD offerings from DeBeers appear to be somewhat leaky, going from the ASETscope images that have been posted in the various threads on the forum, but no better or worse than 'standard' diamonds one can see on the high street.

Rhino is selling AGS000 MMDs through his August Vintage Inc website, though, and these will be top-notch in terms of light performance:
https://www.augustvintageinc.com/collections/laboratory-grown-diamonds
I don't think Rhino has much smaller stock at the moment, but he can custom order as required.


Man Made Diamonds are diamond - chemically and physically - they have just been grown rather than found underground. There would be no way for anyone to know MMD studs were MMD without taking them off your ears and using a Loupe to find the laser inscription on the girdle of the stone.

Is your potential psychological hang-up that MMD stones are perceived as 'fake' by some people and you would be judged for it if someone like that found out?

Anyone who would judge you for what you wear is not really a friend, and they would never know if they were MMD or not if you didn't tell them, so you should buy and wear them with confidence!

 

[sapphiredream]

The Lightbox MMD offerings from DeBeers appear to be somewhat leaky, going from the ASETscope images that have been posted in the various threads on the forum, but no better or worse than 'standard' diamonds one can see on the high street.

Rhino is selling AGS000 MMDs through his August Vintage Inc website, though, and these will be top-notch in terms of light performance:
https://www.augustvintageinc.com/collections/laboratory-grown-diamonds
I don't think Rhino has much smaller stock at the moment, but he can custom order as required.


Man Made Diamonds are diamond - chemically and physically - they have just been grown rather than found underground. There would be no way for anyone to know MMD studs were MMD without taking them off your ears and using a Loupe to find the laser inscription on the girdle of the stone.

Is your potential psychological hang-up that MMD stones are perceived as 'fake' by some people and you would be judged for it if someone like that found out?

Anyone who would judge you for what you wear is not really a friend, and they would never know if they were MMD or not if you didn't tell them, so you should buy and wear them with confidence!

Thank you, shiny!
It's not about being judged. When placed in a nice setting, avery high-quality diamond imitation in a stud earring can easily pass as real.
My concern is with performance over the long term. Will it stay just as sparkly as natural diamomnds do or is i likely to become cloudy, dull, etc.
That being said, those MMD-s on August Vintage appear quite high in price, considering they are not natural.

I keep hpoing to find a pre-owned pair but even so, it looks like I can't get away with a budget of 2000$ to get ideal cut.

What would be the lowest price I could hope to find a pair of ideal cut diamonds 0.4-0.75 each?

 

[Matilda]

other than ideal cut and carat weight, what are your other priorities in the diamonds? colour/clarity? J/K colour work for you?

for instance:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-search.aspx

VS

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-search.aspx

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-search.aspx

Im not recommending any of those diamonds necessarily, I'm just trying to show you a range of prices and how they may be affected by colour/clarity grades, even if carat weight remains same.

white flash is popular here for selling beautifully cut diamonds also

 

[OoohShiny]

Thank you, shiny!
It's not about being judged. When placed in a nice setting, avery high-quality diamond imitation in a stud earring can easily pass as real.
My concern is with performance over the long term. Will it stay just as sparkly as natural diamomnds do or is i likely to become cloudy, dull, etc.
That being said, those MMD-s on August Vintage appear quite high in price, considering they are not natural.

I'm pleased to hear being judged is not an issue

MMDs are exactly that - Man Made Diamonds.

Chemically and physically they are no different to 'normal', Mined diamonds.

They will therefore perform exactly the same and last you a lifetime if looked after


The AV offerings are priced to reflect the fact they are AGS000 and meet Rhino's requirements (to be very high quality and perform as well as they can) - it is hard to find well-cut MMDs on other sites, so I am pleased that he is focusing on getting great cuts out there!

The MMD market is still quite young, and has been rocked recently with DeBeers' / Lightbox's pricing of $800 a carat (albeit they are only selling stones <1ct) so pricing is still fluid, but a diamond can't really be considered an investment anyway, so I guess that if one approaches both Mined and MMD with the mindset that getting anywhere near one's original money back is unlikely if you sell, both are still attractive options! (IMHO, of course.)

 

[sapphiredream]

Thank you so much!
I ran a search and for example, I found this one.

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...etails.aspx?Diamond1=4015007&Diamond2=3824327

I am thinking to consider a pair of J-s at around .60 ct each or so and then surround those stones with a halo. I could have gone lower in ct but these are the least expensive due color.

if I pay about 3500 for the stones only, how much should I add for the setting?
To get an ideal cut, it will probably much more than the 2000 budget I had in mind.
Urgh.

 

[MonkeysInk]

I’m surprised no one has suggested calling Yekutiel at ID Jewelry yet! He always seems to work miracles within buyers’ budgets. I have made a couple of purchases with him and been very happy with them.

 

[Matilda]

Maybe I made a mistake but I think the price of the pair is $1222 or so. They are 0.6ish cts TOTAL weight, not 0.6ct each. Settings on white lash range from $195 upwards for round diamonds.

Oh diamond bistro could be worth a look. https://www.diamondbistro.com

 

[sapphiredream]

Maybe I made a mistake but I think the price of the pair is $1222 or so. They are 0.6ish cts TOTAL weight, not 0.6ct each. Settings on white lash range from $195 upwards for round diamonds.

Oh diamond bistro could be worth a look. https://www.diamondbistro.com

Thank you, Matilda.
I am looking at stones of about 4-5 mms each so I can surround them with a halo to make them look larger.
I checked both Loupe Troop and Diamond Bistro but nothing for now.
My main goal is to get some stones that are very sparkly.
I can compromise on color, clarity and even size - which I hope to increase with the halo - but the cut must do the job well.
This is so much harder than going to a store and picking something.

 

[sapphiredream]

I’m surprised no one has suggested calling Yekutiel at ID Jewelry yet! He always seems to work miracles within buyers’ budgets. I have made a couple of purchases with him and been very happy with them.

Thank you, MonkeysInk. I will check the site!
I wonder if NY vendors are likely to have the same prices as you might find in less expensive areas of the country....

 

[Snowdrop13]

Thank you, Matilda.
I am looking at stones of about 4-5 mms each so I can surround them with a halo to make them look larger.
I checked both Loupe Troop and Diamond Bistro but nothing for now.
My main goal is to get some stones that are very sparkly.
I can compromise on color, clarity and even size - which I hope to increase with the halo - but the cut must do the job well.
This is so much harder than going to a store and picking something.

You could consider earring jackets instead of a fixed halo, that way you could wear them with other earrings and wear the studs alone if desired.

 

[Matilda]

gotcha. idj would work!

also here are some from WF with 4.7mm roughly dimensions:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-di...etails.aspx?Diamond1=3981510&Diamond2=3981491

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/diamond-pairs-search.aspx

 

[sapphiredream]

To keep within budget, I'm considering J color. I wonder if I'd be pushing my luck though. I wouldn't want the stone to show up beige/yellowish on my skin; although, having quite a bit of yellow/olive in my complexion it doesn't take a very high grade color to show up "white" against my skin.

If I go with White flash or I D jewelry, as recommended here, should I work with them to have the stones set or should I do this locally?
My local jeweler is good (NY transplant) but I think he's overcharging a bit.
I'm thinking that I might come out better price wise, working with the stones provider, if they also do jewelry. But everything would be from a distance - hopefully they would be able to provide good videos too.
I'm just thinking that with studs it's not really "jewelry brain surgery" like with a custom ring. I suppose studs are studs, even with a halo or jacket around - as long as the pave is done flush and neat. No?

To sum this up, you are recommending White Flesh, ID Jewelry and the pre-owned sites like diamond bistro and loupe troop. With the latter you have to be really lucky and quick, if something just right were to come up.

How about James Allen? Good Old Gold?

Thank you so much again.

 

[snowballs mom]

I just bought a pair of K studs set in a white gold half bezel from Whiteflash - they are .35 and .34 each. I can see a slight creamy tint at times, depending on the lighting, but they are so very bright and sparkly it doesn't matter to me (my skin tone is pale, pale white with a slight amount of pink). Keep in mind that, depending on the vendor, you can wear them for a while and upgrade to a whiter color at a later time. I love the K, so my eventual upgrade will just be a larger stone.

 

[sapphiredream]

I just bought a pair of K studs set in a white gold half bezel from Whiteflash - they are .35 and .34 each. I can see a slight creamy tint at times, depending on the lighting, but they are so very bright and sparkly it doesn't matter to me (my skin tone is pale, pale white with a slight amount of pink). Keep in mind that, depending on the vendor, you can wear them for a while and upgrade to a whiter color at a later time. I love the K, so my eventual upgrade will just be a larger stone.

They are beautiful, snowballs!

 

[sapphiredream]

OK...I have one more question related to this topic. This one, it is probably lame but I need to ask it.

Is it worth it?

I mean...to pay so much for a pair of simple studs for which there are thousands of immitations that cost around 10-20 dollars and which, from a distance, could pass as your typical diamond studs?

I very much love the versatility and classic look of studs (anywhere, any time, sleep in them, etc) - but for whatever reason, my subconscious tells me I should be able to pay much, much less to get something that...simple and basic.

In fact, I grabbed another 10$ pair in sterling silver and zirconia at the store today because I lost one in my previous pair.

They are...well...so basic.

Please tell me that a real diamond set in a substantial, gold setting will give a lot more presence, sparkle and "kick" than this.
Because if this is all there is...I don't know...thousands of dollars to get such a basic look?

Another thing that bothers me with the studs is how easy it is to lose them, especially when you take them on and off.

I know I need to go to my jeweler's store and try a few on to see if I can get the extra "kick" compared to the immitations .... but in the meantime, if you can make the case that they feel 1000 times more luxurious on the ear than the fakes ones...I am interested to hear.

 

[snowballs mom]

They are beautiful, snowballs!

Thanks! I went back and forth between yellow and white gold, since I was concerned the tint might be noticable with the white gold, but I am really happy with the way they turned out!

 

[snowballs mom]

OK...I have one more question related to this topic. This one, it is probably lame but I need to ask it.

Is it worth it?

I mean...to pay so much for a pair of simple studs for which there are thousands of immitations that cost around 10-20 dollars and which, from a distance, could pass as your typical diamond studs?

I very much love the versatility and classic look of studs (anywhere, any time, sleep in them, etc) - but for whatever reason, my subconscious tells me I should be able to pay much, much less to get something that...simple and basic.

In fact, I grabbed another 10$ pair in sterling silver and zirconia at the store today because I lost one in my previous pair.

They are...well...so basic.

Please tell me that a real diamond set in a substantial, gold setting will give a lot more presence, sparkle and "kick" than this.
Because if this is all there is...I don't know...thousands of dollars to get such a basic look?

Another thing that bothers me with the studs is how easy it is to lose them, especially when you take them on and off.

I know I need to go to my jeweler's store and try a few on to see if I can get the extra "kick" compared to the immitations .... but in the meantime, if you can make the case that they feel 1000 times more luxurious on the ear than the fakes ones...I am interested to hear.

My daughter has a $10 pair like you are describing that is very pretty, however they do not compare to the real thing. She is coveting my old, non-ideal cut pair of real diamonds. They are I color, I clarity, and do not look near as good as my new ones, but she likes them much more than her czs...

 

[OoohShiny]

If you have no hurry to purchase, I think you need to check out 'SuperIdeal' stones in person - there really is no comparison to seeing them with your own eyes in a range of lights, so one understands their performance and character. We can tell you our experiences all day, but opening that square of tissue paper and spending the next hour staring at it in as many lights as possible because it's so ridiculously sparkly is a completely different and affirming experience

I would therefore suggest ordering a stone from HPD, WF, BG... You can assess it at home, compare it to CZs, and if you see no difference, return it for zero or minimal cost (please confirm with the vendor re: returns shipping processes and insurance arrangements).

I think you would like what you see

 

[Matilda]

I think @OoohShiny has a fantastic idea! Had it not been for the number of times you mentioned wanting super ideal cut I would have assumed you would not have been happy to buy them regardless how nice they would be as you would regret the purchase.
You even weren’t convinced by lab diamonds due to the fact that their cut may not have been good. It appears to me that you don’t think they are “basic”, just trying to reassure yourself you will get what you’re looking for.

I think a trial is a great idea for you to suss out whether thy will bring you joy or whether you will be constantly reminded of the price. Nd maybe you decide diamond studs aren’t worth it and that’s great if you do also

 

[Kh0117]

I didnt care much about jewelry until recently. My husband added an eternity diamond band to my wedding set and the jewelry itch started there. I was on the fence about getting studs cause i didn’t see the point of spending the money but after I tried on a pair at a local jeweler’s I knew I had to get them.

I literally spent days here on PS looking at pretty pictures and reading through posts and I just had to go for it. I went with IDJ based on all the reviews from this community and I’m excited and can’t wait to get them. I’m getting a lot more, specs wise, that what i would have gotten locally or from other online vendors. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. Good luck on your search!