help for earrings?

[icequeen]

Hi-I''ve been reading this forum and have learned a lot already. It seems that my original goal (of purchasing two nice quality .75-.9 stones to make earrings) is not going to happen for my 5 thousand-dollar budget.
I was thinking of working with a retail jeweler in Scarsdale, NY who I trust-but am open to suggestions (I live in Philadelphia half the week and have easy access to NY the rest). Is it possible to get nice quality stones that large for about 5 thousand or do I need to spend more? what is the quality I should be looking for-is G or H okay or do I need to stay around F? (The jeweler I spoke with doesn''t sell anything less than an H and all his stones are "very good" cut). Thank you in advance for your help!!

 

[diamondsman]

I have see many earrings that are in the 5000.00 range that look fantastic, You could get h si3 (eye clean) mounted in 4 four prong settings,for the above price. 2.00 cts. tw.
I am quite sure that you can get a good deal over the net and get the diamonds to your home.Most vendors offer money back if not satisfied. especially if they own their goods.

good luck

 

[NewYorker]

My diamond is .69 carats and H color but with lots of flourescence so it looks whiter and it's VS2 - very clean and it was $1,700 from NY diamond district. That was 5 years ago. It was through a family friend, but from my experience, if you have a price in mind and know what you want and what quality - you can get it if it's reasonable.
Email me off board if you want some names and addresses of some diamond dealers on 47th street.

 

[NewYorker]

I was thinking - I just ordered a pendant setting from my local jeweler - $25. They have catalogs of settings and I bet they have earrings screw back studs too (I hope) and for just the settings they should only be $50-$80. So, you could save lots of $ that way and get the diamonds separate and have your jeweler put them in the prongs settings you order from him. Just a thought.

 

[icequeen]

thank you for the advice! i definitely think getting the stones and having them set later sounds like a good way to cut back price. the reason i was thinking of going retail as opposed to online or diamond district was to feel secure and because i'm not sure the prices are that different. it seems right to deal with a reputable jeweler, in person, but i'm not adverse to considering otherwise. is buying in-store a mistake?

 

[hoorray]

There are pros and cons to each way, but I beleive that you can get better quality stones for less $$ on-line. If nothing else you probably don't have to pay sales tax. The on-line vendors seem to focus on the higher quality stones -- especially on cut.

One example is I tried on a pair of G/H SI1 1.5ctw earrings in a good quality store near me, and they quoted me $14,000. They didn't have a clue about the cut quality either. I know some B&M's are trying to get more competitive wiht the on-line vendors' pricing, but they can't get around the sales tax, and they generally have higher overhead costs that they have to cover. They all get their stones form the same manufactures.

You have to make sure if you buy online that you protect yourself, but that is easy. Many vendors will ship to an independent appraiser before you purchase them to ensure they are what they say they are and give you a chance to see them if the appraiser is local.

I recently did it for a ring, and it was a super simple and safe process.

good luck!