How is this pair for earrings????

[diamondnovice]

I think I found a good pair of stones for earrings. They are both AGS certified. I was faxed their certs but the 0.59 cert is unreadable on the right hand side. Here are the readable stats and prices.

Carat 0.59 0.597
Color H H
Clarity SI1 SI1
Price $1,215 $1,348
Depth 60.9 61.0
Table 55 55
Crown ang unreadable 34.3
Pav ang unreadable 41
Girdle unreadable faceted .7-1.3%
Polish Excellent Excellent
Symmetry Ideal Ideal
Proportions Ideal Ideal
Dimensions 5.46x5.49x3.33 5.45x5.48x3.33
Fluorescence Negligible Negligible
Comments H&A

I am having them sent to Martin Fuller for an appointment I have with him on Friday. So, what do you think? How about the prices?

Thanks.

 

[Mara]

They look pretty good. Close in ctw, color, clarity. The dimensions are even almost the exact same, even though one is .02c more. The pricing looks good too, for H&A/ideal type stones. See what Martin says but they sound pretty good. Let us know what happens and post pics if you can.

 

[Giangi]

Beautiful stones!!!!! Are those AGS1 grades?

 

[diamondnovice]

Yes, they are both AGS 1 stones. I figure that since it is the polish that is driving the AGS 1 rating, the fire and brilliance of the stone should still be fantastic.

 

[Giangi]

Yes! And you won't pay the premium as you would with an AGS0 stone!!

 

[diamondnovice]

Well, I went to see the stones this morning and they are beautiful. Martin told me that they were great, although he had to admit not quite as nice as my e-ring but he said nearly as good. I think that is pretty good for two stones to be made into earrings since my e-ring stone scored a 9.8 on the isee2.

We figured out that the polish rating (making these stones AGS 1's) for each of these stones is excellent due to some bearding around the girdle. Also, he said that one of the stones was really closer to a VS2 than an SI1. On the negative side, he felt (according to his trained eye) that one stone was closer to an I but still definitely an H. The machine, though, said it was a solid H. I sort of trust Martin more than the machine.

I viewed both of the stones under an H&A viewer and both displayed crisp hearts and arrows, even though only one cert lists the stone as an H&A. One last discovery with the stones was that even though both are listed as negligible under fluorescence, one was very faintly blue fluorescent. He told me nothing to worry about because it won't be noticeable.

Martin said that these stones should cost $1750 each or $3500 together. I will only be paying $2563. Not bad!

Lastly, I finally got to see the original certs and discovered just how nearly identical the two stones are to each other. I filled in the chart from the previous post.

Carat 0.590 0.597
Color H H
Clarity SI1 SI1
Price $1,215 $1,348
Depth 60.9 61.0
Table 55 55
Crown ang 34.4 34.3
Pav ang 41 41
Girdle polished .7-1.3% faceted .7-1.3%
Polish Excellent Excellent
Symmetry Ideal Ideal
Proportions Ideal Ideal
Dimensions 5.46x5.49x3.33 5.45x5.48x3.33
Fluorescence Negligible Negligible
Comments H&A


I have started the process to purchase the stones and am relatively sure I will have them set in a platinum 4 prong open box setting by a local jeweler. When I finish the process, I will post pictures.
Until then.

 

[Giangi]

Sounds like a GREAT buy!

 

[Mara]

Congrats those specs look great!!! They are in fact, almost identical, great eye for earrings. Esp the H&A!

My 1ctw earrings are in a 4 prong open basket setting and I really love them. Originally we had a pair in 4 prong tulip-head type setting but they were too high for earrings and sometimes they'd flop against my ear..not fun. These end up looking bigger on my ear because they sit closer to the ear and more nicely. I am not sure what a box setting is, but maybe it's similar to a basket?

 

[diamondnovice]

OOOOPPPSSS!!!! I mispoke ... I mean mistyped.

A box setting is the old fashioned way that diamonds were mounted that made them look bigger. Sort of like being bezel set in a box shaped head. What I want is a "basket" setting like I attached.

I am sure that I want a basket setting made in platinum. The thing I am not sure about is the type of backing. I will probably go with heavy screw backs or la pousettes.

I currently have diamond earrings that are 1.17cttw, one is an H SI2 and the other an H SI3/I1. The reason I am buying new diamonds is because the cut for the SI2 isn't the greatest and the clarity of the SI3/I1 degrades its brilliance. I originally had these earrings set in 14K white gold screw backs but I kept bending the posts while I slept. I then had them changed to la pousette backs but despite the la pousette being a safety back, I managed to lose one earring down the shower drain.

Fortunately, I got it back using a long hose taped to a shop vac. (WHEW!!

) When I had Martin look at my new diamonds for earrings, I also had him appraise my current earrings. He discovered that the post of my earrings are 18K white gold even though the head is 14K. 18K being softer may be a reason why the la pousette didn't hold.

What type of back would you recommend?

 

[Mara]

Well I can't sleep in my earrings, they poke me something awful!! But that said, I do have 14k white gold and the setting is a basket. The posts are screwback and I NEED that..I am sure I would lose them otherwise. Not sure what the pousette setting is. But do have to say the screwback can be annoying if you are in a hurry.

I am really happy with the basket setting, and the white gold...its much cheaper than platinum plus for earrings plat seems almost foolish. But if you wear them 24/7 which it sounds like you do, that may be different. I wear mine maybe 2ce a week..and take them off for sleep, shower, etc. 14k white gold should be more durable and less bendable than the 18k due to the slightly harder metal type.

One thing to note with basket is that the diamonds are harder to clean entirely than with a prong set tulip or similar. Even with this downside, I am SO happy with the basket over the tulip/prong set...they look much better. I just clean them really well with a baby brush once every few times I wear them and they look beautiful.

Our first set of earrings were not the best cut either...they were very deep with large tables. We now have the same ctw, but about 6 color grades higher and VS quality, we are so much happier and the cuts are amazing for earrings. Don't know if they would be AGS 1, but they look 1000 times better than what we originally had, with tables and depth along the more 'ideal' lines. The funny (not so funny?) thing is that we bought the initial earrings *thinking* they were H VS and they turned out to be N SI. So our original vendor took them back 2 years later after we had them appraised and found out they were not H VS. They replaced them with G VS with much more excellent cuts. Bonus for us!!

That's why I really agree with getting things appraised. We trusted this vendor because we knew of him through a friend. Not to say that he was not trustworthy, the large stone he sold us checked out a-ok. But we wonder what happened with the earrings. But the fact that they offered to make it right without us having to ask (we just showed them the appraisal) was great..and we love the new earrings..plus the basket setting is much nicer for the stone display.

Good luck

 

[diamondnovice]

Thanks Mara. You are correct that I want platinum because I do wear my earrings ALL the time except to take them off to clean. I am extremely hard on jewelry and hope that platinum will keep them safer and wear better.

An added plus is that Martin told me about a wholesale jewelry manufacturer in the area. I called them and they quoted me a price of $180 - $200 for having my diamonds put into platinum basket settings. In calling around to regular jewlery stores here, that is what they want to charge for 14K.

So, I will be getting platinum for the price of 14K.

As for a la pousette back, it is much easier than screw backs but supposedly as safe. (All jewelers tell me that I am the FIRST person they heard having problems with them .... again, it may be the 18K posts that caused the problem) I have attached the Stuller version of the backs. The way they work is that you have to press in the two little spring loaded flaps to open the hole. Otherwise, it gets caught in the post groove and won't come off. I hope I explained that well enough.

 

[diamondnovice]

An update:

I picked up the two diamonds this morning and brought them to the jewelry manufacturer. The jewelry designer suggested that I go with a heavier screw back post so that they do not bend when I sleep in them. He said that he likes them bettet than la pousette backs because they don't wear over time due to friction. Since I only take them off to clean them, screw backs should not be too much of a pain.

I was extremely pleased that the actual price was less than they quoted me on the phone .... only $175 for the diamonds set in the platinum basket settings with the screwbacks. Even better, they are going to be ready for me to pick up tomorrow evening.

I will post pictures in the next day or two.