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Huggie shopping for a gift

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
So my wife has a birthday coming up, and I think a pair of earrings will fit the bill for a gift small enough to hide in luggage. I've previously bought her smallish studs, plus jackets, and significantly upgrading them is likely out of budget. I never see her wear big dangly earrings or hoops, but I'm thinking huggies would be a nice compromise...more bling without being a snag hazard. I've looked at WF, BGD, and IDJ. The X-mounts from BGD are the most attractive mount to my eye, and I love their cuts, but the price at IDJ is significantly lower and would allow bigger stones. My concerns are whether the reduced specs are visible to the naked eye in melee stones Obviously in a perfect world, I'd get the mount and cut I want, but I have to consider price/bang for buck too. Searching these forums shows people are happy with the huggies from all three vendors (and Costco, apparently, but they're not currently selling a huggie style as far as I can tell).

Sooo...are G-H color, SI clarity, and/or non H&A cut visibly poorer without a loupe in 15 or 20 pointers?
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,197
I have a IDJ 7 stone (20 ptrs) with "PS quality" stones (you need to ask for these because it usually means you get a better cut than standard).
(see my ring in my avatar)

Here is what I can report. They are sparkly and white and I can not see any inclusions in them with the naked eye. My advice is to not
look at them with a loupe which is fine for earrings. I find that the stones that are in the center are much better cut than the two stones
on the bottom near the shank. That being said, I do love my ring and wear it a lot (just wish those bottom stones were better cut).

I say order them in time to send them back if you're not happy with them (hopefully there is no issues).

If you want super nice stones you'll need to go with super ideals.
 

flyingpig

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 7, 2015
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Sooo...are G-H color, SI clarity, and/or non H&A cut visibly poorer without a loupe in 15 or 20 pointers?

I bought my wife a wedding ring with generic melees and BG huggies with H&A melees. Many of my friends and family own Tiffany bands with melees.

In short, yes, BG H&A melees are noticeably better. I have not seen IDJ melees.
Having that said, I am particularly picky when it comes to melees, more than large center stones.
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
Any opinions on the difference between these two settings? Both are five stone, but one is otherwise smooth while the other has a safety clasps and bumps on the back to give an illusion of other stones. I have my own opinion, but evaluating "pretty" is not one of my stronger suits. Also, do these look more like hoops then huggies? The diameter seems bigger than what I was expecting (these are both sized for five 20 pointers). Screenshot_20210224-115510~2.png IMG-20210223-WA0001.jpg
 

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Ibrakeforpossums

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 21, 2019
Messages
2,485
I like the 1st pair as well. Keep in mind that hoops that big with .20 diamonds will be pretty dressy.
 

Elizabeth35

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
754
I like the first pair. I prefer plain as opposed to the balls on the back of the second setting.
Are both pairs hinged to open-can’t really tell on the second pair.
 

Elizabeth35

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
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754
Also- I don’t see the need for the bulky engraved piece at the back of the second pair.
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
I'm told the bulky engraved bit on the back is a safety clasp. I have no idea how important or unimportant such a thing is.
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
So going with the first style, would 19mm diameter and 15 pointers (1.5 ct TW) be more versatile, or still limited to kind of dressy wear?
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
Any opinions on the difference between these two settings? Both are five stone, but one is otherwise smooth while the other has a safety clasps and bumps on the back to give an illusion of other stones. I have my own opinion, but evaluating "pretty" is not one of my stronger suits. Also, do these look more like hoops then huggies? The diameter seems bigger than what I was expecting (these are both sized for five 20 pointers). Screenshot_20210224-115510~2.png IMG-20210223-WA0001.jpg

May I ask where both of these styles are from?
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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27,197
I personally think thats a great size. Not too small but not too big either (of course its all subjective). I would say at 19mm they are bigger
than what I would call huggies but not much. I guess that could also depend on whether its the inside diameter or the outside diameter.
If its the outside diameter they probably would be huggies but just wouldnt hug the ear too tightly.

I think at that size you could dress them up or down. I would definitely wear with a cute tee-shirt and jeans to upgrade my look a little.

See what other folks have to say about the size.
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
I personally think thats a great size. Not too small but not too big either (of course its all subjective). I would say at 19mm they are bigger
than what I would call huggies but not much. I guess that could also depend on whether its the inside diameter or the outside diameter.
If its the outside diameter they probably would be huggies but just wouldnt hug the ear too tightly.

I think at that size you could dress them up or down. I would definitely wear with a cute tee-shirt and jeans to upgrade my look a little.

See what other folks have to say about the size.

It is the outside diameter. Thanks for your thoughts!
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
So I'm picking one if these two today. 2ctw with a 19mm diameter or 1.5ctw with a 16mm diameter. Thoughts? IMG-20210301-WA0000.jpg IMG-20210302-WA0000.jpg
 

RockOnReen

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
127
Both look lovely but I have a couple pair of huggies and the ones I go back to over and over are the 16 mm -- big enough to be noticed but subtle enough to wear everyday with everything. FWIW, I have short hair and my earrings are always on full display!
 

lucida818

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
646
@affguy, another pair for you to compare - 15mm outer diameter with 0.12ct each. Sorry, photo quality sucks as I used an old iPad to snap :) 22B6CFA1-4A93-4F45-9C72-C62D5A79E180.jpeg
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
@lucida818 Thank you for these pictures, these are really helpful! After posting this, I noticed the 19mm model appears to be set up for 6 stones per earring rather than 5, with alternating larger and smaller stone settings. I'm going to ask the vendor what the diameter of a 5 stone full of 20 pointers would be in consideration of DSS. I'm assuming it'll fall somewhere in between the 16 and 19 mm options he's sent me so far.
 

lucida818

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
646
The 19mm is an in-out hoop with 11pcs of diamonds (6 facing out & 5 inside) - all of the same weight. If your wife has thin & small ear lobes like me, I would ask setter to reduce amount of metal used. I like my rings & bangles heavy but definitely not earrings.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Aug 14, 2009
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27,240
@affguy - before you buy, can I ask why your wife doesn't wear bigger dangly earrings or hoops?
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
@affguy - before you buy, can I ask why your wife doesn't wear bigger dangly earrings or hoops?

She's an ICU nurse, so big earrings would be a poor choice even in regular times, much less with all the PPE she's had to wear for the last year. Going back through old photos to make sure she doesn't have freakishly large or small ear lobes that I never noticed (she doesn't), I found a few of her wearing larger, dangly earrings when she was a realtor. A lot of our photos together are engaged in active hobbies...skydiving, snowboarding, hiking, etc, where big earrings would also be a poor choice. She does often wear studs for those kinds of things, so maybe huggies would give her another option.
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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27,240
She's an ICU nurse, so big earrings would be a poor choice even in regular times, much less with all the PPE she's had to wear for the last year. Going back through old photos to make sure she doesn't have freakishly large or small ear lobes that I never noticed (she doesn't), I found a few of her wearing larger, dangly earrings when she was a realtor. A lot of our photos together are engaged in active hobbies...skydiving, snowboarding, hiking, etc, where big earrings would also be a poor choice. She does often wear studs for those kinds of things, so maybe huggies would give her another option.

Based on this I would go as small (tight to the ear) as possible. Minimal clearance.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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27,197
Ditto @yssie If she plans on wearing them in a hospital setting I would go small.
 

affguy

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Messages
119
Just to follow-up, IDJ made me a pair at 1.6 tcw, F-G, SI, hand selected for cut. I think she'll like them. PXL_20210324_182810838.jpg
 

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Sprinkles&Stones

Brilliant_Rock
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May 19, 2020
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1,992
Just to follow-up, IDJ made me a pair at 1.6 tcw, F-G, SI, hand selected for cut. I think she'll like them. PXL_20210324_182810838.jpg

Those are stunning! Classic, everyday wear. Perfect for a nurse who wants to be pretty and safe at the same time :)
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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27,197
Those are really pretty! They look big enough to be noticed but not too in your face! Perfect size!

I guess she wouldnt want to do some ear shots for us when you give them to her???8)
 

RunningwithScissors

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 29, 2019
Messages
3,699
Just to follow-up, IDJ made me a pair at 1.6 tcw, F-G, SI, hand selected for cut. I think she'll like them. PXL_20210324_182810838.jpg

What a loving husband, those are beautiful!
 
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