Is JA a good option for studs?

[Decision_Decisions]

I am in the market for smallish diamond studs. I bought non-mined stones on a whim (I won't say more here) and while I really like them and love the price, I want to compare them to slightly larger mined stones for my own peace of mind. I waited too long and then made a quick purchase from JA so I would receive them in time to compare.

I'm only looking for 0.75ctw and am good with warmer colors. I picked 0.38 ct, J, VS2 stones based on images, certs/angles & hca scores. The price came in at $1100 before tax. I considered going with a branded stone but it's much more and I don't think I can justify it.

I don't expect to ever want to trade up, my lobes are small and my piercings aren't centered so anything bigger hangs off the bottom & I don't like the look. JA does have an upgrade policy but it's not like WF of course.

I considered IDJ but their price was 1300 for H/I, SI uncerted stones. I'm sure IDJ wouldn't disappoint but I liked picking from the images, seeing the angles and knowing exactly what I'm getting from JA.

Overall, it doesn't seem like JA is one of the more preferred vendors on PS so I'm asking for feedback while I can. I haven't received the earrings yet but I'm just asking in general if they are a reputable vendor and if this seems like a fair price. I've made many jewelry purchasing mistakes in the past and am trying to avoid another. Anything I'm not considering?

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

I've had great experiences with JA. They are a reputable vendor, however recently JA hasn't been a PSer favorite as they no longer post GIA reports on the site (you have to call to get the report). The key is to do your research to select great stones from JA as they have quite a large selection vs. branded vendors may have a more curated inventory.

You could always go to a Tiffany's if there's one near you and compare to their inventory as well.

If you like the lab grown diamonds and are happy with the price, I honestly wouldn't bother comparing. I know there's desire to know you made the right choice, however there will always be something better out there, so sometimes it's best to enjoy what you have!

 

[MarionC]

I have purchased several pair of diamond earrings from JA, a pre-set pair, and another where I picked out my own stones and had them set.
I have been very pleased with the quality of cut of both pairs.
The pre-set stones were very well cut, and exceeded my expectations of what to expect from ready made.
I have JA, ACA, and Tiffany studs. The Tiffany’s are the least well cut.

 

[tyty333]

Nothing wrong with JA except they make it a little harder to buy since they dont post reports. There are cheaper places but they dont have the
nice videos that JA has.

If you've already purchased then you've done the hard part.

If I had non-mind stones that I wanted to compare with mined stones I would have taken them to a jewelry store where I could find well-cut
stones. (looks like you are trying to decide between the minded and non-mined stones though?)

 

[Decision_Decisions]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes, it was annoying to have to keep asking for reports, I probably got 10 to 15 of them before I found two that I was happy with, but that's done now.

I did take the current earrings to Costco to compare. I know Costco isn't selling super ideal stones but I can't guarantee I could find them at a local jeweler either, and I have a Costco piece that I love so figured it was a good place to start. The Costco stones of the same size sparkled more, but not an insane amount more.

I am probably opening up a can of worms by comparing but I want these to be 'for a long long time', if not 'forever', earrings that I will wear almost daily and want to always feel happy when I look at them, not always wonder if they were the right choice.

I'm not trying to decide between mined & non-mined per say. It's just that I'd like to compare these particular non-mined stones (which were an excellent price) to a slightly larger extremely well cut stone, which I could only find in mined, and thus at a much higher price. I want to know if the increase in sparkle and size is worth the cost to me.

@Jimmianne, I'm so curious about the difference in cut quality between you preset JA stones, the ones you picked yourself, and your ACA's. Is there a noticable difference & do you feel it was worth the price?

Thanks!

 

[MarionC]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes, it was annoying to have to keep asking for reports, I probably got 10 to 15 of them before I found two that I was happy with, but that's done now.

I did take the current earrings to Costco to compare. I know Costco isn't selling super ideal stones but I can't guarantee I could find them at a local jeweler either, and I have a Costco piece that I love so figured it was a good place to start. The Costco stones of the same size sparkled more, but not an insane amount more.

I am probably opening up a can of worms by comparing but I want these to be 'for a long long time', if not 'forever', earrings that I will wear almost daily and want to always feel happy when I look at them, not always wonder if they were the right choice.

I'm not trying to decide between mined & non-mined per say. It's just that I'd like to compare these particular non-mined stones (which were an excellent price) to a slightly larger extremely well cut stone, which I could only find in mined, and thus at a much higher price. I want to know if the increase in sparkle and size is worth the cost to me.

@Jimmianne, I'm so curious about the difference in cut quality between you preset JA stones, the ones you picked yourself, and your ACA's. Is there a noticable difference & do you feel it was worth the price?

Thanks!

 

[MarionC]

Hi. I just spent 10 minutes examining the Tiffany versus the ACA versus the JA. I will try to take some photos for you when the sun comes up. My impression is that with my TWO eyes I cannot tell the difference between the Tiffany, ACA and JA even though under the scope the ACA has hearts and arrows but the Tiffany does not. The JA diamond is smaller so it wasn’t a perfect comparison, but I still could not see much difference between the stones performance wise. The difference is quite subtle.

With the camera lens ( one eye ) the ACA performed slightly better but still was close enough to the Tiffany that I kept being confused about which was which. Not that I am recommending Tiffany just commenting that although the cut is not what we would consider ideal it still performs very well. So that was interesting to me.

I guess if it were me and I was not concerned about finances and was looking to the long term, I would probably just go with the ACA. Easier and you’re guaranteed performance without having to do the legwork.
If I were looking at my budget and wanted, for instance, the largest stone I could get, I might go to JA. However, with their new policy of not showing the certificate, it’s really a pain. Before you make a decision, perhaps you would have a vendor like IDJ look for a pair of diamonds for you?? And see what they come up with.
I was looking at my earrings under an LED light to make my assessment, which is a reminder to look at the stones outside the store lighting.
When the sun comes up I’ll see if I can get some good photos outside.
Sorry for the long winded response. But I just wanted to share my thoughts in total.

And, of course, to complicate things it’s not like every ACA will be the same. They are still individual stones with slightly different characteristics.

 

[Decision_Decisions]

@Jimmianne, thank you so much for the detailed reply! It is really interesting to hear that there is only a subtle difference between the stones, especially comparing to the ACA. I'm curious, could you tell me what size they are?

Interested to see if that's what I find, that the difference is so subtle that I can't justify the jump in price. But I have to see it with my own eyes & compare them in different lighting.

I did get a quote from IDJ but then my contact stopped replying to me, and I didn't want to keep pressing since at the time I wasn't sure I wanted to buy. Even though getting the certs was a pain I liked being able to just pick and get it done with JA vs going through a ton of emails back and forth.

 

[Snowdrop13]

I’m sure you’ve looked already but the WF pairs are running at about $1400 plus for similar specs. Brian Gavin have a sale on, 14% off diamonds for Valentine‘s Day, although they don’t have lower colours in stock at your preferred size.

I’m like you, with small ear lobes! 0.75ct sounds like the perfect size. Don’t forget that you won’t be looking at your earrings all the time, like you would with a ring. Also, earrings spend a lot of time covered in fingerprints and other general gunk like shampoo and hairspray. For me, anyway, superideals would be OTT for earrings.

 

[MarionC]

@Jimmianne, thank you so much for the detailed reply! It is really interesting to hear that there is only a subtle difference between the stones, especially comparing to the ACA. I'm curious, could you tell me what size they are?

Interested to see if that's what I find, that the difference is so subtle that I can't justify the jump in price. But I have to see it with my own eyes & compare them in different lighting.

I did get a quote from IDJ but then my contact stopped replying to me, and I didn't want to keep pressing since at the time I wasn't sure I wanted to buy. Even though getting the certs was a pain I liked being able to just pick and get it done with JA vs going through a ton of emails back and forth.

My ACAs are 4mm each. (And Tiffany the same) Not sure of the carat weight. Yeh, the store lighting makes a big difference.
I tried taking photos, but for some reason could not get good shots with my new iPhone without spending more time.
Anyway, here are some that may or may not be of use!
ACA is the three-prong.

 

[sledge]

To answer the initial question, nothing is wrong with JA from a product standpoint, assuming you get the certs and do your homework to ensure cut is great and price is fair.

I personally won't spend my own dollars there because I disagree with their business practice. At the end of the day, they are a drop shipper like BN, Yadav, etc yet their entire purpose of blocking certs was to prevent people from finding the same identical stone elsewhere for cheaper and making them price match or buying from a different vendor instead. Sorry, but when you don't have a unique product then you compete on price, service & reputation.

By blocking certs they take away a buyers ability to truly comparison shop and hold them accountable. This is evident as they continue to block the number of the 100 certs you request, until a stone is actually purchases then you get the actual number.

Worse yet, one of their reps came on here and basically said they don't want to publish certs as forcing calls or chats create more sales for them. I don't feel that is fair for the consumer to be put in that position and IMO is manipulative.

Long story short, I cannot change JA or their processes but I can control where my dollars do and don't go. And I don't like them to support JA for these reasons.

That said, this is my personal decision. When helping others here I am more open minded and want to help people get the best stone for the unique situations in their life. Sometimes JA is the best fit and I fully support their decisions and guide them as best as I can.

 

[sledge]

I might add I think you are doing the right thing comparing to other stones. Proportions, etc get us close but your eyes have to appreciate what you buy and own.

That said, I noticed it seems we are comparing companies like WF, Tiffany and JA somewhat interchangeably.

Keep in mind the quality of the stone you have from each company is more revealing than the company itself. What I mean is if 0-10 is a scale and 10 is best than a 9 stone will outperform 5 stones, regardless of the vendor. If you are comparing three 9 stones then I'd expect similar comparisons.

Much like saying Ford is better than Chevy. Maybe, but it depends on so many other factors. A Chevy Corvette is way faster and handles much better than a Ford Taurus, but the Taurus is likely a more comfortable car for a family to take across the country on vacation.

 

[Decision_Decisions]

@Snowdrop13, yes, it looks like around $1400 for just slightly smaller stones at WF, and then the cost of the setting, so while not a ton more money overall, relative to the total cost of the earrings it seems like a big jump that I can't justify. I would love to own an ACA one day though! Yay for small earlobes, I wish my fingers were smaller too!

@Jimmianne, thanks for taking the time to snap those pictures, they are helpful! It seems like the differences are subtle. Although I do love seeing nice clean arrows even in small stones so I'm sure that's a nice perk with your ACA.

@sledge, thanks for the info. I didn't really know how things worked at JA but figured they must not have the stones in house as it's taking a long time just to throw together a little pair of earrings. It does seem like a manipulative sales tactic to force the calls/chats to request the certs, though I will say no one was at all high pressure. I actually had several chats ended abruptly since I was not quickly giving them new cert numbers to pull. I'm sure they have quotas to fill or something.

I really appreciate all the input & opinions, really love this community!

 

[MarionC]

To answer the initial question, nothing is wrong with JA from a product standpoint, assuming you get the certs and do your homework to ensure cut is great and price is fair.

I personally won't spend my own dollars there because I disagree with their business practice. At the end of the day, they are a drop shipper like BN, Yadav, etc yet their entire purpose of blocking certs was to prevent people from finding the same identical stone elsewhere for cheaper and making them price match or buying from a different vendor instead. Sorry, but when you don't have a unique product then you compete on price, service & reputation.

By blocking certs they take away a buyers ability to truly comparison shop and hold them accountable. This is evident as they continue to block the number of the 100 certs you request, until a stone is actually purchases then you get the actual number.

Worse yet, one of their reps came on here and basically said they don't want to publish certs as forcing calls or chats create more sales for them. I don't feel that is fair for the consumer to be put in that position and IMO is manipulative.

Long story short, I cannot change JA or their processes but I can control where my dollars do and don't go. And I don't like them to support JA for these reasons.

That said, this is my personal decision. When helping others here I am more open minded and want to help people get the best stone for the unique situations in their life. Sometimes JA is the best fit and I fully support their decisions and guide them as best as I can.

It seems counterproductive that they block the certs. Kinda like going to a jewelry website and they want you to contact them for prices. Too much trouble, and not buyer friendly.

 

[WillyDiamond]

OP,
Some people have been happy with JA, others not so happy over the years of posting on this forum. You already know that.

Are you looking for a deal? Sorry, it does not exist with diamonds because the age old axiom holds true for diamonds.....”you get what you pay for”.
We learn this lesson in life with purchases.

There are many good PS vendors to buy from. As I have said in many other posts I have bought twice from BGD. (Yes, I am a BGD fanboy, let‘s get that out of the way). I would call Lesley at BGD and have her put together pairs for you with the parameters you give her.

The other matter I always comment on is the backs of the studs. My daughter lost one earring with the friction backs. Don’t want to get into a discussion which is better, and some people with them have never lost an earring. The second time around, we used the LaPousette backs, they are a disc which is a clamp, and you don’t lose them. You can ask the vendors about them.

Good luck with whatever you decide.