is there a beginner's guide to diamond earring pricing?

[diaby2AFC]

I'm leaning towards going to a jeweler (mentioned a few times here) rather than shopping online (previous wonderful experience with Whiteflash) for earrings.

The thing is I won't have multiple webpages open for price comparison when I'm at the store. Is there some sort of guide I can loosely base earring prices so I know what's a great value as opposed to just a decent value?

I'd like to price around $1000 but don't know what that will really limit me to.


Thanks.

 

[Jax172]

I'd do comparison shopping online before I went to the store so you know what you can expect to pay for certain diamond specs if you shopped online. Educate yourself on what questions to ask (cut, clarity, color, cert reports, angles, etc...). Get all the information on a few sets you like and either pick something with a good return policy so you can comparison shop at home (and return id necessary) or go home and think it over. Ask for advice online with all that information you gathered. Then go back to the store and purchase if the price is right.

 

[Jax172]

Also, just as a reference. I purchased 0.80 ctw K VS2 studs from BGD in 14K white gold settings a couple years ago for about $1500.
These also have an upgrade policy which is nice. I'd totally buy online if I were you. It's likely you will get something so much nicer for your budget plus you will most likely have an upgrade option (depending on where you buy).

 

[Jax172]

For example, these would be very nice and in your budget with a simple white gold martini setting. And you can upgrade these at some point if you want to go larger.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond_pair_comparisions/compared_diamond_details/AGS-104054167029/AGS-104059146027

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi,

The stones Jax172 posted are really nice and much better than what you'd get in a B&M...but, if you really want to buy from a B&M jeweler, then you may want to consider buying an ideal scope so you can get a good idea of how the diamonds perform. The lighting in jewelry stores can make poorly cut stones look fabulous and you wouldn't want to buy a pair and later find they do not perform well when not under that lighting.

 

[diaby2AFC]

Thanks for your input. I fear that bringing a scope will do nothing to benefit me. One came with an engagement ring I bought and after looking at that thing so many times, I still don't know what I'm looking at. Whatever I see on the idealscope or hearts/arrows images is definitely not what I see with my own eyes.

I guess I may buy online then and get the best price. Although the store does have a 40% sale so I'm not sure if it turns out to be cheaper than online or not.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Thanks for your input. I fear that bringing a scope will do nothing to benefit me. One came with an engagement ring I bought and after looking at that thing so many times, I still don't know what I'm looking at. Whatever I see on the idealscope or hearts/arrows images is definitely not what I see with my own eyes.

I guess I may buy online then and get the best price. Although the store does have a 40% sale so I'm not sure if it turns out to be cheaper than online or not.

The 40% off price might not be cheaper. A few years back, a chain store located in the mall had a going-out-of-business sale and I compared prices and their clearance was still more than what it would cost to buy online. Also, the diamonds were not as good of quality. More recently, a store by me was going out of business and I checked their studs to see what the prices were and they had a pair of comparable price to online, but the stones were not certified and there is no way to know if the color/clarity was what the jeweler claimed.

For your budget, you should be able to find an ideal-cut pair of diamond studs in the .50 (total weight) range.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You will never find the quality of diamonds in jewelry store earrings as you'd get online. I wouldn't pay any price for jewelry store pre-set studs! They are usually uncertified and lower quality than their estimate. Plus you know zero about cut quality. My advice is don't do it!!!

 

[diaby2AFC]

Even if the jewelry store isn't a chain? It's apparently a luxury store with two locations. They get rave reviews for watches, which is how I found them to begin with.

The people there are GIA certified. Or does that not matter?

 

[Jax172]

You might find good quality but you will almost certainly pay more for it than you would online.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Even if the jewelry store isn't a chain? It's apparently a luxury store with two locations. They get rave reviews for watches, which is how I found them to begin with.

The people there are GIA certified. Or does that not matter?

In the two examples I provided, one was a chain, the other was not. What you want are certified diamondsfrom either GIA or AGS.

If you go in and you find a pre-set pair of studs that say they're a certain color/clarity, but aren't certified, you're probably paying the price of what the store says the color/clarity is, but actually are getting something a grade or two lower, which means you're not getting the most for your dollar. You don't want to pay H color price for a J color diamond, you know?

If you get better cut diamond studs, they will look bigger/brighter on your ears and that is important b/c earrings tend to get gunked up with lotion, make-up, etc.