Loop Jewelry studs

[Decision_Decisions]

I was intrigued by the posts I saw on here about the 0.5 ctw lab diamond studs from Loop Jewelry for $200, so I decided to give them a try.

I think they look good, they're very clear even under my 60x loop. My ering is a GIA K and they are definitely whiter. I don't have any problems with the setting. And they are sparkly, much more than my current princess cut studs but I know rounds will just sparkle more in general.

I'm trying to figure out how nice the cut is and how much it matters to me. My ring diamond is XXX with all the "right" PS parameters, low HCA score, etc, and I think it's amazing. I could never go back to an inferior cut if I upgrade again. But I'm wondering how much it matters in earrings.

I mean, I know that cut matters the most, but if the choice is these $200 earrings vs going with WF or BGD and spending tons more (not sure how much even, seems like the lowest ACA matched pairs currently at WF are 0.6 ctw and even going lower in color and clarity the earrings would be at least $1200-$1500+), how much more sparkle is there to be had and how noticable will it be?

I know that this is a subjective question that no one can answer for me, but @strawrose and @mrsthirdcharms (or anyone else that has these), have you had other round diamond studs and how do the cuts and sparkle of the Loop pair compare? I don't want to regret the purchase down the line because I feel like the lab diamonds have basically zero resale value. Then I have to make sure they are really big enough for me, but that's a whole other issue!!

Thanks@

 

[strawrose]

I will bring them to a lunch with friends who have ACA. I’ll let you know if there is a big difference.

If all else fails, they’re super cheap side stones.

 

[Decision_Decisions]

Also, I can see pretty defined arrows in one of them but not the other and I can't really tell the difference as far as sparkle in this size of a stone. But it would be nicer if they both had arrows!

 

[Decision_Decisions]

Thank you, I'm so interested to see what you'll say! You're right about the side stones, I was even thinking that you could buy a few pairs and have a ring made. I can't really understand why they're significantly cheaper than other lab stone studs are going for. I know they're only for a limited time, but not sure if there's something I'm missing...

 

[strawrose]

Haha I call them the “I’m saving for retirement but still want bling” studs. I need to get them reset anyway, since the settings are wonky and earrings literally fly away from me in the wind. A jeweler can take a look at them.

 

[mrsthirdcharms]

“I know that this is a subjective question that no one can answer for me, but @strawrose and @mrsthirdcharms (or anyone else that has these), have you had other round diamond studs and how do the cuts and sparkle of the Loop pair compare? I don't want to regret the purchase down the line because I feel like the lab diamonds have basically zero resale value. Then I have to make sure they are really big enough for me, but that's a whole other issue!!”

Hi OP, it’s a completely subjective thing... but I love mine. I’ve been wearing them 24/7 since I got them, no issues. I do take them out to shower, because I’m afraid of losing them. The studs are secure. They’re also beautiful and white. I had ordered moissanite studs, which I returned once I found these. The moissy earrings were almost as expensive as the lab diamond.

As for worrying about resale value, I wouldn’t bother. You take huge losses when reselling mined diamonds. I’ve had pretty good luck reselling moissanite, and I don’t know why lab diamond would be any different, but it’s always a matter of finding the right buyer and pricing reasonably. For the price and quality of these particular diamonds, I’m just going to wear and enjoy them. They’re really beautiful. Mine are about 1/4 carat each, and I have small earlobes and multiple piercings, so actually prefer them smaller.

 

[Decision_Decisions]

@mrsthirdcharms, thanks for the reply! I previously had moissanite studs quoted from Tianyu and they came in more expensive than these, so I understand why you returned your moissy studs!

I do think that these Loop studs are very nice for the price. I ordered a larger pair from a competitor and they were just not as nice, they had a brownish tint, didn't sparkle as much, and one of the settings was bent and the other diamond was set crooked. Overall I'm very happy with the craftmanship on the Loop studs. I've just realized that I would like studs that are a little bigger, and as I consider that, I may want to find something that is ideal cut. The problem of course is that the price difference is so huge, going with a slightly larger lab stone from most vendors has me within several hundred dollars of some mined stone vendors, and then if you go mined stone, is it worth it to jump up to one of the super ideal vendors (which I would never be able to afford in engagement ring size stones but could probably pull off in small studs)? It's a slippery slope! I'm not the kind of person who has 30 different pairs of earrings, so I want these to be forever earrings that I can be proud to wear almost every day.

But I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying your studs. I do think that they are a perfect entry point to try lab stones and Loop has been great to work with so far. I have two more weeks to decide. I've made several costly mistakes in the past when it comes to buying jewelry so trying to get it right this time with no regrets!

 

[strawrose]

I had another PSer look at them with a loupe. She says it looks great. Obviously, it’s not going to be super ideal cut, but it’s decent.

 

[Decision_Decisions]

I had another PSer look at them with a loupe. She says it looks great. Obviously, it’s not going to be super ideal cut, but it’s decent.

Thanks for your response! I realized that I would regret it if I didn't go bigger so I returned them. But they were very nice, I wish they came in 0.75ctw size!

 

[strawrose]

Thanks for your response! I realized that I would regret it if I didn't go bigger so I returned them. But they were very nice, I wish they came in 0.75ctw size!

Well, if you still like lab diamonds, August Vintage is loved on this forum for their cuts.