Need PS Advice on Diamond Studs (Big Feather)

[lowprofile]

Hi PSers,
Would really love your advice on some diamond studs I purchased.

I found a pair of pre-owned .66ctw diamond studs in 14k WG on eBay for $460. The photos were promising but kinda hard to see. I just got them today. Overall, they look great. I would say they are F or G in color, the cut looks really nice from what I can tell (I'm no expert, but I can see well proportioned arrows), they sparkle nicely, etc. However. As I inspected them with my loupe, I noticed that one of the earrings has a large white feather inclusion, right across one of the arrows, starting at the center and going all the way to the girdle, and very near to the table (if not already slightly through). Now this really bummed me out because I immediately thought I need to return them (seller accepts returns for 30 days), but then I got to thinking, is it really that bad? It's about a .33ct diamond and will be sitting in my ear. I'm not too worried about the crack continuing because if I'm going to hit it that hard on something, the earring will be the least of my concerns at that point! I can see it from 12 inches away because I know where it is, but my fiance definitely can't see it (I haven't told him where to look for it). Other than the feather, the earrings have very good clarity; no dark inclusions. I'd say the other earring is VS1/VS2.

I think for what I got, $460 is a good price. But... Should I return them and keep looking? I was looking at a few other eBay listings, but it's such a crap shoot since photos are usually not high resolution.

Basically, what would you do? (Other than pay a higher price; I don't want to do that.)

Best photo of the feather I could get below. This took awhile to get and looks worse than it does in person.

 

[lowprofile]

Anyone?

 

[whitewave]

Does it bother you when you look in the mirror? Can anyone else see it?

 

[oldminer]

I doubt you expected them to be truly eye-clean. The price says a lot about the budget and the expectations. Most people would not notice such an inclusion in an earring, but the owner would surely notice that big an inclusion. Put them in your ears and ask a trusted friend or confidant to take a quick look. Ask them if they see sparkly diamonds, or if their eyes key quickly to the inclusion which is seen rather easily in your photo. Then decide if you love them or want to give them back.
It is not professional advice you need, but really the casual observations of a non-expert who has your best interests in mind when they see the earrings in a normal viewing situation, not under a camera's lens.

 

[elizat]

If you can't see it when you look at yourself, which it sounds like you can't, I think it's probably fine. That's a tight budget and you got a good size. I don't think you'd see it on someone's ear at all. I would not notice it.

 

[lowprofile]

Does it bother you when you look in the mirror? Can anyone else see it?

No and no!

If you can't see it when you look at yourself, which it sounds like you can't, I think it's probably fine. That's a tight budget and you got a good size. I don't think you'd see it on someone's ear at all. I would not notice it.

Thank you! I know the budget is tight and I don't expect perfection; I like to attempt good deals on ebay and other pre-owned marketplaces.

I doubt you expected them to be truly eye-clean. The price says a lot about the budget and the expectations. Most people would not notice such an inclusion in an earring, but the owner would surely notice that big an inclusion. Put them in your ears and ask a trusted friend or confidant to take a quick look. Ask them if they see sparkly diamonds, or if their eyes key quickly to the inclusion which is seen rather easily in your photo. Then decide if you love them or want to give them back.
It is not professional advice you need, but really the casual observations of a non-expert who has your best interests in mind when they see the earrings in a normal viewing situation, not under a camera's lens.

Thank you all for your advice. I am not bothered so much by the look of the inclusion now -- I mean it's not ideal, obviously, but I do know "you get what you pay for" holds true here. Now I am just wondering if this is something that could really affect the diamond's durability, considering it's for an earring and not a ring? If someone said a feather this big could cause the diamond to fracture all the way through if I just drop it accidentally on the bathroom floor one day, then I think that's no good and I should return them. I'm just not an expert at all so I don't know how much the durability is affected by this feather. I know no one can give me a definitive answer, but on a scale from "very likely" to "very unlikely", what's the likelihood that it will shatter into pieces if I drop it on the tile floor?

 

[Sunstorm]

It looks like a very prominent feather which may or may not have expanded already. I suspect perhaps it has, hence resulting in seller wishing to dispose of the earrings at this price. A deal is not always a deal because if there is a durability issue, which could apply here, you would be better off saving more for a pair of studs you can enjoy forever. This is absolutely your decision, I cannot advise you on that but I am sure that if you do that a lot of nice people will help you find the right earrings for you here.

 

[yssie]

If someone said a feather this big could cause the diamond to fracture all the way through if I just drop it accidentally on the bathroom floor one day, then I think that's no good and I should return them. I'm just not an expert at all so I don't know how much the durability is affected by this feather. I know no one can give me a definitive answer, but on a scale from "very likely" to "very unlikely", what's the likelihood that it will shatter into pieces if I drop it on the tile floor?

Unfortunately there’s just no way to answer this - it depends on how pervasive the feather is in all dimensions, where it makes contact on impact... All of which I know you know! Yes, it’s more likely to be severely damaged by a blow than its mate. That’s not a guarantee of anything!

So how do you weigh “enjoying a lot of diamond for $460” against the “possibility of damage one day?” We’ll all have different answers to that. Personally I don’t care for compromise - I’d rather save for my ‘ideal’, whatever that may be.