Preset diamond studs

[billjohnson73]

Which online site is known as having the best preset diamond studs? It difficult for me to choose b/c I can''t seem to get accurate info on the cut!? Gotta have that sparkle!!!!

Happy holidays,

Bill J.

 

[Rhea]

I don''t know that there''s a "the best" but I think that whiteflash does a fairly large selection in their ready set go collection.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Whiteflash has great preset studs that are well-cut and sparkily.

 

[billjohnson73]

But provides no info on cut? Surprising to me...considering that many consumers now are "cut savvy". Is that just the way it works with preset earrings?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

The ready-set-go are from their "expert selection" line, which is second only to their branded ACA - "perfectly" cut stones, and from what I''ve noticed that even though you can buy loose cut expert selection stones, WF rarely carries them in the sizes that they have for their pre-set stones, which leads me to think they pick out those color/clarity stones for their earrings and leaves the higher/lower colors for buying loose. FWIW, I do have both their ACA and ES stones and they look the same. Both sparkle amazingly!

Are you on a short time-frame? If not, an option would be for you to buy an ideal scope and have the earrings sent to you and you then can judge how well they are cut after seeing them under the ideal scope. OR even ask WF to e-mail photos of the actual set of earrings you would be purchasing so you can judge for yourself. I''m not sure if they''d do that, but it would be worth a try. (ideal scopes are only $25, so they''re a great investment!)

 

[billjohnson73]

How would these look on Christmas morning? Would that I color show up in such small stones? It''s going to be one of the following three!! Is it a toss-up? Thinking that "good" cut from Blue Nile may not be the way to go. All opinions suggestions welcomed! Happy holidays to all!!

Whiteflash
3-prong ''Martini'' Diamond Earrings--READY SET TO GO
14k White Gold. Color: I, Clarity: SI (0.70ctw)

vs


Blue Nile
Minimum carat total
weight (ct. tw.): 0.72
Minimum color: I
Minimum clarity: SI2
Minimum cut: Good

vs

James Allen
Minimum carat total weight: 0.75
Average color: H\I
Average clarity: SI

 

[chrono]

Don''t forget that GOG has recently started offering their own preset diamond earrings.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Good Old Gold does have them, but check the clarity rating of the sets offered. Many of them are "SI3-I1," so they''re not comparable to other vendors'' presets (IMO). Someone recently purchased I1s and posted that her and her sister both could see the inclusion w/their naked eye. It''d be a necessity to call and make sure the stones are eye clean!

 

[Lynn B]

I think the WF RSG studs would be guaranteed, gorgeous, killer stones. I wouldn't worry a BIT about that.

The only thing to consider is this: I believe that those diamonds are uncerted (that helps keep costs down) and therefore not upgradable, if that's something that might be important to you. (Or her!

)

 

[coda72]

I have the WF RSG 0.8 carat studs, and they are very nice. I get compliments on them frequently. If I had to do it all over again though I would go for stones that I could upgrade. But that''s just me, and some people don''t want to ever upgrade.

 

[billjohnson73]

Wait..so how do I go about getting earrings that are upgradable and still around $1000?? I need to buy them loose and then buy settings...and then have them set?

Thanks,

 

[coda72]

Since you''re getting in a bit of a time crunch, I would buy the Whiteflash RSG studs. They are very nice, and they will look great on Christmas morning. I haven''t seen preset studs from any of the other places you mentioned, so I cannot vouch for them. The Whiteflash ones are very sparkly, I do know that. I quickly checked Whiteflash''s inventory for loose stones in the 0.35 carat range, and they seem to have low stock. So, getting loose stones from them anyway may be out of the question at this point.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Many of us here have bought WF stones and had them set them. It is pretty easy to match up stones on their site. Another guy was just doing that this week. I'll look and see what I can find for around $1000. (Not sure if you can do that before Christmas or not, though.)

Here's a pair that would likely work, but you'll have to add the cost of the settings (diamonds are 5% off these prices with wire and pricescope discounts because they are ACA's):

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds/Compare_Diamonds.aspx?idnos=540837,540784



Good Old Gold also has stones in their preset collection that are higher clarity than the SI3-I1's. You can get a 1/2 ctw pair for $999 already set and they ARE upgradeable. That might be the best route to take if you want some quickly.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/hastuds/

 

[Rhino]

Just an FYI ... my lab assistant forgot to post it on our studs page but every single pair of our ready to go studs is Sarin''d on the Sarin DiaMension before being set and we send a little "mini-cert" with the precise dimensions with each pair of studs for each diamond. It''s not as thorough as the engagement ring data we publish but we do provide excellent cut info for ready to go earrings that are backed with 30 day refund and trade-up policies. A cursory review with an IdealScope or H&A viewer and you''ll see confirmation of the cut in our stones as well.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 12/21/2007 11:38:09 AM
Author: Rhino
Just an FYI ... my lab assistant forgot to post it on our studs page but every single pair of our ready to go studs is Sarin''d on the Sarin DiaMension before being set and we send a little ''mini-cert'' with the precise dimensions with each pair of studs for each diamond. It''s not as thorough as the engagement ring data we publish but we do provide excellent cut info for ready to go earrings that are backed with 30 day refund and trade-up policies. A cursory review with an IdealScope or H&A viewer and you''ll see confirmation of the cut in our stones as well.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Wow, Jon, that''s a GREAT service!

I''ll remember that for future folks looking for RTG studs!

Lynn

 

[billjohnson73]

Wow...thanks for all the great advice. My girlfriend and I are exchanging gifts around January 4th (we are with our immediate families during Christmas) so I have a little time to get this thing together. I like the idea of diamondseeker2006..with the ACA diamonds and then I can put them in a 3 prong martini settings. Two questions:

1. If I buy a ACA diamond, do I need to worry about the specs for cut...or does ACA mean I can rest assured that the cut is great??

2. If I buy two loose diamonds and then have whiteflash, gog, etc. set them for me, will they be eliigible for the upgrade policy? Does this mean my girlfriend can return the earrings in two years and get the full purchase price off another upgraded pair? This seems like an extraordinary deal....are there any catches?

Thanks again to all and happy holidays,

 

[billjohnson73]

One more question...if I decide to go with WF...is there anyone in particular that you can recommend? I will be in the market for an engagement ring in late ''08 ($20000 budget), and I would like to work with someone that I have worked with before and trust.

Thanks again for all your wonderful help and advice.

 

[jo_c]

Date: 12/21/2007 11:44:56 PM
Author: billjohnson73
Wow...thanks for all the great advice. My girlfriend and I are exchanging gifts around January 4th (we are with our immediate families during Christmas) so I have a little time to get this thing together. I like the idea of diamondseeker2006..with the ACA diamonds and then I can put them in a 3 prong martini settings. Two questions:

1. If I buy a ACA diamond, do I need to worry about the specs for cut...or does ACA mean I can rest assured that the cut is great??

2. If I buy two loose diamonds and then have whiteflash, gog, etc. set them for me, will they be eliigible for the upgrade policy? Does this mean my girlfriend can return the earrings in two years and get the full purchase price off another upgraded pair? This seems like an extraordinary deal....are there any catches?

Thanks again to all and happy holidays,

Bill, I am not one of the WF "pros" around here, but I will try to help...

1. Yes, you can rest assured that the cut will be great. That is their trademark, and I can say firsthand that the ACAs are the most amazing stones I have seen. Nothing could sparkle more, except maybe an even bigger ACA

.

2. I believe that is the policy, but here is a link to the actual wording... http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds_info/t/confidence.aspx?articleid=10&zoneid=3

Hope that helps!

Jo

 

[jo_c]

Date: 12/22/2007 4:39:06 PM
Author: billjohnson73
One more question...if I decide to go with WF...is there anyone in particular that you can recommend? I will be in the market for an engagement ring in late '08 ($20000 budget), and I would like to work with someone that I have worked with before and trust.

Thanks again for all your wonderful help and advice.

Bill,

I personally worked with Jamie, and she was fabulous and very patient with all my questions... (bless her little heart!) I have found her very responsive. I would also like to say though, I have heard great things about many of the WF folks here.

Good luck to you, and I would rest assured you cant go wrong with Whiteflash. They are a class act. This is a discerning bunch here on PS, and they seem to meet our needs. Thats one lucky gal you have there. Have fun with it! and BTW, the martini setting is a great choice. Those are fabulous. If she doesnt like em, you could always send them my way *bats eyelashes madly*.

Jo

 

[Mara]

All of the WF sales reps are awesome but a lot of people seem to like Jamie!! Seems like we hear a lot about Celina as well.

I'd go with WF or JA over BN. My studs came from WF and they are sure sparklers. They are .38c each and many people think they are 1/2c because they are so used to seeing badly cut 1/2c mall stones!

 

[zoebartlett]

We purchased my engagement ring and wedding band from WF and they are great to work with. We worked with Bob, and were also in touch with John and Vera during that process, all of whom were incredibly friendly and helpful. Everyone we''ve spoken with, via e-mail or over the phone, were quick to reply and answer any of our questions.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 12/21/2007 11:44:56 PM
Author: billjohnson73
Wow...thanks for all the great advice. My girlfriend and I are exchanging gifts around January 4th (we are with our immediate families during Christmas) so I have a little time to get this thing together. I like the idea of diamondseeker2006..with the ACA diamonds and then I can put them in a 3 prong martini settings. Two questions:

1. If I buy a ACA diamond, do I need to worry about the specs for cut...or does ACA mean I can rest assured that the cut is great??

2. If I buy two loose diamonds and then have whiteflash, gog, etc. set them for me, will they be eliigible for the upgrade policy? Does this mean my girlfriend can return the earrings in two years and get the full purchase price off another upgraded pair? This seems like an extraordinary deal....are there any catches?

Thanks again to all and happy holidays,

Most (if not all?) of our PS vendors offer this type of upgrade policy, and no siree, no catches! (Well, some have a $500 or $1,000 needed "difference" in cost between the original diamonds and the upgrade, but that''s not hard... it IS an "upgrade" after all! haha!) Actually, it''s a win/win situation for everyone, vendor and consumer both. And me love me a good upgrade policy!