RB stud shopping help

[enbcfsobe]

After a long PS hiatus, I'm looking for studs.
Budget is $1200. I'd like to get at least .5ctw
I thought I wanted H-K SI1-2 H&A thin bezels (not cup/tube bezels). But after some browsing, I'm confused about what will get me the best bang for my buck -- uncerted? certed? super ideal? bezeled? prong set (prefer 3-prong)? lower colors?? I'm not wedded to super-ideal/H&A cuts (my e-ring is a non-H&A rb).
Am I unnecessarily freaked out about buying uncerted stones for earrings? How will I know what I'm getting esp via internet? Are WF uncerted pre-sets a good value? They seem so expensive for uncertified stones. I've been checking the resale lists but haven't found anything that seems right. I am looking at some options for certed pairs on IDJ, but the pairs seem to vary significantly (eg: one stone will have a <2 HCA score while another has >4!). This pair seemed slightly more consistent?

.3/I/SI1
4.28-4.30X2.64
Cut: EX
Polish: VG
Sym: VG
FL: none
Feather, cloud
Table: 58%
Depth: 61.5%
Crown: 35*
Pavilion: 40.8*
Girdle: Med-Sl.Thick
HCA: 1.7 (VG/EX/EX/VG)

The inclusions look so huge in the photo, but IRL seems like they would be too tiny to see?

.3/I/SI1
4.31-4.33X2.66
Cut: EX
Polish: VG
Sym: EX
Twinning Wisp, Crystal, Feather
Table: 57%
Depth: 61.7%
Crown: 33.5*
Pavilion: 41.4*
Girdle: Med-Sl.Thick
HCA: 3.9 (G/G/G/VG)


But at 1062 for the pair am I getting that much more performance for my $ than I would with uncerted? or that much more size than I would with branded cuts from BGD or WF to make it worth it? For the latter, how low can I really go in color? I have a BGD K color solitaire that I think faces up really white, which makes me wonder about the pair of Ls he has listed, but maybe they would be too dark?

Also, how much of a disaster is it to try to match up pairs myself? I saw some options not under the "pairs" listings at IDJ that seem like they might be better performers (at least based on HCA), but no idea how to go about this.

I know a little, but it has been quite a while since I bought anything. Please be gentle! I'm worried that my frustration will (once again) result in me buying nothing (which I'm sure DH would be fine with, but this is my tiny bonus and I'd like a treat for myself!).

Thanks in advance, PSers!!

 

[CRYSTAL24K]

I am curious about the WF uncerted pre-sets also.

I may be in the market for diamond studs in a couple of years.

I hope that someone knowledgable replies to your post!

 

[enbcfsobe]

Crystal -- best of luck in your search! I apparently smell (checks armpits) but maybe if you post separately you will have better luck getting a response. Maybe everyone else was busy shopping the holiday sales -- I ended up using the BGD coupon code today to get stones that I am confident will be nice, and for only a little more than the pair above (the coupon made the martini settings essentially free). Hooray for sales!

 

[VRBeauty]

I would have responded, but I had no wisdom to offer. I ended up doing much the same thing you did - got myself a pair of BGD bezel studs , .48 ctw, just relying on the signature cut to live up to BGD's reputation. I was able to use a 6% coupon code, but the discount was only applied to one of the diamonds. Will have to call and ask about that tomorrow. Anyhow, I've been wanting a pair of baby bezels in this size range for awhile now, and I'm very excited to finally be getting them!

 

[enbcfsobe]

I chatted with the online rep about the discount, and she said it is limited to only one diamond. I was disappointed by that too, but ultimately I think I still did pretty well. I ended up going with the classic martini settings (in part b/c the bezels aren't returnable just in case I'm not thrilled). So I went slightly over budget but got a .6 pair (J/SI1). I can always set them in bezels later, but I could also do jackets or dangles if DSS sets in. Or just get bigger ones . Anyway yours sound lovely too -- congrats! For me the discount pushed the costs of the non-ideal and ideal options close enough together that it was worth it to get something that is almost guaranteed to be beautiful instead of pouring more time into the needle-in-the-haystack search for not-quite-perfect stones that would be more of a "deal." So BGD, your marketing tactics totally worked.

 

[tmot14]

A bit of a late response, but I just went through this process myself. I couldn't justify the extra ~$1k to get certified stones so I went with the WF preset studs (.75 ctw in platinum 3 prong martini setting). In retrospect, I'm not sure if the platinum was necessary and there's no upgrade policy with preset studs but I'm very happy, and they're a great everyday size! Very sparkly.


I'd love to see both of your BGD studs when they arrive!

 

[CRYSTAL24K]

enbcfsobe- have a BGD Blue for my ERing so I am sure that you are more than safe getting your set from BGD.

VRBeauty- How curious that the discount only applied to one stone. I would have assumed that the discount applied to both earrings.

TMot14- Your earrings look gorgeous, bright and blingy! Well done! I may go to WF when I am ready. Next year for me is already reserved for another project but this is great to know!

I can't wait to see your studs Enbcfsobe and VRBeauty!