Seeking Advice: First Pair of Diamond Studs - Help me Pick

[diamonds11029]

Hello Pricescope Community.

First time poster here. I am looking to gift my significant other a pair of diamond studs in the platinum 4 prong martini setting or traditional basket. This will be a surprise for her and I would like to buy from one of the super ideal vendors in case she wants to upgrade to a larger pair down the road. I've seen a lot of recommendations on this forum about Whiteflash and that they have great customer service and a large inventory, so that is who I would like to focus options on right now.

My budget is $2K USD for both stones and I would like to get sparkly A Cut Above diamonds in the Near Colorless range (H, I or J), as close to 1 carat total as I can get. From what I have read, any A Cut Above stone will be beautiful, I guess I am just nervous making this purchase online without seeing the stones in person...which results in me having trouble deciding on a pair or two to inquire about. I plan to reach out to a Sales Rep soon, but figured I would reach out to the knowledge of this community first for some initial thoughts and short list a few options that I could ask the Sales Rep to assess in person. I'm not exactly sure how to compare A Cut Aboves against each other for stud earrings, so any help would be so greatly appreciated!

Based on my budget constraints, I found a few pairs that seem to be good considerations. What do the experts think, and are there other stones I should consider to create a beautifully matched pair? Thank you for kindly welcoming me to your community and for sharing your valuable insights.

Diamond pairs comparison | Compare Diamond pairs to buy the best one

Whiteflash gives you an excellent opportunity to compare diamond pairs. With diamond’s parameters provided, you can compare any detail of every diamond pair.

www.whiteflash.com

 

[tyty333]

I would ask WF for regular side-by-side pics of the first I-colored pair. This would be my first choice.
They are ever so slightly bigger and the price is about the same.

Edit...did you look at any SI1s? At this size there should be nothing that would affect their light return/brilliance
or they would not make the ACA line.

 

[diamonds11029]

I would ask WF for regular side-by-side pics of the first I-colored pair. This would be my first choice.
They are ever so slightly bigger and the price is about the same.

Edit...did you look at any SI1s? At this size there should be nothing that would affect their light return/brilliance
or they would not make the ACA line.

There are a handful of G/H SI1s in inventory, but I am hesitant to go with those since other jewelry of hers is mostly I colored - including her Engagement Ring stone which is 1.5 ct.

Should I still focus on that first I pair you liked best, over a higher colored SI1? Or would any color difference between ring and earrings not be that noticeable? Pricing for G/H SI1 at 0.8 total carat is priced about the same as the others in the link so that wouldn't be a problem.

 

[lovedogs]

I doubt you'll see any difference in color, especially in that size and in someone's ears.

 

[diamonds11029]

I doubt you'll see any difference in color, especially in that size and in someone's ears.

Is there a pair of G/H SI1s you like that I should shortlist along with @tyty333 I VS2 pair selected? Perhaps I can inquire with Whiteflash for side by side video or photo and report back here!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Is there a pair of G/H SI1s you like that I should shortlist along with @tyty333 I VS2 pair selected? Perhaps I can inquire with Whiteflash for side by side video or photo and report back here!

You can contact Whiteflash and ask them for recommendations as well. They will be happy to sort through their inventory and make suggestions too!

 

[fruxo]

I'm not an expert like many others on this forum, but I bought whiteflash studs in that price range some years back for my wife as well. Having never seen these perfectly cut heart and arrow diamonds in person before due to poor local selection, I was expecting to be blown away. But I honestly didn't see any difference from much cheaper diamonds. Maybe it's because of the smaller size and the setting, I don't know.

I like really whiteflash as a vendor, and if you like the idea of perfect diamonds then go for it. I wouldn't worry too much about comparing the different cut-above diamonds, they are pretty much all ridiculously good from what I could tell at least. However, if you only care about the real life look etc, I would consider also looking at other vendors for better value diamonds which are slightly less perfect on paper (ie to get slightly bigger studs for the same money). If the money and size is not a problem and you just want peace of mind knowing that you are getting high quality studs (and you also want a good shopping experience with great support etc), then you can't go wrong with whiteflash of course.

Also, probably more importantly, we got the 3 prong martini setting, and my wife is struggling to use them because they are uncomfortable. For diamond studs which were supposed to be her every day earrings, this was a bit disappointing as I rarely ever see her use them. I would not risk it unless you are completely sure it won't be a problem, ie just get the traditional basket or similar. Yes the zoomed in photo of the martini setting might look a bit more modern or whatever, but it's not like there is any profound visible difference once they are worn.

 

[diamonds11029]

You can contact Whiteflash and ask them for recommendations as well. They will be happy to sort through their inventory and make suggestions too!

I appreciate that! Per the earlier comment, would it look 'strange' to have G studs for example, when the main ring stone is I colored

I'm not an expert like many others on this forum, but I bought whiteflash studs in that price range some years back for my wife as well. Having never seen these perfectly cut heart and arrow diamonds in person before due to poor local selection, I was expecting to be blown away. But I honestly didn't see any difference from much cheaper diamonds. Maybe it's because of the smaller size and the setting, I don't know.

I like really whiteflash as a vendor, and if you like the idea of perfect diamonds then go for it. I wouldn't worry too much about comparing the different cut-above diamonds, they are pretty much all ridiculously good from what I could tell at least. However, if you only care about the real life look etc, I would consider also looking at other vendors for better value diamonds which are slightly less perfect on paper (ie to get slightly bigger studs for the same money). If the money and size is not a problem and you just want peace of mind knowing that you are getting high quality studs (and you also want a good shopping experience with great support etc), then you can't go wrong with whiteflash of course.

Also, probably more importantly, we got the 3 prong martini setting, and my wife is struggling to use them because they are uncomfortable. For diamond studs which were supposed to be her every day earrings, this was a bit disappointing as I rarely ever see her use them. I would not risk it unless you are completely sure it won't be a problem, ie just get the traditional basket or similar. Yes the zoomed in photo of the martini setting might look a bit more modern or whatever, but it's not like there is any profound visible difference once they are worn.

Thanks for weighing in. Don't disagree there are more affordable options available, however, the price difference isn't that significant in my opinion and being its her first pair, I'd like her to have the option in the future if she wants to upgrade to a larger size or different specs. As someone who is not an expert at looking at diamonds, I also appreciate the peace of mind that comes with a purchase from a trusted vendor.

Your point around the 3 prong martini is interesting. I know that's a really popular style (it looks great, so I can see why...) but I've seen quite a few folks on here mention issues with comfort, drooping, etc. It seems like the 4 prong is designed in a way to perhaps minimize some of these.

 

[MissGotRocks]

No, I wouldn’t sweat the color difference between ring and earrings. However, you should be able to get larger studs at I color than G and they would match your ering in color.

 

[diamonds11029]

You'd think so! Unfortunately, the higher colored G's have lower clarity (SI1s) and the lower colored stones are only available in higher clarities so the carat weight and pricing is nearly the same...

 

[diamonds11029]

@tyty333 @lovedogs @MissGotRocks just wanted to thank you again for your help so far! I've reached out to Whiteflash and they are going to provide me with some images of the I's as well as a G/H pair in their inventory that the sales associate thought could be a nice contender. They have been very helpful so far.

One further question for you experts: What do you recommend between Friction backs or La Pousette for earrings at this size (.75ctw)?

 

[lizz1234]

I'm not an expert like many others on this forum, but I bought whiteflash studs in that price range some years back for my wife as well. Having never seen these perfectly cut heart and arrow diamonds in person before due to poor local selection, I was expecting to be blown away. But I honestly didn't see any difference from much cheaper diamonds. Maybe it's because of the smaller size and the setting, I don't know.

I like really whiteflash as a vendor, and if you like the idea of perfect diamonds then go for it. I wouldn't worry too much about comparing the different cut-above diamonds, they are pretty much all ridiculously good from what I could tell at least. However, if you only care about the real life look etc, I would consider also looking at other vendors for better value diamonds which are slightly less perfect on paper (ie to get slightly bigger studs for the same money). If the money and size is not a problem and you just want peace of mind knowing that you are getting high quality studs (and you also want a good shopping experience with great support etc), then you can't go wrong with whiteflash of course.

Also, probably more importantly, we got the 3 prong martini setting, and my wife is struggling to use them because they are uncomfortable. For diamond studs which were supposed to be her every day earrings, this was a bit disappointing as I rarely ever see her use them. I would not risk it unless you are completely sure it won't be a problem, ie just get the traditional basket or similar. Yes the zoomed in photo of the martini setting might look a bit more modern or whatever, but it's not like there is any profound visible difference once they are worn.

Do you know what is uncomfortable about the three prong martini back? I would have assumed they would feel the same as a basket. Is this incorrect?

 

[ringo865]

Some people feel the “point“ of the martini setting sinks into their ear hole, whereas the flat bottom of a basket tends to sit more over the ear hole. I have both kinds and while yah, the point does rest inside my ear hole, it does not make it any bigger and in fact, makes the diamond nestle more closely to my ear. Whereas, * I feel * like the basket setting makes the earring sit more out of my ear hole, seemingly tilting the diamond downward more. I wear larger friction backs for both pairs, one set is like 7mm and the Jumbo backs are closer to 1cm.