Upgrading diamond studs - overwhelmed

[Lavalle2]

I had a pair of 1.2 ct diamond studs and lost one recently and will be suing the insurance money to upgrade. Total budget is $6,000. My studs were I2, j color and I loved them. I want larger carat size but I also want them to sparkle. My local jeweler showed me a pair of K, SI2, one very good, one excellent cut, for just under $7k but I was so annoyed that he only showed me one pair and that it was over budget that I decided to take my search online. My engagement ring is "a cut above" from white flash but I don't think that quality is necessary for earrings. Help me decide where to start and what I can "sacrifice" to get a larger size that still has sparkle.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Were you happy with the service provided by WF in past? If so, you could ask them to search for you--working within your budget to find stones that are very well cut, but not necessarily ACA's. You have a very healthy budget.

Also ID jewellery might be able to help. They found a great pair of earrings (GIA 3x) for my sister.

cheers--Sharon

 

[tyty333]

I second ID Jewelry online. They seem to really nice stones for people on a budget (even though your budget is big)!

 

[heididdl]

I just went through buying studs. I ended up with J s12 and I am very happy although when I put my idj jackets on I can definetely tell the color difference. My HO is to stay with an ideal cut diamonds and try to stay J with as eye clean as possible s12

 

[Lavalle2]

Whiteflash was awesome, perfect service. They did some searches for me but honestly I think they sell higher quality diamonds than I need for earrings, I wouldn't mind j or k color or si2 quality.

 

[canuk-gal]

Whiteflash was awesome, perfect service. They did some searches for me but honestly I think they sell higher quality diamonds than I need for earrings, I wouldn't mind j or k color or si2 quality.

They have access to a virtual inventory. They can match a pair of stones for you from there. J, K SI2. If you are feeling overwhelmed, and you trust them, let them help you.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Lavalle2]

weird, they didn't say they could do that for me when i told them i was looking for a lower quality. oh well, now i am looking at zoara.com i contacted their customer service and they seemed great, looking at notes on their system to get me more details on the stones. I am looking at some 1.8 cttw, K color, vvs2 for $5900, I certainly don't need vvs2, I'd be happy with SI2, but when I put in the depth and table recommendations I found on this site to have good sparkle, that was the best one in my price range. But that's where I get confused, because do i really need those specifications (table 54-58, depth 60-62.3) for earrings or is there a different set of specs that are best for earrings. This is why I get overwhelmed, there are so many things to consider! I can't imagine how it was for my husband to choose my engagement ring now that I am stressing over these earrings!!!

 

[canuk-gal]

weird, they didn't say they could do that for me when i told them i was looking for a lower quality. oh well, now i am looking at zoara.com i contacted their customer service and they seemed great, looking at notes on their system to get me more details on the stones. I am looking at some 1.8 cttw, K color, vvs2 for $5900, I certainly don't need vvs2, I'd be happy with SI2, but when I put in the depth and table recommendations I found on this site to have good sparkle, that was the best one in my price range. But that's where I get confused, because do i really need those specifications (table 54-58, depth 60-62.3) for earrings or is there a different set of specs that are best for earrings. This is why I get overwhelmed, there are so many things to consider! I can't imagine how it was for my husband to choose my engagement ring now that I am stressing over these earrings!!!

Goodness--don't stress! This is supposed to be fun! You have a fabu budget. Big breaths.

It is good to work with a vendor--they can take some of the stress out of it, since they do this for a living. Hopefully your initial inquires will be fruitful (if not try ID jewellery). Incidentally, I used the search engine above and input some parameters (K color, SI2 clarity, excellent or ideal cut, and several options came up in the .85-.90 point range).

cheers--Sharon

 

[Lavalle2]

I think the stress is coming from buying online vs being able to see the stones in person, it's such an investment and I don't want to screw it up and be unhappy.... We just had our first baby and I have a feeling this will be my last big jewelry purchase for a while so I want it to be perfect!

 

[canuk-gal]

I think the stress is coming from buying online vs being able to see the stones in person, it's such an investment and I don't want to screw it up and be unhappy.... We just had our first baby and I have a feeling this will be my last big jewelry purchase for a while so I want it to be perfect!

I understand completely. You sounded disappointed with your F2F jeweller, and I also know how that feels.

At any rate, you can ask for pictures of the stones/view the certs (and post them here) before you commit. And most online vendors listed here have helpful return policies, so you can get it right! Congrats on motherhood!

cheers--Sharon