What is the price I should pay??

[Dustind420]

HI all-

I need some information on how much I should pay for a pair of DIAMOND STUD EARRINGS 1.42 CARATS TOTAL. They measure 5.60 mm in diameter and are of ‘I - J’ I2 quality with fine make & proportion. The diamonds are set in white gold diamond stud screw back settings. I am buying them for my girlfriend and I have never bought diamonds before. The more info the better. Please tell me how much i should pay for these earings. Picture attached, if that helps.

Dustin

 

[weemodin]

Nothing. They're I2 clarity, which means that they're either going to look like forzen spit or frozen dirt, depending if the inclusions are black or white. Or, they might look like frozen spit with giant hunks of dirt inside.

I2 is not a grade anyone here would recommend for jewelry.

I can't see your picture, but be warned, if the earrings are from ebay (as I suspect, since they're I2 clarity), the picture may not be of the actual earrings or it may be retouched. Further, ebay stones that claim to be I2 clarity I-J color are more likely I3 or P clarity and M-P color.

Caveat Emptor!

 

[pqcollectibles]

There is nothing FINE about the proportions of those diamonds!! 3/4 carat diamonds should be closer to 6mm in diameter.

And, Wee is right. I2 diamonds are closer to industrial grade and, IMHO more suitable for drill bits than ear lobes.

 

[Dustind420]

I understand these are low quality diamonds after doing a little research (and taking your advice). What do you guys recommend for diamond earings in the 750-1000$ range? The price for the diamonds I was just talking about is 800$. What would a decent quality 1 carat total (.5 carat each earing) set be priced at? I know that this is a very vague question but I am new to this. I want something that is going to look nice to her, doesn't need to be flawless, BUT i don't want a smokey diamond either. Thanks for the help I really appreciate it.

 

[pqcollectibles]

You want a closely matched pair of diamonds, in terms of diameters. They don't have to have the exact same carat weight. The first 2 numbers in the dimensions are the diameter measurements. I and J color, SI clarity, are fine for earrings as they don't get the close scrutiny of a ring.

Here are some well cut diamonds. You don't have to hit .5 carat to get the look. A well cut .5 carat will be around 5.2mm in diameter. But most Mall and jewelry stores 1 carat total weight earrings don't hit that mark. And these diamonds will be real sparklers as well.

Just something for you to consider.

 

[Griffin]

I know I'm going to get creamed for saying this, but I would even suggest stones of lower quality than on that price sheet would look fine in earrings. But under NO circumstances go to an I2!

For $800 a carat I find halfway decent 50 pointers all the time. I don't even bother looking at cut or proportions at that price, just what faces up nice and sparkles, and which ones have sins easily hidden on the ears that would glare in a solitaire mounting.

For earrings and the like, you don't need e-ring quality. A halfway close to matching, halfway adequately cut pair of I1's with properly placed inclusions will look fine and stay under your budget.
Earrings are very forgiving.

 

[pqcollectibles]

No problem there Griffin! You are absolutely correct! I just pulled those real quick. Problem is, there aren't any diamonds listed on PS in the .5 carat range within the price limitations.

Maybe what you need to do, Dustin, is get with a Vendor to source for you. Tell the Vendor what you want to accomplish and your price point.

 

[Dustind420]

Griffin-

Do you think you could help me finding something like this. Do you think the set of 1.42 total carat studs I was talking about is a good deal for 800$.....how cloudy will these diamonds be?

 

[Griffin]

I would worry about the studs sight unseen even in I1, the quality there varies a lot. I would REALLY stay clear of anything I2!
Trust me, if it can't meet the lower end of I1 grade, then they probably won't even look like diamond. Really.

 

[Giangi]

Believe it or not, even JKLM SI 3 or I 1 can look great for earrings (assuming they are CORRECTLY graded). But I wouldn't recommend an I 2 under most circumstances (unless of course you want ONLY size). I would get a 3/4ct total weight pair in the SI-I 1 range... They are not so small and always better than big and yucky diamonds!

 

[Giangi]

Also, I've never seen a fine make on an I 2. If those measure in at 5.6mm, something is wrong. They should be at least 5.8mm.

 

[Hest88]

You get what you pay for. $800 for 1.42 carats is just asking for trouble. It's like asking if you can get a Porsche for $1000. Sure, but don't be surprised if it's a hunk of rusting metal.

Check Pricescope, or better yet, contact a PS vendor with your price limit and see what they can do.

 

[aljdewey]

In this instance, I'd say to you that smaller/nicer would be much better than larger/nasty.




Most women here will tell you that 3/4 to 1 ct total weight on earrings is just fine.




I'll tell you that $800 for a pair of earrings at 1 ct is unrealistic unless you just want to buy junk.