What size studs for the lady!?

[realtanu]

I was thinking 0.38ct (each) square cushions.... they look about the same as 0.32ct rounds. For consideration I have posted an unflattering photo of her, but it has her ears and perspective! (she will be upset if she ever finds this forum). She is 5'10 and I think size small..

Do you folks think the 0.38 square/.32 rounds are "big enough" for her ears? She won't want them "huge", but I don't want them "tiny" either. They would be for weekly wear as well as fancy occasions. If they are too big, she won't wear them often. If they are too small, then she won't be able to wear them out (not to a bar, but say to a wedding). and If I am shelling out big $ ($1,500), then I would like her to have studs she can wear out for at least next 5 years!

I "could" go up to 0.5ct (each) rounds if worth it (cushions are too $$$). I'm not sure if those may be too big for her/worth it . She is NOT a flashy person. She just would like some "classy" studs. And I would rather not buy her 0.5ct (each) today since they will run at ~$2,000... in 5 or 10 years get her 1ct (each) or something, i dunno. Maybe 0.5cteach is better today and get more utility.

The 2nd question then is square cushion or round? the rounds are cheaper, but i like square cushions (personally).



thank you

p.s. the alternative is get something she probably needs, a new laptop

 

[lknvrb4]

I have .70 ctw. studs that are rounds and I think they are a nice size. If money was no object, sure I would want a bigger pair but mine are perfect for everyday wear. I think your good with the size your looking at.

 

[justginger]

Everyone prefers different sizes. I have studs given to me for high school graduation that are only .25 total weight and I've worn them daily for years. I've only recently upgraded to ~1 ctw (5 mm) and they look huge. I am quite small in structure and honestly, despite how much I LOVE diamonds, would not go any larger for earrings than that. I think the sizes you've mentioned will be perfect.

 

[Mayk]

My vote would be to go to .50 each if you can......

 

[junebug17]

If you can swing it, I think I'd try to get as close to .50 as you can...I have 1 ctw and they show up nicely but don't look too big.

For studs, I like rounds as opposed to square - square shapes turn in the ears and it really bugs me!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Get rounds no matter the size. Cushions face up smaller than rounds by the same weight, plus, as has already been mentioned, it is a pain to keep them turned the same way. I recommend vendors that will upgrade later like WhiteFlash, Good Old Gold, Brian Gavin. Let us know if you want help matching some stones.

 

[Rosebloom]

Another vote for the .5 ct rounds. I love cushions but for earrings I prefer the extra sparkle you get from a (beautifully cut) round. Since earrings are admired from a distance - both by others and by the wearer looking in a mirror - its more about the sparkle than the shape or facet pattern. So for studs I vote rounds - as big as you can afford!

 

[bebe]

Waving my hand and saying - get rounds. And as large as your budget allows. So if you can afford the .50ct now, get them.

 

[stargurl78]

I also vote for rounds. I've had studs that were 0.31ct each and then I recently upgraded to 0.44ct each. I think both are great sizes but I would go for close to 0.50ct each if you can. At this point I don't think I'll ever upgrade my studs, I'm with justginger, I think that 5mm is the perfect size for me.

 

[Maisie]

I think .50ct in each ear is a great size. Blingy but not too much for everyday wear. You say you prefer the cushions but what does she like? She is the one who will wear them

And its much easier to buy a laptop anytime. If you want to get her a special gift buy the earrings.

 

[AprilBaby]

Do the .50 rounds.

 

[realtanu]

Wow, so much consensus.

I think the lady in past said she liked squares but I cannot remember....
Also the squares I am looking at are square cushion brilliants... similar to Tiffany's Lucida cut... so they have a lot of fire

0.50 (each) rounds are higher than my budget.. so I think its between 0.38ct (each) square cushion or 0.4ish (each) rounds... the 0.5ct (each) rounds I was looking at are of lower color.. I want to say G/SI2... her engagement ring is F color (I think...)

 

[justginger]

Definitely rounds, and I would happily go down to a J for earrings. I am not particularly color sensitive in the first place, but I find it hard to believe anyone would detect color in G earrings from any non-stalker distance.

.4 each, rounds, sounds excellent.

 

[JLW05]

I would suggest round and not cushion as well. Of course, it is all a matter of taste. Try to get as close to .5 as you can - I don't think that they will look too large. As for color, you may want to consider going down in color and up in size. My engagement ring is an I color and it faces up white. I have an E color .80 center stone in a pendant and I may not be particularly color sensitive but I cannot tell the difference in color between my E stone and a G color stone of the same size that I have set in a ring. When I compare those 2 stones (E & G color) with my I color engagement ring, it is only when they are all next to each other that I can see a difference and it is not an extremely noticeable difference to my eyes. Whatever you decide, I am sure that the earrings will be lovely.

 

[realtanu]

the vendor in question cannot get more diamonds for Monday purchase (yes I'm late notice shopper).

Basically looking at 0.5ct (each) G/SI2 round not awesomely cut, 0.36ct/0.39ct square cushion brilliant (H/VS1), and a 0.3ct (each) round F/G VS2. Vendor HAD a 0.45ct (each) F/SI1 XXX but that already sold. I asked store if I could buy both sets and return the one of them, and they said they only do exchanges not returns (even if I promise to keep one of them...)

Lady has a square cushion engagement ring (~1.5ct). And I "think" lady said she preferred square diamond studs over rounds (and square cushions are a little bit inbetween, especially in a 4 prong setting). Or maybe she said rounds. She probably hasn't really thought about it too much.

I was staring at ladies ear lobe today and I can't recall how big the diamonds look. She has 2 piercings. one is small and the other is deep. She said she has small lobes. I managed to find a grainy photo that gives a better shot of the ear.... And for perspective she is 5'10 and size small..

 

[sushi]

Rounds Definately!!

I'm looking now myself, and I tried on cushion studs and they annoyed me because they twisted, and werent always straight. It would drive me bonkers.... For classic go round! I'm
Sure she will love them

Xoxo sushi

 

[realtanu]

I was leaning towards the square cushions till this thread, if they were big enough...

 

[justginger]

Putting off a diamond purchase until 2 days before necessary is a recipe for disaster. You never want to spend THIS MUCH MONEY on something that is "close enough" or "good enough." If it's a birthday, anniversary, or other important 'date', give her a card and ask her to help you pick out the gift. Don't rush a luxury purchase when they don't have exactly what you want.

And buy from a PS vendor. Skip the 'not awesomely cut' ones (and anyone who sells them) and find a PS vendor that has excellent cut stones in the .4-.5 ct range. You'll be thankful in the long run.

 

[realtanu]

I know 2 days was whoops. The vendor I am using (Liberty Diamonds in Orange County) is pretty solid. Don't think he is a PS vendor. I've used PS vendors in the past, and got an appraisal at Liberty since they are local (Troy is the person who I deal with.. I think he is a diamond nerd, which I like). Found it to be a very good appraisal in terms of his analysis (he highlighted a lot of things I was already aware of through research.. e.g. how my diamond was a deeper cut). And since he is local I can buy same-day! Since no one is really open Sunday and too late to ship stuff on Saturday! I have sent other anal colleagues of mine to Troy and 2 of 3 purchased from him (after doing excel-sheet like comparisons). But yes, this is unlike me.. normally I would price shop nationally (when I bought my Square H&A for my wife, I think I had 4 of the 5 available stones available nationally to choose from in my little old apartment, which actually helped me), but I feel very good about Liberty's prices (i did a quick online price shop).

Turns out the 0.5ct (each) rounds are ideal H&A G/SI2. So I can't argue about the cut, and it sounds I can't argue about the color either!

So only question now (i) 0.75ctw square cushion brilliant, (ii) 1ctw round ideal H&A G/SI2, or (iii) getting a delay on anniversary date (which is actually possible given extenuating circumstances) and putting together 0.8ctw rounds. Given pricing on (ii) I am getting (seems really great vs. a search of online inventory), the only reason to delay would be because I definitely want round and I don't want to go up to 1ctw for her earlobes. But everyone says go up to 1 ctw. So its really 1 ctw/round (0.5 each) vs. 0.75ctw square cushion (0.36 and 0.39 each), unless I get anal and go with 0.8ctw round.

Thank you everyone for your input. Very helpful!!

 

[madelise]

I wouldn't shop anywhere that doesn't have a return policy. That just tells me that THEY wouldn't even want their goods. I vote for getting a card and taking her somewhere beautiful for dinner, and working with her to choose her studs. I can't say enough how much I would NOT go with a vendor that doesn't allow returns!

And go with a PS vendor that does upgrades!

 

[realtanu]

Great point so I had to check and clarify. They do have a 30 day return policy. The issue for me is the square cushion brilliants are not set, so if i wanted to buy two pairs, set them, and then try to return one of them, I would get stuck for the setting costs, although they need to check with the owner of the store and see if he (dad) will just set them up for free.

They have an upgrade policy (i believe). Although one reason I am going with diamonds vs. Apple product for 1st anniversary is to have a long-term keepsake!

 

[realtanu]

And go with a PS vendor that does upgrades!

Separate topic entirely, but with diamond price inflation, you really need an inflation adjusted upgrade policy! Don't give me credit for my cost, but replacement value in today's inflating marketplace!

 

[VRBeauty]

First - I'd go for rounds. Square stones have the potential to be askew, which would drive some people (read: me) crazy. Rounds are also the classic shape, as others have pointed out.

Second - "the right size" depends in part on how they look on her ear lobes and against her skin, and of course on her taste. My SIL and I both have .38's, but hers look much larger in her lobes than mine do in my ears. She has a darker complexion than I so she gets that "pop" factor, and her lobes seem to be shaped just right to show off those sparklers! Both of us are more comfortable with .38's for everyday use than we would be with larger stones. But.. buy with a good return/upgrade policy if you can, just in case!

 

[madelise]

And go with a PS vendor that does upgrades!

Separate topic entirely, but with diamond price inflation, you really need an inflation adjusted upgrade policy! Don't give me credit for my cost, but replacement value in today's inflating marketplace!

As far as I know, there's no such thing. I'm happy enough with an upgrade policy.. Vendors don't *have to* offer it, but I do prefer to buy from those that do. Your idea sounds fabulous for a consumer but would probably ruin a business lol!

OP, I agree that a pair of studs would be more forever than a piece of current technology.. And from the receiving end, I always prefer gifts to "last forever" when commemorating something.. So I <3 your thinking!

Have you seen last week's Jewels of the Week? A lot of the gals on PS got diamond earring jackets. Can you get her maybe a smaller pair for daily wear, and a set of earring jackets to spruce it up for more fabulousness on special occasions or outings? Maybe even get her the jackets for another birthday, holiday or anniversary.. Then another holiday, get her a nice quality pair of equal size pearl studs so she can have some variety using the same pair of jackets? If my SO ever was brilliant enough to figure this out, he'd sweep me off my feet

 

[Mayk]

My rounds are I/J and they are fabulous.. old cuts.. but I think you can give a little on earrings and pendants and still have beautiful diamonds... and get a little more size.. I have a pendant from Whiteflash that is a J and it's stunning...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think it is sad he only has one pair of rounds for you to choose from. But at least they seem to be ideal cut. I'd delay and order from a PS vendor personally, but the G SI2's sound good as long as they are completely eyeclean. I assume they are GIA or AGS graded, right?

 

[realtanu]

So a few more things:

* She has medium-dark brown skin
* She says she doesn't really have lobes. the bottom of her ears just sort of connect to the neck. Not in an obvious way.
* I measured her ear with a business card, and they are small ears. 2/3 the size of mine and much less fleshy than mine. I'd call them "delicate". I'm trying to recreate the ear sizing in microsoft paint bring to me to store (maybe even post it online if I can)
* he has more rounds, but I gave him a narrow price range, of which I then went a little higher. told him 1,000-1,500, but am looking at 1800-2,100.
* I am starting to think either size stone will do well (0.38ct each square cushion brilliant, or a 0.5ct each round). I think the 0.5ct might look really nice/big.. and the 0.38 nice and subtle. Looking forward to laying the diamonds onto my recreated pixelated rendition of her ear!

I won't get to see the stones again till Monday morning unfortunately to report back. And they are closed today. I didn't think to ask to have the GIA certs emailed to me to share...

 

[madelise]

So a few more things:

* She has medium-dark brown skin
* She says she doesn't really have lobes. the bottom of her ears just sort of connect to the neck. Not in an obvious way.
* I measured her ear with a business card, and they are small ears. 2/3 the size of mine and much less fleshy than mine. I'd call them "delicate". I'm trying to recreate the ear sizing in microsoft paint bring to me to store (maybe even post it online if I can)
* he has more rounds, but I gave him a narrow price range, of which I then went a little higher. told him 1,000-1,500, but am looking at 1800-2,100.
* I am starting to think either size stone will do well (0.38ct each square cushion brilliant, or a 0.5ct each round). I think the 0.5ct might look really nice/big.. and the 0.38 nice and subtle. Looking forward to laying the diamonds onto my recreated pixelated rendition of her ear!

I won't get to see the stones again till Monday morning unfortunately to report back. And they are closed today. I didn't think to ask to have the GIA certs emailed to me to share...

If you measured her ears against a business card, doesn't she know you're getting her earrings? Can't you just let her in on the plan and get her opinion now?

What about this pair?
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...ls/0.413-i-si1-round-diamond-ags-104055878059
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/d...ls/0.406-i-si1-round-diamond-ags-104055878061

 

[justginger]

In all honesty, what I would do is buy the 1ctw from your local place. If they are true H&A and eye clean, with a good return policy, why not? Perhaps you could get ones that are a bit better from a PS vendor, but for ME, earrings are not jewelry items that demand perfection. I have non-ideal rounds and I still love them. They were fairly priced, are vibrant white, and are eye clean. Those are my earring requirements - for a ring, it would be different. Just make sure the PS vendor stones you are price comparing with are actually of the same quality. No sense doing the apples to oranges thing and end up overpaying because your point of comparison was higher quality.

I do think that 1ctw might be a bit big for her at first. She may have to get used to them. I can see her semi-attached lobes in the second photo and I think 5mm of diamond in those little ears will make a statement. But, don't worry, they'll look normal in no time! It doesn't take long for ridiculously big diamonds to shrink down to perfect sized. I don't know any woman who has been truly upset because a diamond gift has been too big.

 

[kelpie]

Sounds like a great size. I have .78 CTW old cut rounds and .69 CTW asschers and I think that size ballpark is ideal. I had some 1 CTW but sold them because I couldn't see the bump in size from .78. Bigger isn't always better with studs.