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Wife is due in 7 days..Help me pick some earrings!

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wisdomx13x

Rough_Rock
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Oct 5, 2008
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Ok, if you can help me out...I would greatly appreciate it.

I have decided to give my wife a set of white gold/diamond stud earrings after she gives birth to our first child sometime in the next couple of weeks. I started off looking at 1/3 tw earrings...and have since moved up the line to possibly getting a 1/2 carat tw set. The problem is, I am not a diamond expert, and while I would like to be price concience (ie-started at 1/3, moved to 1/2)..I don''t want to end up getting crappy earrings to save $100. SOoooooo...this is where you can come in and help! Here are the four sets I am considering:

Set #1 - Blue Nile 1/2 ctw SI 1 to SI2, H-I, 18k white gold, screw backing - $600, less my 10% discount = $540.
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-earrings-white-gold_5151?nav1=earring_channel.asp

Set #2 - Diamond-Jewelry-Masters (anyone ever heard of them?) 1/2 ctw, S1, H, 14k, screw backing - $549, less a $20 promo, $529
http://diamond-jewelry-masters.com/jewelry/Diamond_Earrings/Stud_Earrings/detail.cfm?mid=6444

Set #3 -- Diamond-Jewelry-Masters 1/2 ctw, I1, H, 14k, screw backing - $444, less a $20 promo, $424
http://diamond-jewelry-masters.com/jewelry/Diamond_Earrings/Stud_Earrings/detail.cfm?mid=11896

Set #4 -- Diamond-Jewelry-Masters 1/2 ctw, I2, H, 14k, screw backing - $332, less a $20 promo, $312
http://diamond-jewelry-masters.com/jewelry/Diamond_Earrings/Stud_Earrings/detail.cfm?mid=7974


---or, do you think the difference between 1/3 and 1/2 isn''t a big deal and I should go with something smaller with a higher clarity?
Set #5 -- Diamond-Jewelry-Masters 1/3 ctw, VS, H, 14k, screw backing - $397, less a $20 promo, $377

Any help you can offer is GREATLY appreciated!!!! Baby is coming SOON...I need to buy something ASAP!!!!

HELPPPPPPPPPPP
 
Congrats. :)

Do you want something more unique?
http://www.whiteflash.com/Fine-jewelry/Diamond_Studs/Flower-Cluster-Diamond-Earrings--READY-SET-TO-GO_954.htm

These are set with ACA melee, in the F/G VS range. Looks to me like a better deal. I think there could be PSer''s discount, but I am not that sure.


I am not sure of the Diamond-Jewelry-Masters, their stones seems to be a little iffy, but maybe for that size, they are unnoticeable.
 
I hate to spend your money but #2 on your list look like they have lovely stats.

However, the flower diamond earrings in Stone-Cold''s post are lovely and will look bigger overall I''d think.

Good luck for the new arrival and I''m sure whatever gift you give your wife will be treasured.
 
Congratulations! She will love whatever you get but I would go with number 2.
 
Hmmm, straight single-stone earrings are classic and lovely.
But those flower earrings are kewl. They've got a bit more 'personality'.
It depends... is she a flower person?

I think that for me, I would go for the flowers....
my husband could always get me the single diamond earrings another time!!!
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Yes, the flower ones mentioned are nice too! But, she has been mentioning diamond studs, so I think instead of guessing a style she will like, I would be better off going with something I know she likes!

Better safe than sorry!
 
go with #2...i like classic studs...always in style and wearable.
 
So far it seems like #2 is the one that people like the best...perhaps I will go with that then?

For the poster who mentioned the .25ctw earings at whiteflash.com....do you think there is something wrong with the diamond-jewelry-masters.com diamonds? just curious why one would choose .25ctw over .50ctw, unless there was a quality or accuracy concern, etc?

Thanks again to those who have responded!
 
I''m not the person who recommended the WF studs, but personally when I think about studs my very first thought is WF as well. It''s the feeling of assurance for me, knowing I''ll be getting quality, super sparkly studs and not one of those frozen spits
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Ok, not to belabor the point...but, is there a reason why people don''t feel comfortable ordering from blue nile or diamond-jewelry-masters.com or diamond-earrings-overnight.com? .25 to .50 tcw is a big difference for pretty much the same price.
 
I suspect it''s because the cut quality is unknown on the Blue Nile, diamond-jewelry-masters.com, and diamond-earrings-overnight.com diamonds, whereas many people here have firsthand experience with Whiteflash''s ideal cut diamonds and are more comfortable recommending them. It''s the cut that will make the difference. The Blue Nile page only says that the minimum cut quality will be "good," which really doesn''t say much. I personally don''t trust the cut, color, and clarity grades on the diamond-jewelry-masters page. JMO, but I''d pay a few hundred more and get these: http://www.whiteflash.com/golden-wardrobe/Gold_Details.aspx?ItemCode=WFER-4R-Set&CategID=54.
 
Date: 10/6/2008 12:08:08 AM
Author: wisdomx13x
Ok, not to belabor the point...but, is there a reason why people don''t feel comfortable ordering from blue nile or diamond-jewelry-masters.com or diamond-earrings-overnight.com? .25 to .50 tcw is a big difference for pretty much the same price.
Click to expand...
My opinion is vendors that sell diamonds with no photos can sell you anything. They may show a photo of a very pretty piece of jewelry on their website but there is no assurance the one you receive will be as nice. You may get something very good but with Whiteflash you will definitely get something very good. They use well cut stones in all their pieces and there are a ton of us on PS who have bought these things and I don''t think anyone has ever complained about the stone quality. If anything we blather on about how nice they sparkle and how consistent their melee and smaller stones are. The size is up to your budget and of course more carat weight is better. I''ve never heard of Diamond Jewelry Masters and there are a number of satisfied customers who shop at Blue Nile. You asked for opinions. Your interest in getting your wife a gift is very sweet and I''m sure she''ll love whatever you pick.

Just another suggestion, Signed Pieces sells maternity jewelry, pink sapphires for girls and blue for boys. Check it out. http://www.signedpieces.com/maternity.cfm?showCategories=yes
 
Date: 10/6/2008 12:31:22 AM
Author: Kim N
I suspect it''s because the cut quality is unknown on the Blue Nile, diamond-jewelry-masters.com, and diamond-earrings-overnight.com diamonds, whereas many people here have firsthand experience with Whiteflash''s ideal cut diamonds and are more comfortable recommending them. It''s the cut that will make the difference. The Blue Nile page only says that the minimum cut quality will be ''good,'' which really doesn''t say much. I personally don''t trust the cut, color, and clarity grades on the diamond-jewelry-masters page. JMO, but I''d pay a few hundred more and get these: http://www.whiteflash.com/golden-wardrobe/Gold_Details.aspx?ItemCode=WFER-4R-Set&CategID=54.
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Ditto to the above. Blue Nile is going to use some stones with just a good cut, that to most of us here has as good an optical performance as frozen spit. If diamond jewelry master is really going to use ideal cuts for their studs then I would go with that but I am suspicious of how the gem is graded, never heard of the IGL before and how it grades the cut of a stone. Which is why I recommended WF in the first place.
 
What a thoughtful gift!
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I too recommend going with a reputable vendor. Just because a jewelry store says they will be excellent cut, doesn't mean they will be. You do get what you pay for. Cut is everything in a diamond, so go for that with a place that actually shows you.
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Out of all your choices, I like #2 the best. If it were me personally though, I would also go with Whiteflash too(or another reputable vendor). #2 might be absolutely fine, but with WF I would trust 100% that the cut of the diamonds truly would be excellent. LOTS of jewelers tell you their diamonds are "ideal" cut, but it is not necessarily so.

Either way, what a nice gift for you wife!
 
Date: 10/6/2008 9:50:36 AM
Author: Kelli
Out of all your choices, I like #2 the best. If it were me personally though, I would also go with Whiteflash too(or another reputable vendor). #2 might be absolutely fine, but with WF I would trust 100% that the cut of the diamonds truly would be excellent. LOTS of jewelers tell you their diamonds are ''ideal'' cut, but it is not necessarily so.


Either way, what a nice gift for you wife!
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ditto!
 
I would go with the WF stones primarily because I''ve purchased earrings and a pendant from them and the stones are VERY well cut. . . I''ve never heard of diamond-jewelry-masters.com and that other site and would NOT risk purchasing from them when you have such a short time-period before you need the earrings!
 
Date: 10/5/2008 10:51:36 PM
Author: wisdomx13x
So far it seems like #2 is the one that people like the best...perhaps I will go with that then?

For the poster who mentioned the .25ctw earings at whiteflash.com....do you think there is something wrong with the diamond-jewelry-masters.com diamonds? just curious why one would choose .25ctw over .50ctw, unless there was a quality or accuracy concern, etc?

Thanks again to those who have responded!
Click to expand...
It''s a quality concern! There is no point in having larger diamond earrings if they do not sparkle.
 
Date: 10/6/2008 10:49:59 AM
Author: moobaby
What about GOG H&A stud earrings? $749 for a 1/2 ctw. They also have a trade up policy on these earrings.


http://www.goodoldgold.com/hastuds/
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I was also thinking these were a great option. Perfect cut with a tradein option.

Cut is what will make them really sparkle...with those unknown places you just can''t trust that what they call a "good" or "excellent" cut really is an ideal cut.
 
How sweet of you to do that for your wife.
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OK I''ll be the voice of dissent. I own a pair of WF earrings and love them. The best of all ideals is to save one''s pennies and get studs in upgradable diamonds. However, just me personally if I only have 500 to spend I would rather (gasp) get 1/2 carat total weight good (they call it premium) cut at Blue Nile than 1/4 tcw earrings at WF. They will simply be more visible. Although you are not going to get the cut info you get at the vendors here, I have ordered smaller pieces from Blue Nile and the diamonds they use are attractive by no means I would call them "spit".
 
Well, maybe you got lucky? Is it going to be guarantee that every stone in the ear-ring studs will be ideal cuts? Even they admit to a possibility of a min cut grade of good which I would say is frozen spit quality, no?
 
I always think of frozen spit referring to clarity, I think of the type of diamonds that have lots of white inclusions. The BN stones are not like that, they are clear and look colorless to me (admission- I think I''m pretty color insensitive and only saw stones 1/3 or carat or less). Regarding cut quality, being anal I have actually compared the two. The wF has a very precise scillilation/sparkle that extends to the edges of the stone. I think that makes them look larger than a less well cut stone of the same size. The sparkle from the small BN studs I had were more uneven with less but a couple large sparkles when you turn them.
 
The truth is that $500 is not much to be spending on diamond `stud` earrings. But even still I would go with the bigger set because the cut doesnt really matter if you cant even see the stone. I would also consider fake ones because thats me. I like a little more bling than less and even as a jewellers wife, I have worn some amazing fake stuff in my life, so I speak from my own personal experience.

I would also consider some cluster styles which are very cleverly done these days to look like one bigger stone.

No doubt it is a great budget for some beautiful earrings or jewellery , but diamond studs are expensive as you need 2 diamonds and 2 settings!!!!!

Good luck .......nothing is as amazing as a baby!!!!!
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So all I was trying to say if you only had 500 to play with the Blue Nile 1/2 is not a bad deal, and better by far what you would find at a mall jeweler. The 1/4 ready set go by WF I''m sure would be beautiful as well. Although I am more of a delicate jewelry person I think the 1/4 would be just a little too small for me, but you know your wife better than I.
 
I would rather have smaller studs with better quality, personally, and I would not recommend going with a vendor who does not have customer recommendations, either.

If you can''t do the WF or GOG studs, I''d just do like StoneCold suggested and get the cluster earrings which would show up more. Save and get quality larger studs later. I wouldn''t want poor quality diamonds for the birth of a baby.

Congratulations and I hope all goes perfectly with the baby''s arrival!
 
I vote for the 2nd on the list, the 0.5 ct diamond studs. For studs, I would go with good-very good cut for the bigger size instead of an ideal cut with small size.

However, if for a ring, I would go with ideal all the way.
 
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