Hi, I’m looking to purchase diamond studs. I would like a larger size and am ok going down on the color. What can I expect to buy for $35,000? I am in the market for round brilliant in a martini setting. I would appreciate any advice.
Large diamond studs
- Thread starter floridamama
- Start date
I think I would go to Tiffany's or some reputable jeweler near you and get some pretty good advice for that price point. They should be stunning.
I’ll also suggest you go visit pricescope and ask the wonderful people on rocky talk- I’m sure they will give you some great options
Start by realizing that cut is everything. It doesn't matter if a stone is a D IF, if it's not well cut, it's not going to look any better than an ideal cut G VS2, but you'll pay a lot more for it. I'd go to Whiteflash and check out their ACA stones. They also have an awesome trade-up policy. The other choice is High Performance Diamonds. They sell only the most ideal cut, and they have a good trade-up policy too, I believe.
Why not go to a local, reputable jeweler and try on a few different sizes of studs? You can see what size you prefer on your earlobe, and then play a bit with color and clarity to stay within your budget.
I second Whiteflash. Their diamonds are excellent and their customer service is very helpful.
I'd start by visiting a reputable local jeweler to try on sizes to see what you prefer.
Then I'd source the stones and have them set them in martini settings.
A total guess, but if I had to, I'd guess you would expect 4-ish cttw.
I did it this way, they ordered in about a dozen stones for me to select from once I narrowed down carat weight and I gave them my quality parameters. I still LOVE LOVE LOVE mine, wear them every single day!
Then I'd source the stones and have them set them in martini settings.
A total guess, but if I had to, I'd guess you would expect 4-ish cttw.
I did it this way, they ordered in about a dozen stones for me to select from once I narrowed down carat weight and I gave them my quality parameters. I still LOVE LOVE LOVE mine, wear them every single day!
M
MagpieInTraining
definitely wouldn't go to a high end jewellery house like Tiffany, no point in wasting your budget on a brand name! I think a reputable local jeweller, or even a diamond wholesaler who works with individuals, would be your best bet, or maybe online. I know a name that gets tossed around a lot on Reddit is Dan from Concierge Diamonds (u/diamond_dealer on there). I don't live in the US and I haven't ever used his services but he had a bunch of great reviews on Reddit!
I second the recommendation that cut is the #1 C to focus on.
Color and clarity is in the eye of the beholder. If it looks white and clear TO YOU, that’s all that matters. If you’re looking at an F and an I and they look the same color to you when you have them on, don’t waste the money on the F just to say you have an F. Same with clarity.
When it comes to carats, remember it’s a weight measurement and depending on how a stone is cut it can look bigger or smaller (a not so great stone will be compromised on cut to keep as much weight as possible because it’ll be worth more but it does not mean it will always look bigger. Maybe it was cut deep to keep as much of the rough as possible, so a 4 ct badly cut stone might ‘face’ smaller than a 3.7 ct with perfect proportions. A stone cut too shallow to have a bigger ‘face’ will also compromise the optics of the diamond and how much light it reflects. A GIA triple X or equivalent is the minimum to look for but doesn’t guarantee perfect proportions either.
I would go to a reputable diamond dealer instead of paying the extra for a Tiffany, Cartier, etc. At that range you’ll pay more and the diamond won’t be any more spectacular than what you can get anywhere else. If you were talking about rarer diamonds, then I would say definitely try one of the big diamond names: Graff, etc.
Also, don’t go for the round sizes: 1,2, 3 ct. You’ll get a better deal and won’t be able to tell the difference if you get a .95, 1.90, 2.9 ct instead.
Also, try different style martini settings once you find the size you like because they’re not all created equally. Once a stone is a certain size, if the stone is set too high because it’s in a martini setting made for many sized stones instead of made for your stone size, they can tip over or point one way in one ear and another on the other side.
If you get bigger stones, get jumbo backs and if you want piece of mind, I would go with platinum and the backings you have to push the sides in, then push the back until it locks into place (I forgot the name). They’re a bit more and fussier at first to put on, but worth the piece of mind. I still have jumbo ones on mine and have wanted to change them for a while.
Do not buy a stone without a GIA or I forgot the name of the other reputable institute. Those are the only guarantees you’re actually buying what they’re telling you’re buying.
Not sure whether buying from a place that offers a ‘buy back’ option (or whatever is called) is worth it or not (they buy back what you bought for the same price if you someday decide to ‘upgrade’. It was included when I bought mine.)
This is all I can think of for now hehehe hope it helps!
Color and clarity is in the eye of the beholder. If it looks white and clear TO YOU, that’s all that matters. If you’re looking at an F and an I and they look the same color to you when you have them on, don’t waste the money on the F just to say you have an F. Same with clarity.
When it comes to carats, remember it’s a weight measurement and depending on how a stone is cut it can look bigger or smaller (a not so great stone will be compromised on cut to keep as much weight as possible because it’ll be worth more but it does not mean it will always look bigger. Maybe it was cut deep to keep as much of the rough as possible, so a 4 ct badly cut stone might ‘face’ smaller than a 3.7 ct with perfect proportions. A stone cut too shallow to have a bigger ‘face’ will also compromise the optics of the diamond and how much light it reflects. A GIA triple X or equivalent is the minimum to look for but doesn’t guarantee perfect proportions either.
I would go to a reputable diamond dealer instead of paying the extra for a Tiffany, Cartier, etc. At that range you’ll pay more and the diamond won’t be any more spectacular than what you can get anywhere else. If you were talking about rarer diamonds, then I would say definitely try one of the big diamond names: Graff, etc.
Also, don’t go for the round sizes: 1,2, 3 ct. You’ll get a better deal and won’t be able to tell the difference if you get a .95, 1.90, 2.9 ct instead.
Also, try different style martini settings once you find the size you like because they’re not all created equally. Once a stone is a certain size, if the stone is set too high because it’s in a martini setting made for many sized stones instead of made for your stone size, they can tip over or point one way in one ear and another on the other side.
If you get bigger stones, get jumbo backs and if you want piece of mind, I would go with platinum and the backings you have to push the sides in, then push the back until it locks into place (I forgot the name). They’re a bit more and fussier at first to put on, but worth the piece of mind. I still have jumbo ones on mine and have wanted to change them for a while.
Do not buy a stone without a GIA or I forgot the name of the other reputable institute. Those are the only guarantees you’re actually buying what they’re telling you’re buying.
Not sure whether buying from a place that offers a ‘buy back’ option (or whatever is called) is worth it or not (they buy back what you bought for the same price if you someday decide to ‘upgrade’. It was included when I bought mine.)
This is all I can think of for now hehehe hope it helps!
I’d recommend Whiteflash ACA diamonds and Crafted by Infinity diamonds (can be bought from High Performance Diamonds). Both offer well cut GIA or AGS certified diamonds, life time upgrade and limited (in time or purchase price) buy back.
I also bought non branded from Good Old Gold, if you know the diamond proportions and other specs you can review the certificates and pictures of the actual diamonds on their website.
I also bought non branded from Good Old Gold, if you know the diamond proportions and other specs you can review the certificates and pictures of the actual diamonds on their website.
I would only go to designer jewelry house (Tiffany/Cartier/van cleef) for their iconic design pieces like the key necklace or love bracelet. For simple studs, definitely go to an actual jeweler like white flash. With that price point, you might be able to get some nice size solasfera as well, which will sparkle like crazy.
Whiteflash as they have the best upgrade policies and their ACAs are stunning, all given a relatively reasonable price. Proprietary cut stones. Yes. Cut is everything. Go to a store to an idea for the size you want.
