Diamond Stud Earrring Price Advice
- Thread starter sds661
- Start date
OK. Thanks! Thats what I thought. Ideally I would love to have a TW of 2 or 3..LOL..But so unaffordable. I think 1/2 ct in each ear would be noticeable. Maybe more of a diamond cluster earring would be cheaper.
Have you considered lab created or synthetics? I feel that for the ears it's not very easy to tell whether the studs are "real" or not. Plus it won't hurt your wallet too much!
Lab created? Is that the same thing?
It's perfectly fine if someone does not want or can't afford real diamonds, but if you want diamonds (I guess OP isn't clear but she does say diamond studs) this is not the same thing. I also don't understand spending $2000 on what is essentially costume jewelry. At that price I'd look for genuine resale/vintage instead.
ETA: again, to be clear, nothing wrong with costume. In my current rotation is an adorable heart-shaped "diamond" ring DS2 (who is 10) gave me for Valentines Day, which is very white and sparkly and looks great, but he didn't spend very much on it - at the price point above it's a lot. There's a concession at my hair salon that sells great looking fakes (which is my shorthand for anything not a genuine diamond) for a lot less.
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I am confused you consider real diamonds at 2,000 costume jewelry?
You are right I have fake earrings, but want real ones as I know I would use them every day.
All of my jewelry was stolen from me , so I am trying to build up a nice collection without wasting alot on all costume jewelry.
No, I consider $2000 on "lab created" diamonds costume jewelry. She said her "diamond" earrings were "lab created" so to me that says are not real diamonds.
As far as I know, anything other than natural diamonds isn't real and so is costume. There may be exceptions where it is standard to heat certain stones, but those are details I am unsure of, so perhaps I am wrong - but as far as I know "lab created" means "costume". I personally lean toward name brands from the boutique so I don't have to worry about provenance or quality, although that isn't necessary with studs (which I do not own).
I personally prefer 'real' as opposed to 'costume' and would rather save for it but I know many others don't or can't so I am careful not to offend anyone.
Oh, OK. I think you misunderstood! From Brilliant Earth they are real diamonds. Someone else was replying . But than someone else mentioned if I have thought about buying lab created or fake. 
I agree with you. I regret spending some money on cheaper costume pieces. I would rather have some lasting pieces, even if it is higher end costume. It is silly I don't invest on real diamond studs since I tend to wear fake studs everyday. I have a gorgeous engagement ring, married 11 years already, so why not pretty matching studs. I really would love 2 carats in each ear to match my ring, but that will never happen :O
I agree with you. I regret spending some money on cheaper costume pieces. I would rather have some lasting pieces, even if it is higher end costume. It is silly I don't invest on real diamond studs since I tend to wear fake studs everyday. I have a gorgeous engagement ring, married 11 years already, so why not pretty matching studs. I really would love 2 carats in each ear to match my ring, but that will never happen :OIgnore my previous post....
OH....you are correct!!!.She did mean lab created. I am sure they are beautiful! But yes, I agree with you, if I spend that much I would rather get a smaller real diamond or save for a bigger diamond. Just my preference.
I didnt realize the high quality of lab created diamonds. I just wear cubic zirconia. Reading about it now.
Lab-created diamonds are chemically and structurally genuine diamonds just as the mined stones are. They are also have a tightly controlled supply chain, are produced by someone making a fair living wage, and have a lower carbon footprint. The company I purchased from also uses recycled metals - the horror of wearing platinum which wasn't mined for my own ears! To call them "costume jewelry" because of the material they are made out of is ignorant. Fine pieces of jewelry are made out of a variety of materials - would you consider some Rolexes "costume jewelry" because the crystal was made of plastic at certain points in their history?
Before calling something "fake" or "costume jewelry" and implying people should just save for mined diamonds, you should probably consider that factors beyond price influence decision-making.
I hope this helps:
5 years ago, I designed my own 1 carat total weight earrings at Kay Jewelers. They were $1500. But that also was around Christmas time, when there was a sale.
I disagree. We are talking about a definition which can have legal consequences. Costume is costume no matter how good you feel about the manufacturing process or how gently on the earth it is made. Carbon footprint and fair wages do not change the definition; actual gemstones and precious metals are what make fine jewelry and anything else simply is not.
As I have said (no matter what you inferred) there is nothing wrong with owning, wearing and enjoying costume jewelry, but telling yourself that it isn't costume is pointless.
Mined diamonds are natural and have lasting value. For many people jewelry-purchasing decisions are made based on value. If anyone bought lab created diamonds at Cartier or Tiffany or VCA they'd be pretty pissed off because these designers generally produce what is considered fine jewelry, with precious metals, precious and semi-precious stones and/or other rare/valuable materials).
Yes, plastic is not fine jewelry, no matter the manufacturer, and a Rolex made with plastic is probably not fine jewelry - one would expect real gold and a sapphire crystal (and genuine diamonds, too), although watches are generally considered a separate category anyway.
People should buy whatever they want and can afford. Whether they want fine or costume it doesn't matter to me, it depends on each person's circumstances. I choose to purchase fine jewelry and that is mostly what I wear, but as I said I wear and treasure the sweet little ring my son gave me, and I have no idea what that's made of.
I have seen some 1 carat ones in a local mall for $1,700.00 USD and this was very recently, not even a full month ago. Now since, you want to steer away from the more common Littman/Kay/Zales, etc. I haven't checked them out in my local off the beat (more fine/pricey jewelers) jewelers, so I don't have any information for you there. I am sure you can get them at those types of jewelers though for the prices that the others have mentioned.
Saw this thread in some searching.
Just want to clarify.
Actual LAB created diamonds (ie D.Nea, Pure Grown Diamonds, etc...) ARE actual diamond. The diamond making process has been duplicated in the lab. It is NOT CHEAP by process and they are not CZ, moissanite or other simulant or fake. The upside is white grown diamonds run about 10% less than mined in addition to the other ethical and social factors. However, GIA won't grade them as of this date, so the lab reports they come with (often IGI) can be unreliable, and on top of that, cut quality (ie, good performance proportions) are not emphasized, with the exception of a very few places like Good Old Gold who occasionally cut lab diamond material in to some of their branded cuts where performance metrics are taken in to consideration.
Where lab diamond (ie, REAL lab grown diamond material, not moissanite or CZ) excels is in the production of colored diamond material. That is MUCH MUCH cheaper than it's mined counterpart.
To put it simply. Nature does a good job with "white" diamonds (the D-Z variety) and man does a better job of the colored diamond variety (pinks, blues, etc...)
If you want to explore the concept, there is a subforum for lab grown diamonds on Pricescope. (IE- real actual diamond material created in a lab as PS does not allow discussion of fakes or simulants.)