Everyday necklace- gold paperclip necklace or diamond solitaire?

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#16
If you are medium built and medium height, what do you think is a nice carat weight for a diamond solitaire necklace? Something small enough to layer with other pieces, but big enough to show. Thanks
 
#17
CashmereFiend said:
Thanks for the responses, all. I decided to cheat (just a bit) because I was able to get $450 off the paperclip necklace in the saks Black Friday sale (which was amazing, I thought) and decided to still get the diamond pendant for my February birthday (happy birthday to meeeee) because diamond prices are projected to rise quite a bit this year and I could either buy it now or buy it for significantly more in a few months (how’s that for justification? :graucho: ).

I’m already wearing the paperclip necklace a LOT- it’s so comfortable and I love the simplcity if it with its elegant lines- and am awaiting my custom pendant from Blue Nile. I’m pretty confident I’ll wear both necklaces quite a bit.

I appreciate this feedback quite a bit! Loving the paperclip necklace. As soon as I receive the pendant, I’ll post photos of both.
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Yay, you got/are getting both! :heart: What size did you decide on for the solitaire?
 
#18
Pevi said:
If you are medium built and medium height, what do you think is a nice carat weight for a diamond solitaire necklace? Something small enough to layer with other pieces, but big enough to show. Thanks
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I think a lot depends on the setting. Bezel settings always make stones look larger to me, compared to prong settings. Also, it’s worth making sure the cut of your diamond is maximizing the front-facing surface of the stone. I liked the “build your own diamond necklace” feature on blue Nile (I think James Allen may have something similar? At least, they do for earrings) because you can choose the exact stone you want- for me, cut, carat and clarity are most important. Also, the build your own feature will tell you the exact dimensions of your stone (helpful). Honestly, any diamond in the very good to ideal cut range is probably maximizing the dimensions of carats you’re buying to make it appear as big (and sparkly) as possible.

I think anything from 0.5 carat and up, with a very good to ideal cut, would probably be substantial enough to see well but layer nicely.and be sparkly (my faaaavorite part).

I prefer a substantial stone, but don’t want it to be too too large (but I’m always worried I’ll have regrets if I go too small), so I went with 1.15 carat in an ideal cut with an 18kt yellow gold petite bail pendant. It should arrive soonish and I’ll be sure to post a photo. I plan to wear it alone and also to layer with my paper clip necklace and/or my Lynn pendant and/or my Monica Rich Kosan petite pinstripe locket, so I’ll post some photos once everything is here.
 
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#19
Onebagtoomany said:
Yay, you got/are getting both! :heart: What size did you decide on for the solitaire?
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I did! and I feel good about the decision :happydance: I decided to go with the 1.15 ct (chose color j because my earrings are also j and look quite white to me, and ideal cut, vvs1 clarity). Can you tell I’ve been thinking about this for a long, loooong time?:giggle:
 
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#20
CashmereFiend said:
I think a lot depends on the setting. Bezel settings always make stones look larger to me, compared to prong settings. Also, it’s worth making sure the cut of your diamond is maximizing the front-facing surface of the stone. I liked the “build your own diamond necklace” feature on blue Nile (I think James Allen may have something similar? At least, they do for earrings) because you can choose the exact stone you want- for me, cut, carat and clarity are most important. Also, the build your own feature will tell you the exact dimensions of your stone (helpful). Honestly, any diamond in the very good to ideal cut range is probably maximizing the dimensions of carats you’re buying to make it appear as big (and sparkly) as possible.

I think anything from 0.5 carat and up, with a very good to ideal cut, would probably be substantial enough to see well but layer nicely.and be sparkly (my faaaavorite part).

I prefer a substantial stone, but don’t want it to be too too large (but I’m always worried I’ll have regrets if I go too small), so I went with 1.15 carat in an ideal cut with an 18kt yellow gold petite bail pendant. It should arrive soonish and I’ll be sure to post a photo. I plan to wear it alone and also to layer with my paper clip necklace and/or my Lynn pendant and/or my Monica Rich Kosan petite pinstripe locket, so I’ll post some photos once everything is here.
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Thank you! You’ve given me a lot to think about
 
#22
I have the same paper clip necklace and love it! Wear it all the time.

I haven’t worn my CZ solitaire in years so I wouldn’t splurge for the real thing, but I’m glad you were able to get both pieces!
 
#25
Onebagtoomany said:
I have the same RC chain but in a longer length and it is great for layering, however the solitaire pendant sounds amazing at the size you want and is a classic piece.

Paper clip chains are trendy now but I doubt they still will be in a few years, whereas the solitaire will stand the test of time.
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Which chain do you have? I am considering the RC paper clip chain...
 
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#29
chaerimk said:
You will be suprised. It is from Costco. :smile:. They have a good selection online and their paperclip have some actual weight on them for good price compare to other online shop. ( Costco mark up is around 40% compare to 100% to 300%).
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Actually that doesn’t surprise me, I recently bought a 2 carat diamond eternity ring from them that is literally a third of the price that a similar ring would retail for here in the UK :shocked: The chain looks amazing on you! Off to have a look at Costco’s necklace section :biggrin:
 
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