Help! Diamond studs: What carat and 18k White Gold vs Platinum??

[melikemochi]

*** Warning long post.

Please help me deicide which earrings I should get. I've been thinking about purchasing Princess Cut Studs... please give some input as I do not know much about White Gold vs Platinum and how big of a difference it actually makes and whether its worth the price difference.

Just a bit of background... I'm in my early to mid 20s. I went to Costco today and an employee was kind enough to show me 2 pairs: 1ctw (1/2 carat each) set in 14k White gold $2,200 and a smaller .5ctw (1/4 carat each) set in 14k white gold also $600. It didn't say anything about color and clarity. the .5ctw looked great but when I tried the 1ctw... it looked a great deal better, but that price is a bit steep and I would need to wait until I get my first "real" job before I could afford that. Even the man helping me commented that the 1ctw was a WOW while the .5 was great until you saw the larger pair. I'm looking for a pair that I would be able to wear on a daily basis. I also live in a big crowded city so another thing to think about is how safe it would be to wear larger sized earrings. So... I'm looking on blue nile now..... and here are the options:

Platinum set (Diamond is G-H color and at least VS clarity) :
- 1/4 ctw $325
- 1/3 ctw $425
- 1/3 ctw $725

18k White Gold set (Diamond is H-I colo and at least SI clarity):
- 1/4 ctw $200
- 1/3 ctw $275
- 1/2 cwt $600

The smallest size I've seen in person is 1/2 ctw (and that size looked acceptable to me) so I do not know how small the other sizes will be. So my question is... what size is best and what setting? How much better will the platinum look and is it worth the extra money? Thanks so much!! Any advice, extra information, personal experiences, or input will be greatly appreciated!

 

[melikemochi]

One last thing... I always thought princess cut was more expensive than the round cut but on the pricing for the same thing in the round cut is more expensive for some odd reason. For example:

In platinum round cut
- 1/4 ctw $345
- 1/3 ctw $490
- 1/2 ctw $900

In 18k White gold round cut
- 1/4 $225
- 1/3 $300
- 1/2 $600

Any ideas why?

 

[venusfly]

Hold out for what you really want or save to get it. Whenever I settle I am dissatified and ending up buying the item twice, the second best, and then I buy the one I really want because nothing else will make me happy. I say hold out for the best.

 

[bagbee]

While princess cut is more modern, the round cut is classic and on high demand by all ages.

Between white gold and platinum: Platinum is harder and more endure to scratch. They look quite the same, IMO.

I would say that 'clarity' is important for me. When I see one, I will keep seeing it at first glance again-and-again.

1/2 ctw might be too small. You might go with 3/4 ctw or 1 ctw. If you think that it is too 'bling', you should go with 3/4. 3/4 is quite casual and low key, IMO. And buy the bigger one like, 2 ctw later in time. (and may convert the smaller one to three stone ring. But if it will be the only pair, go with 1 ctw.

 

[Swanky]

I personally would never pay extra for platinum on my ears, when they're on, you cannot tell a difference. In fact, My wedding ring is in white gold as is my diamond tennis bracelet, 1 ctw studs, etc. . . .
Just seems little an upcharge I don't care enough about to spend $ for.

I'd opt for 3/4 or 1 ctw, even if it means waiting a few extra months

 

[Toto too]

Round diamonds have more waste, they have to cut away more of the stone. That's why princess are less expensive, because they use more of the stone. I like them though, they're very impressive looking. As far as the Costco diamonds go, they're guaranteed to be VS2 or higher, and I in color or better. They have very good quality diamonds, plus you have a very lenient return policy with them.

 

[Kitsunegrl]

Also, with round diamonds, they are always in the correct position in your ear. With princess cuts, as they turn, they might not turn the same way at the same time. It may not bother you, but it's a quirk of mine.
I'd go with the 18k because you aren't going to see much of the metal in your ears.
The one thing I would like to stress is to make sure you get screwbacks!

 

[katriese831]

My boyfriend gave me .25ct platinum round studs from Nordstrom for Christmas. I have smallish ears, but they really don't look that small, particuarly for everyday wear. Whichever you decide, I'd try on a pair in that size to see how they look.

(Of course, the great thing about Nordstrom is that when I DO decide they're too small he can upgrade them for my birthday.)

 

[champaign]

I'd focus on the quality of the stone before I got too hung up on the material of the setting, unless you have allergies, of course. I'm not convinced that there's a significant wieght difference in plat studs, as opposed to white gold, but the price difference is likely to be 3 times as much.
C.

 

[lorihmatthews]

I have platinum for my wedding rings, but I'm not sure if I would want to pay for platinum for earrings. Platinum is more durable but you probably don't need it for earrings. Are there any wholesalers in your area? You might be able to get better prices that way. We bought my rings from a wholesaler and the pricing was cheaper than Blue Nile and Costco.

Another option, if you're worried about wearing these types of things in a big city then perhaps you're better off just wearing CZ!

 

[twin53]

platinum for earrings is a waste of good money... white gold is just fine. as for shape, the round are more basic if that's what you are looking for. you can get another cut later? good luck.... i have 2 pair of round 18k round diamond studs: 3/4cttw and 2cttw. the smaller pair look better in earring jackets, i wear the larger pair alone almost everyday.

 

[MissPoufy]

Get what you really want, never settle for something less. It's better to save for a little while longer and be truly happy than to always regret that you didn't get what you wanted.

 

[Lola24]

I personally would never pay extra for platinum on my ears, when they're on, you cannot tell a difference. In fact, My wedding ring is in white gold as is my diamond tennis bracelet, 1 ctw studs, etc. . . .
Just seems little an upcharge I don't care enough about to spend $ for.

I'd opt for 3/4 or 1 ctw, even if it means waiting a few extra months

I totally agree.