Riviera / Tennis Necklace

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

#406
I believe the James Allen necklace is shorter, which means the individual stones would be larger if on a necklace the same carat weight, but longer if the stones were all the same size, not alternating.

To me, it would really depend on the quality of the stones, from the clarity, color, cut, and one’s personal preferences as much as size. I still prefer natural, but the specs for lab-grown tend to be better in these areas for the price.
 
#407
With a nod to Onebagtoomany for inspiration regarding "investment," I'm going to focus on long term contentment in investment terms. Buying right the first time is important and cost effective. You need to know whether the look of the necklace is more important to you than its composition, or if its composition (mined vs. lab diamonds) is more important. Only you know if you would be completely satisfied with lab diamonds. Buying the James Allen lab diamond necklace and then wishing it were made of mined diamonds would be an expensive mistake. Selling the James Allen lab diamond necklace and then buying a mined diamond necklace would be a big waste of your money.

As I see it, you have some options:
  • You can return the Bluenile necklace and buy the James Allen larger carat weight lab diamond necklace, if you know that you'll be content with this decision in the long term.
  • You can keep the Bluenile necklace and be happy knowing you have mined diamonds and a "forever" diamond necklace.
  • You can buy the Bluenile necklace and be happy with it until you're ready to trade up for a larger mined diamond necklace.
  • You can wait and save up for a larger carat weight mined diamond necklace that will be your "forever" diamond necklace.
I understand that lab diamonds offer great value in terms of appearance. My personal opinion is that they have no intrinsic value. To my eye, the Bluenile necklace is the more interesting of the two and very wearable. If the size isn't as large as you would like, then please consider saving until you can afford to buy what you really want.

Settling for something that isn't quite right would likely take the joy away from this purchase and leave you feeling less than content with what should be a "forever" piece in your jewelry collection. Investment, in this context, is simply buying the right item for your long term enjoyment. Only you know which option is the correct one for you.
 
  • Like
  • Insightful
Reactions: missie1, Passerine123, skyqueen and 4 others
#408
rocky15 said:
I understand what you say, but personally i prefer lab over naturel diamonds. Just don’t know which setting will give the most spark. And which one will twist more.
Click to expand...
I think the best quality diamonds will give the best sparkle, what are the specs on the first piece, the alternating necklace?
 
#410
rocky15 said:
The alternate necklace from blue nile is colour I and clarity is I1-I2. The one from james allen is colour f-g and clarity is vs2-sI1
Click to expand...

Taking lab vs mined out of the equation, the James Allen is by far the better option in terms of quality. You don’t mention cut but just the clarity on its own almost certainly means very little sparkle/fire. I also prefer the ‘line’ style of the James Allen necklace but that’s just me.

Sorry to be a pain, but going back to lab vs mined - the James Allen necklace is a LOT for a lab piece. I paid not much less for an mined 18k 5 carat diamond tennis necklace from Rachie Shnay and I believe (not up to date on current prices) you can get an 8 carat necklace from her for not too much more. I know you prefer lab but is that still the case even when you are paying a very similar price to a mined piece?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: missie1, skyqueen and A bottle of Red
#411
Here is my necklace from RS:

rachieshnay.com

The Haesther Tennis Necklace

This gorgeous & classic tennis necklace has diamonds all around the neck. Set in four prongs, the Haesther Tennis Necklace is the perfect everyday piece! 14K Gold X Small- 3.6 Total Diamond Carat Weight Small- 4.45 Total Diamond Carat Weight Medium- 5.0 Total Diamond Carat Weight Large- 8.54...
rachieshnay.com

The ‘large’ version (8.54 carat!) is $5700.

Rachie was also great to work with, offered to personalise my necklace however I wanted (she made me a custom one as I wanted 18k yellow gold and a slightly longer length) and got it to me within six weeks. I’m very tempted to buy another one in white gold when I can afford it!
 
  • Like
Reactions: missie1, Southern Gem, skyqueen and 2 others
#416
rocky15 said:
The alternate necklace from blue nile is colour I and clarity is I1-I2. The one from james allen is colour f-g and clarity is vs2-sI1
Click to expand...
The lab diamonds will be a higher grade because they're lab created. They'll be brighter and cheaper but will have no value at all, you might as well buy moissanite. I think you should save up for the one you want the most.

On the flipside nobody is going to ask you if they're lab/ GIA/ cubic zirconia, only you will know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GraffS
#417
rocky15 said:
I don’t mind that, for me it’s for the looks. Never gonna sell it anyway:smile:
Click to expand...
Have you tried similar from Swarovski and etc, APM Monaco, they have silver and cubic zirconia.
I have two necklaces, and to be honest you need to try them on before buying. Many of them tend to move and switch or just look unimpressive.

Please keep the real diamonds. That necklace is beautiful and unique and worth the price!
 
#419
Seriously considering a TN for the first time, and I have questions! What are the pros and cons of 3-prong vs 4 prong? Any warnings about long hair catching in either style? Looking for something in wg suitable for casual, everyday wear and sometimes layering. Thanks for any guidance!
ETA - I prefer a uniform stone size, rather than a graduated style. I like the look of the Haesther from Rachie, but the website tells very little about it.
 
Last edited:
#420
I'm trying to find a low carat (e.g. thin) platinum "earth diamond" (not lab) tennis necklace and I'm striking out everywhere.
I love the idea of a thin line of diamonds and platinum is good for me because of allergies.

The usual places (Rachie Shnay, etc.) don't seem to offer platinum and won't work in it.

Does anyone have a lead for a small platinum diamond tennis necklace jeweler who is reputable?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top