Rolex watch or 1 carat diamond pendant?

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#3
Up until recently, I would have said Rolex.
Now I almost always wear my Apple Watch... and every other watch I own sits at home.

So - it depends on what you personally will get the most use out of. Both are classic.
 
#4
As the poster above said it depends on what you think you will make more use of. Personally, I would go for the diamond necklace but then I am not a watch person at all and can’t fathom spending thousands on what is essentially just a name, however finely made. That said, if value is important to you, you may be better off going for the Rolex as there is a big market for secondhand watches and you are likely to make more of your money back when you sell it. In my experience selling secondhand diamond jewellery, however beautiful, you will be lucky to get back a third of what you spent.

If you do go for the necklace you can get some excellent advice on cut etc from Ame and some of the other ladies on here. Look forward to seeing what you decide on!
 
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#5
What would I choose? I rarely wear a watch. I depend on my cellphone to tell time. The only time I wear (rather use) a watch is when I travel out of the country where I do not have phone access. A diamond pendant, however, will get more use. Therefore, my choice would be a diamond pendant, but must be with an ideal cut diamond.
Both Rolex and diamond pendant will lose value over time, because money invested in stock mutual funds will far exceed the price appreciation of the accessories. However, between the two, I would say the diamond pendant, if ideal cut per AGS or GIA certification, will hold value better, and is easier to resell (or repurpose). Furthermore, a Rolex requires high price periodic maintenance (otherwise will have damage). Therefore, in terms of cost/value, a maintenance-free diamond pendant is much better than Rolex. Of course, a so-so cut (short of AGS ideal or GIA excellent) diamond, especially most non-certified diamonds, will be much harder to resell than an old Rolex watch. Make sure you get a well cut AGS or GIA certified diamond, clarity Si1 or better and color I or better. Carat weight (size) will depend on your budget.
 
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#6
I have both and wear my Rolex daily. I do wear my .15 diamond pendant daily along with it. I only take out my 1.2 ct pendant to wear on occasion.

If I had a choice like you, I would go for the Rolex because it’s more functional for me.
 
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#7
Christiflora said:
What would I choose? I rarely wear a watch. I depend on my cellphone to tell time. The only time I wear (rather use) a watch is when I travel out of the country where I do not have phone access. A diamond pendant, however, will get more use. Therefore, my choice would be a diamond pendant, but must be with an ideal cut diamond.
Both Rolex and diamond pendant will lose value over time, because money invested in stock mutual funds will far exceed the price appreciation of the accessories. However, between the two, I would say the diamond pendant, if ideal cut per AGS or GIA certification, will hold value better, and is easier to resell (or repurpose). Furthermore, a Rolex requires high price periodic maintenance (otherwise will have damage). Therefore, in terms of cost/value, a maintenance-free diamond pendant is much better than Rolex. Of course, a so-so cut (short of AGS ideal or GIA excellent) diamond, especially most non-certified diamonds, will be much harder to resell than an old Rolex watch. Make sure you get a well cut AGS or GIA certified diamond, clarity Si1 or better and color I or better. Carat weight (size) will depend on your budget.
Click to expand...

"Holding better value" is what I meant to say. Thank you for this great explanation!
I'm thinking of 1-1.3 round ct, clarity IF, excellent cut/polish/symmetry, gia certified. I'm still between colors g or f. I'm just afraid the pendant will look too small.

Anyone have any suggestions? Is G color too yellow? I normally would go with D or E, but for a pendant I'd like a larger size.
 
#8
travelgal16 said:
"
I'm thinking of 1-1.3 round ct, clarity IF, excellent cut/polish/symmetry, gia certified. I'm still between colors g or f. I'm just afraid the pendant will look too small.

Anyone have any suggestions? Is G color too yellow? I normally would go with D or E, but for a pendant I'd like a larger size.
Click to expand...
Clarity - Unless you have eagle eyes, you would not see the inclusions in clarity vvs2 or higher, let alone IF. Save your money and use it for larger carat size and higher color. I generally would pick VS2 clarity.
Cut - Of course, there is no compromise for cut, and I always get AGS certified ideal cut or GIX triple excellent cut with confirmed ideal cut ASET and/or IS Images.
Color - I prefer F, but G or H can be white enough for a pendant diamond. I can even go as low as I color, just so I can save more of my budget for SIZE. With ideal cut diamonds, you may not notice the color difference as much as you think. Sparkling diamonds, especially those madly sparkling ones, can be so distracting that you would forget about the color. Then again, some people can be extremely color sensitive, so you may want to check out an ideal cut diamond down to I color to determine your minimum.
Summary - Remember, the most noticeable in terms of beauty is cut (sparkles madly), then size, then color, and lastly clarity.
1-1.3ct is a good size for solitaire pendant diamond. 1.3 ct is better than 1ct for a solitaire pendant. 1.5-ct is even better.
Note that the four C’s discussed above are per AGS or GIA certification. For example, a D-color diamond graded by a jewelry store can be anything. Won’t surprise me if the actual color is 3-4 grades lower than GIA Standard.
Remember to ask AME for help in selecting diamonds.
 
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#13
The diamond grade you’re thinking of is engagement ring quality. I agree with Christiflora in that you can definitely lower the color and clarity as long as the cut is excellent. Quite often an excellent cut super sparkly diamond will appear more colorless face up than the color grade would suggest. A pendant will always be viewed face up unlike a ring that is viewed from the side quite often. The bigger the better for a pendant. You could also consider a pre-owned Rolex to go along with your pendant....there are a zillion out there.
 
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