Should I keep these uncertified diamond studs?

[caramelize126]

Hi!

I found these 2.50 tcw carat princess cut diamond studs on sale at bloomingdales for just under 3k. The catch:

1) These diamonds are not solitaire, but actually 4 seamless cut diamonds on each earring.
2) the diamonds are not certified. They came with a certificate from bloomingdales saying that they are H/SI2 but no lab/GIA report.

I'm not sure if I should keep them.I actually love the size and they are very sparkly. But I'm not actually sure how good of a deal this is considering that its not a solitaire diamond and that they arent certified. Any thoughts?

Pics attached- these were taken from my iphone so apologies for the poor quality! TIA!

 

[HauteMama]

It depends. Do you eventually want solitaire studs? If so, I wouldn't waste money in the meantime; I'd save for what you really want. However, if you like the size, presence and sparkle of these and aren't seeking solitaire studs, then keep them and enjoy them. There's nothing wrong with something you love to wear, even if every list of jewelry "must-haves" says you must have solitaire studs. Regarding certification, if they sparkle and look good to you, it doesn't really matter unless you want to resell them at some point (which is a bad idea for most jewelry, TBH). If they look good and you spent what you consider a fair amount, it doesn't matter.

 

[FunBagz]

There is no telling the quality of the diamonds if they are uncertified. You can get a better idea by getting an appraisal from a third party, unbiased appraiser, but without sending them to a reputable lab there really is no telling. That said, they offer great coverage that would be expensive to achieve with certified diamond solitaire studs, so if the price works for your budget and you are happy with them, that may be good enough for you. FWIW, department stores like Bloomies, Macy’s, JC Penny, etc. are not know for selling top quality fine jewelry so guess is their “H/SI2” grades are very generous and they would grade lower if sent to GIA. It all comes down to the quality you are comfortable with and the price you are willing to pay.

 

[DS2006]

I agree with what the other ladies said. I think the price is not what I'd call a great deal for 8 small stones that are likely more like I color, I1 clarity. But solitaire studs that size would cost far more. So it does just depend on what you personal jewelry goals are.

 

[limom]

The picture of the earrings on your ears looks pretty.
For 3k, you could not get a good quality one carat TTW let alone this size. Although square cut diamonds are less expensive right now as the shape is not as trendy.
Bloomies have a good return policy so get them estimated and see if they are really the quality you have been told and work from there.

 

[Onebagtoomany]

They look very pretty on your ears. Is there any way you can check that they are the clarity/colour claimed? As others have said I do think the price is quite hefty given that the earrings are actually formed of eight small stones. But if this is the ‘big’ look you want, it would be impossible to find solitaire studs this size with decent specs for the price you have been quoted.

My own experience of buying uncertified studs has not been positive. I bought a pair of diamond studs a couple of years ago from a jeweller I trusted and recently discovered that they are not the carat weight, clarity and colour they were sold to me as. Luckily I was still able to sell them for around 50% of what I originally paid, which isn’t as big a loss as I expected. I replaced them with GIA certified studs from Blue Nile and couldn’t be happier - I really wish I had gone down this route earlier and not wasted so much money on the other studs, even if that meant buying smaller diamonds.

 

[caramelize126]

There is no telling the quality of the diamonds if they are uncertified. FWIW, department stores like Bloomies, Macy’s, JC Penny, etc. are not know for selling top quality fine jewelry so guess is their “H/SI2” grades are very generous and they would grade lower if sent to GIA. It all comes down to the quality you are comfortable with and the price you are willing to pay.

My own experience of buying uncertified studs has not been positive. I bought a pair of diamond studs a couple of years ago from a jeweller I trusted and recently discovered that they are not the carat weight, clarity and colour they were sold to me as. Luckily I was still able to sell them for around 50% of what I originally paid, which isn’t as big a loss as I expected. I replaced them with GIA certified studs from Blue Nile and couldn’t be happier - I really wish I had gone down this route earlier and not wasted so much money on the other studs, even if that meant buying smaller diamonds.

Thank you for this info! I had no idea that department stores/places selling uncertified diamonds could grade the diamonds themselves and be more lenient with the grading. Thats horrible! I'm looking around for appraisers now, I'm hoping someone can take a look and let me know if its at least in the ballpark.

The picture of the earrings on your ears looks pretty.
For 3k, you could not get a good quality one carat TTW let alone this size. Although square cut diamonds are less expensive right now as the shape is not as trendy.
Bloomies have a good return policy so get them estimated and see if they are really the quality you have been told and work from there.

I agree with what the other ladies said. I think the price is not what I'd call a great deal for 8 small stones that are likely more like I color, I1 clarity. But solitaire studs that size would cost far more. So it does just depend on what you personal jewelry goals are.

This is why I'm so conflicted. I have smaller studs which are lovely but I love the coverage/size of these. But if its not a great deal and Im unsure about the quality, perhaps it would be better to just wait and keep looking. Im looking into appraisers now but in case these dont work out, do you know where else I may find similar earrings? Ive only seen cluster diamond earrings. Would I be able to get a better price getting these done custom?

I am a diamond novice so any info/advice is so greatly appreciated. Thanks ladies!

 

[aerinha]

Do you want actual solitaires that big or 4 stones made to look like one? I wouldn’t pay that much for “patchwork”.

 

[caramelize126]

Do you want actual solitaires that big or 4 stones made to look like one? I wouldn’t pay that much for “patchwork”.

Honestly, I dont think i could afford a solitaire that big. Do you know where else I might be able to find something similar to these at a better price?

 

[DS2006]

Thank you for this info! I had no idea that department stores/places selling uncertified diamonds could grade the diamonds themselves and be more lenient with the grading. Thats horrible! I'm looking around for appraisers now, I'm hoping someone can take a look and let me know if its at least in the ballpark.





This is why I'm so conflicted. I have smaller studs which are lovely but I love the coverage/size of these. But if its not a great deal and Im unsure about the quality, perhaps it would be better to just wait and keep looking. Im looking into appraisers now but in case these dont work out, do you know where else I may find similar earrings? Ive only seen cluster diamond earrings. Would I be able to get a better price getting these done custom?

I am a diamond novice so any info/advice is so greatly appreciated. Thanks ladies!

You absolutely could get better quality doing custom. It's possible it could cost more than these, but at least you'd know you had better quality. A jeweler who does excellent custom work for reasonable prices is David Klass in LA. You could email him with pictures and total weight of these stones. You can ask for whatever diamond specs you prefer...for example, H VS-SI1 (equivalent to GIA) excellent cut princess stones at .30 each. He's done a LOT of jewelry for people on a jewelry forum I am on, and the quality is very nice and prices are reasonable. It would still be far less than studs this size would cost with a single stone. Phone number and email are on his IG page: https://www.instagram.com/davidklassjewelry/

One thing to note about most jewelry appraisals from jewelry stores, they are often inflated values. The replacement value is actually what you paid if you bought a new item. Often jewelers will include an appraisal or insurance valuation at a much higher amount to make the person feel like they are getting a good deal. On the other hand, they may talk down an item you bring in for an appraisal because they want to try to sell you something they have. There are lots of perils buying fine jewelry, but I encourage anyone to buy good quality when spending this much.

 

[FunBagz]

Another vote for getting a quote from David Klass Jewelry. He’s in Insta and FB. Highly regarded and I’d trust the quality of ungraded diamonds sourced by him over those from department store. He’s highly reputable and reasonably priced. Also agree with @DS2006 regarding appraised values being overly inflated. GL!

 

[caramelize126]

You absolutely could get better quality doing custom. It's possible it could cost more than these, but at least you'd know you had better quality. A jeweler who does excellent custom work for reasonable prices is David Klass in LA. You could email him with pictures and total weight of these stones. You can ask for whatever diamond specs you prefer...for example, H VS-SI1 (equivalent to GIA) excellent cut princess stones at .30 each. He's done a LOT of jewelry for people on a jewelry forum I am on, and the quality is very nice and prices are reasonable. It would still be far less than studs this size would cost with a single stone. Phone number and email are on his IG page: https://www.instagram.com/davidklassjewelry/

One thing to note about most jewelry appraisals from jewelry stores, they are often inflated values. The replacement value is actually what you paid if you bought a new item. Often jewelers will include an appraisal or insurance valuation at a much higher amount to make the person feel like they are getting a good deal. On the other hand, they may talk down an item you bring in for an appraisal because they want to try to sell you something they have. There are lots of perils buying fine jewelry, but I encourage anyone to buy good quality when spending this much.

Another vote for getting a quote from David Klass Jewelry. He’s in Insta and FB. Highly regarded and I’d trust the quality of ungraded diamonds sourced by him over those from department store. He’s highly reputable and reasonably priced. Also agree with @DS2006 regarding appraised values being overly inflated. GL!

thank you so much! I’ll look into David Klass!

 

[mewt]

I think they look great on you! Solitaires are not only more expensive but also heavier and sticks out more, may droop, and not even look as good as these imo. Everyday jewelry's worth is in how good it makes you look and feel, not its market value.

If they look white, sparkly, and eyeclean to you, and makes you happy, I'd keep and enjoy.