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Building your own tennis bracelet stone by stone

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Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
3
Hi, I'm new to the forum but doing my research I found PS and have been reading and researching diamonds for some time. Sorry if this post is too long, or in the wrong spot, but what I'm trying to do I can't find anywhere on this forum or elsewhere online.

My wife is a beautiful person who never asks for much and does everything for everyone else. Its often very hard buying her presents as she often does not want anything special, but I want to give her things that show how special she is to me.

In terms of her diamonds, I feel that although I was not on PS at the time I must like similar things. She has a platinum 3 stone e-ring all F-VVS2 round stones totaling .98ct and running the diamonds through the HCA they come out at 1.1-1.4, she has worn this every day since I bought it for her 7 years ago (we designed it together). Similarly three years ago I bought her diamond stud earrings, each .48 F VVS2 slight blue florescence one with a hca of .8 and the other 2 (I like the 2 one better)

She has for many years said that she'd love a tennis bracelet that would go with her ring, we have stopped at many shop windows or pointed out the occasional lady wearing nice ones (we don't see a lot of jewelry we like in our city) and joked that she would not get one till she was 60. The ones that are in my price range I don't really like however... they are either very yellow looking, tiny or don't sparkle or all three.

I have had the idea that although I can't afford the kind of bracelet I think she deserves in one go, I could give her diamonds for significant occasions ie anniversary, birthday, .... until we have enough to have them set in a bracelet.

Looking at the bracelets like we like it'd be approx 10 carats total. It seems good sized diamonds for that sized bracelet are about 0.3ct, meaning I'd need about 34 stones or about 7 years of diamonds as presents.

The first problem I am facing is that although I have contacted a few jewelers, none would let me know if I supply the diamonds if they will set them for me in a bracelet or approximately the cost of doing this. I have also thought that if we had 1/2 the diamonds for a full circle we could get them set in a bangle and then down the line get them set in a fully round bracelet but am not sure of the practicalities of doing this.

The second problem I am facing is that it appears that this size diamond is right on the cusp of being melee diamonds that are not sold individually or if they are and have a cert they are more expensive than seems normal (there also does not seem to be nearly the volume from online searches compared to say .4-.5 sized diamonds). I have asked some jewelers if its possible to be put on
alerts to let me know when something nice in my cut / colour / clarity / size and price comes along but again no response.

I would have thought that logically there would be more small diamonds than bigger diamonds but I don't know.

The price of similar bracelets to what I eventually want seems significantly cheaper than buying the stones and then there would be the cost in setting them.

I guess what I would like to know is; is my quest for 34 .3 carat white brilliant diamonds going to be a total waste of time and money or if not what are tips on finding them at an appropriate cost?

I'm in Australia, but have bought from the US before so am option to all options.

Thanks
 
I think one of the vendors here, wink, made someone a ring - each diamond had a GIA cert and etc. i tried a quick search and couldn't find the thread - but maybe someone else will have better luck. If ask him to see a request like this is feasible
 
I would ask for a custom quote from WF and see what they say...
 
You will pay far more doing it this way. I wouldn't recommend it at all. Often a jeweler will charge a setting fee to set a diamond bought elsewhere in a ring. The cost would be crazy to have a setting fee for each individual diamond. It is just better in every respect to buy the bracelet complete. Have you considered a diamonds-by-the-yard bracelet? That would make much more sense of you really want to add stones. You could start out with 3 stones and work your way up to seven (by adding two stones at two different times). That shouldn't be as big of a deal of setting stones in a tennis bracelet. WhiteFlash makes them and I have recently priced them for myself, but I would not go over 15 points per stone. I will attach a picture of one I tried on recently with 14 point stones (the smaller one has about 8 point stones).

But I need to mention one other thing. You have done a terrific job so far of keeping her ring and earrings in proportion to each other. I have to tell you that a 10 ct tennis bracelet with .30 ct stones would be out of proportion to her other jewelry. I wear a 2 ct diamond and I honestly wouldn't wear a 10 ct tennis bracelet. Maybe if I had a 4-5 ct diamond ring I would. But I honestly think something around 2-4 cts would be more in proportion. And that would be a bracelet that could be saved for and bought so much sooner, as well.

Here's someone with a 6 ct bracelet, and you can see that it has quite sizeable stones:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/30th-anniversary-6-21-carat-bracelet-from-idj.196244/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/30th-anniversary-6-21-carat-bracelet-from-idj.196244/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-wf-tennis-bracelet.69623/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-wf-tennis-bracelet.69623/[/URL] (another one)

This is just 11 point stones for 4.7 ctw and it is large, too:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/finally-got-my-3-prong-tennis-bracelet.195568/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/finally-got-my-3-prong-tennis-bracelet.195568/[/URL]

a 4 ct one:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tennis-bracelet-for-our-wedding-anniversary.169294/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tennis-bracelet-for-our-wedding-anniversary.169294/[/URL]

3 ct:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-tennis-bracelet.162030/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-tennis-bracelet.162030/[/URL]


More info:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/good-size-for-tennis-bracelet-everyday-wear.82013/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/good-size-for-tennis-bracelet-everyday-wear.82013/[/URL]

2013-09-13_14.jpg
 
I think this is a wonderful idea.

If you look at the actual setting of a tennis bracelet, it is little links all connected together, and so any jeweler should be able to just get a few links, pop diamonds in, solder chains to the end, and the add more diamonds and shorten the chain as you go along. ANY JEWELER. Any jeweler who sells diamonds can also individually sell you .2 or .3 carat diamonds. Anyone telling you they can't is lying or incompetent, and I honestly just wouldn't attempt any more to give them your business.

If you get diamonds with lab reports, especially if you get high color and clarity and excellent cut, the bracelet will be nigh on impossible to sell through "ordinary" means, because the total cost will be so much higher than a premade one. The quality will likely be higher as well. Abby12 encountered this with her custom made eternity with .2-.25ish D VVS/IF ideal-cut stones - it cost her a lot to have made but she couldn't sell it for that much - idk what she eventually ended up doing with it.

I would start with at least three diamonds, personally, just because I think having two would look silly - so I guess I'd start with one or three but at no time have two. I think that's fine. Bar bracelets like this - http://www.bluenile.com/mini-diamond-bar-bracelet-14k-white-gold_32322?track=product&elem=image - are a popular item right now and that would be a little bit like one of those. Or if you wanted to pay a little (LITTLE) bit more each time, have them set like a diamonds-by-the-yard. It would be more each time because they'd have to move the chain around, shorten, add more pieces, re-solder every time if you want the space between each to be equal.

You WILL pay more doing it this way, but she'll constantly have a piece to wear and exciting additions to it, and that may be worth the cost to you.
 
Thankyou for all your quick feedback,

I guess that I was thinking of having the bracelet set once or twice but not each stone but can see how that impression was gained and its probably better than having diamonds sitting in the safe till there are enough to do anything with that looks good.

With regards to size, we had looked at a both a 2ct and 4ct total bracelet the other day and she did not really like them, it may have been the setting but generally when she sets her mind on something looking a particular way, she'd be disappointed with something different.

I doubt resale would be an issue as she has never sold any jewelry even when she has said she hates certain things and will not wear it again; I have read the how to sell your diamonds threads about the loss of resale, difficulty selling unique pieces and also that sometimes financial circumstances mean that selling is something necessary even though not originally anticipated but it is useful to remember this in my calculations.

I'll think about your comments some more, read more and send some emails and report back.
 
Certainly buying individually certed stones would be a very expensive way of doing this.
Surely though someone will set it for you as the settings are ordered in pre cast.
Perhaps it would be more practical to save some money and then get it made up in one go - not as much fun though!!
I will be following your journey closely as your plan is incredibly romantic and will certainly end up as a very substantial piece of jewellery.
Do you think your wife has her own idea of the size of the stones she'd like to rock in such a bracelet?
Depending on her disposition, she could find such a bracelet very bling indeed! :D
 
I see that you are in Australia.

I would definitely recommend you contact Nikhil and Yogesh Jogia, they are based in Perth.


http://jogiadiamonds.com.au

They could be your best friends in this quest.

Eta: you should be able to source uncerted diamonds through them as well as the graded ones listed.

Colour matching uncerted stones of that size could become an ongoing issue for you though.

I'd give them a call and ask their advice. Tell them LaraOnline from PS sent you lol.
 
A 10 carat tennis bracelet would be huge - beautiful, but huge and probably not practical for every day wear. Your sentiment is lovely but buying a bracelet already made with matching stones would be the best bet - hands down.

Whiteflash makes a beautiful bracelet with their ACA stones - I'd talk with them and get prices but first I'd shop around to see what looks like what in different carat weights.

Her jewelry sounds beautiful but you want something to compliment what she already has - not to overpower it. I love the time and thought you have put into this though! She is sure to end up with something really special!
 
While the concept is sort of neat, in the end, it's all just a diamond tennis bracelet. What I mean is, the diamonds are all pretty much the same, so in a bracelet, no one diamond is really any different than the others. It's not like a charm bracelet, where you could glance at it and know the meaning/significance behind each, particular charm. Also, as others have mentioned, it's a pricey way to end up with pretty standard piece of jewelry and you're making way more work out of it than you need to.
 
Ok I understand that she tried on a 2ct and 4ct tennis bracelet but has she tried on a 10ct one? My MIL has an 8ct and it is pretty much impractical for her to wear. Instead she wears a 5ct bracelet that is blingy enough that it stands out but doesn't get in the way of everything.

I would not have a set ctw in mind till she has tried it on her own wrist vs. seeing it on others.

I would also not piece meal it you want the diamonds to match etc. Perhaps you could give her a diamond bangle at the half way marker and then turn the diamond bangle into a bracelet later on down the road? Regardless, financially I don't think it makes sense. It would be much better to buy it all set and done in 1 piece.
 
Why don't you put the $ amt per stone away each year for 7 years and get it all made at once?
 
I suspect from the answers I have got that this will be a better option it seems to have cost prohibitive and practical implications in going stone by stone that I had not considered.

Will post back if any of my active emails come up with a more practical solution
 
One of the items on my wish list is a bezel-set tennis bracelet with 0.5ct stones. :love:

I saw the assistant to Rob van Beurden of Diamond House in Antwerp wearing one with stones about that size, and thought it looked fabulous, and she wore with other diamond bracelets as well.

Dream on for me, and I shall continue to play the lottery.

Realistically, I shall settle for one with 0.2ct stones instead. :naughty:

DK :bigsmile:
 
I recommend getting in touch with Lesley at BGD. She put together the tennis bracelet for my wife, a little under 4 carats total. Each stone is too small to be GIA/AGS graded, that would really jack up the price. She will put together beautiful melee stones from their collection, the round will be beautifully cut and show hearts and arrows features. Best of luck.
 
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