Diamond size for earrings

[diamondseeker2006]

Yay! Thanks Ellen!

 

[scarlet16]

I don't know that my opinion will matter much amongst these "pros" but I bought a set of the martini settings from WF ealier this summer also and they are FABULOUS!! No droop, and sits right in the hole so it looks like there is just a BIG ol' sparkle on your ear!

ETA: Here is what Renee from WF said about "size differences" when I was trying to decide on mine. (Granted, I was deciding on slightly smaller stones than your options).

"In regard to the size, the difference in size between a .40 and a .50ct is going to be around .15-.20mm in difference. That is about the same as 2 pedicels of copy paper stacked. Visually no difference."

But I do have to say, as everyone else has mentioned, do what your heart is telling you to do otherwise you're just going hem and haw over it once you get it. For the $2000 it may be worth the peace of mind.

 

[belle]

another vote for the martini settings. LOVE them.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/11/2006 9:22:49 PM
Author:diamondseeker2006
What do you think...is the larger pair worth $2000+ more?

I don''t think there''s an answer to that... One person will think that a 10 carat diamond isn''t worth a hundred bucks and another is willing to pay 50,000 to tip it over a major mark in a large diamond just for the privledge of saying it''s "x" size.

What do YOU think? Do you have extra money you want to spend? Do you care if they''re smaller than your last pair? Do you really really want to go up to a carat each but you don''t want to want to? LOL There''s a size difference, but who cares? Just you. Do you have very short hair or wear it up a lot? because most people will probably not notice that you even got different diamonds let alone if they''re smaller or larger unless you go up a *lot* and even then... I don''t notice earrings much and when I see big diamonds on ears I tend to think they''re costume (face it - not everyone is a pricescoper lol) unless they''re a rapper LOL

I think what you''re buying with this WHOLE process is a mind clean issue. You have a pair you''re looking to replace with another pair that you''re not even going to be able to see unless you''re looking in the mirror... what does your brain feel it needs hanging from your ears? Does your brain need to save the $2000 or does your brain need them to be equal size?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/11/2006 9:43:49 PM
Author: Lynn B
My humble 2 cents:

Yeah, obviously at that huge magnified view, the difference looks rather vast! But I honestly wonder if IRL - on the ears - there would TRULY be a big enough difference to justify 2K? That''s a LOT of money!

I''m with lynn on this one. Unless your brain needs them bigger. I don''t think the visual at a realistic size on ears that may or may not be covered with hair is an issue.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I think this is an even more accurate and realistic size difference...

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/11/2006 10:49:58 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 10/11/2006 10:42:29 PM
Author: belle
isn''t your stone 1.6? if so, the .61''s are perfect!

(i feel like people are looking at me funny now)

Yes, it''s 1.6. I really glad you think they''d be proportional. That''s really one thing I was concerned about.

Do you mean ''looking at you funny'' because you recommended the smaller stone?

I think she means the 16 61 pattern... I did the same thing with my stone... 2.71 and I was born in 70 and my husband in 72... as well as several other number patterns... (and now people are looking at ME funny lol)

 

[belle]

Date: 10/12/2006 11:14:50 AM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/11/2006 10:49:58 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 10/11/2006 10:42:29 PM
Author: belle
isn''t your stone 1.6? if so, the .61''s are perfect!

(i feel like people are looking at me funny now)

Yes, it''s 1.6. I really glad you think they''d be proportional. That''s really one thing I was concerned about.

Do you mean ''looking at you funny'' because you recommended the smaller stone?

I think she means the 16 61 pattern... I did the same thing with my stone... 2.71 and I was born in 70 and my husband in 72... as well as several other number patterns... (and now people are looking at ME funny lol)

oh i missed ds''s reply from last night!

lol....
yes, cehra, i did mean the number pattern.

imma dork.

but rest assured ds, either set would be very proportional.

you really can''t go wrong with that size range.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

DS tried on martini settings when we were shopping and honestly she didn''t seem to like them compared to the basket settings (which we all know she loves in all aspects on diamond jewelery) so I vote for the basket.

 

[Ellen]

OK, my trip was a total bust. Long story short, no one could show me stones in mm, they''re sold by ct. weight don''tcha know.

This is great, I have no clue what to get. Can anyone make a suggestion? I would say I''m like ds, med. ears, with med. lobes, and somewhat size concious. This is so frustrating, it shouldn''t have to be like this.

 

[Mara]

honestly i don''t think that .75cs are too big for the ear, if someone wants to spend for them. they DO come with a price jump. i was looking for about .65-.70 at some point because i''d like to miss the jump at .75c...but you are at the mercy of inventory really. i will see if i can come up with some pictures to show a .65 and a .75 on my ear...i think we took some .

 

[Mara]

okay so i don't have the pictures of me with Alj's .65cs on but I think she has some photos so I will have to see if she can email them to me. anyway, this may not be the best comparison, but here are some comparison pictures on my own small elf ears. the one on the left is with my current .38c stone and the ones on the right are the WF 8 prong .75cs we tried on last year, love those things!!

the funny thing is that the .75cs dont look that much bigger on me, but i think it's because that one closeup ear on the .75cs picture is my funky pierced hole that turns slightly in towards my head whereas the other picture with the .38 is my turned outwards piercing so one shows the earring better than the other so it's not the BEST comparison. but this is what i mean about also what size your ear lobes and ears are. i have seen people with larger ears wear much larger earrings and they look 'normal'. my .38s on me look more like 1/2c IMO.

oh and apologies up front for any closeup grossness, i always get grossed out by too shiny, oily pictures of faces and ears and hair when people post close up ear shots in all their macro glory, so i tried to modify the pictures a bit to make them not quite too bad. hehee. macro is not your friend for ear shots!!! but how else to get the pretty diamond?!?!?!

 

[Ellen]

Thanks Mara. The only problem is, from a distance, I think the .38 looks bigger.

lol

 

[Mara]

ellen part of that is what i mentioned, that these are on opposite sides of my head, and one of my hole piercings, the one with the .75c in it, turns inward a bit to my head. whereas in the pic with the .38c i am taking the other side of my head and that piercing faces outward so it makes the diamond look bigger. in reality, you cant see that much of a diff between my two piercings on my HEAD, aka it doesnt look like i have a small diamond in one and a big in another. but in pictures it kind of makes it more prominent that the piercings themselves are a tiny bit diff (i got my ears pierced when i was 6 months old, so they were still using the inaccurate needle in the ear way).

anyway, my .38''s do look bigger than they are.. ALSO my .38s are set in the 3 prong martini which does in my opinion make the earring look bigger because somehow it makes it look more promiment from the ear. the 8 prongs are sitting closer to my ear.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I don''t see a difference in size between the .75 and the .38 at *all* - in fact I think for earrings I prefer BIC.... I thought I''d want FIC for *everything* but you know, I don''t think so, not for ears. Suddenly I''m happy with my own litle white dots LOL

DS - I don''t think this is a question anyone here can really help you with... you just have to go back to the store and figure out what mm you want and get a rough approximation I think, I''d go for the savings for sure.

 

[Ellen]

Oh, I know. But you said the larger didn''t look much bigger. I don''t think it looks as big. But, I think besides what you mentioned, the smaller one is catching the light and is very bright, which I think helps it look bigger.

Honestly, I wish I could just be more like you, and then this size thing wouldn''t be an issue.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/12/2006 2:19:02 PM
Author: Ellen
Oh, I know. But you said the larger didn''t look much bigger. I don''t think it looks as big. But, I think besides what you mentioned, the smaller one is catching the light and is very bright, which I think helps it look bigger.

Honestly, I wish I could just be more like you, and then this size thing wouldn''t be an issue.

I think it depends on what you *want*. My husband, many years ago, got me I think 1/3 ctw earrings... I think, I don''t recall... and he told me I could upgrade for my birthday or mother''s day or something... I elected to upgrade immediately LOL So I went down and tried on all different sizes and I decided the *look* I wanted on my ear... I *wanted* them to be somewhat delicate but not tiny.... I tried on bigger ones and thought the 1/2 ctw looked *perfect* to my eye and I still think it''s a good size. No DSS on my earlobes! I was starting to think they should be more ideal, but they''re bright white and after seeing mara''s pics I''m convinced I prefer that for ears anyway. So I dunno about earrings... on rings I can understand big as better in some ways but for ears I think it''s more of a fasion trend issue. BTW I don''t have tiny earlobes...

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/12/2006 2:26:27 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/12/2006 2:19:02 PM
Author: Ellen
Oh, I know. But you said the larger didn''t look much bigger. I don''t think it looks as big. But, I think besides what you mentioned, the smaller one is catching the light and is very bright, which I think helps it look bigger.

Honestly, I wish I could just be more like you, and then this size thing wouldn''t be an issue.

I think it depends on what you *want*. My husband, many years ago, got me I think 1/3 ctw earrings... I think, I don''t recall... and he told me I could upgrade for my birthday or mother''s day or something... I elected to upgrade immediately LOL So I went down and tried on all different sizes and I decided the *look* I wanted on my ear... I *wanted* them to be somewhat delicate but not tiny.... I tried on bigger ones and thought the 1/2 ctw looked *perfect* to my eye and I still think it''s a good size. No DSS on my earlobes! I was starting to think they should be more ideal, but they''re bright white and after seeing mara''s pics I''m convinced I prefer that for ears anyway. So I dunno about earrings... on rings I can understand big as better in some ways but for ears I think it''s more of a fasion trend issue. BTW I don''t have tiny earlobes...

That''s just it, I know what I want. I want a nice size, but nothing that screams, Hey, look at me! That''s not me. The problem is, I don''t know what size THAT is.

I''ve emailed Lesley, asking her if she can tell me what the visual difference is between 5.0 and 5.3. I guess I''ll see what she says and go from there.

Good grief, it should NOT be this hard to spend money.

 

[Mara]

here's some additional thoughts from a professed size whore.

you don't see earrings on your head unless you visit the bathroom or live with a mirror at your desk, so i dont think we get DSS as much as we do with something like rings that we see daily.

i am perfectly happy with my .38cs because i know they look bigger on my ears. part of it is the setting, part of it is my elf ears. because of this, i do want larger earrings, but i am content with these for now. i would like to upgrade at some point to .65s or if i can afford it easily, .75s and call it a day. i don't wear my earrings all the time, i am more a 'fashion earring' kinda gal meaning i wear dangly chandeliers or big silver hoops or whatever works with my outfit. i only wear my studs when i dress up or have a business meeting or want something 'classic' or also when i have turtlenecks on since i think they look awesome with high necked items. so i wouldn't spend a lot on upgrading my studs since i don't wear them that often and am happy with the size i have now for now.

so really it comes down to priorities for someone who is shopping. i don't think that if someone got .40's they would look TINY. i also don't think if someone got .75s they'd look HUGE. to me earrings are shades of gray. the only time i have seen earrings look REALLY darn noticeable is when a coworker of mine used to have 1c in each ear and they looked huge. she had small ears. also, one of my girlfriends has 2c in each ear studs, they are not well-cut so they are kind of glassy, but huge.

so all of this rambling for me comes down to one thing. i don't think that people are AS happy or unhappy with earrings and size as they end up being about rings. i don't know that someone would be like 'well i got the .50c's and they were JUST TINY so i had to get the .75cs because they look so much bigger'. i think that earrings are a bit more flexible...and that it makes it easy for people to get what they want that fits their budget and be happy with how the light return makes them look larger. if you are THAT on the fence about it, get something a little smaller and then get 3 prong martini to make them look bigger and call it a day. then you are out less $$, you still have an upgrade policy and you have some impact going on. you might find out you are more than happy with that size for long-term. this is speaking to you ellen.

for you, DS...i think you'd be happy with either but the reason i keep saying get the .74s is because you said that was the size you knew you wanted originally. so don't let your head be turned by smaller IF the .74s are what you really want and you can afford it. but if you weren't sure or just wanted something to sparkle then i'd say get the .61s.

 

[belle]

okay mara, now tell us how you really feel

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ugh! Work is really getting in the way of my participation in this conversation! Lol! And they reminded us at a meeting yesterday that work computers were not for personal use and that they did randomly monitor.

Thanks, Mara, for posting those pictures! You surely can''t tell a big difference between those sizes on your ears.

Thanks Scarlet and Belle for your input on the martini settings! I do think they are so pretty!

Tacori, gosh, I was trying my best to remember how I really felt about the earring settings...I was just contemplating so many things that day..trying to remember the carat weight versus mm, etc. I just wasn''t concentrating on the earring settings that much. I favor less metal when possible, but I don''t think the difference between 3 and 4 is that great. My ring and bracelet will be 4 prong, so I can;t go wrong with 4. But I am waiting for a response about the screwbacks versus plain posts on the baskets. I just can''t remember how well the martini''s sat in my earlobes.

Cehra, gosh, I can''t get myself into looking for BIC versus FIC, or whatever, or I''d lose my mind! I just figure all H&A stones will look good, and that''s about the only criteria I can deal with!

Ellen, see, that is exactly what I was dealing with!!! The sales people have no idea of the mm and it is sort of hard to get them to measure them. That one store where I went with Tacori did measure a few for me, although I have no idea how precisely she was measuring. But trying to do that over again is tough, which is why I''m not going back out to try on earrings. I think since you have 5.0mm now, you should go to the .60, 5.45mm size range up to maybe .65 each. I don''t think there''d be enough difference in what you have now and anything less than that to be worth the trouble. In my pricing, the big jump certainly comes at .70 and up, so there is real savings to stay in the .60 range.

I did ask for Brian to look at the .7x stones to see if they were well enough matched, so I am waiting to hear from that before I decide, but I did put the .61 pair on hold. I''ll update y''all later today when I get home!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/12/2006 2:38:11 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 10/12/2006 2:26:27 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/12/2006 2:19:02 PM
Author: Ellen
Oh, I know. But you said the larger didn''t look much bigger. I don''t think it looks as big. But, I think besides what you mentioned, the smaller one is catching the light and is very bright, which I think helps it look bigger.

Honestly, I wish I could just be more like you, and then this size thing wouldn''t be an issue.

I think it depends on what you *want*. My husband, many years ago, got me I think 1/3 ctw earrings... I think, I don''t recall... and he told me I could upgrade for my birthday or mother''s day or something... I elected to upgrade immediately LOL So I went down and tried on all different sizes and I decided the *look* I wanted on my ear... I *wanted* them to be somewhat delicate but not tiny.... I tried on bigger ones and thought the 1/2 ctw looked *perfect* to my eye and I still think it''s a good size. No DSS on my earlobes! I was starting to think they should be more ideal, but they''re bright white and after seeing mara''s pics I''m convinced I prefer that for ears anyway. So I dunno about earrings... on rings I can understand big as better in some ways but for ears I think it''s more of a fasion trend issue. BTW I don''t have tiny earlobes...

That''s just it, I know what I want. I want a nice size, but nothing that screams, Hey, look at me! That''s not me. The problem is, I don''t know what size THAT is.

I''ve emailed Lesley, asking her if she can tell me what the visual difference is between 5.0 and 5.3. I guess I''ll see what she says and go from there.

Good grief, it should NOT be this hard to spend money.

Yes, I am right there..exactly.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/12/2006 2:48:53 PM
Author: belle
okay mara, now tell us how you really feel

lololol


Mara, I hear ya, and I agree. That''s why I''m looking at a size on the smaller side. If they end up really making me wish I''d gone bigger (and it''s quite possible I won''t), I can. I just don''t want to be stuck with too big.

I just really hope I can get it right this time, since hubby said go ahead. Don''t wanna make him regret it or anything.....

 

[Ellen]

ds, I keep remembering though, you see more of a size difference in the smaller stones.....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/12/2006 2:48:53 PM
Author: belle
okay mara, now tell us how you really feel

Lol! I love it, though! It just helps so much for people to think these things through...in print!

Mara, the only reason I was aiming for .75''s was because I already had a pair of .75''s and it seemed weird to go smaller. But for a couple of reasons including the fact that the original settings they were in irritated my ears, I couldn''t wear them daily like I had planned. When I got them reset, the jeweler told me they were lower quality than I was told, and that totally turned me off about them. I just wanted to get rid of them and not make the same mistake again. They are really pretty and people like my sister who doesn''t even know the COLOR of her new diamond pendant would probably be thrilled to have them! Lol! They are bright, sparkly, and pretty. I just want a nice pair to wear almost everyday. I am not a fashion earring person and now wear mostly small silver hoops or studs. I tend to wear pretty much the same jewelry all the time. So I don''t need a huge selection (I already have things I never wear), I''d just like to have my basics be the finest quality and a nice size without being too big or too small...whatever Ellen and I can decide that means for us!

 

[Ellen]

Bless Lesley, she''s offered to take some pics, so we''ll see....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, Jamie gave me to Brian, and he was extremely helpful. Honestly, the vendors on PS are just exceptional. I was really surprised to talk to him about little earring stones. But it was very, very interesting. I am back to being very confused, though, because he told me that there is a big visual difference between .61 and .74, so I really need to figure out what I want. He said both pairs I had chosen are fine, but he''d check the inventory to see if there were other worthy possibilities. He did ask me why I was at H VS2, and of course I said something about that being mind-clean, and he said that he felt sure I''d be equally happy with a step lower in color and clarity. So anyway, I''m open to new possibilities. These stones are just easier to match up because they are cut to such strict specifications. It''s hard to go wrong if the diameter and color are matched.

Ellen, I may be getting some more pictures as well. So let''s both post them here if we get some. At least others can benefit from our research in the future! And maybe we can even decide what we want! Lol! (If I go up to the larger size, I think those .61''s would be great possibilities for you if you are interested in H color. They are on hold, so one of us can have them!)

 

[Ellen]

Thanks for letting us know what Brian said. He pretty much confirmed what I was thinking. As for the .61's. I honestly think they may be more than I want ds, but we'll see...

I will definitely post when I get the pic, as it can help others in the future. Too bad you and I have to be the test subjects.

 

[Mara]

okay so here''s the solution.

ellen get the .61s and DS get the .74s. woo hoo! DONE!

honestly i think that brian''s opinion means a lot to me. he has never steered me wrong before in any of the advice he has given or things he has said. i''ve trusted him to eyeball stones for me from an eye-clean perspective, tell me what nuances are in stones i am considering, etc. he is very honest about his opinion.

keep us posted.

 

[Ellen]

lol Why does your solution not surprise me?