Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Diamond Studs Surprise or Take Her Shopping?

S

schticles

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
6
Hi, I am Jerry and I have a serious FOBO issue.

I also research everything to death and second guess my purchases. I need some help with something.

Our anniversary is coming up soon and I am pretty set on purchasing round studs.

Ladies/those who wears diamond studs, would you prefer your significant other surprise you with this gift or you rather go pick them out together? We are skiing next week in CO so I am thinking of bringing her by the B&M Blue Nile store.
 
I'm not a lady, but I love stud earrings. I would prefer to go shopping with my partner for jewelry. He knows what kind of gems and which shape stones that I like, but not necessarily the little touches like setting type, prong color, prong number or prong type - those can be important to people and can be the difference between loving a gift, or just appreciating the thought and not wearing it
 
Last edited:
Take her with you. 100%.
Unless 1.There is a return policy just in case and
2. She prefers surprises when it comes to jewelry. Most of us do not. But we don’t know your wife. But make sure #1 applies. Then you are good to go.
 
I assumed the B&M BN store had loose diamonds to consider. I looked through some previous forum posts and realize now that isn't the case. Not sure how fun it would be if she doesn't get to pick her diamonds.
 
Blue Nile stores don’t seem to have much in stock. Get some WF upgradeable earrings and surprise her.
 
From my online comparisons, I am seeing WF more than a little bit more expensive then JA and BN.

FWIW I am looking at 2ctw and GIA or AGS cert
 
schticles said:
From my online comparisons, I am seeing WF more than a little bit more expensive then JA and BN.

FWIW I am looking at 2ctw and GIA or AGS cert
Click to expand...

yes, you are paying a bit of a premium but WF ACA's are super ideal cut diamonds. Also WF has a terrific upgrade policy for their in-house stones should you ever want to use it.
I'm not saying you can't get well cut diamonds at JA or BN but I would suggest if you go that route, you try to find stones in PS recommended parameters and have them checked out here first. You generally won't get stones that fall within those parameters in pre-set studs. And it can take quite a bit of looking. With WF ACA's or their other in-house stones like their Expert Selection, you know you are getting well cut stones.
 
Ok. Thank you.

I was thinking I+ color, SI1+, with an ideal or super ideal cut (whatever the top two options for cut at each vendor), and a "build your own" option. I am leaning towards BN due to them having an upgrade option and JA not having one.
 
schticles said:
Hi, I am Jerry and I have a serious FOBO issue.

I also research everything to death and second guess my purchases. I need some help with something.

Our anniversary is coming up soon and I am pretty set on purchasing round studs.

Ladies/those who wears diamond studs, would you prefer your significant other surprise you with this gift or you rather go pick them out together? We are skiing next week in CO so I am thinking of bringing her by the B&M Blue Nile store.
Click to expand...

Maybe a good middle ground is to make the trip to the store a surprise. Then you have the surprise element of the gift but still can be sure that she loves.
 
Yeah, I was thinking that. Maybe she goes to pick out a setting and size with the CZ's they probably have there and then pick a pair of stone's online in the store or at home.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
 
schticles said:
Ok. Thank you.

I was thinking I+ color, SI1+, with an ideal or super ideal cut (whatever the top two options for cut at each vendor), and a "build your own" option. I am leaning towards BN due to them having an upgrade option and JA not having one.
Click to expand...
Hi, I just want to chime in that JA does have an upgrade option for loose diamonds, if you spend 2x the amount: https://www.jamesallen.com/guarantee/lifetime-upgrade/

The Whiteflash policy is “You may trade your qualifying Whiteflash diamond at any time for any other single in-house diamond of equal or greater value.” https://www.whiteflash.com/confidence/lifetime-trade-up-guarantee/
 
mayaINaU said:
Hi, I just want to chime in that JA does have an upgrade option for loose diamonds, if you spend 2x the amount: https://www.jamesallen.com/guarantee/lifetime-upgrade/

The Whiteflash policy is “You may trade your qualifying Whiteflash diamond at any time for any other single in-house diamond of equal or greater value.” https://www.whiteflash.com/confidence/lifetime-trade-up-guarantee/
Click to expand...

oh. I chatted with JA and the agent told me no. Maybe after they're set they are no longer eligible. I will ask for clarification.

I like the flexibility of the WF policy but I have a strong suspicion that if she upgrades she will have no problem hitting the 2x amount.
 
Honestly, for studs you could go either way. I personally would hate to be surprised with a ring (I feel there are a lot more little details and things I'm particular about with rings), but studs are classic and I would say as long as you know her metal preference, it could be a nice romantic surprise!

I had been wanting new studs for a while, but I was completely shocked and surprised when my husband gave me a gorgeous pair of 6ctw studs for Christmas a few weeks ago. I usually pick out my own jewelry, so it was really nice to be surprised for once and was a very sweet and romantic gesture on his part. It totally depends on your lady and her personality though.
 
Unless you know exactly what she wants, I would take her along. It would be a nice activity for you guys to bond, etc. Trust me you will be immortal for the next few days, but then after that you will have to take out the garbage.

Call Leslie at BGD, yes I am a BGD fanboy. They are very competitive on price and quality to WF. I have bought diamond studs for my daughter, and necklace and bracelet for my bride.

Good luck.
 
schticles said:
Hi, I am Jerry and I have a serious FOBO issue.

I also research everything to death and second guess my purchases. I need some help with something.

Our anniversary is coming up soon and I am pretty set on purchasing round studs.

Ladies/those who wears diamond studs, would you prefer your significant other surprise you with this gift or you rather go pick them out together? We are skiing next week in CO so I am thinking of bringing her by the B&M Blue Nile store.
Click to expand...

My husband once bought me jewelry and he will never again without me by his side. Lol Bring her with you
 
I actually love, love, love surprises. My husband - by now - is very good at it. He knows what I like and at the same time has an incredible good eye to pick out things I would have not considered myself but then absolutely adore. But if you are not sure, take her with you. But make the trip to the store a surprise.
 
Buyer, not a wearer. This forum is for connoisseurs (well, the posters are); few here would want to be surprised with meh diamonds. If you are new to this, B&M store with return option feels right. I have not been to Blue Nile but I suspect it is fine. Earrings need not be of "ring" quality -- except in this sub-forum (I had to check where I am answering :lol-2:).

One of the first "nice" things I got my spouse was a pair of "internet" studs (um, of the diamond variety). She loved them and wore out the snap-top ring box they came in. But they were terrible and it still bugs me. We/she never upgraded -- she wore them all the time and never wanted any others. But they were objectively terrible...

The flip side, and you sound like you may be prone to this, is the analysis paralysis. I am a veteran of this mistake, too. I was looking to upgrade spouse's "utilitarian" engagement solitaire and I disappeared down the bottomless rabbit-hole of which ideal cut is the best and how ideal must ideal be (and that was even before I found this forum) and whose ideal was the most ideal...you get the idea. I never came to a conclusion. I would rather pick, I don't know, sofa fabric, that's how I feel about it now :mrgreen2:.
 
I'm definitely in the 'take her with you' boat if you can. If not, as others have said, 100% safe return policy will be key. Good luck!
 
Are you able to narrow down what settings she may like before the trip? My hubby & I recently upgraded my engagement ring and he bought through Blue Nile. I picked the setting I wanted, he handled the rest. Loved our experience with BN.
 
Tartansparkles said:
Go shopping together. The surprise could be the offer to buy the studs and then your wife gets to pick what she wants. Win win.
Click to expand...

Exactly! It will be already a happy surprise for her if you take her for shopping and offer her to pick studs! So please go together with her 100%! (I had to tell my husband about this more than 100 times...Please do not buy any jewelry for me without asking me please... :lol-2:)
 
Are these studs for everyday wear, or for going out to a fancy restaurant on a Saturday night? If your wife is anything like mine, she will feel comfortable with different sizes for each of these two functions. Thus speaks the voice of experience. :eek-2: :mrgreen2:

It's likely the only way she'll figure this out is by trying on lots of different size studs. You can do this together at any well stocked B&M store with no obligation to buy. At the same time, you could also decide on a color grade she finds acceptable.

It will be fun for both of you but will likely take more than one visit. Once your mission is accomplished your wife will be one very happy lady. But as @WillyDiamond said, don't count on this joy lasting forever! :lol-2:
 
Last edited:
I think you have it right. The blue Nile store is more for playing and testing out sizes and settings. Go there. Let her try things and enjoy the fun of it all. Then go home and order it online. It sounds amazing to me.

(If it were an engagement ring, I’d agree with the whiteflash aca idea. For earrings, I think BN can be a great choice.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top