My wife isn't big into jewelry, but she has always wanted a pair of diamond stud earrings. Her 40th is coming up, so I'm planning on getting them for her. Where's a good place to shop for something like this? I don't know jack about jewelry. Am I going to Jared's, or should I be looking for a smaller local shop?

What's your budget? That should be a decent indication of where to shop.

When I bought my wife's diamond earrings, I took the original engagement diamond and found a stone with the same cut and similar quality to pair. Then upgraded the engagement stone. Went through Zadok's.

This is the route I was thinking. We're both pretty practical people and I'm not looking for anything too flashy. She's got smaller features so I'm thinking about 1/2 carat stones give or take. I want something she can wear more often than the very few formal events we might attend.

Go with Chuck.

You would be pretty dumb to buy natural diamonds when you can get lab grown that literally no one will be able to recognize as lab grown for a fraction of the price. Your wife won't even know, but you could obviously tell her.

Just as an example, you can get two 2 carat diamonds for less than $1300 with F color and vvs2 clarity. You can get diamonds with more inclusions or a lower class of color for even cheaper. Literally no one will ever be able to tell the difference.

Sea Speed said:

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You would be pretty dumb to buy natural diamonds when you can get lab grown that literally no one will be able to recognize as lab grown for a fraction of the price. Your wife won't even know, but you could obviously tell her.

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she will when she gets them appraised.

agree on the lab grown thought though. I just assume most of these 20 something women I see with 3 carats on their ears are rocking fakers.

Would your wife actually go out of her way, without you, to get her gifted jewelry appraised? I was thinking bad motives, not simple insurance as you suggested below!

if you're insuring it you would.

Diggity said:

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if you're insuring it you would.

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Yeah, when we got our wedding rings from chuck we had him appraise most our jewelry for this reason.

100%.

Diggity said:

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Sea Speed said:

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You would be pretty dumb to buy natural diamonds when you can get lab grown that for a fraction of the price. Your wife won't even know, but you could obviously tell her.

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she will when she gets them appraised.

agree on the lab grown thought though. I just assume most of these 20 something women I see with 3 carats on their ears are rocking fakers.

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We were assured, not once but twice, that "literally no one will be able to recognize as lab grown".

Is a lab grown diamond considered fake?

Well, lab grown takes a couple of weeks where a natural takes 10s of thousands to millions of years to form. Composition is the same, though. The answer probably depends on who you're asking. Technically, a lab gown is a real diamond but I think market price for lab vs natural might be a better indication of real versus fake.

carl spacklers hat said:

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Well, lab grown takes a couple of weeks where a natural takes 10s of thousands to millions of years to form. Composition is the same, though. The answer probably depends on who you're asking. Technically, a lab gown is a real diamond but I think market price for lab vs natural might be a better indication of real versus fake.

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Yeah, they're diamonds. Personally, that's the route I'd go and my wife would kill me if I spent money on "real" rocks rather than, say, upgraded accomodations on our next vacation.

But also yeah, any real jeweler and definitely a geologist or gemologist with a good jewelers loupe can tell the difference. But ultimately, WGAS?

Yes someone with a loupe can tell m, but no one walking down the street can tell. None of any of your wives friends will know the difference whatsoever, not that it even matters. If the point of the gift is to spend a bunch of money, buy real, if it's to get your wife something pretty that she will enjoy wearing, then buy lab grown. If your wife won't enjoy them because they weren't mined by some poor Africans, then you (the general you, not you morbo specifically) probably chose your mate poorly.

Costco

Whether you decide on real or lab-grown, make sure the metal you use won't hurt her ears or it's all a moot point. Gold & silver react with my ears. Not sure if there's some other metal in them causing the issue? But my diamond earrings with platinum posts cause no issues.

Also, I suggest the posts that screw on the back, just for added security that they won't accidentally fall off.

I second Hoffman. Ronnie is the best. He took my grandmothers rings and reset them for my wife and they turned out amazing. I went back a few years later and got earrings for her. I believe they are a little over 1/2 carat each and I think I paid about $2200. He will always buy them back for the same amount you purchased for if you ever want to upgrade. Make an appointment. You won't be sorry.

I just bought my wife a pair last week. I used Rare Carat online. You can choose lab grown or mined. You choose your setting and you choose your diamonds and they make the earrings. Thousands of diamonds with high resolution 360 degree photos to look at. It's pretty neat

There is zero difference between lab grown and natural grown except cost and the ID number you can find with a loupe. It's just carbon. Buying natural is for fools.

Also, don't buy from any name brand jeweler. They all source from the same growers and mark up. Get one from an aggregator like loosegrowndiamonds and find someone to set it

That's the website in the image posted above. Dirt cheap.

Morbo the Annihilator said:

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carl spacklers hat said:

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Well, lab grown takes a couple of weeks where a natural takes 10s of thousands to millions of years to form. Composition is the same, though. The answer probably depends on who you're asking. Technically, a lab gown is a real diamond but I think market price for lab vs natural might be a better indication of real versus fake.

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Yeah, they're diamonds. Personally, that's the route I'd go and my wife would kill me if I spent money on "real" rocks rather than, say, upgraded accomodations on our next vacation.

But also yeah, any real jeweler and definitely a geologist or gemologist with a good jewelers loupe can tell the difference. But ultimately, WGAS?

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I had a ring made for my wife late last year by my stepbrother who is a jeweler. His advice to me was that if you ever wanted to sell it, you'd get scrap value for the gold but the lab grown diamonds would be basically worthless. Based on that feedback we opted for real.

ETA: for generic stud earrings, I'd probably just order from Blue Nile.