By any chance do we have a jeweler in our club?
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3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Odenton, MD
By any chance do we have a jeweler in our club?
The title says it all. The only way to know is to ask, so I'm asking. Is there a jeweler in our club?
And please don't tell Carrie I asked.
And please don't tell Carrie I asked.
I highly reccomend this long time family friend's place.
Jewelers of Distinction
2329 Forest Dr Ste C
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 266-7710
Jewelers of Distinction
2329 Forest Dr Ste C
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 266-7710
6th Gear
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,427
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From: Sword Mountain
And I would recommend Ketterman's in the Vienna/Leesburg area. The mother of one of my good friends has been taking her needs there for 30 years. I have never had anything but a pleasant experience with them.
http://virginia-jewelry-gifts-antiques-leather.com/
http://virginia-jewelry-gifts-antiques-leather.com/
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3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 175
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From: Odenton, MD
LOL, a diamond into a Mini. That would be kewl, but probably expensive. I'm actually looking to get Carrie a pair of diamond stud earrings for our anniversary. The first thing I’m looking for is info about diamonds. I know you can look online for that, but what I’m looking for is like what level of diamond is decent for studs. Our anniversary is a week after Christmas so I’m not looking to spend 3k on them especially when we are trying to save money to go to Seattle for the LPA convention, but I also don’t want junk diamonds. The other thing I’m looking for is a good place to go to get them. And this is why I asked for jeweler, figuring that they would at least be able to let me know what kind of diamond I should be looking for and maybe even where.
1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 31
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From: Northern VA
"I am not a jeweler but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night"
Before I knew much about diamonds I bought my girlfriend (now wife) diamond earring from a place in the mall. They were "certified" and cost $200 on "sale" for 1/4 tct (tiny). They were ok but not great.
Later I went to Blue Nile to learn everything I could about diamonds for a ring. I would suggest coming up with a budget first. I assume you already know if she's a gold or silver (platinum/ white gold) girl. Next, for me it would be a toss up between size and quality. You want them to be big enough to be seen and but you want them to sparkle like crazy. When it comes to quality I recommend the best cut you can afford, followed by a color rang of G-I, and a clarity of VVS1 - VS2. The cut is important for sparkle because it has a lot to do with how the light reflects from one facet to another (I believe.)Colors G-I aren't perfect but still look great and anything better usually jacks the price up. Clarity of VVS1 - VS2 may have slight impact on sparkle but are not visible with the plain eye, and sometime it's hard to see the defects with a microscope to the untrained eye. Again, anything higher then that and things start to get pricey. I highly recommend playing around with the scale on Blue Nile to get a feel for cost. (Keep in mind that you can get cheaper earrings from store as everything on Blue Nile is certified) Go to any store to get a feel for carat size. (I believe carat doesn't automatically equal size but it's a good indicator.) Think of how that size will look on her ears; too big, too small. You're going to pay more for certified diamonds; GIA and AGSL are typically the better certified diamonds. I bought an AGSL diamond because it had a laser inscribed serial number. Other things to consider are 4 prong, 3 prong etc settings, screw vs clasp backings, and round vs princess cut.
When going to a store ask to look at the diamonds in a different room, area, toward the window to get a better feel for how they sparkle without all the intense direct light the stores have. You want to see how they're going to look in the real world.
I eventually bought my diamond directly from Blue Nile because I was not impressed with the quality vs price I saw in every jeweler I went to; and I went to a lot. My friend took a print out from Blue Nile and used it as a bargaining tool at one store to get a better deal. "Why should I buy this diamond from you at this price when I can get a similar or better one online?" He bought a bigger, uncertified diamond, which looked good for less then what I paid from a mom & pop store in PA.
My experience is mostly on buying an engagement ring, but I think a lot of it applies to diamond studs also. Good luck.
Before I knew much about diamonds I bought my girlfriend (now wife) diamond earring from a place in the mall. They were "certified" and cost $200 on "sale" for 1/4 tct (tiny). They were ok but not great.
Later I went to Blue Nile to learn everything I could about diamonds for a ring. I would suggest coming up with a budget first. I assume you already know if she's a gold or silver (platinum/ white gold) girl. Next, for me it would be a toss up between size and quality. You want them to be big enough to be seen and but you want them to sparkle like crazy. When it comes to quality I recommend the best cut you can afford, followed by a color rang of G-I, and a clarity of VVS1 - VS2. The cut is important for sparkle because it has a lot to do with how the light reflects from one facet to another (I believe.)Colors G-I aren't perfect but still look great and anything better usually jacks the price up. Clarity of VVS1 - VS2 may have slight impact on sparkle but are not visible with the plain eye, and sometime it's hard to see the defects with a microscope to the untrained eye. Again, anything higher then that and things start to get pricey. I highly recommend playing around with the scale on Blue Nile to get a feel for cost. (Keep in mind that you can get cheaper earrings from store as everything on Blue Nile is certified) Go to any store to get a feel for carat size. (I believe carat doesn't automatically equal size but it's a good indicator.) Think of how that size will look on her ears; too big, too small. You're going to pay more for certified diamonds; GIA and AGSL are typically the better certified diamonds. I bought an AGSL diamond because it had a laser inscribed serial number. Other things to consider are 4 prong, 3 prong etc settings, screw vs clasp backings, and round vs princess cut.
When going to a store ask to look at the diamonds in a different room, area, toward the window to get a better feel for how they sparkle without all the intense direct light the stores have. You want to see how they're going to look in the real world.
I eventually bought my diamond directly from Blue Nile because I was not impressed with the quality vs price I saw in every jeweler I went to; and I went to a lot. My friend took a print out from Blue Nile and used it as a bargaining tool at one store to get a better deal. "Why should I buy this diamond from you at this price when I can get a similar or better one online?" He bought a bigger, uncertified diamond, which looked good for less then what I paid from a mom & pop store in PA.
My experience is mostly on buying an engagement ring, but I think a lot of it applies to diamond studs also. Good luck.
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