Diamond Earrings for Baby

[Kayakmom]

Addie's first birthday is coming up on St. Patrick's Day and yesterday I figured out what I'd like to get her. This thread, unfortunately, is more of a request to even *find* that particular something, rather than find a deal. I'd be happy to find them at all!

 

I would like to get her .25CTW Princess cut diamond earrings (about 12 points each or so, but possibly as large as 17). I would like them to be near-colorless (G,H,I) or better and preferably SI or better, but possibly I1 (gotta think of budget here). They need to be set in platinum (hypo-allergenic) and I want them to have the short screwbacks (baby/child screwbacks).

 

Any possibility I will find these without having them custom made for a small fortune???

[sm1kla]

I think I saw diamond earrings with screwbacks in the Macy's ad last week.

[Kayakmom]

Thanks. I looked and the smallest they have set in platinum is 1/2 carat, which is just a wee bit too much bling for a one year old, lol. I compared sizes in person at the mall last night with her starter studs and 1/3ctw is the largest that would really be appropriate.

 

I found some that are decent and meet most of my criteria at bluenile.com, but I'm not sure about their reputation and also, I need to find out if the adult screwbacks can be simply cut off and rounded to modify them for a child. If that's the case, I can possibly find some online and take them to a local jeweler for a slight modification if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to file them down.

 

Last night I went to Zales, Hannoush, Michael's, and another store in the mall just to get some ideas. The closest I came to what I wanted was at Michaels. They had Princess cut .23 H/I I2, but they were set in white gold and they still wanted $329 + $65 to change them to screwbacks. Bluenile has Princess cut .23 H VS2 set in platinum with (adult) screwbacks for $325. That would be right about on target for what I'd like to get and what I'd like to spend, but I'm hesitant because I don't know if they will work for such a tiny girlie.

 

The only "baby" ones I can find are round diamonds set in gold for $199.

[kodis97]

i think that your best bet would be to go to a local small jewler in your town that can maybe customize them for you. around here we have a couple of family owned and operated jewlers who do alot of custom jewlery. plus the home town people wont over charge ya. good luck

[Kayakmom]

I was thinking of that, but typically the jewelers who do custom work around here cost $$$. I'm going to check it as an option and find out if I can afford it. If not, I may just order from bluenile and get them modified.

[lovebug]

http://www.elitejewels.com/prodDetails2.asp?pid=410

[krissy904]

just a few thoughts here. first, I wouldn't get hung up on the color or clarity rating for such a small stone. What I mean is, judge the stones yourself by looking at the stone through a loupe and also with the naked eye. In my opinion (only mine) unless the store uses GIA or EGL certified grading, you really don't know what you're buying anyway other than what you actually see. By that I mean you may find a stone that looks near white with no visible occlusions and is graded by the "store" as E, Vs 1, however the very same stone may be graded by GIA as G, S2. The bottom line is just buy what looks gorgeous to you unless you're looking at the stone as an investment. If you're looking for an investment, you probably can find much better choices than diamond earrings. Oh and BTW, little girls look absolutely adorable in diamond earrings. Another opinion. No matter what size or grade, the ideal cut (round) stones always sparkle the most.

[Kayakmom]

just a few thoughts here. first, I wouldn't get hung up on the color or clarity rating for such a small stone. What I mean is, judge the stones yourself by looking at the stone through a loupe and also with the naked eye. In my opinion (only mine) unless the store uses GIA or EGL certified grading, you really don't know what you're buying anyway other than what you actually see. By that I mean you may find a stone that looks near white with no visible occlusions and is graded by the "store" as E, Vs 1, however the very same stone may be graded by GIA as G, S2. The bottom line is just buy what looks gorgeous to you unless you're looking at the stone as an investment. If you're looking for an investment, you probably can find much better choices than diamond earrings. Oh and BTW, little girls look absolutely adorable in diamond earrings. Another opinion. No matter what size or grade, the ideal cut (round) stones always sparkle the most.

Hubby is a maniac, lol. He was getting on my case to buy only certified stones. I said that I'm buying 12 points each, not a big jammin ring, lol. The grade of the stone is not actually one of my most important features as far as ranking of importances. I really want the princess cut and I really want the platinum for the hypoallergenic qualities. The screwbacks seem like a no-brainer, and having them the right length so they don't annoy her is an absolute. In the stores last night, hubby could readily guess the grade of the stones within one of the certifications for those that had them. He has a very particular eye for that sort of thing.

[hpowers]

I'm gonna caution you about shorter studs. I bought both of my daughter's a pair of earrings and when they came in they were really short. I put them their ears and within a couple of days their ears had grown around them and the oldest daughter had a really rough time healing up after it. I threw the earrings away and will never buy them without having them to look at again. Just be cautious that they are not too short. Screw back earrings have a good stopping point to keep them from poking into your scalp so I would think that regular size will be alright. JMO

[krissy904]

I'm gonna caution you about shorter studs. I bought both of my daughter's a pair of earrings and when they came in they were really short. I put them their ears and within a couple of days their ears had grown around them and the oldest daughter had a really rough time healing up after it. I threw the earrings away and will never buy them without having them to look at again. Just be cautious that they are not too short. Screw back earrings have a good stopping point to keep them from poking into your scalp so I would think that regular size will be alright. JMO

Wow, good point. I never thought of that.

 

to the originaL poster, just call me when you arrive in jacksonville florida and I will take you on a diamond hunt. We can find some gorgeous earrings for your daughter and I know of a few places with great deals so we can get them priced under your budget. Oh and I hope my previous post didn't make it seem like I think certification doesn't matter. I just don't think that anything other than GIA or EGL is truly accurate. If you look online there are actually quite a few reputable places to buy stones. I know a lot of people wouldn't feel comfortable buying diamonds online, but I have done it a few times and have always been satisfied. That's just me. Have fun no matter what.

[Kayakmom]

I'm gonna caution you about shorter studs. I bought both of my daughter's a pair of earrings and when they came in they were really short. I put them their ears and within a couple of days their ears had grown around them and the oldest daughter had a really rough time healing up after it. I threw the earrings away and will never buy them without having them to look at again. Just be cautious that they are not too short. Screw back earrings have a good stopping point to keep them from poking into your scalp so I would think that regular size will be alright. JMO

Excellent point! Perhaps I should just buy the ones from Blue Nile and see how long they are when they get here. There were some comments that the posts were long, but maybe buying them as is and having them cut down/rounded as needed would be the smartest option.

 

I swung by a local custom jeweler this morning but they're closed on Mondays. Maybe I'll just order the darn earrings at Blue Nile, lol. I'm such a debater. They do have a nice return policy, so I guess I can always return them if they don't work and I will still have plenty of time if I need to replace them because her birthday is not for another month.

 

I just want them to be as perfect for her as they can be. :)

[Kayakmom]

Yet another issue... I called Blue Nile and the man was very nice. He told me truthfully that even some adult women have problems with the posts on these earrings because of the thickness. Apparently, they may be used to wearing cheaper earrings with thinner posts and the thicker posts on the diamonds bother them until they get used to them. Since Addie's only ever had the starter studs in, it may not be such a problem for her, as I think those are slightly on the thicker side. She's napping now, but I'll check them out when she gets up.