About me
Welcome! Through this blog, I hope to provide some much-needed transparency about jewelry quality and pricing to consumers. I plan to help you understand differences in quality that affect price, review online jewelry sites and their offerings, let you know about market-moving changes in precious stone and metals pricing, and give you some insider tips on the best places to find the best value. I am in a unique position to give you unbiased, insider information based on my experience. Send me a question or request a topic at monica@idazzle.com.
I am a jewelry professional who has worked for 20 years in the industry in various roles. I bought, sold and appraised jewelry for a couple of the best Independent Jewelers in the US. I started and ran an informational website in 1998 that linked consumers and jewelers. Most recently, I helped Amazon.com launch their jewelry store: I helped plan the business, select international vendors, and assemble over 10,000 skus for launch. I have industry-insider information on margins and selection that I can share with consumers to help you make the best jewelry decisions.
And, since it’s really all about the sparkle, I will throw in my favorite baubles and trends along the way!
It is important to note that I do not sell, make, or represent any jewelry line. I am not an affiliate of any jewelry company or online retailer. If that changes, you will be the first to know! I am providing this information to hone my skills as a jewelry professional and blog writer. I hope you find it helpful.
Contact me at monica@idazzle.com.
Petra said
Monica, What a fabulously informative site. I love your humor! My question is: What do you think of extremely flat cut diamonds. I’ve seen them…they lie very low in the setting and thus seem good for active hands but they don’t sparkle so much. -Petra
platinumgirl said
Thank you so much for your comments, Petra!
There is a relatively new design trend where a few designers are using “Ice” Diamonds, which are flat “slices” of polished diamonds. These are often irregular outlines, and show some natural colors and imperfections within the diamond. They are very interesting and really quite beautiful when done well, but I am having a hard time finding good images of them. The European market has really embraced this design, but the US not so much. 2 designers that I know of that work with these diamonds are Hellmuth and Mattioli, but I can’t find good examples on their websites.
While these flat diamonds are very interesting, you are correct that they won’t be as brilliant as fully-faceted diamonds are. Diamonds need a certain amount of depth and very specific faceting and angles to maximize their brilliance. You might purchase a flat diamond more as a piece of art or wearable sculpture than for its sparkle. BUT, if you don’t want sacrifice brilliance, there are some great low-profile settings that would be perfect for someone very active.
Your question has prompted me to do a couple of posts in the next few weeks: Ice diamonds, comfortable low-profile setting options, and also a post on why diamonds need a certain proportion of depth for brilliance. I’ll link this to them when I have them ready.
Thanks so much!
Platinumgirl
NJ said
Hi Monica
Your blog is very useful and informative. I am first time diamond buyer and have absolutely no clue to what criteria should be the purchase based on. So i was just doing some search on internet and I came across this website http://www.diamondstudsonly.com and I really liked some of the studs they have for their collection. They claim to have lifetime warranty and certified diamonds from American Gemlab Certificate. I was just wondering how genuine are the diamonds they have on their site? And should i consider an online purchase or get it from some retail stores ??
Any comment or suggestions are would be appreciated
platinumgirl said
Hi NJ! I sent you an email response, since the Platinumgirl blog has moved to http://www.idazzle.com.
Just in case you missed my email and are looking here for a response, here’s my response:
I have seen the diamondstudsonly.com site before. I haven’t personally ordered or reviewed their merchandise, so I can’t be totally sure about their representation and quality. But I like the fact that they focus on earrings and seem to do it well. On the surface, their prices are quite low, among the lowest of any major retailer. But it’s only a good deal if the diamond and setting quality are at least the minimum range of what they claim.
I recommend going with G-H-I color, SI clarity and as good a cut as you can get for any diamond stud purchase.
Someone I know just did an article about diamond stud earrings recently from the top several retailers, it might be helpful for comparison:
http://www.diamond-stud-earrings-review.com.
A local jewelry store could show you several pairs and explain the quality differences to you in person. If you want, let me know your city/state or zip code and I can see if I can recommend a reputable jeweler where you are. Hope this helps!