Jewelry

[moon_gazer]

Affinity diamonds are quite pretty under all the lights at QVC, but, the carat weights are usually so small for such big price tags. I purchased a .60 ct.  9 stone channel set diamond band ( G color SI clarity) set in 14k white gold from Ebay for $157.00 and it is gorgeous! I just can't see paying $300.00 for 5/8 ct. set in sterling silver. 

[Kachina624]

I'm surprised anyone would ever buy diamonds from a TV shopping channel where they all sparkle but you have no idea what the quality is like (I can guess).   Quality diamonds are not set in sterling silver. 

[millieshops]

@Kachina624Whoa!  Do a Google search about diamonds.  I've seen lovely diamonds set in sterling in many museums.  Also Tiffany is currently selling a whole line of diamonds in sterling.  I don't think we can go by the metal -  you havve to know something about the diamonds, too.

I have one piece of Affinity which is lovely -  compares well to a similar piece Saks used to sell for 11X as much!    And in neither ring are the diamonds major enough to have a sensible reason to care.  They're paved (in both rings) and would have virtually no resale value in either case..

I'm out of the diamond and gold market -  there's nothing anywhere that I want which isn't so expensive it would have to have wheels on it to interest me!  I'll wear what I already own.  Gold has come down a bit from its high but diamonds are still extremely expensive --  and the combination of the two??   Ouch!

[Kachina624]

@millieshops  Really, I've never seen good quality diamonds set in sterling.  Why would any merchant do that?  If you can afford the diamonds, you can afford the gold.  I even have Moissanite set in white 14k.

[mcducky]

I ordered two of their crosses (many years ago) one for me and one for my BFF.  BFF loaned hers to her mother ~ who lost it ~ BFF was heartbroken.  So I gifted her mine.  I thought they were beautiful.  Also purchased heart earrings from their line....very pretty.

[Shanus]

@millieshops. If a diamond I set in silver, the prongs should be white gold. Silver is too soft to hold the stone securely. Although silver is considered a precious metal, I agree it is not up to the standards of a diamond design. 

[songbird]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I'm surprised anyone would ever buy diamonds from a TV shopping channel where they all sparkle but you have no idea what the quality is like (I can guess).   Quality diamonds are not set in sterling silver. 

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Agreed.  You can tell the quality of diamonds by the setting.  Platinum & 18K white gold usually have better then average diamonds.  Silver is often the bottom of the barrel. They are not going to give you expensive diamonds and spread them out on silver.  Just not done.  It's how QVC keeps the cost down.  Silver or gold coatings with tiny diamonds.  Not fully cut ones.  Glued on instead of prong settings.  My objection to Affinity is the quality.  Really poor. Sometimes with Affinity solitaire, you will get a better diamond, but the setting will be at least gold.  But you can get quality diamonds from a shopping channel.  I did.  I purchased a Burma ruby with baguettes (almost 2 carats)from Gem Shopping.  I got it appraised and the diamonds were exceptional and colorless.   There was a Columbia emerald on just yesterday on Gem Shopping. Three total carats of prong set  D color diamonds surrounding a 7 carats emerald.  Price $145,00.00. 

[esmeraldagooch]

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@millieshops wrote:

@Kachina624Whoa!  Do a Google search about diamonds.  I've seen lovely diamonds set in sterling in many museums.  Also Tiffany is currently selling a whole line of diamonds in sterling.  I don't think we can go by the metal -  you havve to know something about the diamonds, too.

I have one piece of Affinity which is lovely -  compares well to a similar piece Saks used to sell for 11X as much!    And in neither ring are the diamonds major enough to have a sensible reason to care.  They're paved (in both rings) and would have virtually no resale value in either case..

I'm out of the diamond and gold market -  there's nothing anywhere that I want which isn't so expensive it would have to have wheels on it to interest me!  I'll wear what I already own.  Gold has come down a bit from its high but diamonds are still extremely expensive --  and the combination of the two??   Ouch!

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Just because something has the Tiffany name on it doesn't mean they used quality gems in the item.  Tiffany has a line of silver pearl jewlery and the pearls used are not high qualtiy at all. Commercial grade freshwater is more like it.

[millieshops]

@ShanusMy favorite local jeweler who made the diamond and gold ring I've worn almost every since fall of 1998   without a big of trouble would undoubtedly agree with you. 

Interesting to me is that he tries to talk buyers out of platinum set diamonds because there's too much wear with platinum.  I had forgotton that the bands of my mother's wedding set had worn down to nothing (literally) and she stopped wearing her rings for that reason.  She'd worn them for a long time, but if those diamonds had been set in gold, someone in the family would still have them to wear.  They have the diamonds but in settings they changed to.

Anyway -  I'm happy he talked me out of platinum and I hadn't even considered silver.  Might stop into Tiffany and see what their silver/diamond line looks like. Not buying -  diamonds have gotten way too pricey for me.

[sandy53]

I only have one piece of Affinity diamond jewelry and like the OP,  I purchased it on ebay.  It is a sterling silver cross with small burnished diamonds.  It is beautiful.