When it comes to staple wardrobe pieces, a few items come to mind — a little black dress, a jean jacket, and a classic white tee — to name a few. But, people tend to forget about the jewelry items that can polish off an outfit and complete a look. And we can’t think of a piece more classic than diamond stud earrings.
Are Diamond Studs Out of Style?
Diamond stud earrings are never out of style. They have been an essential jewelry staple for decades for a reason. Their timeless elegance and glamour decorate the face with a delicate sparkle, while their simplicity highlights the beauty of the person wearing them. Plus, their versatile nature makes them an easy option for any occasion–whether you’re traveling, working, or heading out on the town.
However, the options for your diamond stud earrings can seem a bit daunting. On top of the size, there’s the diamond setting, the metal color, and metal type. Wondering how to buy diamond studs? Whether you’re treating yourself or purchasing for someone you love, this guide will help you be better equipped to make your stud purchase!
What Is a Good Size for Diamond Stud Earrings?
For a set of diamond studs, a pair that is anywhere from 1/2 ct. tw. – 1 ct. tw. is a good size for everyday wear. Unlike engagement rings, diamond studs do not have elaborate settings. They also don’t have outer accent diamonds to help make the center diamond look larger. With diamond studs, for the most part, what you see is what you get. However, if budget is part of your buying decision, you might be hesitant to go for the larger carat. You may even be shopping for a unique option like, black diamonds. Unfortunately, Clean Orgin dosen’t offer them now.
Luckily for you, lab created diamonds tend to be anywhere from 20-40% less expensive than mined diamonds. So, what does that mean for you when you’re buying diamond earrings?
It means that for the same price as you’d pay for diamond studs that were mined, you can get a pair of lab grown diamond studs that are 20-40% larger. Not only are you able to get the carat size that you want, but you can also walk away from the purchase knowing that you went with the diamond option that is both environmentally friendly and ethical.
What Clarity Is Best for Diamond Stud Earrings?
When it comes to choosing the best clarity for diamond stud earrings, you should keep in mind the shape. In general, inclusions are not as visible in diamond shapes like marquise, round, pear, oval, cushion, and princess cut. With these cuts, you can get away with an SI clarity grade.
However, for shapes like the emerald, Asscher cut (or any step-cut diamond), inclusions are more visible to the naked eye. If you choose a step-cut shape for your diamond stud earrings, go for a VS clarity.
The Most Popular Diamond Stud Earrings
In terms of shape, round brilliant diamonds are the most popular and their sparkle is unrivaled. Thanks to this popularity, along with the intricate work required to create them, round brilliant diamonds can command the highest prices.
Types of Diamond Stud Settings: Prong vs. Bezel
As mentioned above, diamond studs are known for their simplicity. This means their settings are usually minimalist in order to show off the center diamond. Minimalistic settings include prong and bezel settings.
Prong Settings: Three Prong and Four Prong
The prong setting is the most common in studs. At Clean Origin, we offer three and four prong settings. The four prong is the classic stud style, while the three prong gives the diamond a somewhat triangular appearance.
Bezel Setting
If you’re interested in a very polished, round look, we also offer a bezel setting. A bezel setting encapsulates the entire back of the diamond and displays a metal perimeter around the studs.
Once you choose the best setting for your studs, you need to choose the type of post you want. Posts are the backings of earrings and they come in a couple of different types for diamond studs.
Friction Posts vs. Threaded Posts
The two available post options for diamond stud earrings are “friction” and “threaded” posts.
Friction Posts
The most common is the “friction” post type, which have a push-on and pull-off design. This is the standard backing that you will see on most earrings.
Threaded Posts
The “threaded” post type allows you to screw the backing on and off, offering a bit more protection.
When buying diamond earrings, choosing a post type is very much a personal choice. Clean Origin is happy to offer both!
Diamond Stud Metal Color and Type
When it comes to jewelry, it’s important that you pay attention to the metal type. No one wants that awful green hue that appears on the skin after wearing fake metal or silver fashion studs. Make sure that your studs are available in either 14kt or 18kt gold (diamonds are rarely set in sterling silver). Platinum and rose gold are also excellent metal options.
Not only do these metals indicate better jewelry quality, but they also show the quality of your jeweler.
Although the metal color is more of an accent in studs, it can change the look of the earring completely. The two most common metal colors are white gold and yellow gold.
Yellow Gold Stud Earrings
Yellow gold adds a pop of color to the diamonds, especially with an outline such as the bezel setting. A bezel shows off a good amount of the metal on the front side of the earring. If you prefer a warmer look to the color of your diamonds, then yellow gold metal can have this effect on them.
White Gold Stud Earrings
White gold studs are the classic look that we’ve seen on celebrities from Anne Hathaway to Kate Middleton. And one major benefit of a light color like white gold is that it can make the diamonds in your studs appear whiter. If you’re trying to decide whether to spend more on diamond color grade or carat size, you can use this trick to your advantage.
You can buy a lab diamond with a slightly lower color grade, then pair it with white gold metal. Your diamond stud earrings will look whiter than they are and you can put the money you save toward a larger set of studs.
How To Wear Diamond Stud Earrings
There are so many ways to wear and style a pair of diamond studs. They match beautifully with many other types of jewelry favorites and can take an outfit from day to evening wear.
You can wear them as a second set of earrings to complement a pair of hoops. Or you can match them with another set of smaller studs for interesting size variety. The looks you can create with a pair of beautiful diamond studs are endless.
How to Clean Diamond Stud Earrings
When you take the time to research and buy a pair of high-quality diamond studs, you should know how to maintain them. Cleaning your diamond earrings is easy to do, and is something you should do regularly.
For a quick clean, gently polish them with a soft cloth. But for a thorough clean, soak your stud earrings in warm water with some mild liquid soap for about ten minutes. After they soak, gently scrub then with a soft brush to remove dirt and debris. Let them dry and then store them in a soft jewelry pouch or lined jewelry box.
Lab Created Diamond Studs
If you’re looking to purchase a pair of stud earrings, consider the benefits of lab created diamonds. Not only are the diamonds chemically, physically, and optically the same as those grown beneath the Earth’s surface, but they do not hurt the Earth. This gives you the chance to purchase a sustainable and ethical diamond–the perfect gift either for yourself or a loved one.
Our diamond studs come in shapes that include oval, emerald, and pear. If you prefer a square-shaped diamond (like an Asscher cut) we have princess cut studs available also.
How Much Do Lab Grown Diamond Stud Earrings Cost?
Lab grown diamonds are also 20-40% less expensive than mined diamonds–talk about dazzling deals! By cutting out the need for miners, lab created diamonds touch fewer hands, making them less expensive. And this means that you can purchase those round brilliant diamonds that are 20-40% larger for the exact same price!
Let’s take a closer look at a few sets of diamond stud earrings from our beautiful selection of lab created diamond jewelry.
Round Three Prong Diamond Stud Earrings
If you’re looking for simple, understated style with a flash of elegance, these earrings are the perfect pair. Choose between screw-back or friction posts, as well as between 14 K and 18K white gold and yellow gold.
They range in size from 3/4 ct. tw. – 2 ct. tw., with a price that starts at $500.
Oval Diamond Stud Earrings
These oval diamond studs are a lovely unique shape for someone who wants something different. And as an added bonus, the’re elongated table can make them appear larger than their actual carat weight.
We offer oval diamond stud earrings in E/F colors and VS clarity. They come mounted in your choice of 18K white gold or yellow gold. Our oval diamond studs come with screw-back posts.
These beauties range in size from 1 ct. tw – 2 ct. tw., with a price that starts at $1,535.
Emerald Diamond Stud Earrings
If you love the vintage look these emerald diamond stud earrings are for you. Their beautiful step-cut creates a hall of mirrors effect that shines elegantly.
Choose a pair of emerald diamond stud earrings in E/F colors with VS clarity. They come in 18K white gold and yellow gold, and have screw-back posts.
Our selection of emerald studs range in size from 1 ct. tw – 2 ct. tw., with a price that starts at $1,535.
Pear Diamond Stud Earrings
Our beautiful selection of pear-shaped diamond stud earrings does not disappoint. Much like oval-shaped diamonds, pear-shaped diamonds can look larger than their carat weight thanks to their elongated shape. And their lovely shape gives them an undeniable feminine allure.
Choose a pair of pear diamond stud earrings in E/F colors with VS clarity. They come in 18K white gold and yellow gold, and have screw-back posts.
Our selection of peard diamond studs range in size from 1 ct. tw – 2 ct. tw., with a price that starts at $1,535.
Princess Diamond Stud Earrings
Round brilliant diamonds may be the most popular diamond shape overall, but within the family of fancy shapes princess cut diamonds are the most in demand. With its square shape and brilliant sparkle, the princess cut diamond makes for an eye-catching set of diamond stud earrings.
Choose a pair of princess diamond stud earrings in E/F colors with VS clarity. They come in 18K white gold and yellow gold, and have screw-back posts.
Our selection of princess diamond studs range in size from 1 ct. tw – 2 ct. tw., with a price that starts at $1,650.
ROUND HALO DIAMOND STUD EARRINGS
And finally, how do you make round brilliant diamonds even more spectacular? You add halos. Aside from the extra shine, a halo also has the effect of making a diamond look larger than it is.
If you want to save money, go for a pair of diamond stud earrings with smaller center diamonds–the halos will make them look larger. Or, you can buy the largest carat size available and the halos will really take them over the top.
Choose a pair of round halo diamond stud earrings in H/I colors with VS/SI clarity. They come in 18K white gold and yellow gold, and have friction posts.
Our selection of round halo diamond studs range in size from 1 ct. tw – 2 ct. tw., with a price that starts at $1,060.
Choose Clean Origin for Your Diamond Stud Earrings
If lab created diamond stud earrings sound appealing, you should know that we also have a beautiful selection of solitaire studs available in unique colors. These colors include blue and rose-pink.
As for metals, our stud earrings are only set in either 14k or 18k white gold or yellow gold. At the moment, we do not offer two tone or multi color metals.
Do you have any questions about our diamond stud earrings or lab created diamonds? Chat with a Clean Origin diamond expert to find the perfect pair today.
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