Your Complete Diamond Stud Earring Buying Guide
Diamond studs are the world’s most popular earring style for good reason: comfortable, beautiful, and flattering, they light up your face and always look appropriate, no matter what you are wearing. They are also a much-wished-for gift. Our customers buy stud earrings as the foundation of a jewelry wardrobe. They are also a sparkling way to celebrate weddings, promotions, holidays, anniversaries, and graduations. Because diamond studs are an everyday classic you will wear for the rest of your life, you want to pick the perfect pair. Here is a complete guide on how to buy diamond stud earrings in five easy steps.
1. Consider Lab Grown
Whether you are choosing diamond stud earrings for yourself or as a gift, they are a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. So you really want to make sure they are the best! That’s why we recommend lab-grown diamond stud earrings. Because lab-grown diamonds are much more affordable (about 40-50% less than mined diamonds) you can afford to get the size and quality studs you really want.
And no one will know the difference (unless you brag about how much you saved.) Unlike imitations like CZ and moissanite, lab grown diamonds are actual diamonds and even gemologists need advanced equipment to tell the difference. You’ll thank us every time you put those big beautiful lab-grown diamond studs on.
2. Size Matters
The size of diamond studs is calculated in “total carat weight,” which is the total carats of both earrings added up. So two carat total weight studs have two one carat diamonds, one in each earring. But remember that the total carat weight includes all the diamonds in the earrings, not just the center stones, so if you are looking at halo diamond studs, you need to subtract the weight of the small diamonds to calculate the weight of the center stones
The most popular total weight is one-carat total weight diamond stud earrings, which have a half-carat diamond set in each earring. How big is that? To put it in perspective, a one-half carat diamond is 5mm in diameter and a one-carat diamond is about 6.4 mm in diameter. For significant savings, consider 0.90 carat total weight lab grown stud earrings that look almost the same as one carat studs but cost quite a bit less. And thanks to lab-grown diamonds, you can also super size your studs to two carat diamond stud earrings with one carat per ear, which is noticeably bigger and brighter for less than $3000.
Recently, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity of smaller diamond studs that layer beautifully with other earrings and earcuffs. These are often one-half carat total weight studs.
3. Shape Up
Although you may not have considered it, your diamond stud earrings don't have to be round. We also love princess cut diamond studs. You can commission studs in any shape, of course, but remember that studs can rotate as you wear them so pick a shape that you like as much sideways as straight up and down.
4. Get Set
Diamond studs are simple, yes, but the details matter. Add your own twist to the classic silhouette by choosing exactly what you want. If you want, you can echo details of your engagement ring setting in your choice of setting style.
Classic three-prong martini diamond stud earrings allow the most light to enter the gem and create sparkle. Four prong diamond studs look a bit more substantial and can have a beautiful side profile too. Bezel diamond stud earrings have a more sleek style. Halo lab diamond studs have more of a vintage feel.
Don't forget you can also choose drop stud earrings that hang off your lobe on an ear wire or hoop. You may find them more comfortable if you generally prefer wearing drops to on-ear earrings.
There’s no wrong answer: express your style and make your studs your own!
5. The Gold Standard
The most popular precious metal for diamond stud earrings is gold. It’s classic, beautiful, relatively light, and long lasting and comes in three colors so it works with most jewelry wardrobes. Your choice of gold color depends on a few factors. First, would you like to match the color of an engagement ring, wedding band or other piece of jewelry that you wear often? If you wear a lot of different metals, white gold is a good choice because it blends into the diamond.
Now that you’ve selected the diamond, carat weight, shape, setting style and setting metal, your studs will suit you perfectly forever. Find your perfect pair of lab grown diamond stud earrings on Brilliant Carbon. Don't see what you want? Let us create custom lab diamond stud earrings that are exactly what you are looking for.
