Guide to Buying Diamond Stud Earrings

Diamond stud earrings have become very popular in recent years. With minimalist jewellery becoming trendy, Diamond studs make the perfect gift for a loved one, a relative or even yourself.

We will help you to find the perfect pair of Diamond earrings, whatever your style preferences and budget.

This guide will answer these questions.

• How Much do Diamond Earrings Cost?
• Where Can You Buy Diamond Earrings?
• What Shape Do Diamond Studs Come In?
• Which Setting Should You Choose?
• What Type of Metal is Best for Diamond Studs?
• How to Find out Whether the Diamond is Genuine?

How Much do Diamond Earrings cost?

There’s no set price point for Diamond Stud earrings. The prices can range from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. This will largely depend on the 4 Cs – the carat weight, cut, colour and clarity.

Carat

Carat refers to the Diamond’s weight. One carat equals 0.2 grams.

To give you an idea of the size, a half-carat Diamond earring would be approximately 5 mm in diameter, while a one-carat Diamond stud would measure around 6.4 mm.

As Diamond earrings come as a pair, the carat weight will usually show the combined weight for both studs. So if a pair of Diamond earrings is labelled as 1.50 Carats, it usually means that each stud weighs approximately 0.75 Carats.

As an example, A Pair of One-Carat Earth-Mined Diamond studs can cost as little as £600, while a Three-Carat Diamond Earrings Pair will start at around £3000.

Clarity

As they grow under the ground for millions of years, Diamonds are rarely perfect. The clarity refers to how clean and sparkly the Diamonds are. The fewer internal inclusions, such as feathers or carbon spots, the Diamond has, the higher the clarity grade.

Clarity grades range between IF (Internally Flawless), which is only given to a tiny percentage of perfect Diamonds, VVS1 and VVS2 (Very, Very Small Inclusions – 1st or 2nd degree), VS1 and VS2 (Very Small Inclusions – 1st or 2nd degree), SI1, SI2 and SI3 (Small Inclusions – 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree), and I1, I2 and I3 (Inclusions – 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree).

The clarity has an impact on Diamond’s value. However, many imperfections affecting the clarity grade are often not visible to the naked eye.

You can expect to pay around £3000 for A Pair of High Clarity Two-Carat Diamond Studs.

Colour

Grading labs use various scales to grade Diamond’s colour.

For example, the GIA lab uses a scale of D (colourless) to Z (heavily tinted), while the EGL grades Diamonds from D (colourless) to M (heavy tint).

Fancy-coloured diamonds, such as bright yellow or blue, are graded on a separate colour scale.

A Pair of Colourless One-Carat Diamond Earrings will start from just over £800.

Cut

A cut grade indicates how well the Diamond is cut, including the symmetry and proportions, and how well-polished it is. Cut grades are only given to round Diamonds. A well-cut and polished Diamond will have much better brilliance than a poorly cut stone.

Where Can You Buy Diamond Earrings?

As they are the second most popular diamond jewellery item after engagement rings, there are plenty of Diamond stud earrings available on the market. So where should you buy your pair?

You can buy Diamond earrings from a high-street Jewellery store or an online Diamond Store.

Because of the high cost, you might feel anxious about buying your Diamond studs online. However, if you choose to purchase from a highly-rated online Diamond Jewellery store with hassle-free returns, you don’t have to worry.

Cheaper cost is the most apparent advantage when buying Diamond earrings online. Because online stores have much lower overhead costs than physical jewellery stores, they can pass the savings on to their customers.

Another advantage of buying Diamond stud earrings online is that you can take all the time you need without feeling pressured by a salesperson. That way, you can visit several online stores to ensure you choose the perfect studs for the right price.

If you are thinking about buying from us but worry about purchasing Diamond studs without seeing them first, we take appointments at our North London office, so you can view the earrings before buying.

What Shape do Diamond Studs Come In?

The shape of your Diamond studs will likely be the first thing people will notice, so it’s important you choose one that suits you the best. There are three shapes of Diamond studs commonly available to purchase. They were all designed with a different objective in mind.

Round Brilliant Cut

The most popular shape for Diamond stud earrings is the round brilliant, as it reflects the light to create high brilliance and fire. A round Diamond stud will have 58 facets, or 57 if the bottom of the Diamond, known as culet, hasn’t been cut and remains pointed. The facets are distributed among Diamond’s top (crown), the middle (girdle), and the base (pavilion).

Princess Cut

The square Princess cut is the second most popular shape for stud earrings. It was designed after an extensive poll where women were asked what they wanted. It has a square shape with either 57 or 58 facets for amazing sparkle. Princess cut studs require a four-prong setting to protect the Diamond’s corners.

Cushion Cut

A cushion cut is the third most popular shape of Diamond studs. It’s a combination of the round cut and the princess cut, giving it a cushion-like appearance with soft edges. A cushion-cut Diamond stud will have 58 facets and can come in different ratios, meaning it can be square or rectangular.

What Type of Metal is Best for Diamond Studs?

Most Diamond stud earrings come in White gold or Platinum. Yellow gold is another option, but it’s less popular, as it reflects colour, making the Diamond appear yellowish.

14k Gold is a great choice for stud earrings, as it’s purer than 9k gold, but stronger than 18k or 24k gold. It’s also lighter than Platinum, therefore more comfortable to wear.

Which Setting Should You Choose?

Diamond studs usually come in a prong, basket, martini or bezel setting.

Prong Setting

The prong setting, also known as the claw setting, has three, four or six evenly-spaced prongs holding the Diamond in place. The prongs can be rounded or flat. Prong setting usually comes in two types.

1 Basket Setting

When you look at a basket-set stud from the side, you will see horizontal bands which connect the prongs, creating a basket-like base that holds the Diamond.

2 Martini Setting

The martini-style setting has a cone-like shape. The lower part of the Martini prong setting becomes gradually narrower, resembling a martini glass, hence the name. It’s the most popular setting for Diamond earring studs, as it allows the light to enter the Diamond from all sides.

3 Bezel Setting

With a bezel setting, the Diamond is held inside a thin gold rim. While this type of setting protects the stone, it also partially hides it, making it appear less prominent and potentially reducing its sparkle.

Backing Types

There are two types of backing most commonly used for Diamond stud earrings – push-backs and screw-backs.

Push-backs

The most common earring backing design is a butterfly push-back, also known as friction back. The butterfly back slides onto a standard earring post, with a notch near the end of the post to hold your studs in place. Push-backs are easier to use than screw-backs. However, they are less secure.

Screw-backs

Screw-backs, as the name suggests, are a type of banking that screws onto a threaded earring post. Although they take longer to put on, screw-backs are held in place more securely, which makes them an excellent choice for Diamond earring studs.

How to Find out Whether the Diamond is Genuine?

Genuine Diamond stud earrings should come with a certificate from an independent Gemological laboratory, such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) or GIE (Gemological Institute of Europe). A certificate issued by a grading lab will show you extensive information about the studs, including the Diamond’s carat weight, colour and clarity, and the type of metal the setting is made of.

If you want to know more about our extensive collection of Diamond Jewellery, our experienced, London-based customer advisors are always happy to help.