When buying diamond studs, it helps when you take into account different aspects of it to make the right choice. While it can be challenging to know what elements go into making a perfect set of diamond studs, this article serves as a comprehensive guide to help you address all these elements and find the right type of diamond stud earrings per your preference.
- Consider the 4C’s of Diamonds While Buying Diamond Studs
Understanding the 4Cs and the quality of the diamonds can help you gauge the value of your earrings. Here’s a little bit about the aspects that are worth knowing about when you shop for diamond stud earrings.
- Diamond Quality
The quality of a diamond can be determined by assessing it based on four factors, which are cut, color, clarity, and carat. Buying diamond jewelry involves knowing how these four aspects of quality impact the diamond. When you’re purchasing diamond studs, there are a few quality aspects that don’t impact how your diamond looks so much. Since diamond studs are visible to people only from a distance, they’re generally not inspected so closely. So, if you have a budget constraint, you can be a bit relaxed in terms of the quality of the diamond as long as it has a good shine.
- Diamond Clarity
Diamond earrings don’t need to have a high degree of clarity because they’re viewed from a distance. Clarity entails certain factors, such as blemishes and inclusions, that can impact how your diamond looks. However, since diamond studs are a relaxed purchase compared to engagement rings, minor flaws generally go unnoticed and you don’t have to be too bothered by their presence. It is generally recommended that buyers can consider SI1, SI2, I1, and I2 diamonds for their earrings.
- Diamond Color
Color is another quality aspect of a diamond, and there are various ways of grading diamonds based on their color. Diamonds that are considered high in quality and expensive are graded as D on the color-grading scale, which means the diamond is colorless. As the grading goes up from D to Z, there is an increase in the presence of color. This color could range from light yellow to brown, and each grading has its own characteristic color. When buying diamond studs, you can easily find beautiful diamonds in the grade range of H to K.
- Diamond Cut
Cut is a primary quality aspect of a diamond as it directly impacts how the light passes through different facets to create a sparkle. While the common notion is that a cut of a diamond refers to its shape (heart, pear, oval, etc.), that is not true. There are various parameters of cut, such as table size, star length, culet, crown and pavilion angle, and girdle thickness among others which are considered to grade a diamond based on its cut.
- Diamond Carat and Diamond Studs
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats, which gives buyers an idea as to how large or small the diamond would be. When buying a diamond stud, you will notice that the weight of the diamonds is denoted using the abbreviation ctw, which means carat total weight. This is the total weight of both the diamonds on the earrings.
- Give Priority to the Diamond’s Cut
When buying diamond studs, you should focus more on its cut than other aspects. It is the diamond cut that causes your stones to emanate a beautiful and noticeable sparkle from a distance. Since cutting the diamond perfectly is an extremely complex and painstaking process, a well-cut diamond can cost you more. One useful tip worth considering when buying diamond studs is that once you decide your budget, opt for studs with a good cut while going lower in clarity and color.
- Choose Earring Style
While assessing diamonds based on the 4Cs can be a little stressful, the fun part of choosing the right diamond studs is going through different designs, styles, and shapes. Diamonds are made in several shapes, and the shape can also reflect your style and taste. For instance, while round diamonds pack a traditional look with high brilliance, Asscher and cushion diamonds are vintage. You can also choose from princess shape, which is modern-looking, a balance between modern and vintage style, that is emerald cut, and oval, pear, and marquise which make for an elegant and graceful choice.
- Choose Setting Style for Diamond Studs
The setting of your diamond studs can totally change their whole look and style. However, if you’re wondering what are some common settings, you’ll easily find bezel, prong, and halo settings. Halo and bezel settings are more glamorous and contemporary. But if you like traditional and classic diamond studs, a four-prong setting would be ideal.
- Precious Metals for Diamond Studs
The type of metal you choose will add to the style of your choice. While rose gold and white gold are a great option if you’re aiming for a modern and elegant look, yellow gold can be the choice of your metal if you like your studs classic. Platinum is close to how white gold looks, but people generally go for white gold as it is comparatively reasonable in terms of cost.
- Select Earring Backings with Additional Diamond Earring Security
While earring backings don’t add to your studs’ aesthetic appeal, the type you choose can impact how comfortable you feel when you wear the diamond studs. You can opt for screw backs, push backs, and secure lock backs. If your diamond studs are large, secure lock backs are an ideal option as they offer the highest level of security. However, it is a matter of preference and comfort as to which type of earring backing you choose.
Bottomline
Considering all the aspects mentioned above can help you find the perfect diamond studs that you’ll love to wear. When buying diamond studs or any jewelry with diamonds, it is highly recommended that you shop from a seller who provides you a grading report in the form of certification to make sure you know the actual value of the diamonds.
