Diamond Stud Earrings
The diamond stud earring is one of the basic necessities of a jewelry collection. Whether for someone?? first pair of diamond studs, or an important purchase for a special occasion, here are a few important points to consider.
1. COLOR OF EARRING MOUNTING. This is a personal preference, though 75% are mounted in white metal, the choices are 14kt or 18kt yellow or white gold, and platinum or palladium for white metal. If budget is important, stay with 14kt gold, it?? plenty strong & keeps a natural shine to compliment your diamonds. If you??e looking at ??ancy yellow colored??diamonds, a yellow mounting will enhance diamonds. The choice classic style of mounting is a 4 prong basket setting, however, 3 prong settings and bezel settings (look like little tubes) have gained in popularity.
2. EARRING BACKINGS (CLUTCHES) The classic push on/pull off ??riction??clutch works fine for most size earrings up to 3/4ct tw sizes just fine, however, many prefer the security of a clutch-back that screw?? off. There are both push on/screw off AND screw on/screw off, either of these offer excellent security for the more active person. There are other styles of clutches, but these are the most popular for diamond studs.
3. CARAT SIZE OF DIAMONDS. As you probably know by now, diamond stud earrings are sold by the pair and usually listed as a total carat weight for size ? ct tw (total weight) 1 ? ct tw. SO, a ? ct tw means each diamond is 12 1/5 points (into digital? .125 ct). Most sellers of diamond studs will be willing to sell a single stud if that?? what you desire, so read the descriptions carefully, as diamonds are usually sold in matched pairs (matched for size, clarity & color). Size is difficult to see on the internet, since nearly all images are enlarged by your display screen. I?? suggest going to a local jewelry store/mall and trying some on to get an idea of the size you?? like to have. For a first diamond stud pair, 1/5ct, 1/4ct, 1/3ct are good starters. See this eBay guide on diamonds for a sizing chart for comparisons.
4. THE 5 C?? True???? Cost, Carat Size, Color, Cut & Clarity, are all important details for your diamond purchase. Once you decide on your size & your budget, you want to get the best combination of color & clarity for the price. You should want a white color, sparkly diamond. The bigger your budget, the higher the clarity & the higher a color you should go for. There are plenty of other articles on color & clarity for you to read in the guides. Most people use a bit lower personal standard for diamond quality in earrings as opposed to diamond rings, but remember, the earrings are at eye level & if they are really noticed when they are sparkly & have a nice white color. Most people prefer the round brilliant cut for diamond studs, but many also like the princess (square) shape. The other cuts of diamonds are fine for drop style earrings, but not for studs, as they turn (rotate) and tend to look crooked most of the time.
5 HOW MUCH TO SPEND? I can?? come up with that for you, but here are a few thoughts. Whether you buy for yourself or this is to be a gift, most of the ladies will have one diamond stud pair as a youngster (gift from parents) and one pair as an adult (gift for self or from spouse), so, since this is a purchase that will likely last a lifetime, buy a bit larger & spend a bit more than you originally might have thought. If as a gift, find out what size diamond stud earrings her friends wear; that will be an indicator of what size to get. The one thing you don?? want to do is buy her smaller diamonds than her friends have. Yea, try this, ??oney, yes they are smaller but the clarity & color are very good!??nbsp; When it comes to diamond studs (& other things) bigger is usually better.
6. WHERE TO BUY? Be sure that the place you buy from has a trade back policy, not for a refund, but for a trade up. Most people buy diamond studs a bit smaller than they really want. If this is the case with you, you??l want to be able to exchange them for a larger pair, without penalty. Usually this would be done within 7-10 days of purchase, but you??l know as soon as the box is opened. Are you buying diamond studs & mountings that are new or ??re-owned???nbsp; If pre owned, you??l want to check the backings (clutches) to be sure they??e tight.
7. CERTIFIED DIAMONDS Most popularly priced diamond stud earrings are not made of ??ertified diamonds??however the place you purchase from may provide you with an appraisal for your records. If you??e paying under $500. for the pair of diamond studs, this may not be included, but you should request it for diamond purchases over $500. You can always request that you are buying laboratory certified diamonds, but these will have a premium, anywhere from 5%-20% or higher.
8. CLARITY ENHANCED DIAMONDS Diamonds that have been specially treated for higher clarity are a great option for diamond stud earrings, you can usually experience a 20%-30% savings over natural untreated diamonds. There are several brand names on the market such as Yehuda that offer lifetime warrantees of their treatments.
9. OTHER GEMSTONES Nothing looks quite like a diamond in a stud earring, but Moissanite comes close, it?? a man made gemstone brought to market in early 2000 that has many properties similar to a diamond & really looks very much like one at a lower price. Cubic Zirconium?? (CZ??) are a cheap alternative to diamonds; however, the stone tends to get a fuzzy, foggy appearance if not cleaned constantly.