Inside: Determining the best size diamond stud earrings for you and your collection of earrings.
Venturing into the world of diamond studs can be intimidating since there are so many shapes, sizes, and styles, and these investment pieces are likely staying in your jewelry box for a long time. Diamonds are never a wrong answer, but determining the best size diamond stud earrings is going to make sure that you always have the perfect pair of studs for you!
I remember growing up, if I ever tried on a pair of big earrings, my mother would always tell me they looked too large for my head.
That’s how I learned that there was such a thing as earrings that are too big for you.
It’s a little different when it comes to studs, and while diamond studs are always a statement, they can look too flashy or like you’re trying to make too much of a statement instead of them being a classy, dazzling accessory.
How Much Do They Cost
As with most things, price plays a huge factor in the size of diamond earring you land on.
There are five factors that play into the price of a diamond, not just size. The factors are shape, carat (size), clarity, color, and cut.
Working with real diamonds, there’s a variety in all of the different qualities of a diamond, and they’re each going to place you somewhere different on the price scale.
You can snag a pair of diamond clusters at 1/10 carat for around $40 to $50, but if you’re looking for a full diamond stud instead of clusters or halos, you could be technically looking for anywhere from $300 to $36,000.
Considering all of the factors like cut, clarity, and size, there’s not a specific price point for each size of diamond, so you might just have to do some digging around to see what’s in your price range.
Different Shapes Of Diamond Stud Earrings
Shapes don’t play too much of a role in the size of a diamond, so these aren’t necessarily a factor for the sizes you’re looking into, but you might find that you like different shapes in different sizes.
The shapes contribute to quality grade and the cut of the diamond, so to some degree they factor in for the price.
Round and emerald, for example, tend to be higher quality cuts since the quality and color can shine through the diamond itself.
The different shapes you should look into are:
Round – Your classic circle.
Princess – A square.
Cushion – A square with rounded corners.
Emerald – Rectangle.
Oval – Self explanatory.
Pear – Similar to a teardrop shape.
Marquise – Pointed oval.
Heart – Again, another self explanatory shape.
Each of these have their own personalities and knowing which one feels more like you will help you decide what size is best for you.
What’s The Most Popular Size
The most popular size for general everyday wear is anywhere from 0.25 to 1.0 carats, as it’s a subtle size for such a beautiful stone, but still big enough to embrace the sparkle. The best size diamond stud earrings for you is different from what it might be for someone else.
Choosing your best size within this range is solely up to personal preference. If you tend to wear other smaller studs, staying on the small side is a great choice, to keep consistency and balance among your studs.
If you normally wear larger studs or statement earrings in your first piercings and studs in your second, a larger pair would be worth the few extra dollars to keep the statements coming and catch eyes with the diamond.
Diamond Clarity, A Breakdown
Diamond clarity, aside from size, is one of the greatest factors to fluctuate the prices of your diamonds. It refers to the imperfections found on the stone, no matter how big or small.
The imperfections you’re looking for are called blemishes or inclusions. Blemishes appear on the outside surface of the diamond while inclusions are all internal. Most diamonds have inclusions to some degree, and their grade comes from how visible they are to different levels of magnification.
Generally, most imperfections like fragments within the center of the diamond or on the surface of are not going to be noticeable to the naked eye. Diamond professionals and experts may be able to tell, but unless they’re inspecting your ear lobes, you have no reason to worry about people noticing an “imperfect” diamond. The unnoticable imperfect clarity diamonds are referred to as SI or VSI– Slightly included or Very Slightly Included. However, these are generally noticeable with minimal magnification, therefore these are the lowest quality as far as clarity goes.
The less noticeable their imperfections become, the higher their clarity scale goes.
Clarity on the scale begins to go up as the inclusions become more difficult to see even with magnification, and they range from VVS, IF, and FL. Very , Very, Slightly Included, Internally Flawless, and Flawless.
The difference between internally flawless and actually flawless is that there may be blemishes identifiable on the surface of an IF, while there will be neither blemishes or inclusions found in or on a FL diamond.
The VS grad diamonds are known to be the best value, because without magnification, you can’t find a flaw! Who’s going to know?! Simply only you and the jeweler that sold it to you.
Color Of Diamonds
Identifying a diamond by color sounds a little odd, right? Sure, they’re essentially colorless. A good diamond that is!
Lower grade diamonds may have a slight yellow hue to them, lowering their ratings. The grades range from D to L (read as L-Z). Most grades are referred to as:
Faint Color from L-Z to K
Nearly Colorless from J to G
Colorless from E to F
D is Absolutely Colorless. The most rare, of course.
Some jewelers mention K being the best value, as there is a slight tint to it. Enough to bring down the price but not too much to look like an entirely cheap diamond.
Cut
Cut is the last of the four C’s you must read up on while learning about diamonds. This one gets a little in depth, and you can find an entire analysis here.
For those of us looking into diamonds to solely find the size that we want to purchase for our everyday wear, you don’t need to know a ton about the different cuts!
Ultimately, the way that a diamond is cut at different depths and angles will alter the clarity of the diamond. Therefore also the way that it shines and reflects light. Every little edge that you see on a diamond’s surface is playing a role in its character.
Diamond studs are a staple– once you own a pair you will probably value them highly and want to break them out for any and every occasion. They’re the perfect accessory to add a little shine to every outfit.
Finding the perfect pair for you that will go with all of your other studs and statement earrings is key. You know that even if you have multiple piercings, you’ll find something perfect to match the collection. Having multiple ear piercings becomes a spot for curation! Adding quality pieces like real diamonds simply elevate the entire look.
Diamonds really are a girl’s best friend, and each girl has her own perfect diamond waiting for her. The best size diamond stud earrings is the perfect outfit finisher for any occasion.
If you’re looking for more high quality pieces, I always recommend titanium jewelry! You can read a whole post on it here, and discover all of the benefits in investing in titanium for your piercings.