by Sharon Lai

Created on: March 03, 2009

Diamonds, the ultimate gemstone for eternal love, makes an elegant gift for anniversaries, birthdays, engagements or even as gifts to pamper ourselves. Diamond stud earrings, regardless of size and style are naturally beautiful and timeless. It is simple yet glamorous, classy with any ensemble; from day to night, worn by the very young as well as mature ladies. Even men today are making a style statement with diamond studs.

Choosing diamond stud earrings can trickier than what most consumers think. Begin by evaluating the wearer's face shape and skin tone. Round cut diamond studs suit a woman with a thin face, if her face is slightly broader in appearance, a princess cut pair will complement her looks.

Next consider metal setting of the diamond studs. White gold or platinum sets off a cool skin tone while yellow gold harmonises better with warm skin tone. Setting is also crucial in your selection. Diamond studs are most frequently prong set with four or six prongs. Too many prongs on a small stone will overwhelm and obscure the diamond while too few prongs on a large stone may not be secure. Crown-style settings push the diamond too far out and away from the ear, lending a gangly appearance. Your best bet is to look for "martini" or "basket" settings of at least three prongs.

Like any other jewelry pieces, studs are evaluated and appraised based on carat weight, quality of the cut, clarity of the gem and finally the colour. Each factor will influence the final price tag with the most expensive being flawless, colourless, perfectly cut diamond of the biggest size.

If your budget is constrained, a pair of mid range diamond stud earrings is good enough. You should not worry too much about clarity and colour but instead focus more on carat weight and cut. These will make your diamonds in your stud earrings look bigger and sparkling.

Carat
A carat is a measure of weight of diamonds and equals 200 milligrams. This is a major factor in determining the value of a diamond. However, diamonds of the same weight are necessarily not of equal size. The size will depend on the type of cut given to the diamond.

Color
It varies from colorless to light yellow, with the transition from one color to the next very subtle to be distinguishable. The color grading standard varies from D to F: colourless, perfect to almost perfect, K to M: noticeable yellow, not for large size diamond purchases.

Clarity
Diamonds of the highest quality are devoid of flaws; free from internal or external blemishes. The clarity scale ranges from FL, flawless to I2, I3 .

Cut
The cut is responsible for how well the diamond handles light. Most diamonds are round cut with 58 facets, the finer the cut, the more your diamonds will glitter and shine. If you use a prong setting, more light will be able to hit your diamond causing it to sparkle even more. You can get excellent bargains in diamond stud earrings if you compromise slightly on clarity and color, as long as the cut is excellent. After all, the pair of stud earrings is small and hardly noticeable!

As with any diamond jewelry, stud earrings should be meticulously cared for. Avoid excessive twisting, which could result in loosening the setting and creating a buildup of dirt and grime that dulls the dazzle. Always store studs away from other jewelry to prevent scratches.

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