Choose between one diamond and a face of small ones first. A single stone on a post is the classic stud, and the round lab-grown pair with a carat in each ear sold most here in the year. Flowers and clusters spread small diamonds wide, so they look bigger for fewer carats. Take 14K gold, then ask the live chat which back the pair wears before you pay.
One stone or many: solitaire, flower, heart and cluster diamond stud earrings
Settle this first, since it sets how big a pair looks for its carats. A solitaire stud holds one diamond in prongs on a straight post. That kind sold more than any other here in the year, nearly all of it lab-grown. A flower or a cluster gathers small diamonds into one face, so it reads wider than its carats. Hearts come both ways, a heart-shaped stone or small diamonds set as a heart. The 3 mm mini diamond flower was the second pair bought most in the year. Black diamond, pink and canary pairs and a few gemstone studs are here too.
How big: 1 carat, 2 ctw and 4 ctw diamond studs in millimeters
Shop by the width, which is what people see. On a pair, ctw counts both earrings together, so 2 ctw means a carat on each lobe. The round lab-grown pairs here measure 5 mm across at 1 ctw. At 2 ctw they are 6.5 mm, the everyday size. At 4 ctw they reach 8 mm and get noticed. Stay under 5 mm for a second hole or a small lobe. A title that says ct each or pointer gives one stone, so double it for the pair.
Lab-grown or natural: are lab grown diamond studs real diamonds
Both are real diamond. Lab-grown pairs took most of the pieces sold here in the year. The middle lab pair carries 2 ctw. The middle natural pair carries half that. Natural stones fill most of the listings, above all the flowers, clusters and black diamonds. Seven pairs, halos and blooms among them, set a lab-grown center inside natural side stones. Each diamond listing says which. Most also print a color and clarity grade, usually D to H and VS.
Gold or silver: 14K gold, 18K gold or .925 silver diamond studs, white, yellow or rose
Start with 14K. It is harder than 18K and keeps a post straight through daily wear, and nearly nine in ten pairs sold here were 14K. 18K is a deeper yellow and softer. The five .925 silver pairs are all lab-grown, and the 1 ctw silver pair was the third most bought in the year. Nearly every gold listing offers yellow and white, and most add rose. If white gold has bothered your ears before, choose yellow or ask the live chat about the alloy.
Backs and buying: screw back diamond studs, single studs and the live chat
Ask which back a pair wears before you pay. The titles do not say. A screw back threads onto the post and stays in through sleep and the gym. A push back is quicker, and over the years it holds less tightly. Five titles here say single, one stud for one ear. Most pairs are made for men and women alike, so choose by size. The live chat can tell you whether a pair is ready to ship, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET.