What is better than a diamond? Marilyn Monroe knew what was up...more diamonds. And one of the best ways to add bling is through the perfect pair of diamond earrings. It’s multiplying the fun—whether it’s matching your engagement ring, throwing on for every day, or “dressing up” for your next Zoom happy hour. And when I write the perfect pair, I mean the “LBD” of earrings: studs.
Why diamond studs?
First thing first, why create earrings through Rare Carat? You might be thinking, I can just head over to a department store and grab some. Let me make the case for a custom pair that will be set by our heavily vetted retailers.
Benefits
Two main points here: significance and cost. These stud earrings will be handpicked by you and created for you (or your recipient) to commemorate the occasion. Graduation, birthday, retirement? Covered. It’s a meaningful gift, and you don’t want to settle. Moreover, you can control the quality rather than getting generalized, possibly misrepresented grades.
The rule of thumb in fine jewelry is that the more time and skill in creation, the more expensive the piece. This is majoritively true, but you’d be surprised to know that there are cost effective custom options—especially when you’ve found the diamonds yourself on Rare Carat!
In addition to walking you through to perfect diamonds, natural or lab, our gemologists can then help with setting the paired diamonds for around $200-500 depending on the design. Moreover, we’re bypassing that lofty markup by a luxury brand—you know, the one that starts with “T”, rhymes with “epiphany?”
Drawbacks
Yes, there will be some lead time from search to delivery rather than the immediate gratification of in-store buying. But remember, we have experts on hand to help chop that time down. Not to throw cheesy quotes at you, but “good things take time” isn’t said for nothing.
So ultimately, it depends on the desired outcome! If you prefer to walk out of the store with those earrings now, then do skip to the Resources section below for advice on best shapes. If you’re interested in other types of earrings, check out the style and design article with budget considerations.
Next Steps
If you’re still with me on the custom stud earrings track, great! Here’s what you should do.
As with any important purchase: research and plan. The more you know, the more transparent the process; all while assuring you get the right quality and price. Start first with the fundamentals:
How to Choose Diamond Pairs for Diamond Earrings
Key Takeaways
Color
- Can skip D-G and go H-K (or lower)
- Match fluorescence
Clarity
- Can skip IF-VS and go eye clean SI1-2
- Match clarity grade with reports (i.e. GIA)
Carat
- Match dimensions, not weight
Cut
- Must be excellent (natural) or ideal lab-grown diamonds
- Single symmetry cuts are harder to match (i.e. hearts)
BLUF: There’s more room to explore for color and clarity to get more carat, but no budging on cut for top optical performance. And well-matched, not mismatched. No mix and matching grades, please!
Be sure to reach out to our talented gemologist team for help picking out your new diamond studs and start your search for matched pairs HERE.
