Diamond stud earrings are basically the daily driver of the diamond earring world. Dress them up, dress them down, day, night, or exclusively for afternoon naps (oh you fancy huh), these are the total jewelry investment. Today we aren’t about talking the traditional round brilliant diamond studs, but it is all about princess cut diamond stud earrings instead! I will explain both the princess cut and the stud earring, the simple design options you will have, plus the pros and cons of this adored diamond shape. If you are looking for the perfect pair of earrings, princess cut diamond studs might just be for you!
What is the Princess Cut?
Easily the best named diamond shape, the princess cut is a beloved cut of diamond that has been extremely popular since its debut during the late 70’s. I mean really, if there is one diamond shape that people might be familiar with, even if just by the name alone, it is this cut. Also known in general as a fancy cut, simply - a princess cut diamond is a dazzling square shaped stone…but technically it is a modified brilliant square. This means it is designed to be as sparkly and brilliant as possible (not all cuts are brilliant cuts), which is one of the features that we love most in a diamond.
There are a couple benefits of choosing a princess cut, especially compared to the round brilliant cut (round being our “standard” in the diamond world). One of these is that a princess cut will seem slightly larger than a round gem of a similar carat weight. The reason we see it that way is because squares have bigger tables (or tops) than circles - creating an optical trick that gives them a larger appearance. Interesting right??
Another big advantage is the price! With round cut diamonds being the most sought after, the prices are higher (greater demand = higher price). With other shapes being slightly less in demand, they become slightly less expensive. This means anyone selecting a princess cut diamond (or other fancy cut diamonds) will have a happier budget!
Diamond Stud Earrings
As the simplest, cleanest, most straight forward earring design (with only diamond shape, setting, and metal to decide on), diamond studs are just about as timeless as it gets! With a single diamond for each ear, the sleek and minimal style is an instant classic. Whenever a diamond can be a diamond it is a good thing, and stud earrings really allow that. As the focal point of the earring, like a beautiful gem should be, the two other design options can seem less significant (but we need it all!).
Design Options
The biggest decision for diamond stud earrings, design wise, is the shape of the diamond…and since we have already picked princess cuts, the hard part is done! The setting and the metal might not be the first thing you notice with diamond studs, but they do accent the gems and ultimately complete the look - which is less exciting than diamond shapes but still surprisingly important!
Settings
The setting in any piece of jewelry is the unsung hero. Without it, the gemstone would literally have nothing to hold it in place. Don’t forget that a princess cut is a square! That means we need to protect those vulnerable corners (diamond can only be scratched by diamond but chipping and breaking is another story). The 3 most popular and protective settings are the prong, bezel, and halo.
- Prong: the prong is the most common stud earring setting you will see - but for good reason! This setting is like a little basket that the diamond sits in, with metal prongs coming up and over the corners of the diamond to hold it securely in place. The prong is so great because it allows more of the diamond to be open to the light…and the more light a diamond can access, the more it can sparkle! This setting is pretty safe but you will still want to keep an eye on those prongs over time to make sure they don’t loosen any.
- Bezel: when it comes to more of a modern look, the bezel is it. The diamond is almost completely enclosed within the metal here, except for the top, which is encircled by a thin metal rim. As you could probably guess, this is about as protected as a diamond can get! But, being encased in metal, the diamond won’t sparkle quite as bright as it does in a prong.
- Halo: yes, even princess cut diamonds can have halos! It might be less common, but this is still a great choice for diamond stud earrings. The halo setting offers an option of extra glam with little accent diamonds embedded in the metal that surrounds the central gem. Secure, sparkly, and somewhat more expensive (gotta pay for those extra stones!).
Metals
We have made it to the final aesthetic decision needed to finish off our princess cut diamond stud earrings - the metal. It is mostly about the color, silver, gold, or pink, with just a few other details to also consider.
- Platinum: this is the most expensive of our white colored metals because it is the rarest. Platinum is tarnish resistant (which is awesome) and will give off more of an overall silvery color than a white hue.
- Yellow gold: the complicated thing about yellow gold is that we have choices - 18k and 14k being the two most popular. 18K is a purer, richer gold colored, softer metal that is more expensive while 14K is mixed with more alloys making it lighter yellow, harder material, and less expensive.
- White gold: this is our more budget friendly option of the white metals. White gold can look slightly yellow tinted (it does originate from yellow gold after all) but in general it will give us a white (vs. a silvery) color.
- Rose gold: I am throwing this option in for anyone that wants something a little different! Rose gold might not be the top choice for everyone but those who love it, love it.
Pros and Cons
If you are looking for a quick breakdown of the pros and cons for princess cut diamond stud earrings, this is for you.
Pros
Looks bigger: than the same carat weight or size of round shaped diamond.
Less expensive: and will be less expensive than a similar size and quality of round shaped diamond.
Timeless: stud earrings are the total classic, no matter what the diamond’s silhouette is. The princess cut echoes this but also adds its own modern appeal.
Best named diamond shape: something about “princess” and “diamond” feel like they were always meant to be.
Cons
Pointy edges: not only can the pointy edges of a square diamond catch on shirts and sweaters and other such things, but those corners can also be vulnerable to chipping.
Symmetry: princess cuts have to be perfectly symmetrical to look good. If one side is longer than the other, or one corner wider than the rest, then the whole square is off.
Some people are circles, some people are squares, but everyone should be a diamond stud enthusiast (in my humble opinion). Princess cut diamond stud earrings are loved by the masses for many reasons, as they should be. Simple, sparkly, and timeless, I think the only real problem here is that we only have two ears!
