On the left, a CAD design was created with a custom martini bezel setting.
On the right, Olivia shows off her diamond stud earrings (left) and the diamonds that were selected for her sister’s custom earrings (right).
This week I got the pleasure of designing my sister’s first pair of diamond stud earrings. A family member of ours contacted me saying that she wanted my sister to have her own pair of diamond studs (recently my sister had been borrowing mine for some events). Knowing my sister, I knew that diamond studs were not something she really wanted; she was very content just borrowing mine when she needed to. As a gemologist and salesperson…what could I say? I can’t turn down a sale just because my sister thinks she doesn’t need diamond earrings! So, I was given the challenge of assembling diamond studs that my sister would actually enjoy as well as please my family member who wanted to buy her such a thoughtful and special gift.
I currently have 1.40cttw (0.70ct each) diamond studs that my sister has become well accustomed to wearing. My goal was to get her the closest I could get to my size (5.6 mm in diameters) but with a budget that was under what I had paid for. As a gemologist, I knew that diamond weight and size can be drastically different depending on how a diamond is cut. My mission was to find the largest measuring round brilliant cut diamonds I could find for a budget of $3,000.
In running my diamond search, 0.70ct stones were out of budget. I knew I had to find stones that measured close in size to mine but with less carat weight, so they would cost less. In addition, I had to find two stones that measured identical and had similar proportions so that they would be a matched pair. Juggling price, size, and quality was not easy but I did successfully locate two stones that I knew were the ones!
I selected two GIA certified 0.59ct, J color with SI1-SI2 clarity round brilliant cut diamonds. The depths of the two stones were around 58%, very slim for maximum size. Each stone measures 5.5mm in diameter which is just shy of mine (at a much lower carat weight). They are very good-excellent cut grade; I chose stones that emphasized size as their most valuable factor. Despite the lower clarity, both diamonds are 100% eye clean. The best part, the price was $2,914.25. I saved money and got earrings that will look comparable to my own.
In order to make these studs feel appropriate for every day, I decided to choose a custom martini bezel setting. Bezel set diamonds to me give a more understated feel. Anyone who opts for a bezel set design is not afraid of metal and is attracted to a more casual look. I decided to manufacture the earrings in 14kt rose gold because that is my sister’s favorite choice of metal.
Stay tuned for the final product. If you are interested in creating a custom pair of diamond stud earrings, please contact our jewelry experts directly by filling out our custom jewelry page.