Diamond studs are an incredibly versatile jewelry staple. They pair perfectly with almost every outfit— plus, their design can be customized to suit your exact tastes. You can choose your ideal metal, setting, diamond shape, and diamond quality for your studs. But when there are so many variables when shopping for diamond studs, how can you be sure you’re buying the pair that’s right for you? Read on to see our guidelines for selecting quality diamond studs! 

1. Mind the 4Cs

The four Cs are important to consider when buying any diamond, and the diamonds in your diamond studs are no exception. If you don’t already know, the four Cs are four different qualities that define a diamond: diamond carat, diamond cut, diamond clarity, and diamond color.

Carat, perhaps the most well known of the four Cs, is a measurement of how much a diamond weighs (and is also a reasonably good indicator of size). Cut is a measurement of how well a diamond was cut, clarity is how clear (meaning free of inclusions and blemishes) a diamond is, and color defines how white a diamond is.

When considering how well diamonds in a pair of diamond studs stack up according to the four Cs, it’s important to know how important each quality is to you. Do you want the whitest diamond you can get? Or do you want the largest diamond you can get? You can choose which aspects of your diamonds are the most important to you, then shop with that in mind.

2.  Only Buy Certified Diamonds

This step is extremely important when shopping for diamond studs: you should only buy diamonds that are GIA or AGSL certified. If the diamonds you buy aren’t certified, there’s no way of ensuring you know the quality you’re buying. To avoid overpaying for subpar diamonds, it’s best to never buy uncertified diamonds.

3.  Consider A Pop of Color

While white diamonds are certainly the most classic choice for a pair of diamond studs, diamonds come in many different color options. If you are shopping for someone who loves to wear color (or if you’re shopping for yourself and you love color), consider choosing blue or yellow diamonds for your studs. You can also choose different neutral colors for your diamonds; brown and black diamonds are sophisticated alternatives to white diamonds.

4.  Choose Your Metal

Selecting the right metal for your diamond studs is important both stylistically and practically. On the practical side of things, you should remember that gold is softer than platinum, and is more likely to get scuffed. And the higher the karat of gold, the softer it is. So if you’re shopping for someone who’s very active (or maybe someone who just doesn’t want to be super careful with their jewelry), platinum or a lower karat gold might be a better choice for them.

Style-wise, certain people simply prefer certain metal colors over others. If you’re shopping for yourself, you likely know which metal colors appeal to you most. But if you’re shopping for someone else, make sure to consider which color of jewelry they might like best.

5.  Pick A Setting You’ll Love

Diamond studs can be set in a few different ways. They can be prong set, which allows the side of the diamond to be seen. Or they can be bezel set, which shows very little of a diamond’s sides but has the advantage of being exceptionally secure. You can also choose to get a halo setting, which adds major sparkle to a pair of studs. Think about which setting appeals to you most (or would appeal to whoever you’re shopping for) before you buy.

6.  Keep It Secure

The last step to choosing your perfect diamond studs? Make sure you pick the right backing style for you. Earring backings are what keep diamond studs securely in place on your ear, and there are a few different kinds. Push backs are the standard earring backing, screw backs are a more secure backing that screws into place, and secure lock backs are the most secure backing that locks into place. Consider which backing would best suit you (or the lucky person you’re shopping for), then choose the backing that you think would work best.

Those are our six guidelines for buying quality diamond studs! Ready to buy your perfect pair? Check out our diamond stud builder to design your ideal diamond studs.