White Gold Diamond Studs

26 03 2008

When you want the look of a white metal, but you don’t want to spring for the price of platinum, go for white gold diamond studs. The look of white gold is a slightly darker grey than platinum, but the price of white gold is about half that of platinum. To the untrained eye, there isn’t much of a difference between the two popular jewelry metals. Is anyone wondering why white gold is significantly less expensive than platinum?

I’ll tell you why. It is because white gold is an alloy, or mixture, of gold and other elements. To make white gold, a mix of 75 percent gold is used with other metals that turn it white. Usually, these metals consist of silver and palladium. Platinum, however, is used to make jewelry at 95 percent of its pure state.

When white gold jewelry is first formed, it is coated with rhodium. This coating helps give the white gold an even whiter look. Although rhodium is hard, it starts to wear eventually. Because of this, you should have your White Gold Diamond Studs recoated about every year or year and a half. You will have to pay a fee, but it will be well worth it to keep up the classic look of your jewelry.

White Gold Diamond Studs vs. Regular Gold
There are a few reasons why you might want to choose white gold diamond studs instead of regular gold. First, and most obviously, you like it better. Always use that as your number one guide. Of course, if you happen to like the most expensive thing the best, you might want to compromise somewhere. White gold gives a kind of uniform beauty when paired with diamonds. In addition, white gold looks better on fairer skin than gold does.




White Gold Diamond Studs

22 02 2008

When you want the look of a white metal, but you don’t want to spring for the price of platinum, go for white gold diamond studs. The look of white gold is a slightly darker grey than platinum, but the price of white gold is about half that of platinum. To the untrained eye, there isn’t much of a difference between the two popular jewelry metals. Is anyone wondering why white gold is significantly less expensive than platinum?

I’ll tell you why. It is because white gold is an alloy, or mixture, of gold and other elements. To make white gold, a mix of 75 percent gold is used with other metals that turn it white. Usually, these metals consist of silver and palladium. Platinum, however, is used to make jewelry at 95 percent of its pure state.

When white gold jewelry is first formed, it is coated with rhodium. This coating helps give the white gold an even whiter look. Although rhodium is hard, it starts to wear eventually. Because of this, you should have your White Gold Diamond Studs recoated about every year or year and a half. You will have to pay a fee, but it will be well worth it to keep up the classic look of your jewelry.

White Gold Diamond Studs vs. Regular Gold
There are a few reasons why you might want to choose white gold diamond studs instead of regular gold. First, and most obviously, you like it better. Always use that as your number one guide. Of course, if you happen to like the most expensive thing the best, you might want to compromise somewhere. White gold gives a kind of uniform beauty when paired with diamonds. In addition, white gold looks better on fairer skin than gold does.




Cheap Diamond Studs

16 02 2008

When you want to get a precious gift for yourself or someone special, but you are on a budget, consider cheap diamond studs. To some people, that may sound like an oxymoron. However, with the proper diamond knowledge, you can get gorgeous, sparkly studs that fit your budget. You may even have enough money left to give roses with the gift or treat yourself to dinner.

Good Looking Cheap Diamond Studs
Of the four Cs of diamond buying, you can cut a few corners with all of them. Some you may want to cut more than others. The first is the cut of the diamond. The better the cut, the more your cheap diamond studs will shine. Cuts run in Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. If you are on a very tight budget, you can usually get away with Good. However, most experts recommend going no lower than Very Good. If you have a bad cut, color and clarity cannot make up for it.

Clarity is another area where you can fudge a little. The best ranks are F for flawless and IF for internally flawless. The only real reason to have this kind of diamond is for bragging purposes. For cheap diamond studs, you can even pass on VVS1, VVS2 and head into SI11, SI2 or I1. SI stands for slightly included. For these, you have to magnify the diamond 10 times to see any flaws. For the tightest of budgets, it may be okay to do I1, which means that a flaw can be seen with the naked eye. However, it may not detract from the overall beauty of the diamond, especially if it is located near the outer edge of the diamond.

Find a dealer either online or near you. Make sure they offer either GIA or AGS certified diamonds. Work with them to find diamonds and a price that you feel good about. Unless your budget is more suited for cubic zirconium, you should be able to find something sparkly and beautiful. Take your time and make sure you have found the best deal.




Diamond Studs

9 02 2008

No, diamond studs are not men who work out regularly and look great in tight black shirts. They are, in fact, the essentials of diamond jewelry. A stud is the essence of simple, elegant, clean beauty. A stud earring does not hang, but merely looks attached to the lobe. Studs add stunning elegance to an all-black outfit. Alternatively, they bring an air of simplicity to an otherwise loud ensemble.

See Clearly with Diamond Studs
One of the Four Cs of diamond buying is clarity. This concerns the flaws in a diamond. When discussing clarity of diamond studs, we must talk of inclusions (flaws inside the diamond), and blemishes (flaws outside the diamond). It is almost impossible for a diamond not to have any flaws because of the intense mining and cutting process that must go on. The clarity has to do with the number of flaws, the size of them and the ability to see them with or without a microscope.

I liken clarity to going to the movies. When we sit down, we tend to choose a seat that has the least number of people in front of us. We try not to sit behind tall people. If people are blocking our way, we tend to move or become agitated. Generally, there will be people in the theater with us. It is very rare that we get the whole place to ourselves. Therefore, we pick the best seat possible considering the “flaws.”

This is the same with diamonds. You just have to choose which flaws you can live with and which you can’t. When purchasing diamond studs on a budget, you should at least buy SI1 or SI2. The SI stands for slightly included. With this rating, your diamond will have flaws that must be magnified 10 times to see. One step up is VSI1 and VSI2, which is very slightly included. It’s affordable brilliance.




Diamond Stud Earrings

8 02 2008

I believe it was Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” who sang, “Diamond stud earrings are a girl’s best friend.” Okay, so she sang that it was just diamonds, but I’m altering it for my purposes. Ladies, is that true or what? Granted, diamonds can’t sit with us and eat ice cream if we have had a less than satisfactory day. They can, however, make us feel beautiful and rich and on top of the world.

Isn’t it true that anything that can make us feel those things is certainly welcome to be our best friend? We can be wearing Diamond Stud Earrings with sweatpants and a sweatshirt and feel like a million bucks. In fact, diamond earrings are possibly the perfect accessory. I can’t think of many things that they don’t go with. You can wear them with nice, tight jeans, a t-shirt and heels and be all set to go anywhere that is has a semi-dressy dress code. You’re even fine to take that same outfit to a bar that has peanut shells on the floor.

Diamond stud earrings are magnificent with the basic little black dress. You will look classy, elegant and timeless. Even smaller studs with a sundress and sandals can make you feel fresh and beautiful. You will be ready for a picnic and a breezy day. You’ve got be careful on the size of earrings with your outfit. You can’t wear studs the size of oranges with a very casual outfit.

Choosing Your Style of Diamond Stud Earrings
When most of us think of diamond earrings, we think of your basic round earrings. However, that’s not all there is to it. You may want a simple diamond stud, but you don’t have to stick with the simple round one. A teardrop shape is always glamorous and adds a classy throwback to simpler times. Personally, I am a fan of the asscher cut, among others.

The asscher cut is very similar to the emerald cut in that it is a stepped square. However, this one has corners that are cut back. This cut wasn’t very popular until it started appearing on “Sex and the City,” and stars such as Kate Hudson were donning engagement rings that were asscher cut. It’s a very bright, uncomplicated diamond with clean lines. It should do justice to anyone’s ears.

Which Cut Should You Choose?
When it comes time to choose diamond stud earrings for yourself, the only trouble you will have will be deciding what cut to get. Men, if you are buying diamond earrings for your girl, there are a few basic things you should know. Get the biggest you can afford, but don’t go broke. If you are very wealthy and can afford huge diamonds, you might want to consider going with an average size like one or two carats, but it’s up to you.

The cushion cut diamond is more complicated looking than the asscher. It is an older, antique cut that comes from two popular cuts of the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can also hear this cut referred to as the pillow cut or the candlelight cut. It was called the candlelight cut because it was popular before electricity was around and thus shone well under the light of candles. Using this cut for your diamond stud earrings is a great way to add older-looking pieces to a more up to date outfit.

Shopping for Diamond Stud Earrings
Before you purchase diamond stud earrings, you will need to do a little shopping around. Depending on your budget, you will need to look for a few things in your diamond. First, the most expensive and rare diamonds are colorless. As they move down the track, they get increasingly yellow. The grading scale is from the letter D to Z. D through F are colorless. Letters G through I are close to colorless. Diamonds get yellowier in color as they move from J to Z.