Solitaire Earrings: A Style Guide

Every woman should own at least a pair of solitaire earrings. These single-stone earrings improve the most mundane of style statements with something bold to say. If they’re not a part of your ensemble yet, take a look at these different kinds that you should be choosing from next time you go shopping for diamond jewelry (and pay attention gentlemen – this is what you should gift to your significant other).
 
Halo Stud Diamond Solitaire Earrings

Before we get started, let’s talk about Diamond Solitaire Earrings settings. There are two important solitaire earrings settings.

The Prong Setting

The diamond is set in a metal frame and bound by prongs. The prong setting is glamorous and charms at parties and glamorous events.

The Bezel Setting

The diamond is again set in a metal frame but is held all around by a bezel. A bezel setting is more suitable for daily wear. Now there are three major metal frame styles.

BASKET-STYLE

This is the most common style of earrings. As the name suggests, the metal frame is shaped somewhat like a basket, with a flat bottom. The top is slightly broader than the flat (and usually square/rectangular) bottom. The diamond sits at a moderate distance from the earlobe.

CROWN-STYLE

This style features a metal frame shaped like a crown. Sturdier than the basket-style, crown-style earrings are slightly narrower at the bottom. They also feature a completely flat bottom. The stones tend to project outward in both crown-style and basket-style earrings.

MARTINI-STYLE

Martini-style solitaire earrings are more conical in shape. The metal frame resembles the silhouette of a martini glass, hence the name. The metal frame tapers from the top toward the bottom where it comes to a pointed end. The diamond in this style sits very close to the earlobe, and is, thus, more well-balanced.

4-Prong Diamond Solitaire Earrings

Usually basket-style earrings, 4-prong earrings are the original diamond solitaire earrings style. Almost all basket-style earrings are 4-pronged. This does not refer to the cut of the diamond.
 
4-Prong Diamond Solitaire Earrings

3-Prong Diamond Solitaire Earrings

Comparatively new, the 3-prong setting is becoming the most popular pronged setting for solitaire earrings. It is dominated by the martini-style diamond solitaire earrings. This again does not refer to the cut of the diamond but the way it is set on the metal frame.

Cushion-cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings

Having the same number of facets as the round brilliant-cut, the cushion-cut is one of the most popular diamond cuts. Cushion-cut goes amiably well as solitaire earrings.
 
Cushion Cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings

Important mentions are the ‘Old Mine’ and the ‘Old European’ Cushion-Cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings whose demand is the only thing higher than their price. Extremely popular (and increasingly so), Old Mine-cut (OMC) diamond solitaire earrings are also pretty rare, as are Old European-cut (OEC) diamond earrings.

Princess-cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings

One of the most popular diamond cuts, the princess-cut has far reaching influence in both the rings and the earrings market. Beloved by millions, a princess-cut diamond brings out the brilliance in the stone. The princess-cut is very similar to the cushion-cut but with sharper edges.

Marquise-Cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings

Although the rarest diamond cut to find in earrings, the marquise cut is one of the best looking. Marquise-cut earrings also tend to look larger than they are. They form the unique design part of solitaire earrings. Hello Diamonds is best jewelry store where you can find an enormous collection of earrings in all shapes and sizes? Tell us what you think in the comments below.