9ct Yellow Gold 1.2ct Lab-Grown Diamond Oval Bezel-Set Stud Earrings

A stud earring is the simplest structure in jewellery and the least forgiving: a setting, a post and a back, with nothing to hide behind.

This one is 9ct yellow gold, carrying 1.2 ct of lab-grown diamonds in total, cut oval. As a shape, an oval spreads its weight along the finger or the wrist, so it reads larger than a round stone of the same carat.

Will this suit me?

• Size: Sold as a pair. Each earring carries about 0.60 ct; an oval of that weight typically measures about 6.5 × 5 mm face-up (for scale, an Australian 5c coin is 19.4 mm across).
• On the ear: Noticeable without being oversized: an easy everyday size. Oval stones look a little larger than a round stone of the same weight.
• Comfort and security: The smooth bezel collar has nothing to catch on clothing or hair.
• Everyday wear: Earrings take very little wear, and 9ct is the harder alloy, so these will stand up to being worn every day.
• Other options: Metal: 9ct white gold. Total weight: 2.8 ct.

A bezel setting wraps a continuous collar of gold around the girdle of the stone. It is the most protective setting there is: nothing catches, nothing snags, and the stone cannot be knocked loose from the side. The trade-off is that the collar covers a little of the stone's edge, so a bezel-set stone reads marginally smaller than a claw-set one of the same weight.

What matters is that the setting sits flat to the lobe and the post is centred in it. An off-centre post is the reason studs tilt forward as the day goes on.

Specification

• Metal: 9ct yellow gold (375)
• Total stone weight: 1.2 ct
• Stone: Lab-grown diamond
• Cut: Oval
• Setting: Bezel-set
• Type: Stud Earrings
• Sold as: Pair

9ct yellow gold is 375 parts per thousand fine gold. The higher alloy content makes it hard and more scratch-resistant than 18ct, which is why it's always been the popular choice for everyday wear.

Care. Sold as a pair. Butterfly backs loosen with wear and are worth replacing before they are lost.