4 or 6 prong stud earring setting recommendations

[mn_shopaholic]

I'm in the process of upgrading my studs from 0.94ctw to 1.6ctw and while I have the diamonds mostly sorted out, the settings are still a bit of a question mark. I know there is only so much that can be done with stud earring settings, but just going with basic Stuller 4-prong baskets seems somewhat anti-climactic after the amount of time spent combing several vendors' inventories looking for these diamonds and for how perfect the diamonds are (perfect for me, anyways). I also don't mind spending a bit more on settings this time because I won't be upgrading these diamonds for a good, long while (if ever, unless my ears get bigger) and studs are my go-to earrings 95% of the time.

I'm looking into the Sasha Primak baskets that diamondseeker2006 has used in the past and will probably reach out to Erika Winters to see if she can/will do a 6-prong version of yssie's studs, but I want to make sure I've covered all the bases before making a final selection. Fair warning - I don't have much imagination for custom, so I would prefer to go with someone who has done something similar and all I have to do is point and say 'that's what I want'.

Criteria are platinum with 4 or 6 prongs (I prefer even numbers), some sort of base that will sit low /flat against my ears (3-prong martinis never sit right on me and have stretched my holes which I would like to avoid) and a balance between delicate enough that you see more diamond than setting while still being structurally sound enough for everyday wear over many years. Even if the settings are a basic design, these diamonds are something of a holy grail item for me, so I want settings that are just as precisely executed as the diamonds (AGS 000 super-ideals). Any ideas, suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Queenie60]

I have this 6 prong setting - it's a stuller setting that Erica @ LAD sold to me. It's delicate and shows off the stones.

 

[MollyMalone]

I like these "umbrella" mountings because they look as if they would be "easy on the ears," especially when you have a phone pressing on an ear lobe (also I personally like 6-8 prongs on a round stone).
But the webpage where I saw these doesn't seem to exist any longer, so I'm tagging @Wink in the hope that he can tell us if these are still available through him... or if not, whether he knows of an alternate source.

 

[david b]

I do not like to see much gold around diamond earrings. Earring are safe zone as for accidents 4 prongs are quite enough as of security.
I think this is the idea about solitaire earring studs.

 

[MollyMalone]

I do not like to see much gold around diamond earrings. Earring are safe zone as for accidents 4 prongs are quite enough as of security.
I think this is the idea about solitaire earring studs.

We all don't have the same tastes-preferences, @david b . To me, 4-prongs "box" a round stone (i.e., make it appear more square) in a way that doesn't appeal to me.

Here are photos of @HappyNewLife 's lovely, approximately .66 total ct weight studs -- appreciably smaller than what @mn_shopaholic is upgrading to -- with 8 prongs (not just 6); I agree with her that the diamonds are not overwhelmed by the prongs, altho' I realize you may not share our opinion:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ud-settings-your-opinion.240104/#post-4323138

@mn_shopaholic, if you scroll past HappyNewLife's pics, you'll see pics in that thread from other PSer's with 6 and 8-pronged studs (from Whiteflash) that are approximately the same as your anticipated upgrades -- hope they help you clarify what you'd like for yourself

 

[mn_shopaholic]

I have this 6 prong setting - it's a stuller setting that Erica @ LAD sold to me. It's delicate and shows off the stones.

Thanks for the suggestion! I love that you can see the stones, and that cleaning diamonds should be pretty easy in this setting. I'll have to see if my jeweler can bring these in for me to see in person.

I like these "umbrella" mountings because they look as if they would be "easy on the ears," especially when you have a phone pressing on an ear lobe (also I personally like 6-8 prongs on a round stone).
But the webpage where I saw these doesn't seem to exist any longer, so I'm tagging @Wink in the hope that he can tell us if these are still available through him... or if not, whether he knows of an alternate source.

Thank you! Hopefully he can chime in - I really like that those settings have more of a fluid, curved look to them vs some martini settings which can look more angular.

I do not like to see much gold around diamond earrings. Earring are safe zone as for accidents 4 prongs are quite enough as of security.
I think this is the idea about solitaire earring studs.

I definitely want to see more diamond than metal from the front view, but the 4/6 prong request wasn't so much for security as it was for other reasons (though if additional prongs = safer setting, I'm not going to complain). I've done the 3-prong martini settings on past studs due to their overall popularity and solid recommendations, but they don't work for me for a few reasons 1) I think the diamonds can sometimes take on a triangular look because of the spacing/location of the prongs and depending on how the prongs are executed 2) martinis don't sit straight in my ears and people around me were constantly commenting that my earrings looked like they were about to fall out when I had those settings and 3) because the base of the setting came to a point where it met the ear, the martini settings I had ended up stretching out my piercings.

So because 3 prong settings haven't worked for me in the past, I'm looking at settings with 4+ prongs for this go-round and specifically for something with a wide enough or flat enough base that it won't damage my piercings. While aesthetics are a factor in this decision making process, I cannot ignore the functional requirements that exist for me based on past experience.

We all don't have the same tastes-preferences, @david b . To me, 4-prongs "box" a round stone (i.e., make it appear more square) in a way that doesn't appeal to me.

Here are photos of @HappyNewLife 's lovely, approximately .66 total ct weight studs -- appreciably smaller than what @mn_shopaholic is upgrading to -- with 8 prongs (not just 6); I agree with her that the diamonds are not overwhelmed by the prongs, altho' I realize you may not share our opinion:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ud-settings-your-opinion.240104/#post-4323138

@mn_shopaholic, if you scroll past HappyNewLife's pics, you'll see pics in that thread from other PSer's with 6 and 8-pronged studs (from Whiteflash) that are approximately the same as your anticipated upgrades -- hope they help you clarify what you'd like for yourself

I agree that 4-prongs can sometimes make a diamond look a bit boxy and I don't get the feels from my current Stuller 4-prong basket settings in the same way these diamonds are giving me the feels, so perhaps it is time to move away from that look.

@HappyNewLife's 8 prong studs are actually a big part of the reason I'm considering venturing out of familiar 4-prong basket territory; her settings are delicate enough that they do not detract from the diamonds at all regardless of the number of prongs, and if it works on a 0.33ct stone then there should be no reason that look wouldn't work with my diamonds. Plus, I like that the 8 prongs seem to emphasize the shape of a round diamond

 

[LaylaR]

Hi mn_shopaholic,
Pricescope forum rules prevent us from answering certain questions. If you have a specific questions it is usually best to email us, as we can address your questions directly.

Best,
Layla

 

[HappyNewLife]

Mine are 8-prong martinis from WF (1.3tcw) and I love them, BUT, the definitely leave a temporary hole in my ear. It's always gone by the AM though (I take them off at night).

 

[mn_shopaholic]

Mine are 8-prong martinis from WF (1.3tcw) and I love them, BUT, the definitely leave a temporary hole in my ear. It's always gone by the AM though (I take them off at night).

Thanks for that insight! That might rule those out then because I'm a horrible PS-er and don't always (meaning almost never) remove my earrings at night. They are taken out at least 1x per week to be cleaned and there are times when I go a few days or more without wearing earrings to give my ears a break, but I should probably stick to settings with a flat back if any sort of martini whether curved at the base or pointed is going to leave a dent.

If only the Erika Winters stud settings that Yssie has weren't soo darn expensive.

 

[HappyNewLife]

Thanks for that insight! That might rule those out then because I'm a horrible PS-er and don't always (meaning almost never) remove my earrings at night. They are taken out at least 1x per week to be cleaned and there are times when I go a few days or more without wearing earrings to give my ears a break, but I should probably stick to settings with a flat back if any sort of martini whether curved at the base or pointed is going to leave a dent.

If only the Erika Winters stud settings that Yssie has weren't soo darn expensive.

martinis definitely leave a hole, which I don't like. But I dislike basket settings because they stick out so far. hmmmm

 

[Doc_1]

 

[Doc_1]

 

[Doc_1]

 

[mn_shopaholic]

Where did you find these? That side profile view is gorgeous!

 

[Doc_1]

Where did you find these? That side profile view is gorgeous!

Those were made for my wife by Mark Morrell. it was the CAD and I posted the actual earrings.

 

[Lookinagain]

I have the WF 8 prong setting for my 1.7 ctw earrings and unlike @HappyNewLife they do not leave a temporary hole and I sleep in my earrings like you do OP. Maybe I don't wear them as tightly as she does, I don't know, but I've never seen any sign of any marks when I take them out.
I also can't wear normal three prong martini settings but these 8 prong setting sit properly on my ears.
But, I also have a pair of studs appx. 1.8 ctw set in what my local jeweler called a three prong basket. Unlike regular martini settings, these also sit well on my ears. I think you may just want to avoid anything with much of a point at the base. Here is a photo of the three prong.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Four prongs only look boxy if the prongs are big. My SP 4 prong settings had little prongs and from a distance all you can see is the bright round diamond on the ear. This is a fairly close up view and you can see that the prongs are small. The reason I personally wouldn't go with 8 prongs on smaller stones is that the more metal on the sides, the harder it is to clean the diamonds. So 4 or 6 is all I would consider unless I had maybe 2.5 ct each studs! (only in my dreams....)

 

[m-2-b]

I've been wearing my WF platinum 6 prong martini settings for years now (with jumbobacks) and I have no regrets.

 

[tuckie]

Stuller 4 prong martinis checking in here - just so you have the reference (1.26 total so not crazy out of proportion to your. Sometimes simple is good - especially if the bench takes nice care of the prongs (thanks, IDJ). Same setting as Avatar.

 

[bmfang]

@diamondseeker2006 and @m-2-b , the two of could be ear models me thinks. Your studs are gorgeous.

 

[mn_shopaholic]

martinis definitely leave a hole, which I don't like. But I dislike basket settings because they stick out so far. hmmmm

Yep - that pretty much sums it up. And I'm in the middle of analysis paralysis trying to decide which is the lesser of the evils so to speak.

Those were made for my wife by Mark Morrell. it was the CAD and I posted the actual earrings.

Thanks!

I have the WF 8 prong setting for my 1.7 ctw earrings and unlike @HappyNewLife they do not leave a temporary hole and I sleep in my earrings like you do OP. Maybe I don't wear them as tightly as she does, I don't know, but I've never seen any sign of any marks when I take them out.
I also can't wear normal three prong martini settings but these 8 prong setting sit properly on my ears.
But, I also have a pair of studs appx. 1.8 ctw set in what my local jeweler called a three prong basket. Unlike regular martini settings, these also sit well on my ears. I think you may just want to avoid anything with much of a point at the base. Here is a photo of the three prong.

That is good to know. I might just have to try a martini setting with a more rounded base vs the pointier 3-prong version I've had in the past and see how it goes as it seems to vary from person to person.

Four prongs only look boxy if the prongs are big. My SP 4 prong settings had little prongs and from a distance all you can see is the bright round diamond on the ear. This is a fairly close up view and you can see that the prongs are small. The reason I personally wouldn't go with 8 prongs on smaller stones is that the more metal on the sides, the harder it is to clean the diamonds. So 4 or 6 is all I would consider unless I had maybe 2.5 ct each studs! (only in my dreams....)

It does seem that the execution of the setting impacts how boxy (or not boxy) 4 prongs can look and this is a big part of why I'm looking for alternatives to the Stuller baskets I've used in the past. The SP baskets are most definitely in the running because they appear to be a more refined version of the 4-prong basket setting.

And the cleaning aspect is of utmost importance (and I'm a sucker for the side profile view - yes, I take my studs out periodically to admire the full view), so maybe it is best to stick to the 4-6 prongs I was originally considering and save the 8 prongs for if/when I go bigger (that is if my ears and bank account both manage to grow some more).

I've been wearing my WF platinum 6 prong martini settings for years now (with jumbobacks) and I have no regrets.

Thanks! I was just looking at those on the WF site and it looks like those settings have a small, flat base so that could help prevent the issue I've had with prior martinis stretching out my piercings and not sitting up straight.

Stuller 4 prong martinis checking in here - just so you have the reference (1.26 total so not crazy out of proportion to your. Sometimes simple is good - especially if the bench takes nice care of the prongs (thanks, IDJ). Same setting as Avatar.

Those prongs are going in the inspiration folder!

@diamondseeker2006 and @m-2-b , the two of could be ear models me thinks. Your studs are gorgeous.

Ditto this. I can only aspire to have such gorgeous studs.