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Diamond stud settings - martini 3prong vs 8 prong vs basket 4 prong

F

fruxo

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
126
Hi.

I'm trying to sort out some diamonds for stud earrings, but I just realised that I don't know what setting to use them with! It's for my wife and she has no current diamond studs I can look at.

I know she wants something that doesn't detract from the diamonds. No halo or bezel etc. The diamonds to go in them would be round and approx 0.4ct each (ie 0.8 total).

3 prong martini
https://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-earrings/3-prong-martini-diamond-earrings-304.htm

4 prong basket
https://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-earrings/4-prong-basket-diamond-earrings-1353.htm

8 prong martini
https://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-earrings/8-prong-martini-diamond-earrings-1548.htm

The 3 prong martini seems to sit closest to ear and be the least distracting. But I'd be worried about only having 3 prongs, so I don't think I want this one.

The 4 prong basket seems to be the most common type, but how visible is the basket and how far out are the diamonds set? I'm not a huge fan, but these pictures are obviously taken very closely and I'm sure they are fan. I'm guessing this is probably what I will get.

The wildcard is the 8 prong. I really like the way it looks in the photos, and the fact that it's a little bit different. But the diamonds in photos are probably huge and I'm worried that the claws will become a feature and distract from my relatively small diamonds

So yeah, what's everyone's thoughts on this? Martini or basket? Less or more prongs?
 
I got my wife a set of martinis from BGD but asked if they could make them 4-prong and they could for no extra cost. It looks more elegant than a 4 prong basket imho.
 
I'd like the 3 prong martini settings b/c they are much easier to clean.
 
bmfang said:
It looks more elegant than a 4 prong basket imho.
Click to expand...

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks so, maybe I'm not crazy after all. I should also mention that this will likely be her everyday earrings, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. Maybe one type is more comfortable than the other I mean, I really wouldn't know.
 
bmfang said:
I got my wife a set of martinis from BGD but asked if they could make them 4-prong and they could for no extra cost. It looks more elegant than a 4 prong basket imho.
Click to expand...
Do you mind posting a picture?
 
Definitely 3 prong martini. Look better, lay closer to ear, easier to clean
 
I have a pair of BGD martini in 14k white gold and they feel very strong and secure while also looking delicate. I agree that they look more elegant than 4 prong. Given the size of your stones, I think the martini would be the perfect setting to not detract from the diamonds. While I love the 8 prong look, I think they could overwhelm your stones. You could look into a 6 prong style but I believe you would have the same issue as the 8 prong.
 
fruxo said:
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks so, maybe I'm not crazy after all. I should also mention that this will likely be her everyday earrings, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. Maybe one type is more comfortable than the other I mean, I really wouldn't know.
Click to expand...

I wear my martini studs daily with no issue. They are quite comfortable.
 
I have both 4 prong basket and 3 prong martini. I much prefer the 3 prong martini, they sit closer to the ear, are sturdy and comfortable.
 
Hi OP - there's a thread "show me your diamond studs" - many sizes and settings. You should check it out. Good luck.
 
My everyday studs are 0.43 ct each and I chose a six prong setting: secure, very comfortable and no overwhelming at all, it accentuates the roundness of the stone.Sorry I can't post pictures.
 
Downside of martini settings is that they can go further into the piercing and stretch the hole. That is why I have 4 prongs in a basket with a flat base. They can be set low, too. I also like even numbers of prongs!
 
I agree about martinis stretching the piercing as this has happened to me with my 4 prongs, which I have worn every day for the past 10 years! I also have a pair 1ctw with a basket setting, they sit very nicely on the ear. Just to be different they have 5 prongs, seems to make the stones appear rounder.
 
As much as I like the thought of martini, for me they didn't work because I have wonky weird piercings and a very thin lobe. martini's IMO work well for those who have a well placed piercing hole and enough lobe meat to hold them up. a flatter base along with lapousette backs is what I did for myself. The stud thread is an excellent reference. I believe someone had a 6-8 prong setting on a small diameterstud and it looked fantastic!
 
bmfang said:
IMG_4812.JPG

Glamour shot from BGD. Was the 2nd part of the push present I got my wife 5 months ago. 18k white gold with la pousette backs. For reference the stones in these are each 33 pointers.
Click to expand...
I like those!
 
diamondseeker2006 said:
Downside of martini settings is that they can go further into the piercing and stretch the hole. That is why I have 4 prongs in a basket with a flat base. They can be set low, too. I also like even numbers of prongs!
Click to expand...

Yikes! Good to know. Are there certain types of martini settings that do this more than others? I am careful not to place them too tightly on my ears to keep them from "digging" in.
 
bmfang said:
Glamour shot from BGD. Was the 2nd part of the push present I got my wife 5 months ago. 18k white gold with la pousette backs. For reference the stones in these are each 33 pointers.
Click to expand...

I was gonna get screwbacks so that she doesn't have to worry about losing them, but I now realise everyone hates them (uncomfortable etc). I've never heard of those backs, but people seems to like them based on a quick Google. Are they considered the most secure ones (besides screw)?
 
@fruxo: Yup, that's what I've heard as well.
 
Snowdrop13 said:
Just to be different they have 5 prongs, seems to make the stones appear rounder.
Click to expand...
Yes! I don't like how the 4 prong makes them look square, 5 seems ideal. But never seen one with that before.

If I did get martini 3 prong (which most seem to recommend), would it be safer to get the platinum ones? I'm worried about losing a diamond and I'm guessing platinum would be harder.
 
I would just insure them - shouldn't cost too much per year and earrings are so small they can get lost easily!
 
OP
A few years ago I bought studs about the size you want for my daughter.
So here goes........I worked with Lesley at BGD to pick pairs for me. My daughter lost one of the earrings (long story) so I replaced it, but this time I put the LaPousette backs on them. You may want to do some research on this backing, they just don't fall off and get lost. Just as a small upgrade/enhancement a few months ago I saw on BGD site, the Fiore Jackets:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/search?query=fiore
So I bought a pair in Rose Gold for her. Her earrings are 3 prong martini setting(WG) with the LaPousette backs. About a week ago when I went into the city to visit her she was wearing them. I was really blown away. I loved the contrast of the WG of the studs and the RG of the jackets. It made them look bigger than they really are. So I just bring that to your attention if you want to buy the studs and the jackets, she can wear with or without the jackets. I warn you, once she puts the jackets on and sees the size, she won't wear them any other way. ha ha.
 
Seems like the fit depends on the ear lob shape. I had martini settings before (with colored stones) and hated them, they irritated and stretched my piercings and never seemed to lie flat on the ears. My diamond studs are in four-prong baskets and I love them. Set low, they sit very flat in the ear.
 
I wore martini set studs for a year and disliked how they felt on the ear. The pointy end dug into the hole and made them uncomfortable so had to reset them into low 4 prong baskets. I have Chrysmela backs which are more secure than regular butterfly ones. Many PSers are happy with LaPousette backs too.
 
WillyDiamond said:
Just as a small upgrade/enhancement a few months ago I saw on BGD site, the Fiore Jackets:
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/search?query=fiore
Click to expand...
Thanks for suggestion. I've heard people mention jackets, and I've always disregarded them as I was imagining custom built diamond halos. Those ones however are reasonably priced and seems to be generic as well (and if fit is poor, it's not the absolute end of the world since they are relatively cheap). I will consider them as a separate present for different occasion. Do they require a martini setting then I assume to sit well inside the jackets?

baby monster said:
I wore martini set studs for a year and disliked how they felt on the ear. The pointy end dug into the hole and made them uncomfortable so had to reset them into low 4 prong baskets. I have Chrysmela backs which are more secure than regular butterfly ones. Many PSers are happy with LaPousette backs too.
Click to expand...

I was coming around to the idea of 3 prong martini, but seems like it's very personal. Any ideas how I can check if she will be happy with martini style, without giving it away? She doesn't really have any similar earrings. She doesn't wear earrings much anymore, and in the past she was all about the massively oversized dangling type of earrings.
 
8-Prong-Martini-Diamond-Earrings-in-18k-White-Gold-by-Whiteflash_40706_18234_f.jpg

These are my 8-prong martinis from Whiteflash. The earrings are about .48 ctw, or just under 1/4 carat each. I wear these earrings almost every day, and I absolutely love the setting! I also have a pair of ~.78 ctw studs set in 3-prong martinis, but I rarely wear them. That's partly due to the size - these fit my current lifestyle better - but also because I find the 8-prong setting to be much more comfortable and easy to wear than the 3-prong setting. BTW the back of the 8-prong setting is more rounded than pointy. My 3-prong setting has pointy backs.
 
VRBeauty said:
These are my 8-prong martinis from Whiteflash. The earrings are about .48 ctw, or just under 1/4 carat each. I wear these earrings almost every day, and I absolutely love the setting!
Click to expand...

Thank you! It looks fine in the photo even with such small diamonds, but always hard to tell. Do you find that the setting overpowers the diamonds at all? I want the diamonds to be the feature if you know what I mean.
 
No, absolutely not. The prongs are tiny as compared to even my little diamonds. The photo is actually misleading because you're seeing the earrings at an angle, and seeing much more of the prongs than you do when you're looking at the earrings head-on.
 
I have a pair of studs in a 3 prong setting. My jeweler called them a three prong basket but they look like martini's to me but the base near the post is a bit flatter. They sit better on my ear than the standard martini's that I had in the past. This is a lousy photo and maybe these are just flatter versions of martini's. I don't know. But they don't sit so far down in the piercing as my prior martinis.

FullSizeRender.jpg
 
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