Stud Settings Your Preferences

[avalpert]

What are people's preferences for diamond stud settings (for 1.5 ctw studs). I am particularly interested in hearing why people chose between Martini and Basket styles and why people chose the 8-prong martini setting at whiteflash or 3-prong instead of it.

So many choices makes decisions difficult.

 

[Dancing Fire]

i'd prefer 3 prong martini cuz they're easier to clean.

 

[antelope1]

But a martini is easy to clean in general. I'd go for the 8 prong martini in that size for the security of the extra prongs -- if you break one prong, you still have 7 left (and the diamond on your ear). If you break 1 out of 3 prongs, there's a good chance that your diamond will go spinning across the room...wheeeee!

Basket settings set the stud off the ear. I guess that's better for light reflection, but I personally don't like having the extra weight or volume, so prefer martinis.

 

[Gypsy]

I like the eight prong because i think it adds a little more size and really keeps the round shape. That said, because there are so many prongs they have to be done right otherwise they look like gremlin hands grasping at the diamonds.

I like the handmade 3 prong martini's a lot. I've seen them in real life and they are lovely. They also keep the round shape well.

I don't like the way baskets can push the diamond out from the ear too far, so martini's are my preference.

My favorite are bezels, but that's just my taste.

 

[geckodani]

Gypsy - LMAO at Gremlin hands. I feel ya though.

3 prong martini: Minimal prongs obstructing diamond. Sits closer to the ear. Some people have expressed concerns about holes stretching, but I haven't had any problems with mine. These are my personal preference.

Basket settings: Sit up off the ear, some like that it can make the diamond appear bigger than a martini that sits closer to the ear.

Bezel: Tends to make stones look larger thanks to the added circumference. Sits close to ear. A more modern look, IMO.

8 prong: As Gypsy said, also tends to make diamond look larger, thanks to outlining the circumference. I tend to like 8 prongs more with older stones for some reason. If they are done badly, it's no good. Gypsy pretty much nailed it with the gremlin hand reference, LOL!

 

[Andelain]

I much prefer the 8-prong martinis for all the reasons above. They make my .82 CTW ACA's look so big and round. They're my favorite earrings by far.

 

[kelpie]

I've had 3 prong and 8 prong from WF and preferred the 8. The three looks asymmetrical and I felt like they got dirty much quicker because the pavilions were far less covered. I don't like baskets because they look like frankenstein bolts. My favorite studs are now milgrain bezels re-set from 3 prong martinis. I was at single stone and I took out my 3 prong martini studs (not WF) to ask them about resetting in a bezel and to my absolute shock one of the diamonds was just spinning around in the setting, so security is another reason why I'm no longer a 3 prong martini fan. Thank goodness I was already at the jeweler.

 

[that_someone_special]

I have 8 prongs and make sure you go to someone that has set with 8 prongs before. Mine look great until half way around then they get a little "prongy" where more metal is on the diamond vs the other side. Sigh. They look super antique at least.

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy - LMAO at Gremlin hands. I feel ya though.Gypsy pretty much nailed it with the gremlin hand reference, LOL!

Have you read Pratchett-- if you have it's the like the hands version of Rincewind's luggage (100's of feet) to me when the 8 prongs are done wrong. Creepy. But when done well, I lurve them.