Round Diamond Earrings for Women
Every earring in this collection uses round diamonds, whether as a single solitaire stud, a stone that swings below a hoop, or one of many small rounds in a cluster, climber or trio. They come in natural or lab-grown diamonds, including lab-grown pink, yellow, blue and green, in gold or 925 sterling silver.
Why Rounds Work So Well in Earrings
People see your earrings from the side, from below and while you're moving, rarely straight on. A round diamond looks the same from every direction and returns more light than any other shape, so it sparkles at whatever angle it catches. Its symmetry also makes two stones easy to match, which matters more in a pair of earrings than anywhere else.
In our earrings, round diamonds play one of three roles: the star of a stud, a stone in motion, or one of many in a larger design.
The Star: Round Diamond Studs
A round solitaire stud is the simplest earring there is, and the setting decides most of its character.
- Three-prong. Three small claws hold the stone and cover the least of it, so the diamond looks as large and bright as possible. The triangular claw pattern also reads a little more modern.
- Four-prong. Four claws make a square frame around the round. It's the traditional stud look and holds the stone very securely.
- Bezel. A smooth rim of metal circles the diamond. It won't catch on hair or clothing and the metal edge makes the stone look a touch wider. Our octagon-bezel stud frames the round in an eight-sided rim instead.
For size, a stud of about 0.25 carat per ear is a delicate everyday diamond, roughly half a carat per ear is the classic choice, and a full carat per ear is unmistakable. Our 2 carat bezel pairs, with 1 carat in each ear, also come in lab-grown fancy pink, yellow, blue and green. Single-stone studs in every shape are in our diamond solitaire earrings, and studs sorted by diamond type are in our natural diamond studs and lab-grown diamond studs.
In Motion: Rounds That Hang
A round diamond hanging below the ear catches light constantly as it moves. We set them three ways:
- Huggie dangles, with a round swinging from a snug little hoop. See our huggie earrings.
- Dangling hoops, with a round hanging from a slightly larger hoop, in pairs from 0.20 to 1 carat. See our solitaire drop hoops.
- Solitaire drops, a single round hanging below the post.
More hanging styles in every shape are in our dangling earrings.
One of Many: Rounds in a Design
Small rounds are the building blocks of most fancier earrings, because they fit together tightly and fill any outline with sparkle.
- Clusters and cluster bars, where rounds group into one larger shape or line up beside an emerald, pear, marquise, radiant or trillion diamond. Browse our diamond cluster earrings.
- Trio studs, three rounds set together in a small triangle.
- Bar earrings, a straight line of rounds.
- Fan, crown and flower studs, where rounds combine with baguettes or marquises into a shape. Flower-only designs are gathered in our floral cluster earrings.
- Evil eye studs, a round center ringed with small diamonds.
- Ear climbers, a line of rounds that runs up the edge of the ear from a single lobe piercing.
Climbers, trios and small bars also suit a second or upper-ear piercing. More pieces for the upper ear are in our cartilage earrings.
Natural or Lab-Grown
Natural round earrings go up to 1 carat per ear, and any natural diamond of 0.50 carat or more includes an IGI or GIA report. Lab-grown rounds, including the fancy colors, go up to 3 carats per ear, and any lab-grown diamond of 1 carat or more includes an IGI report. The small rounds in clusters, climbers and other designs fall below those sizes and aren't individually graded. Any pair priced above $800 also comes with a GSI jewelry certificate for the finished earrings.
Gold, Silver and Backs
Every round earring is made in 10K, 14K or 18K yellow, white or rose gold, and in 925 sterling silver. White gold and silver make a colorless round look its iciest, while yellow and rose gold warm it up and flatter the fancy colors. Studs come with a choice of push backs or screw backs; screw backs are worth it for larger diamonds or earrings you sleep in. To keep rounds bright, soak them in warm soapy water and brush gently behind each stone, as our care guide explains.