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1.85 ct total, D–F colour, VS clarity, 18K white gold
A pair of hoops set with 1.85 carat of natural round brilliant diamonds, colour D–F, clarity VS, in solid 18K white gold.
A stud rests. A hoop hangs.
That sentence is the whole difference, and it is why hoops are the one earring where weight is a buying criterion rather than a footnote.
A stud sits against the lobe and the lobe carries it from below. A hoop passes through the piercing and everything below the hole is suspended from it — and not straight down, but out on a curve. The mass sits away from the hole, which means it acts on a lever. The wider the hoop, the further out the gold sits, and the harder the same number of grams pulls.
The practical consequence surprises people: two pairs of hoops with the same carat weight can feel completely different on the ear. Carat weight measures only the diamonds. In a hoop, the gold is usually the larger part of the mass, and nothing on a ticket tells you how much of it there is or how far out it sits.
The number to ask for
Ask for the gram weight of the pair. It is the figure that predicts how a hoop will actually wear, and almost nobody publishes it — ourselves included, which we are fixing. Ask us and we will put them on the scale and tell you before you order.
As a rough guide: below about 3 grams per earring most people forget they are wearing hoops. Between 3 and 5 grams they are noticeable but comfortable for an evening. Above that, they are jewellery you put on deliberately and take off at the end of the night, which is fine as long as you know that is what you are buying.
Piercings, honestly
Heavy hoops worn daily for years are the most common cause of a stretched or elongated piercing. It is gradual and it does not hurt, which is why it goes unnoticed until the hole is visibly oval.
Three things prevent it, none of them onerous. Alternate hoops with studs rather than wearing the same heavy pair every day. Do not sleep in them. And if a hoop already tilts forward rather than hanging in line with the lobe, that is the early sign — come and show us before it becomes structural.
We would rather sell you a pair you still wear in ten years than the heaviest pair you can afford today.
Specification
- Stones: natural diamonds, round brilliant, 1.85 ct total
- Colour: D–F Clarity: VS range
- Metal: 18K white gold
Either side of this size
Lighter: the 1.41 ct hoops, where the hinge and the catch are explained. Heavier: the 2.04 ct hoops. All in diamond earrings.
Buying from Antwerp
In stock at our workshop in the Antwerp diamond district. Shipped insured and boxed.
