Big Stud Energy

A-Listers Are All Ears

The pear-shaped diamond is having quite the renaissance – and as you continue on for tips on how to make your diamond studs look bigger, you’ll learn all about how elongated diamond cuts create an illusion that makes the stone look larger.

As classic as you can get, the diamond stud earring is seriously getting its flowers. Its power lies in its versatility. From delicate everyday sparkle to statement-making shine, stud earrings are becoming the focal point while chandelier earrings and hoops start to take a bit of a backseat. 

While the round-cut stud is still king, the pear-shaped diamond stud earrings are truly giving it a run for its money. Unexpected cuts are ruling the school as well, with Jennifer Lawrence championing Briony Raymond Asscher-cut diamond studs to the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, and Hailey Bieber rocking 30-carat Lorraine Schwartz Asscher-cut diamond stud earrings at the 2026 WWD Style Awards. 

How to Make Diamond Studs Look Bigger

While much of this inspo is larger than life, there are plenty of ways to achieve the look for less with a natural diamond. Thanks to unique techniques that allow your diamond stud earrings to look bigger and shine with maximum impact, there’s no need to spend a fortune to try out this celeb-inspired look. 

The Halo Effect

A diamond-studded optical illusion of sorts, a halo of small, pavé-set stones tricks the eye into making your classic studs look bigger and better, almost becoming an extension of the core diamond. The outer border of tiny, delicate stones even comes with the added benefit of securing and supporting the center stone, without taking away from its beauty. With hidden halos as a softer, more subtle alternative, they also add to the drama without altering the earrings’ natural silhouette in a chic and discreet way. 

Bezels Have an Edge

With a thin ring of metal surrounding the stone, safely securing it in place, a bezel setting will make any stone appear larger. A frame for your diamond studs, the bezel setting has stood the test of time. An excellent option for those who wish for a more substantial look, there’s nothing like a chunky bezel to make your diamond stud earrings look bigger. 

Even though the custom Lorraine Schwartz stud earrings Hailey Bieber wore to the 2026 Grammy Awards featured gargantuan 20-carat pear-shaped diamonds, their bezel setting outlined the stones for maximum impact. 

Same goes for Zoë Kravitz’s $5 million 32-carat round diamond studs she wore to the 2020 Golden Globes. Though the diamonds were already humongous, designer Lorraine Schwartz highlighted their size with a bezeled frame of black jade. While we can’t all have 32 carats of diamond earrings, a bezel holds the same power with more practical-sized diamonds or stones under 2 carats.

Strength in Numbers

With far more impact than the subtle stud, classic cluster earrings have timeless appeal with smaller diamonds that, when combined in their wreath-like assortment, pack a punch. Designed to showcase the luminous interplay between multiple diamond cuts, cluster earrings are versatile in nature – defined by the presence of multiple diamonds in a setting. Some styles shimmer like snow on a holly wreath, while others are so floral in concept, they resemble a diamond bouquet.

The most notable cluster silhouette perfectly balances the dimensional architecture of marquise-cut and pear-shaped diamonds for a pointed grandeur and glamour. Arguably, the most recognizable versions were designed by none other than Mr. Harry Winston. Inspired by snow, softly glistening on a decorative holly wreath at his home, the masterful jeweler created his first Cluster collection in the 1940s.

Warm Tones, Major Impact

For years, white or colorless diamonds were considered the peak of luxury. Now, warm diamonds are finally getting their due, charming everyone with their toasted allure.

Treated as a lesser product with a lower price, brown, cognac, champagne, and “desert” diamonds have flipped the narrative, finally becoming all the rage these days.

Still priced a bit lower than stones D through H on the color scale, you’re more likely to get more bang for your buck, with a little more character and individuality to boot.

The Long Game

Elongated cushion-cuts, marquise-cuts, emerald-cuts, ovals, movals, and pear-shapes all create a lengthened silhouette that makes the stone appear larger than its carat weight, bringing about even more sparkle than expected. The stretched-out nature of these stones even allows for more visibility and versatility – you can tilt it on an angle, wear it horizontally or vertically – something that would have gone unnoticed with a round or square-shaped stone. The recent hunger for the pear-shaped stud also opens the opportunity to wear it as a teardrop or pointed downwards. Whatever suits your fancy, elongated diamond cuts can stretch the imagination. 

The Pavé Payoff

Similar to the effect produced by cluster earrings, pavé diamond stud earrings are the amalgamation of loads of shimmering, delicate diamonds, appearing as a starry night sky. Shining just as bright as a solitaire stud, pavé studs get you the look for less.