8.00CT Total Weight Lab Grown Studs 14KT White Gold – IGI Certified

These 8 carat lab grown studs are a matched pair of round brilliant lab-grown diamonds, 4.00 carats in each ear, set in 14kt white gold four-prong baskets. Both diamonds are graded E color and VS2 clarity with Excellent cut, polish and symmetry, and both carry an IGI grading report. Below is everything you need to judge the pair before you see them in our Boca Raton showroom.

8 carat lab grown studs at a glance

Here are the specifications of these 8 carat lab grown studs, as recorded for this pair. Total diamond weight is 8.00 carats, made up of two round brilliant lab-grown diamonds of 4.00 carats each.

Color is E, one step below the top of the scale and firmly in the colorless range. Clarity is VS2, which means very small inclusions that are visible only under 10x magnification. Cut, polish and symmetry are all recorded as Excellent, the combination the trade calls Triple Excellent.

The metal is 14kt white gold, and each diamond sits in a four-prong basket setting with screw-style backs. Both diamonds are laboratory-grown, and both carry an IGI grading report.

In short, these are bold, bright, well-matched 8 carat lab grown studs in cool white gold, one step below the largest pair in the collection.

Is the 8 carats one diamond or two?

Two. The 8.00 carats is the total weight of the pair, not the weight of a single stone.

Each earring holds one round lab-grown diamond of 4.00 carats. Two of them make 8.00 carats total weight, which jewelers write as 8.00 ct TW.

When you compare 8 carat lab grown studs online, always check whether a listing gives the weight per ear or the total weight. The two are easy to confuse, and the difference in size on the ear is dramatic.

How big are 8 carat total weight earrings?

A well-cut 4.00 carat round brilliant measures roughly 10 millimeters across. For comparison, a 1.00 carat round is about 6.5 millimeters, a 2.00 carat round about 8 millimeters and a 5.00 carat round about 11 millimeters.

That makes 8 carat total weight earrings, four carats in each ear, a statement size that still sits comfortably on most earlobes. They are noticed across a room, but they do not overwhelm a smaller ear the way the largest studs can.

For many buyers, 8 carat total weight earrings are the sweet spot at the top of the range: nearly the presence of a five-carat stud, at a noticeably lower price.

If you are unsure which size suits you, the best test is to try several on. This collection comes in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat per-ear sizes, and comparing them side by side in a mirror settles the question quickly. Our guide to diamond carat weight explains how weight translates into visible size.

Statement lab grown earrings, and why they make sense

Statement lab grown earrings are one of the clearest cases for choosing lab-grown. A matched pair of four-carat mined diamonds with these grades would be a rare and very expensive purchase. In lab-grown diamonds, the same size and quality is within reach.

That is the reason people choose statement lab grown earrings: they want the look of a big, bright, well-matched pair without the price of mined stones of the same size.

Statement lab grown earrings are also easier to match. Because the stones are grown under controlled conditions, it is simpler to find two diamonds with identical weight, color, clarity and cut, and a close match matters more as the stones get bigger.

What lab grown diamonds are

A lab grown diamond is a real diamond. It is pure carbon arranged in the same crystal structure as a mined diamond, with the same hardness, the same refractive index and the same fire. The difference is only where it formed: in a laboratory over a few weeks, rather than deep in the earth over millions of years.

That is why a jeweler cannot tell a lab-grown diamond from a mined one with a loupe. Identifying a lab grown diamond takes specialized laboratory equipment. The International Gem Society has a clear explanation of how lab-created diamonds are grown and how they compare with mined stones.

We say lab grown plainly and on purpose. Federal guidance requires a laboratory-grown diamond to be described that way, and we would rather you know exactly what you are buying than discover it later.

IGI lab grown diamond studs

These are IGI lab grown diamond studs: each lab-grown diamond comes with a grading report from the International Gemological Institute, one of the largest independent gem laboratories in the world and the most widely used lab for lab-grown stones.

The report records the carat weight, color, clarity, cut, polish, symmetry and measurements of each diamond, and it identifies the diamond as laboratory-grown. You can check any report number on the IGI website.

For IGI lab grown diamond studs of this size, the reports are more than paperwork. They let you confirm the two stones really are matched, and they give an appraiser and an insurer an independent description of each diamond.

When you visit, we will show you both reports alongside the earrings, so you can compare the grades with what you see under the loupe.

White gold lab grown studs: why the metal matters

White gold lab grown studs are the classic choice, and there is a good reason for it. White metal frames a colorless diamond without adding any warmth, so an E color stone faces up icy white.

The prongs are the only metal you see from the front, and in white gold they almost disappear against the diamond. That makes the stones look even larger.

14kt white gold is also the practical choice for earrings you intend to wear often. It is 58.3 percent pure gold, alloyed with other metals for strength, so the prongs and posts hold their shape well, which matters when each post carries a four-carat diamond.

White gold is usually plated with rhodium for a bright white finish. Over years of wear the plating can soften, and we can re-plate white gold lab grown studs in store to restore the finish.

How four prongs hold a four-carat diamond

Four slim prongs hold each diamond at its girdle, one at each corner, and leave almost the entire stone open to light. Less metal means more sparkle, and the square arrangement of the prongs gives the round diamond a clean, symmetrical frame.

The basket beneath each diamond lifts it slightly away from the earlobe, so light can enter from the sides as well as the top.

As the side photo shows, the pair is fitted with screw-style backs, which thread onto the post. For a diamond of this size, screw backs are the most secure option, and we recommend them for any stud over a carat.

Heavier stones put more weight on the ear. If you find a four-carat stud tilts forward, ask us about larger discs or support backs that spread the weight across the lobe.

E color and VS2 clarity, explained

Diamond color is graded on a scale from D, completely colorless, to Z, with a light yellow tint. E is the second-highest grade, and to the naked eye an E color diamond is indistinguishable from a D. Our guide to diamond color shows the full scale.

Color matters more as diamonds get larger, because a bigger stone shows more body color. In 8 carat lab grown studs, an E grade means the stones stay bright white even at this size.

Clarity describes the tiny internal features, called inclusions, that almost every diamond has. VS2 stands for very slightly included. The inclusions in a VS2 diamond are hard to find even under 10x magnification and are not visible to the eye at normal viewing distances.

For a broader overview of how color, clarity, cut and carat work together, see our guide to the diamond 4Cs, or the Gemological Institute of America introduction to diamond quality.

Cut, polish and symmetry

Of the four Cs, cut has the largest effect on sparkle. A well-cut round brilliant has 57 or 58 facets angled to send light back up through the top of the stone, which is where the brilliance and fire come from.

Both diamonds in this pair are recorded as Excellent for cut, polish and symmetry. Polish describes the smoothness of the facet surfaces; symmetry describes how precisely the facets line up with one another.

On large studs, cut quality shows up in a very practical way. Studs are seen at a distance and from every angle as you move, so a diamond that throws light well looks brighter and larger than a poorly cut diamond of the same weight. Our page on diamond cut goes into the grades in more detail.

Why a matched pair matters

Diamond studs are always seen as a pair, so the two stones have to agree with each other. A difference in color, size or cut that would go unnoticed in a single diamond becomes obvious when two stones sit a few inches apart.

These 8 carat lab grown studs were matched for exactly that reason. Both diamonds are the same weight, the same color grade, the same clarity grade and the same cut grade, so they look the same on each ear.

How to wear 8 carat lab grown studs

Studs this size work with almost anything. With a white shirt or a simple dress, 8 carat lab grown studs become the focal point of the outfit, so keep other jewelry quiet: a slim chain, a watch or a plain band.

For evening, 8 carat lab grown studs pair well with a diamond tennis bracelet or a line necklace in white gold. Hair worn up or tucked behind the ear shows the stones at their best.

They are also a natural gift for a milestone: a significant birthday, an anniversary or a promotion. A pair of 8 carat lab grown studs is a gift that will be worn, not stored.

The value of lab grown diamonds

The main reason people choose lab grown diamonds is value. A lab-grown diamond typically costs a fraction of a mined diamond with the same grades, which is what puts 8 carat lab grown studs within reach at all.

We want to be honest about the other side of that. Lab-grown diamond prices have fallen as production has grown, and lab-grown diamonds do not hold resale value the way mined diamonds historically have. Buy these because you will love wearing them, not for resale.

Seen that way, 8 carat lab grown studs are a large, beautiful, durable pair of diamonds you can actually wear, rather than keep in a safe.

Seeing these 8 carat lab grown studs in Boca Raton

Photographs are a good start, but diamonds are best judged in daylight, on your own ear, next to other sizes. You are welcome to see these 8 carat lab grown studs at our Boca Raton showroom and compare them with other sizes from the same collection.

We are open Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 5:30, and Saturday, 10:30 to 4:30. Directions and parking are on our Visit Us page.

David Stern Jewelers has served Boca Raton for over 40 years. David Stern is a GIA Graduate Gemologist, so detailed questions about how the diamonds were graded can be answered on the spot.

Caring for your diamond studs

Diamond is the hardest natural material, but it attracts oil. Lotion, hairspray and the natural oils of the skin build up on the back of the stone and dull its sparkle long before anything else goes wrong.

To keep the pair bright, soak the earrings in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, brush gently behind each diamond with a soft toothbrush, rinse, and pat dry. Our jewelry care guide has more detail.

Every few months, check that each backing still threads on firmly and that no prong has been snagged on a sweater or towel. You are welcome to bring the pair into our store for a professional cleaning and a prong check.

Store each earring separately, in a soft pouch or a lined box compartment, so the diamonds cannot scratch each other or other jewelry.

Insuring your diamond studs

A pair of this size is worth insuring. Most homeowners and renters policies cap jewelry coverage at a low amount unless each piece is scheduled separately, and scheduling usually requires a written appraisal.

The IGI reports describe the diamonds, but they do not state a value. An insurance appraisal does. We offer jewelry appraisals in store, describing the diamonds, the gold and the setting in the detail an insurer needs.

More diamond studs from David Stern Jewelers

The same four-prong design comes in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat per-ear sizes, in both 14kt white gold and 14kt yellow gold. This exact pair is also available as 8 carat yellow gold studs, and for the largest size, see the 10 carat lab grown studs in white gold.

You can browse all our diamond studs, or the full range of earrings.

Questions about these 8 carat lab grown studs