Diamond Earring Jackets (Angela Lockhart)

Diamond earring jackets are a great way to spice up your jewelry collection. These pretty baubles come in all shapes, sizes, and themes, allowing you to turn any basic earring into something special. Earring jackets are pieces of metal that sit upon the post of an earring. While that is vague, it's probably the easiest way to describe them. Some earring jackets hang upon a stud and are simple hoops, while others are adorable charms. Still others are gorgeous chandeliers that dangle. There are understated jackets, too, that are disc-shaped pieces of metal, giving a sort of "background" to a simple stud.

Spicing up your gemstone studs is easy-peasy with the right diamond jacket. As with any earring, you're still looking for something that frames and flatters your face. Since the jackets are removable, a single earring jacket can drastically expand your jewelry combinations. A basic diamond jacket can be paired with studs of all types: gemstone, precious metal, patterned. Most jackets are made from a precious metal, but allergy sufferers should still be careful. Although the jacket itself doesn't go inside your ear, it does rest against your skin.

The patterns of earring jackets are almost endless. Nautically themed diamond earring sets seems to be all the rage, with charm-style jackets being the most popular. Not quite as cute but certainly stylish are "wheel" style, which reminds me of macaroni wheels, except that they made of gold, silver, or platinum, with the outside edge and spokes encrusted with diamonds and other gems. Hammered metals are another common style, ranging from floral to abstract. These seem to vary more in material, although most are still made of metal.

Finding affordable diamond earring is a cinch. While diamond earring jackets can give an extra pizzazz to basic studs, the jackets themselves don't necessarily need to bear top-shelf diamonds to look fantastic. Since they are viewed from such a distance, gems set in earrings and earring accessories can be of a lower grade and still dazzle. The only diamond jackets that need flawless or near flawless gems are pendant-style jackets. Droplets and chandeliers are very visible and quite eye-catching, so clarity is important here. For the more "background" style sets, what really matters is cut and setting, just like in the earrings themselves.

If you're looking for a new way to wear your old earrings, earring jackets really are the way to go. Your classic gem studs, and even the "huggie" earrings, can benefit from the flair provided by a really stunning diamond earring sets. The wealth of styles, added to the versatility of a well-chosen accessory, elevates any piece, from work-a-day to belle-of-the-ball.

Processing ...