The world of diamond jewelry is as varied as the stars in the sky, and every bit as beautiful. Today we take a closer look at one of the simplest styles of jewelry — diamond studs.

Diamond studs are about as close as you can come to adorning yourself with just a stone. Their minimalist design has been an enduring style for decades, adding sparkle, class, and elegance, highlighting (but not overshadowing) the natural lines of the neck and jaw. They are nothing more than a diamond held in place usually by prongs, attached to a post with a secure backing to keep them in the ear.

When a concept is as simple as this, the execution demands even more attention. For example, the cut of the stones used in diamond studs is of paramount importance. Since the post is generally set dead center of the diamond, equalizing the weight, the best cuts for studs are ones that result in more than two axes of symmetry. A heart-shaped cut only has one axis, and can turn upside-down due to the uneven weight distribution. A rectangular cut, like a baguette or emerald, only has two axes of symmetry, so there’s a likelihood of one earring being sideways while the other one is oriented up-and-down.

The best cuts for diamond studs are round cuts and princess cuts. A princess cut (or square cut) has four axes of symmetry (picture a square of paper: you can fold it in four ways so that the edges line up exactly). This makes the stone balanced and less likely to spin, but also makes an incidental spin more likely to match up with the other earring. A round cut has infinite lines of symmetry, and can spin to its heart’s content and remain oriented exactly as its mate. Stone balance is not a problem you encounter with engagement rings and necklaces!

Even with a design so basic and elemental, it’s the details that matter. And it’s those same details that, when correctly executed, make the diamond stud a look that will never go out of style.