Gem Stone King Materials Guide 2026: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Pearls and What Each Stone Name Means
Two pairs of round red garnet studs sit on the same website. One costs $16.99. The other costs $144.99. Same birthstone, same January meaning, roughly the same size on the ear. The difference is everything you can't see in a thumbnail: the metal under the stone, and how it was made.
That's the quiet skill of buying jewelry online. At Gem Stone King (gemstoneking.com), every listing title spells out its metal and stone, so once you can read those words, the prices suddenly make sense. We went through the brand's product pages, its Lab Grown Diamond Guide and its FAQ on October 20, 2026, and turned them into a plain-English materials guide.
Who This Guide Is For
- Anyone who has stared at "Blue Sapphire" and "Blue Created Sapphire" on the same page and wondered why one costs more than double.
- Gift buyers choosing between silver, gold-plated, solid gold and platinum for the same design.
All prices are the USD prices shown on gemstoneking.com when we checked.
Step One: Know Your Metal
Gem Stone King groups its catalog by metal, and five families come up again and again.
925 sterling silver. The entry point, and the reason so many birthstone pieces stay under $100. The 6mm round birthstone studs in sterling silver start at $16.99 in garnet, $18.99 in amethyst and $22.99 in peridot. Bright, cool-toned and easy to wear every day.
18K yellow gold plated silver. The listing for the 4mm round birthstone studs describes "a robust layer of 18K yellow gold plating over sterling silver." You get the warm gold look on a silver base, with most stones at $69.99 to $89.99 and white moissanite at $59.99.
Solid 10K and 14K gold. Here the whole setting is gold, in yellow, white or rose depending on the piece. The 14K 6mm martini studs, with a three-prong setting, run from $129.99 in created ruby to $229.99 in white moissanite, and you can pick 14K yellow or white gold.
Two-tone: 925 silver and 10K yellow gold. Silver bands with 10K gold accents or prongs. Read these titles slowly, because the gold may be the setting rather than the whole piece.
Platinum. A smaller group of studs and engagement rings with titles reading "PT900 Platinum 900." The 3mm six-prong platinum studs start at $114.99. One tip: on the 1.00 cttw lab-grown diamond platinum studs, the title says PT900 while the description says PT950. If purity matters to you, ask support before you order.
One Garnet, Four Metals
To see what the metal does to the price, here's a red garnet stud in four different listings. Sizes and settings differ a little, so treat this as a feel for the range, not a like-for-like test.
| Listing | Metal | Garnet price |
|---|---|---|
| 6mm round birthstone studs | 925 sterling silver | $16.99 |
| 4mm round birthstone studs | 18K yellow gold plated silver | $79.99 |
| 3mm six-prong studs | PT900 platinum | $129.99 |
| 6mm martini studs | Solid 14K yellow or white gold | $144.99 |
Buy silver if you want color for less and like to switch pieces often. Buy solid gold or platinum if you want one pair that stays in for years.
Compare Metals on Gem Stone King →
Step Two: Read the Stone Name Word by Word
The stone dropdown is where prices jump the most. On the same sterling silver 6mm stud listing:
- Blue Sapphire is $69.99, while Blue Created Sapphire is $29.99.
- Ruby is $249.99, while Created Ruby is $24.99.
- Morganite is $149.99 and tanzanite is $169.99, so some natural stones cost far more than others.
"Created" means a lab-made version of that gem. You'll also see the word "Simulated," as in the Blue Simulated Opal cabochon on the gold-plated studs ($79.99). Just make sure the one in your cart matches what you meant to buy.
Lab-grown diamonds
Gem Stone King's Lab Grown Diamond Guide says lab-grown diamonds are pure carbon with the same crystal structure as mined diamonds, grown by one of two methods: High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). They're graded on the same 4 Cs, by labs such as the International Gemological Institute (IGI), and many listings put the IGI note right in the title. The 1.00 cttw platinum studs, for example, list E-F color and VVS-VS clarity at $434.99.
Moissanite
Moissanite is its own stone option across the catalog, often the lower-priced white sparkle next to lab-grown diamond. On the 3mm platinum studs, white moissanite is $114.99 and white lab-grown diamond is $149.99. The FAQ says a small moissanite collection comes with certificate cards.
Pearls: Cultured Freshwater, Set in Gold
The pearls in the catalog are listed as cultured freshwater pearls, which the brand's descriptions call a sustainable and ethical choice.
The 14K Gold Cultured Freshwater Pearl Endless Hoop Earrings ($129.99, compare-at $169) hang a 7mm white pearl from a 12mm hoop that slips on without a separate back. For a ring, the 7-7.5MM Cultured Freshwater Pearl and Lab Grown Diamond Ring ($149.99, compare-at $195) sets the pearl on a two-tone band of 925 sterling silver and 10K yellow gold, in sizes 5 to 9.
Shop by Material
One piece from each material family, with the USD prices on the brand's site on October 20, 2026.
Prices change often; the brand's site always shows the current price.
Looking After Each Material
The FAQ keeps it simple. Store diamond, gemstone, gold and silver pieces in soft cloth pouches when you're not wearing them. It also notes that everyday contact with perspiration and household chemicals such as chlorine and hairspray can leave buildup that dulls a diamond's surface, and recommends cleaning your pieces from time to time to keep the sparkle.
Before You Check Out
- Shipping: standard shipping is free on US orders (3–5 business days), and next-day delivery is complimentary from $99.99. Orders above $300 need a signature. No international or APO/FPO shipping.
- Returns: 30 days from purchase, for unused pieces in original condition and packaging, with proof of purchase. You pay return shipping.
- Ring sizes: the FAQ says to contact the company right away if you order the wrong size; it may exchange or resize for free, depending on availability.
- Warranty: product descriptions mention a lifetime warranty, but we didn't find written terms, so ask what it covers.
Codes change often, so we keep today's offers on one page.
See Today's Gem Stone King Codes →
Quick Answers
Is gold plated silver the same as solid gold?
No. The plated pieces have an 18K gold layer over sterling silver, according to the listing. Solid 10K or 14K pieces say "Solid" or name the karat as the metal itself.
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
The brand's guide says yes: same carbon, same crystal structure, graded on the same 4 Cs by labs such as IGI.
The Bottom Line
At Gem Stone King, the price tag is a sentence you can read: metal first, then stone, then the small words like "created," "simulated" and "IGI." Choose sterling silver for color on a budget, plated silver for a gold look, solid gold or platinum for keep-forever pieces, and pearls when you want soft glow instead of sparkle. Then check the Gem Stone King deals page before you pay.
How we wrote this: WeartrialsLab researched Gem Stone King using its official website, product listings, Lab Grown Diamond Guide, FAQ, prices and policies on October 20, 2026. We haven't personally tested these products and we don't invent ratings or discount codes. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.