The stones are black, but unlike onyx, they are clear at their depths. Today, I went shopping around jewelry stores for 1cttw black diamond studs. I had these earrings in tow...for comparison.  The average price for a 1cttw black diamond stud is 400.  None of  the earrings I saw were as sparkling as these.  While many reviewers seem unhappy about these earrings's size, I'll tell you, all of the 1cttw studs I saw today, were smaller than these. Really. I was mildly shocked.

I don't know much about black diamonds, but I have learned they are denser than white diamonds.  In appearance, they are quite a bit smaller than  white diamonds of the same carat weight. On average, they are not perfect and under the loupe imperfections become obvious.  My earrings do have some imperfections than can be seen when magnified, but the beauty and sparkle of these stones are not affected. The closest analogy I can make is: White clothing shows  dirt and imperfections directly to the eye. Black clothing may not be pristine, but the beauty of the clothing is unaffected, and most often, the imperfections cannot be seen by the eye.

These are beautiful earrings. Highly reflective and sparkling. The 14k setting is sturdy and Amazon's price is fantastic....crazy good!  They have their own unique beauty and really cannot be compared to white diamonds in size or grading. On the ears, the imperfections in these stones do not diminish their beauty.  These are beautiful, black, sparkling beauties. I'm glad to have them.  UPDATE:  I get so many compliments on these earrings. Often, I'm asked; "What kind of stone is that?"