Diamond ring settings are one of the most important attributes of diamond rings. In fact, this is one of the first factors that you must decide on when choosing a sparkler. One of the main terms that you are likely to hear about when it comes to diamond ring settings is the melee diamonds.
What are melee diamonds?
Most diamond ring settings tend to feature melee diamonds as accents. Note that these are the tiny diamonds that are set on the band or around the center stone of a ring to spruce up its overall appeal as well as the sparkle. For instance, consider a halo diamond ring design that features a row of melee diamonds around the main gemstone. Like other diamonds, you must consider 4C’s while choosing melee diamonds. However, the standards to consider in both cases are different.
The 4C’s
While choosing a center diamond, the colorless variants are the most sought after ones. Such diamonds will be incredibly expensive. While choosing melee diamonds, you can compromise a bit on the color quality since it will not be that evident in smaller diamonds. After all, a cluster of tiny diamonds collectively offers sparkle to a ring in this case rather than a single diamond.
The same thing is applicable to the clarity grade of melee diamonds as well. On a related note, the clarity of a diamond is determined on the basis of the presence of inclusions or flaws in it. Unlike solitaire diamonds that are coveted for its flawlessness, you can consider melee diamonds that feature medium flaws as your accent stones.
When it comes to the diamond cut, there are two options for melee diamonds; single and full diamond cuts. A single cut diamond tends to feature 17 to 18 facets whereas, a full cut diamond boasts around 58 facets. Needless to mention, the latter will be ideal to flaunt the best sparkle and the appeal of round brilliant stones when set together. Unsurprisingly, people who give priority to the sparkle of their diamond rings tend to go with full-cut diamonds rather than its single cut counterparts.
The carat weight of melee diamonds usually ranges from 0.001 to 0.2 and will be extremely small in terms of its visual appeal. Note that the value of diamonds tends to go high with its carat weight. So, people who are tight on budget tend to set several melee diamonds in a way to create an illusion of a solitaire diamond. Needless to mention, the price of such diamond rings will be way lesser than a solitaire diamond ring of similar carat weight. Furthermore, buy gemstones certified by IGI, AGS, or GIA grading agencies or any other trustworthy labswhile choosing melee diamonds. Note that GIA certification is regarded as the best choice.