H&A Melee - worth it/ where to buy

[xxxxxx]

Hi everybody,

for a project I need 6x 2mm H&A Melee. Is it possible to purchase any online? My jeweller can't source them or if he would he would charge me double.
And is it worth it to get H&A Melee?
And while I'm at it is there OEC Melee?
Or is that pretty much single cut Melee?

Thanks for your help!

 

[whitewave]

Victor Canera has a great page about melee (single vs ideal cut).

Who is making the ring, your jeweler? Why do you need to source them?

 

[OoohShiny]

Wink / Wink's Elf / LaylaR at High Performance Diamonds might be able to provide their 'Lux' melee loose, but you would have to check!

 

[LLJsmom]

Single cuts are hard to source. Jewelers on PS would probably not sell them to you loose. They need them for their projects. Same would probably be true for super ideal cut melee. Maybe CBI can help you. I’m quite sure WF and VC would not sell them. And yes, single cuts are “oec” melee. You wouldn’t want to dig through a bunch of antique pieces trying to gather antique OEC melee. If you are set on using these stones you are better off using one of the vendors to make your whole piece.

 

[LightBright]

I have a platinum ring setting from 1913 with OEC melee. They are like tiny OECs. The sparkle is very very fine.

Single cuts comparatively have broader flashes of light. Hearts and Arrows melee sparkle with optimized light performance but with finer flashes of light than single cuts. There are a couple PS threads debating the benefits of Hearts and Arrows melee vs. Single cuts. I think Victor Canera uses single cuts for antique style stones and H&A for modern cut stones, but I’ve seen some people select H&A for their melee with antique center stones.

Small antique OEC melee is very rare and honestly doesn’t sparkle as well as the two above options but it’s cool to see. Scroll down the page at this link to the photo of the halo setting. You can see 1pt “old mine cut” melee cut by Yoram of Gem Concepts. https://gemconcepts.net/about-gemconcepts/

Have you tried DBL, Old World Diamonds, Parks Fine Group, or Gem Concepts for antique OEC or single cut melee? I guess my thought is to decide which type of cut you want before you search for it, OR use a jeweler who can procure either one for your setting.

 

[LinSF]

Wink / Wink's Elf / LaylaR at High Performance Diamonds might be able to provide their 'Lux' melee loose, but you would have to check!

I've asked, and they don't sell melee on their own anymore.

 

[xxxxxx]

Thanks everybody for weighing in! I think I'll hqve to ask my jeweller to source them. I'm just wary that he and I have a different definition of a well cut stone!

 

[whitewave]

Tell him you want ideal cut melee