Half moon cut

[diamondhunter111]

Does anyone have any opinion on a half moon cut as sidestones in a 3 stone ring with a RBC centre?

It appears that they used to be more popular in the old days next to a cushion cut but I have only ever seen one setting with a RBC. I think having something a bit unusal adds to the appeal for me but wondering if there is a fundamental reason why it isn't more popular. Even though you have would a curved surface of the RBC meeting a flat side of the half moon I think that the interface between the stones can look quite seamless with the right setting - unlike 2 RBCs. My jeweller said that he thought they might be more prone to loosing their sparkle once they get a bit dirty due to their shape/cut. They aren't that easy to find and obviously I would be looking for a pair with quite specific measurements and colour to match the centre stone.

Thanks
Mark

 

[tyty333]

Does anyone have any opinion on a half moon cut as sidestones in a 3 stone ring with a RBC centre?

It appears that they used to be more popular in the old days next to a cushion cut but I have only ever seen one setting with a RBC. I think having something a bit unusal adds to the appeal for me but wondering if there is a fundamental reason why it isn't more popular. Even though you have would a curved surface of the RBC meeting a flat side of the half moon I think that the interface between the stones can look quite seamless with the right setting - unlike 2 RBCs. My jeweller said that he thought they might be more prone to loosing their sparkle once they get a bit dirty due to their shape/cut. They aren't that easy to find and obviously I would be looking for a pair with quite specific measurements and colour to match the centre stone.

Thanks
Mark

Is this ring for you or for your SO? I dont think half moons with a RB would be very attractive. Just my 2 cents.
Are these step cut half moons or not step cut?

Here is a pair on the DBL website...
http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/matching-diamondsside-stones-37-total-weight-half-moons

 

[diamondhunter111]

Is this ring for you or for your SO? I dont think half moons with a RB would be very attractive. Just my 2 cents.
Are these step cut half moons or not step cut?

Thanks for the input. It is for my SO. I believe that they are not step cut but cut similarly to half a RBC. The idea would be to get a seamless transition so the whole profile of the 3 stones is sort of oval shaped. There are half moons that are elongated (like half ovals) which in my opinion create a better profile than the short fat ones.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, there is good reason that you don't see half moons next to rounds..there are much better choices! They are also not cut to be half round brilliant. Half moons are usually seen next to ovals and perhaps sometimes with cushions. But for a round, side rounds, pears, or baguettes are more commonly used and generally prettier.

 

[diamondhunter111]

They are also not cut to be half round brilliant.

What do you mean by this statement?

All of the references I have found to halm moon diamonds tak about either step cut or brilliant cut.

There is a picture in this thread which shows them:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/half-moon-cut-question.15466/

 

[diamondhunter111]

No, there is good reason that you don't see half moons next to rounds..there are much better choices!

Whiteflash used to do one but don't think it is available anymore. Perhaps it wasn't very popular.

http://www.whiteflash.com/jewelry/images/moonlight-diamond-engagment-ring-realphoto-1116.htm

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Their cut does not compare in terms of brillance or light performance compared to an ideal cut round, but most sidestones can't live up to that (other than small rounds). I do have a right hand ring setting with half moons that I will be setting a colored stone in soon (with larger oval center), but I would not choose side half-moons because they just generally aren't as pretty as the other stones I mentioned. I would imagine that lack of sales caused WF to discontinue that setting, and I do not recall ever seeing it posted here.

Here's a round with side pears made by Steven Kirsch and it is a much more popular three stone design here on the forum. And I would say that side rounds are also a classic and always well liked.

 

[GreenBling]

dont know enough to comment on the different cuts of half moon, just in terms of shape, i like it with elongated center like cushions or ovals. Think proportion is crucial especially with RB center - half moon on the smallish end might work better.

 

[SparklyOEC]

I have seen that combination as a 5-stone with a center OEC, and if the proportions are right, I think it can look really pretty! Below are two pics:

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I will agree that small ones can be good with an antique center and a 5 stone design.

 

[junebug17]

Nice SparklyOEC!

I did a quick google search and came up with a few


Here's one on youtube with crescent shape half moon cuts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHLUof_CbfQ



TBH, I think the half moons look best in a vintage style setting, like the ones Sparkly posted.

 

[SparklyOEC]

Does anyone have any opinion on a half moon cut as sidestones in a 3 stone ring with a RBC centre?

It appears that they used to be more popular in the old days next to a cushion cut but I have only ever seen one setting with a RBC. I think having something a bit unusal adds to the appeal for me but wondering if there is a fundamental reason why it isn't more popular. Even though you have would a curved surface of the RBC meeting a flat side of the half moon I think that the interface between the stones can look quite seamless with the right setting - unlike 2 RBCs. My jeweller said that he thought they might be more prone to loosing their sparkle once they get a bit dirty due to their shape/cut. They aren't that easy to find and obviously I would be looking for a pair with quite specific measurements and colour to match the centre stone.

Thanks
Mark

Do you already have the center stone? I agree with DS about it looking better with an OEC or even an AVR (like the one in Diamondseeker's avatar?) Would your SO consider an old cut or newly cut diamond in the OEC style as opposed to a MRB?

Since I don't know your preferences or budget, I just chose this one as an example: http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/9889/
And a video comparing an AVR to an Ideal RB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOL-_LiJKdk

Junebug: nice Simon G setting! And, with an RB center too!

 

[RockOnReen]

Last August I noticed two cracks in my original platinum three stone erring (RBC with trillions) and was told that having it fixed was not a realistic option given the size and location of the cracks…since I wasn't ready to keep wearing the ring as it was nor pick a forever setting without time to look and think, I had the center stone quickly re-set into a stock setting with two half moons and channel set princess cuts that I thought looked very nice with my channel set band. The center is 2.57 and the new side stones all together are .98 so I estimate the half moons at about .3. Fast forward a few months and I've decided that although the half moons are much more sparkly than the trillions were, they just don't work with my round center…mostly it's because I just don't care for the profile view because of the gap between the straight side of the half moon and the round side of the center stone. For some reason it jumps out more than it did with the larger trillions (which were .5 each). Maybe the issue could be fixed with different proportions but I've decided to have the center stone reset yet again and am going to have a cushion or oval colored stone put with the half moons. I'll try to load some photos of the current setting this weekend (I'm visiting with Steven Kirsch on Monday to have the resets started!). Hope this helps.

 

[RockOnReen]

Here are some photos I just took quickly.

 

[tyty333]

Just not a fan of half moons with round center. If the ring is for your SO and not you then I wouldn't go there.
Round with pears is nice.

 

[junebug17]

Thank you for sharing your ring and your experience RockonReen! Very helpful to the OP - please keep us posted on your resets, the half moons will look beautiful with an oval or cushion!

In the youtube video I posted, the stones are crescent shaped - curved to fit around the diamond. That's an option in terms of fitting better alongside a round stone. Just speaking in general terms, not directing this to you RockonReen - sounds like you have a plan!

 

[diamondhunter111]

Thanks a lot everyone, especially RockOnReen. I can see exactly the issue you are describing and I think that this would be the real worry for me i.e. not getting a seemless transition between the stones. I am not a huge fan of the larger half moons in general, but my preference generally is more finer styles of jewellery rather that chunky setting and bands. I did see a handmade piece in a jeweller that had acheived a seemless profile very well. This is what got me interested in the idea. Rather than using relatively large half moons (or even a crescent shape to assist in the flat against curved issue), the ring used very small half moons. They were actually a bit elongated so the flat side was even smaller (like half ovals). The result was somewhere between a '3 stone' look and the side stones being merely accents.

It that particular ring the centre stone was around 0.7ct and the sides totalled 0.16ct - yes very small. They overall look really worked though and it think the crucial aspects were the prong placements and the angle that the half moons were set at. Because the half moons were so small, they were each set in a 3 prong setting. It might be hard to see but perhaps something like the attached image but a more substantial band (the image is a setting intented as a dress ring with a coloured centre stone). It might be difficult to get such small half moons with the right proportions though.


My centre is a 0.80 ct RBC by the way.