How important are .... with small diamonds?

[tweddy]

****o everyone,

i was wondering how important the four c''s were with brilliant cut diamonds of about 1/2 carat? Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Tweddy

 

[Mara]

My opinion is that it depends on what you are using the 1/2c for. If they are for earrings or similar, some might argue that you don't need to be as stringent as with something such as an engagement ring. Earrings are worn on the head (normally!) and people don't get up close to your ears to inspect them as they would a ring. My earrings are 1/2c each and they are not the BEST cut (large table, larger depth) but they sparkle very well and catch the eye, and that's really all my boyfriend was looking for when we got them (2 yrs ago). Knowing what we know now in the future purchases will be different, but for what they are and why they were purchased..they are perfect.

If it is for something such as an e-ring or a 3 or 5 stone ring etc..I would say that the cut is still pretty important. Even of a stone 1/2c size, cut can definitely affect the brilliance and sparkle. I would say that unless we are talking accent stones of under .10c, the cut is still pretty important. I've seen diamonds in rings that are .20c or similar and they still can look dull if they are not cut well.

My two cents..

 

[tweddy]

thx for your reply mara,

actually its supposed to be for an engagement ring. as a graduate student my budget is extremely tight. Does anyone know what setting would be best for a small diamond such as this one?

Tweddy

 

[barry]

tweddy;

Cut is important in a 1/2 carat stone and you will be able to
see the difference between a very-well cut stone to a mediocre cut.

As far as settings go, opt for a 4-prong Platinum.
The metals' strength is excellent and designed for long-term
wear; the 4-prong will expose more diamond surface area to the eye.

Barry
superbcert.com

 

[dymonite]

FYI,

My understanding is that Garry Holloway even uses the Iscope to choose melee (teeny-weeny) diamonds.

I am not sure how he picks them up with tweezers.

I tried with my 6pt princesses and almost lost it after it jumped out - very awkward!

 

[student]

Cut will still be very important. Color will be too, but within any given color, the smaller the diamond, the whiter it will look. Clarity will probably matter a bit less than it would in a larger diamond if your main concern is appearance to the unaided eye. And I guess the 4th C is already taken care of! The diamond I just bought wan't terribly large (I'm also a graduate student), and paying careful attention to cut, color, and clarity (especially cut and color) definitely paid off.