What Are Melee Diamonds?
Melee diamonds is a term used to describe small diamonds. The diamond weight for melee diamonds range from as low as 0.001 carats (1000th/carat) to 0.18 carats. Melee diamonds are commonly referred to by customers as “Diamond Chips”. It is a term that is not used by jewelers. The term “Diamond Chips” is considered to be derogatory. The diamond and jewelry industry is very particular in using certain terms (e.g. of diamond clarity classification of I1-I2-I3 changed from Imperfect to Included). Moreover, the word diamond chip seems like a diamond has cracks and is chipped. It feels like someone took a hammer and hit the diamond, crushing it into hundreds of smaller ‘diamond chips’.
Majority of the diamonds mined, cut and produced in the world are melee. The diamonds in melee sizes are usually sold in parcels and lots. They can be bought in parcels of 1.00 carat to 100’s of carats. Melee diamonds change hands on a regular basis. Just like how a $1 bill is the most produced and used denomination in the USA. In wholesale diamond bourses throughout the world a single parcel of melee diamonds will sometimes be sold and resold 3-4 times in a day. They are basically flipped at nominal profits! However, due to the size of the parcels, the final amounts are enormous. To put things in perspective, say 0.01 carat melee black diamonds cost around $ 25/carat. Individually, that is not a significant amount. Now multiply that $25/carat with a parcel of 1000 carats. Suddenly you are looking at a final price of $ 25,000. It completely changes the scenario.
Melee diamonds change several hands on a daily basis. This is primarily facilitated by diamond brokers. Diamond brokers are freelance commissioned individuals who know what is going on the market, who’s got what, who is desperate to sell, who is desperate to buy, etc. They are the road runners and jobbers of the diamond industry. They have inside information about a lot of diamond dealers, wholesalers and cuttings houses. Diamond brokers earn anywhere from 0.25% to 1.5% of the final sales value. The figure doesn’t sound a lot for something that seems to require a lot of energy, knowledge and insight. Let’s take the example of the previous $25/carat x 1000 carats .01 carat black diamond parcel. At a nominal rate of 0.75% commission, the broker makes $ 187.50 from one single transaction. On a good day, a diamond broker would do as much as ten transactions. In most cases, the effort involved from the broker’s side is knowing the seller and the buyer. Mind you, a lot of times throughout the entire negotiating process, the buyer and seller will not meet, talk face to face or even know each other! It is the diamond broker who is convincing the seller to sell and the buyer to buy.
Sorting and grading of melee diamonds is another art form. They are usually sorted by using a diamond sieve. It is just like a normal sieve. A round stainless steel metal sheet with holes of different sizes in it. Sorting melee diamonds in different sizes is a very noisy process. You pour the diamond parcel on the top of the diamond sieve and shake it. Once shaken, you have to use a pair of tweezers to bang the edges to ensure that the borderline diamonds sieve through. Once that is done, the diamonds that are stuck in the sieve have to be pushed through with the tweezers. It is more of fun visually then verbally. I will be putting up a video of diamond sieving hopefully in a short period of time for you to see how it works.
Once these melee diamonds are sieved and sorted in similar sizes, they need to be graded. Grading melee diamonds is not a job for the faint-hearted. Melee diamonds need to be sorted, graded, matched and paired together in groups. A regular gemologists who is trained for larger diamonds usually falls flat when grading and sorting melee diamonds. They find it hard to hold them. Without experience, these small diamonds will be “pinging” out of the tweezers throughout the room. Good luck trying to find a 0.01 carat diamond in a carpet. Moreover, melee diamonds are not graded in the same manner as regular larger sized diamonds. It is simply not possible to give them a cut grade based on the GIA standards. There are technological advancements in this field but none come close to an experienced eye. Only an experienced diamond grader can sort through melee diamonds, put them in individual groups based on clarity, color, cut and then calibrated based on measurements with the use of basic and rudimentary tools. It requires skill, a steady hand and tremendous amount of patience to sort through a 25 carat parcel of 0.01 carat diamonds. I know it since that’s how I started in the diamond industry. Sorting 20-30 carats of melee diamonds in a day.
Melee diamonds are used by jewelers and customers for various purposes. One of the common use of melee diamonds is in custom work, repairs and replacing lost diamonds. Custom work requires diamonds of all shapes and sizes. Making custom jewelry usually requires a various number of melee diamonds in different sizes. This is where the expertise of a skilled Gemologist and Diamond Grader is useful. It is important to ensure that the diamonds you plan to put into a precious diamond engagement ring has to be chosen with great diligence and skill.
Setting of melee diamonds is also tricky. Just like grading melee diamonds require experience and skill, setting them requires an even steadier hand. A master jeweler and master craftsman is required to do a good job. Every diamond when set in a piece of jewelry is put through pressure. This ensures that it does not pop out with ease. The amount of pressure required on a melee diamond is relatively the same but it’s chances of breaking in the process of setting is more. Every jeweler has a reserve of melee diamonds while setting them just incase they break or chip. It is a very common for them to break due to their size and pressure. Everytime, I get a custom piece of jewelry made, I give my master jewelers a bit of leniency when setting melee diamonds. Once again, technology has made progress with more efficient tools for the jeweler but nothing comes close to a steady and experience hand of a master jeweler.
You will find a lot of articles on melee diamonds on the web BUT you will NOT find an article that describes the intricate working of the melee diamond market. Hope this was helpful for all!!!
This list will define an approximate MM diameter size and its relation to weight.
- 0.001 carat – 0.78 mm – 0.99 mm
- 0.005 carat – 1.00 mm – 1.15 mm
- 0.0075 carat = 1.16 mm – 1.23 mm
- 0.01 carat = 1.24 mm – 1.40 mm
- 0.02 carat = 1.56 mm – 1.80 mm
- 0.025 carat = 1.81 mm – 1.88 mm
- 0.03 carat = 1.89 mm – 2.10 mm
- 0.04 carat = 2.10 mm – 2.33 mm
- 0.05 carat = 2.24 mm – 2.43 mm
- 0.06 carat = 2.44 mm – 2.50 mm
- 0.07 carat = 2.51 mm – 2.73 mm
- 0.08 carat = 2.74 mm – 2.80 mm
- 0.10 carat = 2.81 mm – 3.10 mm
- 0.12 carat = 3.11 mm – 3.23 mm
- 0.15 carat = 3.23 mm – 3.54 mm
- 0.18 carat = 3.55 mm – 3.83 mm
Grab And Run Thief Takes Four Rings
The suspect pictured is being sought by police as a suspect in a grab and run of four diamond rings, including one of three carats, from a store in Orange , California on February 3, 2009. The suspect had posed as a boyfriend looking to buy an engagement ring and returned to the store multiple times, seeking to build rapport with the store’s sales associates. He is described as a black male in his 20s, 5′ 9” and 165 lbs. Anyone with information should contact Detective Leslie Franco of the Orange Police Department at 714-744-7572
Biggest Diamond In The Universe!
Biggest Diamond in the Universe
Astronomers discovered the largest diamond of all times in space. The weight of the precious stone reportedly makes up ten billion trillion trillion carats or five million trillion trillion pounds). The space diamond is virtually an enormous chunk of crystallized carbon, 4,000 kilometers in diameter. The stone is located at a distance of 50 light years from Earth, in the Constellation Centaurus.
Scientists believe that the diamond is the heart of an extinct star that used to shine like the Sun. Astronomers have already dubbed the space diamond as Lucy in a tribute to the Beatles song ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.’
“You would need a jeweler’s loupe the size of the Sun to grade this diamond!” says astronomer Travis Metcalfe (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), who leads a team of researchers that discovered the giant gem.
The cosmic stone completely outclasses all diamonds that have ever been found on Earth. The largest diamond weighing 546 carats was found in South African Republic. The diamond, The Star of Africa, resides in the Crown Jewels of England. The Star of Africa was cut from the largest diamond ever found on Earth, a 3,100-carat gem.
Lucy, also known as BPM 37093, is actually a crystallized white dwarf. A white dwarf is the hot core of a star, left over after the star uses up its nuclear fuel and dies. It is made mostly of carbon and is coated by a thin layer of hydrogen and helium gases.
The white dwarf is not only radiant but also harmonious. It rings like a gigantic gong, undergoing constant pulsations. “By measuring those pulsations, we were able to study the hidden interior of the white dwarf, just like seismograph measurements of earthquakes allow geologists to study the interior of the Earth. We figured out that the carbon interior of this white dwarf has solidified to form the galaxy’s largest diamond,” says Metcalfe.
Astronomers say that our Sun will die in five billion years and become a white dwarf too. About two billion years after it will turn into a similar diamond that will continue to sparkle in the center of the solar system forever.
Most Wanted – Jewelry Crime Alert!
The individual pictured is believed to have stolen a credit card from a gym locker, which he then used to purchase a high-end watch and ring at a New York City retail jewelry store within 60 minutes of stealing the credit card. The suspect is known to travel to other cities, such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to call
Detective James Murphy,
20th Precinct Detective Squad,
212-580-6414.
Part 2: How To Buy A Diamond Engagement Ring?
I am assuming that you have enough knowledge about the 5C’s and have a basic idea of your fiancee’s choices. The theoretical part of your education process is complete. You need to evolve by moving onto the practical aspect of the learning curve. You need to practice what you just learned.
Step 5: Trip To The Local Jewelry Stores
Once you gather all the required information, you need to make a trip to few reputed local jewelry stores in your area. Make sure that they have been in business for a reasonable amount of time. 10+ years in business usually is a reasonable parameter. My recommendation would be to visit at least 3 jewelry stores with 5 being ideal. You can divide that number by visiting 3 Mom and Pop Jewelry Stores and 2 High End Jewelry stores. This should give you a decent comparison point in price, quality, return policy, financing, sales staff education level and your comfort level of each jewelry store.
Most of the local brick and mortar stores have experienced or educated sales staff in charge of the bridal section. They would not allow someone new to directly get into the bridal section. Nevertheless, you should not hesitate in asking the salesperson his experience or education level.You always want to deal with someone who has experience or educated about diamonds. I met a salesman in a well known jewelry store who was a limo driver & a tile salesman before he was selling diamonds.
Step 6: Take Notes & Always Compare the Diamonds
It is important to choose a diamond first. The diamond is where you will spend the bulk part of the engagement ring. The sentimental value for most women is primarily the diamond. The diamond does not change in style over the years and it is the diamond which is considered an heirloom. Pay attention to the diamonds being shown to you. Take a good look at all the diamonds that the salesman brings out. You must look and evaluate all the C’s by yourself despite what the salesman says. Here are some tips
- You must view the diamond clarity with a jeweler’s loupe of at least 10x magnification. If the jeweler has a microscope (which everyone has nowadays) go ahead and tell him/her to setup the diamond in the microscope for you to look at. Do not hesitate to increase the magnification to view an inclusion up close. However, do not make a clarity decision based on the magnified inclusion. The sole purpose is for you to compare other diamonds.
- You must compare the diamonds for color side by side. If you are looking at 3 diamonds of 3 different color grade, you will see a difference in color ONLY when they are placed right next to each other. This will improve your knowledge and understanding. Also the diamond color MUST be viewed when the diamonds are face down. To explain further the table i.e. the flat top of the diamond should be down and the culet i.e. the bottom point of the diamond should be facing up.
- Compare the diamond certificates with each other. Diamond certificates have all the information that you could possibly need about the diamond. It begins with the size, shape, clarity, color, dimensions, girdle thickness, fluorescence & cut grade among other details. Nowadays almost all the diamond certificates including GIA come with a Cut Grade for round diamonds. The Cut Grade is important since it differentiates a high sparkling diamond from a low sparkling diamond.
- Ask the salesman you are working with to give you the best price. Don’t feel shy to ask the question or even to make a reasonable offer. Most jewelers accept an offer which is 5% – 10% less than their regular selling price. After all it is your money and you want to get the best deal. Take copies of all the diamond certificates of the diamonds that you are interested in. Once done, write down all the prices quoted by the salesman on the copies of the diamond certificate.
Step 7: Check Online Jewelry Retailers Selling Diamonds
In the last 3-5 years there has been a huge increase in the number of online jewelers that sell loose diamonds. It is a good reference point for you to check the price difference from online jewelry retailers and brick & mortar jewelry retailers. Most of the online jewelry retailers don’t own or even possess the diamonds that you see on their website. They basically use online technology to post their supplier’s diamond inventory on their website. I have listed some links here for you to get an idea of pricing in no particular order.
- Blue Nile (UK/EU Residents)
- Diamonds On Web
- Diamonds International
- Diamond Jewelry Masters (Also known as Jeweler’s Alliance Inc.)
- Gem Shine
- Jacob Ruth & Co.
- James Allen
- Since 1910
Browse through their selection of diamonds. My advice would be to look for diamonds that you saw in the brick & mortar jewelry stores. Narrow down to the cheapest ones you see on their website, print out the details including the certificate details along with their prices. This gives you an excellent bargaining point with the other jewelry stores. The competition between online jewelry stores and the brick & mortar stores is fierce. They do not like to loose business to online jewelry stores. It is an amazing bargaining point and advantage you have in your hands.
Step 8: Choose a Ring Mounting, Ring Setting or Ring Semi Mount
A ring mounting, setting and a semi mount are basically the ring in which the jeweler will set your diamond. Keep in mind the preferences and choices of your soon to be fiancee. Remember the picture stuck to the refrigerator! You don’t have to buy the exact same ring unless she is COMPLETELY in love with it. Most women will accept a slightly inexpensive version of the same ring. Also remember, if you are too confused then just go with the cheapest solitaire. You can always bring her in later and let her choose the ring setting that she loves.
Once decided on the ring, the jeweler will have to either set the diamond or custom make the ring in the dimensions of the diamond. This usually takes around 3-6 weeks. Give them her finger size. It is always a good idea to manufacture the ring in her finger size. The more a ring is sized, the less it’s strength gets. If you are not sure of her finger size, then leave the ring in it’s original showcase format. Once again, most jewelry stores allow 1 finger sizing for free. If they don’t then you can bargain with them to do so.
Finally: Some Words of Advice!
- Try to avoid the chain mall stores. They are most times over priced and over zealous to sell you what they have and not what you want. Don’t get taken by their huge discounts either. It’s just a farce!
- Find the local mom and pop jewelry store who have a decent reputation and been in business for a reasonable amount of time (10+ years).
- Call the Local Better Business Bureau for any complaints or check their website for complaints against the jeweler you decide to purchase from. If the complaints are numerous and similar in nature, it should raise a red flag.
- Those who have access to a jeweler’s row should make a trip down there just to get a feel of things. You have an advantage of going to several stores right next to each other. If you have access to the New York Diamond Exchange, then you will have a ball of a time just listening to all the Bullying salespeople.
- Be focused and make a decision on the diamond first and the ring next. Remember, the diamond hold the most sentimental value and the “Oomph” factor.
Imagine yourself walking into the jewelry store with all this valuable knowledge and information you learnt. I have seen the hungry sales eyes lit up whenever a bloke walks into the bridal section. It’s like watching a documentary of a pack of wolves preying on a deer on the discovery channel. With all this knowledge and tips you are now the lion of their jungle. They are the hunted and you are the hunter!