Looking for a Custom Halo Setting for a Cushion Cut Diamond
Hello Danny, I was reading a blog post about a Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond which was set in a custom halo setting and think that the ring looks amazing! The article indicates that the diamond set in the ring is a 1.77 carat, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond, which is larger than I’m looking for, I’m wondering whether the ring can be made for something smaller, like this 1.213 carat, F-color, VVS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion, or maybe I can get away with this 1.253 carat, G-color, VS-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion? I’ve heard that it is easier to see inclusions in fancy shape diamonds than it is with rounds, so I’m not sure how high in clarity and I need to go for the diamond to be eye clean… please advise. – Rick J.
First off Rick, the Brian Gavin Custom Halo setting is custom made to fit each diamond individually, so it can be made to accommodate a Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond, or Brian Gavin Signature round ideal cut diamond, of practically any size and either of the diamonds which you have expressed an interest in will look amazing set in this ring.
Diamond Clarity & Color Considerations:
The accent diamonds used in the creation of this ring are Brian Gavin Signature Melee which are F-G in color and VS-2 in clarity, so the color of the diamonds which you’ve selected as potential center stones are a perfect match. However the reality is that you could even go with this 1.522 carat, H-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond which is right around the same price, and pick up some size and it will still look great next to the F-G color accent stones!
I realize that you’re concerned about clarity and ensuring that the diamond which you select is “eye clean” and thus you might be wondering why I would suggest an SI-1 clarity diamond when the other two options which you selected are VS-1 and VVS-2 in clarity, and the reality is that the facet design of the Brian Gavin Signature Cushion cut diamond is designed to make it more difficult to locate inclusions with the naked eye.
The design of the diamond is also optimized to produce a higher volume of light return than most cushion cut diamonds, and to produce more brilliance, dispersion and scintillation, than traditional cushion modified brilliant cut diamonds. The higher volume of light return and increased sparkle factor will help to mask inclusions which might otherwise be visible in fancy shape diamonds with a less precise facet structure and which are cut to a lesser degree of optical symmetry.
Thus I think that the majority of people with average vision will find our SI-1 clarity diamonds to be “eye clean” from a distance of 9 – 12 inches, which is the industry standard for diamond clarity grading, and therefore you can pick up a little carat weight by dropping down in clarity a grade or two. Unless of course, you like the “mind clean” aspect of knowing that the inclusions within the diamond will be difficult to locate even when using a diamond grading loupe, which a diamond of VS-1, VVS-2, or VVS-1 clarity brings to the table, which is something which a lot of people do prefer.
