Skip to content
Annual March Diamond Madness - Round 2 - Up to 9% Off
Annual March Diamond Madness - Round 2 - Up to 9% Off
Classic Knife Edge vs Half Round Solitaire

Classic Knife Edge vs Half Round Solitaire

My girlfriend and I are trying to decide between the classic inspired, Brian Gavin classic knife edge style solitaire, and the classic half round style solitaire; is the only difference between the two styles of classic solitaire, the shape of the ring shank? We’re looking to spend about $7k on the center stone, and so it looks like this 1.023 carat, I-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond with medium blue fluorescence, is our best bet; but will the I-color diamond look yellow in a platinum setting? Should we go with 18k yellow gold instead? Her finger size is 6.5; do you think that a one carat diamond will look good on that size finger? Thanks for your help!” – Chris T.

Brian Gavin classic style solitaire settings:

classic Inspired Half Round Solitaire vs Knife Edge Style SolitaireThe primary differences between the Knife edge classic style solitaire, and the classic half round style solitaire settings from Brian Gavin, are the outer contour of the ring shank, the prong section of the rings is identical. If you look at the outer edge of the two rings provided here from a top-down perspective, you’ll see that the edge of the ring shank pictured above, extends out to a slight point, which is why it is referred to as a knife edge; while the outer edge of the ring pictured to the left is slightly rounded, which is referred to as a half round shank in the industry, because the inner edge of the ring is flat, thus the ring is “half round”.

Is a half round solitaire more comfortable than a knife edge?

One of the most common questions we receive about the classic Knife edge classic style solitaire from Brian Gavin, are whether the edge of the ring is actually sharp, and if that makes the ring uncomfortable to wear…

The edge of the knife edge classic style solitaire from Brian Gavin is not actually sharp like the edge of a knife, that is simply the industry term that is used to describe this particular style of ring shank; and since the edge of the ring is not actually sharp, it is just as comfortable as the half round ring shank.

Will I-color diamond look yellow set in platinum?

In our opinion, an I-color diamond looks perfectly fine set in platinum, especially when that diamond happens to be an ideal cut diamond such as the 1.023 carat, I-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature diamond which exhibits medium blue fluorescence, because the combination of the proportions, higher level of optical symmetry, and overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0, make the diamond extremely bright and full of sparkle! Thus the brilliance, brightness, and sparkle of the diamond, will distract our eyes from the actual body color of the diamond, and make it difficult to be able to judge the body color of the diamond with any real degree of accuracy.

The only way to really judge the body color of a diamond set in platinum, is to evaluate the diamond color from a side profile, and even then it is necessary to examine the diamond beneath a light source which does not produce sparkle, and in an environment where outside influences can not affect the visible color of the diamond… this is why diamonds are graded while unmounted, from a side profile, under the controlled light provided by a GIA diamond light, and in a room which is otherwise completely dark; otherwise even the color of a shirt, or the cover of a book, might reflect off of the diamond, and affect our perception of diamond color.

1 ct diamond on finger size of 6.5

Our perception of what size diamond presents the best balance on our finger, is largely a matter of personal preference, because one person might feel that a one carat diamond looks perfect on their finger, while another person believes that a 1 ct diamond looks too large or too small.

Sometimes our perception of what size diamond is correct for our finger size, has nothing to do with the actual relationship between the visual diameter of the diamond and our finger, and rather our perception of how people will react to the amount of money that we spent on the diamond.

One thing that I have noticed over the years, is that we tend to become accustomed to whatever size diamond we wear on our finger, so even if a 1 ct diamond initially seems a bit large on size 6.5 finger, it will eventually seem perfectly normal.

Previous Paris Hilton’s 20-carat diamond engagement ring