Melee, the small diamonds in halos, pavé bands and clusters, is the backbone of most diamond jewellery. Laboratory-grown melee has made richly set designs far more affordable. Here's how to order it correctly.

Sieve sizes and millimetres

Melee is sorted by passing stones through sieve plates with numbered holes. The trade quotes sizes as sieve ranges (for example +1.5 to +2) or as millimetre diameters for round stones (for example 1.25–1.30 mm).

As a rough guide for round brilliants:

  • About 1.0 mm: roughly 0.005 ct each
  • About 1.3 mm: roughly 0.01 ct each
  • About 1.5 mm: roughly 0.015 ct each
  • About 2.0 mm: roughly 0.03 ct each
  • About 2.5 mm: roughly 0.06 ct each

Always confirm the exact millimetre range your settings need; a CAD file or setting sample helps.

Quality grades

Melee is sold in grade ranges rather than individual grades:

  • DEF VVS/VS: premium work, high-end bridal
  • EFG VS/SI: excellent commercial quality
  • GH SI: value-focused designs

Matching

For halos and eternity bands, consistency matters more than the top grade. Ask your supplier how they match colour and cut across a parcel and across repeat orders.

Fancy-shape melee

Baguettes, tapered baguettes, princess, marquise, pear and trillion melee add detail to modern designs. Specify exact dimensions, as fancy shapes vary more than rounds.

Pricing

Melee is priced per carat by size range and grade. See our current price list (PDF and Excel) with round melee by sieve size and fancy shapes in two quality bands.

Ordering tips

1. Send exact mm sizes and quantities per size.
2. Specify grade range and cut quality (full cut vs single cut).
3. Order a small extra quantity for breakage during setting.
4. Keep a record of each parcel so reorders match.

More on the sourcing process: how jewellers source melee from Surat. Ready to order? Contact us.