How to Choose a Diamond Pendant

A diamond pendant is a timeless addition to any outfit. It may seem to be a simple piece of jewellery, but is it as simple as it seems? Let’s take a look at the most important features you need to keep in mind when choosing a diamond pendant for you or your loved ones.

Choosing the Shape of a Diamond Pendant

The first thing to consider is what shape your pendant should be. Of course, this is up to your personal taste, but you should be aware of how the shape impacts the characteristics of the pendant.

The shape of the pendant determines the cut of the centre diamond mounted in it, while the cut and shape of the centre diamond determine the choice of the setting.

As a general rule, the choice of the setting should be based on the security of your diamond. For example, a pendant that features a princess or trillion cut diamond would be ideally made with V-prong or bezel setting that wraps the sharp edges and protects the diamond from accidental hits.

Whatever your diamond’s shape, make sure the setting is secure and it protects the stone’s vulnerable parts well.

Choosing the Metal for a Diamond Pendant

The choice of metal is also up to your personal preferences. However, you should remember that not all metals are equally durable.

For example, yellow and rose gold are softer compared with white gold, and gold, in general, is less durable than platinum.

That’s why if durability is your priority, choose a pendant made of white gold or platinum. If you prefer yellow or rose gold, go with a lower karat so the metal won’t be that soft. As you remember higher karat gold is purer and softer as a result, while lower karat gold contains more non-gold metals in the alloy, which make it harder.

Choosing a Setting for a Diamond Pendant

While choosing the setting for your diamond pendant, there are some factors to consider such as diamond visibility, setting durability and safety in general.

The prong setting is a good choice if you want to leave the stone visible and show off your diamond.  However, you should keep in mind that prongs may bend or break more easily, especially if they are made of a softer metal such as high-karat yellow or rose gold.

If you choose the prong setting, make sure to have it inspected regularly to reduce the risk of your stone falling out of the setting.

The bezel setting is a perfect choice for people who think about safety.

This type of setting wraps the stone with metal from sides and protect the diamond from accidental hits and chips. Moreover, the bezel setting makes it nearly impossible for a stone to fall off the mounting.

You could think the bezel setting is perfect, but it has downsides. Depending on the structure, it tends to keep more of the diamond hidden in the metal, this may result in less light entering the stone and reducing the stone’s brilliance. That’s why you should examine different models and make your choice of setting on a case-by-case basis.

Choosing the Quality of Diamonds in a Pendant

The level of quality of diamonds in a pendant fully depends on your budget and preferences.

In case you decide to opt for a diamond of a lower colour and clarity grade, you should choose a higher-grade cut to compensate for the other characteristics. A better cut stone will have more brilliance and sparkle, which will mask visible flaws and colour tints.

If the setting of the pendant is made of yellow or rose gold, you can choose a tinted diamond, since the colour of the stone will be absorbed by the colour of the setting.

On the other hand, white gold or platinum setting will make such tints stand out, so with such metals, you should choose Colourless or Near Colorless diamonds.

Choosing Diamond Pendant Size

The size of your diamond pendant is an important consideration. Make sure that it’s not too small to be barely visible (though a small diamond pendant may look extremely cute), but also not too big to overpower everything else in your outfit.

Also, make sure the thickness of the chain matches the weight and the size of your pendant. For example, if the chain is too thin for the pendant, it may deform or even break the links.

Cover photo credit: OLIVIA