Melee Lab Grown Diamonds (0.85-1.70mm)
| Technology: HPHT/CVD | Size Range: 0.85-1.70mm |
| Color: DEF/GH | Clarity: VVS/VS/SI |
| Cut: EX/VG/G | Typical Melee Weight: 0.005-0.08ct |
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What Are Melee Diamonds?
Melee (pronounced "meh-lee") refers to small diamonds typically ranging from 0.85mm to 1.70mm in diameter — roughly 0.005 to 0.08 carats each. These are the workhorses of fine jewelry: the tiny accent stones that create brilliant pavé surfaces, halo frames around center stones, and sparkling shanks on engagement rings. A single jewelry piece may incorporate dozens or even hundreds of melee diamonds, making their uniformity and consistency the single most important quality metric for B2B buyers.
Fine Melee vs. Standard Melee: Understanding the Sub-Ranges
Within the 0.85-1.70mm range, melee diamonds fall into two sub-categories with distinctly different applications:
Fine Melee (0.85-1.25mm): These are the smallest commercially viable polished diamonds, used primarily in micro-pavé and micro-pave settings where the stones are set so close together that the metal becomes nearly invisible. At this size, even a 0.05mm diameter variance between stones is visible to the trained eye. Fine melee requires the tightest sieving tolerances — typically ±0.03mm. Applications include high-end pavé bands, halo rings, and luxury watch dials.
Standard Melee (1.25-1.70mm): These slightly larger stones are used in traditional pavé settings, tennis bracelets, cluster rings, and as halo accents around center stones. The slightly larger face-up size provides more individual brilliance per stone, while still being small enough to create a continuous sparkling surface when set in rows. Standard melee accounts for the largest volume of B2B diamond parcel orders worldwide.
Why Melee Consistency Matters
When a jewelry manufacturer orders a 500-stone melee parcel, every stone must match not just in diameter but in color, clarity, and cut proportions. A single off-color stone in a pavé row creates a visible dark spot that ruins the entire setting. Yuda Crystal uses precision sieving equipment calibrated to ±0.03mm tolerance and hand-sorting under controlled lighting to ensure every melee parcel is: (1) size-uniform — every stone within the specified range, (2) color-matched — no visible color variation across the parcel, (3) cut-consistent — matching proportions for uniform light return. This triple quality control is what separates professional-grade melee from commodity-grade melee.
CVD vs HPHT for Melee: What Technology to Choose
Both CVD and HPHT technologies produce excellent melee diamonds, but they have different strengths. HPHT melee tends to have slightly warmer tones (even in DEF grades) and is the most popular choice for yellow and rose gold settings where a touch of warmth blends naturally with the metal. CVD melee delivers more consistent Type IIa colorless output across large parcel sizes, making it the preferred choice for platinum and white gold settings where absolute whiteness is critical. For mixed-metal production environments, many manufacturers stock both technologies and select based on the specific jewelry line.
Bulk Melee Purchasing: What to Expect
Melee diamonds are sold in parcels — typically 100, 500, or 1,000+ stones per lot — rather than by individual pieces. Wholesale pricing is per carat, with total parcel weight determining the invoice value. Most B2B buyers order melee in calibrated size batches (e.g., "1.30-1.40mm, DEF, VS, 200 stones") for specific jewelry production runs. Standard lead time is 7-14 business days for common size/quality combinations from Yuda Crystal's inventory.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for current melee diamond pricing, available size/color/quality combinations, or to discuss custom melee parcel specifications for your production requirements.
