Diamond Pendant Necklace Buyer’s Guide

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April 19

"I'm hoping you can help me build a stunning diamond pendant. I bought 3 diamonds from you when you were still selling them directly. One for my wife's engagement ring and two for earrings. I am considering getting her a diamond necklace."

"She has a one carat diamond engagement ring, so what is your opinion regarding the size of the diamond for the necklace? You sold me many years ago on the wisdom of buying ideal cut diamonds."

"I also plan to buy a high performance diamond this time around. I wish you were still in the business. I have rarely had such a positive experience as I had buying diamonds from you."

VS1 Diamond Pendant by Black by Brian Gavin.

Black by Brian Gavin Diamond Pendant.

"My friends thought I was crazy for buying online, but you gave me the confidence to do so. Any help on my issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!" ~ Tony L.

Where to Buy Diamond Pendants Online:

Selecting the Best Quality for a Diamond Pendant:

Solitaire Diamond Pendant by Brian Gavin.

Diamond Solitaire Pendant by Brian Gavin.

First, I want to say thank you so much for your kind words Tony, they mean a lot to me… truly!  It was a difficult decision to convert Nice Ice from a direct seller of diamonds to promoting diamonds for other companies.

However, it has been wonderfully liberating in terms of enabling me to work from anywhere in the world without being tied to one location to manage inventory.

It also gives us access to the best that every online dealer has to offer! Although admittedly I tend to focus more on the diamonds from Brian Gavin. That’s because we think alike when it comes to diamond cut quality and light performance. Perhaps that’s why they were one of my top competitors!

What's the Best Size for a Diamond Pendant?

Brian Gavin Diamond Cut Quality Carat Weight Examples.

Examples of Carat Weight by Brian Gavin.

There isn’t really a formula with regards to selecting a diamond for a diamond pendant in terms of the relationship to the size of the diamond in the engagement ring.

However, I’d say that something in the range of 0.75 – 1.25 carats is a good place to start. This picture shows some Brian Gavin Signature diamonds weighing between 0.50 and 3.0 carats. That should help you determine the best size for a diamond pendant.

Of course, you could always upgrade the size of the center stone in the engagement ring and move it into diamond solitaire necklace. It just depends on how much money you want to dedicate to this project.

Sparkle Factor is More Apparent than Carat Weight:

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds

Astor by Blue Nile Diamonds Review.

The sparkle factor of a diamond is visible from across the room whereas it's difficult to determine the size from across the dinner table.

For that reason, I adhere to the standards from our engagement ring buying guide for earrings, and pendants.

In that case, I focus on the overall cut grade of the diamond, as well as the proportions and indexing of the facet structure.

The latter of which can be judged by viewing the diamond through the following types of reflector scopes:

I have done that with all of the diamonds discussed here because the vendors make these images readily available on their diamond details pages. Here are some options that meet my selection criteria which will help you fine-tune things.

Brian Gavin Blue Fluorescent Diamond Pendant:

Brian Gavin Blue Diamond Pendant.

Brian Gavin Blue Fluorescent Diamond.

This 0.706 carat, I-color, VS-2 clarity, round brilliant ideal cut diamond from the Brian Gavin Blue collection exhibits very strong blue fluorescence. It will help the diamond face up whiter and glow a really pretty neon blue color when the diamond is exposed to black light.

I don’t know whether we’ve discussed blue fluorescence before. However, practically all of the diamonds I select for personal use exhibit this phenomena because I love the positive effects.

This diamond has the same proportions as the diamonds we sold at Nice Ice. It also has an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0 and exhibits a higher degree of optical precision. In that case, it's going to sparkle like the brightest star.

0.90 Carat Diamond Solitaire Pendant:

Hearts and Arrows Diamonds Pattern of Eight Hearts.

Give Special Meaning to Each of the Hearts.

Moving up in carat weight, we have this 0.903 carat, G-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Hearts and Arrows diamond. It has an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0 as determined on the Platinum Light Performance grading platform.

As you can see, the diamond exhibits a crisp and complete pattern of Hearts & Arrows. in that case, you can assign a special meaning to each of the hearts and win yourself some extra dog points.

Of course, the proportions are exactly where we want them to be. The total depth is 61.7% with a table diameter of 56.7% with a crown angle of 34.9 degrees offset by a 40.9 degree pavilion angle.

The girdle edge is thin to medium, faceted with a pointed culet. And the clarity characteristics (inclusions) are just a bunch of diamond crystals. You really can’t go wrong with a diamond like this!

1-carat Diamond Pendant:

1-carat Whiteflash A Cut Above Round Hearts and Arrows Diamond.

Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE Diamonds.

This 1.062 carat, H-color, VS-2 clarity, Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE diamond will make a stunning pendant. Needless to say that the proportions are within the range I recommend.

The diamond also exhibits a higher degree of optical precision that produces a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows. In that case, it will exhibit better light performance than a standard ideal cut diamond.

However, it's also important to note that not all hearts and arrows diamonds are created equal. In that case, you should always evaluate the consistency of the hearts pattern carefully.

Half Bezel Diamond Solitaire Pendant:

Half Bezel Diamond Pendant by Brian Gavin.

Brian Gavin Half Bezel Diamond Pendant.

How cool looking is this half-bezel diamond pendant by Brian Gavin? It will look amazing with any of the diamonds featured in this review.

If you're open to a broader range of clarity, then this 1.164 carat, I-color, SI-1 clarity puppy from the Brian Gavin Blue collection will look phenomenal.

It's a little known fact that the yellow gold touching the edge of the diamond is likely to make it appear about one color grade warmer. However, the very strong blue fluorescence should improve your perception of diamond color.

In addition, the sparkle factor that the higher degree of optical precision creates will be more vivid and intense. In that case, it will be more difficult to accurately determine the body color in the face-up position.

Milgrain-edge Diamond Pendant:

Handmade Millgrain Edge Diamond Pendant by Brian Gavin.

The Barbara Solitaire Pendant by Brian Gavin.

The Barbara millgrain edge solitaire by Brian Gavin is another personal favorite. It is a hand crafted, platinum, bezel pendant with a special milgrain edge applied by hand.

It would look phenomenal set with this 1.173 carat, I-color, SI-1 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature Hearts and Arrows diamond. It would also look amazing with this 1.223 carat, I-color, VS-2 clarity, Hearts and Arrows Diamond from Brian Gavin.

Both diamonds have an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0. They also exhibit a crisp and complete pattern of hearts and arrows. That means that they’ll sparkle enough to blind you. Perhaps you should buy yourself a new pair of sunglasses before you open the box.

Something. Something Murmured From the Side Lines:

What? What’s that? Ohhhh, yes, of course. The Talking Heads from the Legal Department would like me to say that it is highly unlikely that you will actually be blinded when you open the box and look at any of these diamonds.

However that we assume absolutely no liability whatsoever on the off chance that temporary, or permanent blindness occurs. Nor will we be held responsible for any actions that you may or may not take on the basis of any recommendation(s) made herein.

You should conduct your own due diligence before purchasing a diamond. You should also wear all necessary safety equipment. Also, be sure to take appropriate precautions when reading about, and/or ordering and/or handling diamonds.

Let me know if you’d like me to expand this page with additional options, or recommend styles of sunglasses. Of course, all the links herein are affiliate links as disclosed within our material connection disclaimer.

About the Author

Dive deep into the glittering world of diamonds with Todd Gray, the CEO of Gray Matter Development, LLC. Todd has 35+ years of experience as a diamond buyer and trade consultant. He ghostwrites content for several online vendors and is an avid Freediver, currently exploring the Cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico. Dive into brilliance with Todd Gray!