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What is a melee diamond?
A melee diamond is a small diamond, generally under 0.20 carat, which is under about 3.8 mm across in a round brilliant, sold by the parcel rather than one by one. Melee is graded in-house and sold without an individual lab report; buyers specify it by shape, millimetre or sieve size, colour range, clarity range and total carats.
Last reviewed: 18 October 2026
Reviewed by the Superior Gems team
How big is melee in mm?
Approximate, industry-standard figures for a well-cut round brilliant, from our carat to mm size chart. Cut proportions change them slightly, and two stones of the same weight can differ by a few tenths of a millimetre.
| Diameter (mm) | Carat |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | 0.005 |
| 1.3 | 0.01 |
| 1.7 | 0.02 |
| 2.0 | 0.03 |
| 2.2 | 0.04 |
| 2.4 | 0.05 |
| 3.0 | 0.10 |
| 3.4 | 0.15 |
| 3.8 | 0.20 |
Why is melee sold by the parcel?
Melee is bought in quantity for pavé, halos and custom work. It is sorted into parcels by shape, size, colour range and clarity range, and priced per carat.
At this size a tenth of a millimetre changes the weight a lot, so buyers usually give the diameter and the total carat weight together.
Does melee come with a certificate?
No. At Superior Gems, melee is graded in-house and sold by size, colour range and clarity range, without an individual lab report. It is labelled that way in our listings. Larger certified stones are listed with their lab and report number: see verify a certificate.
How do I specify a melee parcel?
- Shape. Round, princess, baguette, marquise, pear, oval or other.
- Size. In millimetres or by sieve.
- Colour range. For example F–G.
- Clarity range. For example VS–SI.
- Total carats. The weight of the whole parcel.
- Origin. Natural or laboratory-grown.
Natural or laboratory-grown melee?
Both exist, and they look the same by eye. Trade buyers use screening devices to separate laboratory-grown stones from natural ones in parcels, and a positive screen should go to a lab for confirmation.
At Superior Gems, natural and laboratory-grown melee are kept apart, and laboratory-grown melee is labelled laboratory-grown. See laboratory-grown melee.
Where can the trade buy melee?
Approved trade buyers order melee parcels from Superior Gems in Sydney: see melee and parcels to request a quote, or wholesale diamonds, Sydney for how buying works.
Questions
What is melee in mm?
Melee is generally under 0.20 carat, which is under about 3.8 mm in a round brilliant. A 0.01 carat round is about 1.3 mm across.
Is melee certified?
Not individually. At Superior Gems, melee is graded in-house and sold by size, colour range and clarity range, without a lab report.
How is melee priced?
Per carat, by parcel. Approved trade buyers see the price per carat for each parcel in the trade portal.
Is laboratory-grown melee a real diamond?
Yes. A laboratory-grown diamond has the same crystal structure and hardness as a natural diamond. The difference is where it formed.
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