0.50 ct Basket Set Solitaire, E SI2

0.50 carats, GIA certified E colour and SI2 clarity, set in a four-prong basket on 18K white gold.

A basket setting adds a horizontal rail running between the prongs beneath the girdle, joining them into a single cradle instead of four separate posts rising from the shank. It is a small addition that does two things.

Structurally, it ties the prongs to each other. A claw that is only anchored at its base can be sprung outward by a knock; one that is also braced sideways by a rail cannot move independently, which is why basket-set stones loosen less often than open four-prong ones on rings worn every day.

Visually, it closes the space beneath the diamond. An open four-prong lets you see straight through to the finger below the stone; a basket puts metal there. Some people prefer the openness; others find the basket makes the stone look seated rather than perched. It is a genuine preference and not a question of quality.

E holds the colour at the second grade of the colourless scale. SI2 is the last grade before clarity becomes a matter for the eye, and on this stone the inclusions sit where the cut works against them.

Four prongs without a basket: 0.31 ct F SI1. Six prongs at the same weight: 0.50 ct F SI2.