Stellar Jewels: Half-Moon Diamonds

This unusual cut has become the darling of designers looking for a more playful diamond shape.

Jewelry lovers are increasingly embracing less popular diamond cuts in search of jewels that feel personal and communicate a desire for individuality. At the same time, designers are moving away from conventional ideas regarding the “best” diamond cuts, and are expressing a playful, more irreverent attitude to diamond jewelry.

Half-moon diamonds — also called semicircle or crescent moon — are one of the most surprising new trends in jewelry, with this obscure cut becoming a hit with consumers and designers alike. London-based it-jeweler Jessica McCormack debuted an entire half-moon collection called Moonshine at the end of 2019, featuring a necklace, varying sizes of stud and drop earrings, and an eternity ring.

Handy tips
Owing to the unexpectedness of half-moon diamonds, they are most successfully showcased in rings — where others, and the wearer, can examine the stone best — and so this is the jewelry style in which they are most commonly found.

In Nak Armstrong’s Baton ring, he plays with these unique diamond cuts. “The half-moons look fresh and allow me to create new silhouettes that work well with the baguettes and tapered baguettes I already use extensively in my designs. Also, the collection they’re part of refers to mid-century design, where the half-moon or half-circle is commonly used,” says the Austin, Texas-based designer, who draws on his background in architecture and fashion.

Seattle-based designer Valerie Madison, who specializes in alternative engagement rings, has created several half-moon designs. They include salt and pepper, silver- and grey-colored diamonds, and bezel or claw settings — or even surrounded by a half-halo of diamonds.

Coming half-circle
Necessity being the mother of invention, the incentive for the half-moon diamond ring created by Green Lake Jewelry Works director Krista Robertson was a round diamond that had been damaged. The piece then became an in-studio example for clients of the Washington state-area stores in search of creative-inspiration engagement rings. “There are unique design opportunities when working with half-moon diamonds. The flat side of the diamond is perfect for stacking,” she points out. “For someone sentimental with a diamond that’s a little rough around the edges, re-faceting your round diamond into a half-moon shape makes it wearable for years to come.”

New Jersey jeweler Theresa Kaz’s Sunrise line of rings and pendants has become one of her signature designs, and the pieces’ 18-karat yellow gold arcs are perfectly accented by half-moon diamonds (and sometimes colored gemstones).

How in demand is this unconventional diamond shape? “Our half-moon design has become one of our most popular engagement rings to date, with a few in production at the moment with slightly more amorphous diamonds,” shares Lauren Davidson, creative director at Ellie Air on the UK’s Jurassic Coast. “The unique shapes of each stone really does mean that each customer has a truly one-of-a-kind ring.”

Main image: Green Lake Jewelry Works half moon diamond ring.