While diamond size shouldn’t be your only concern when buying an engagement ring, everyone wants their ring to look impressive and size is definitely a big factor in that. If you are working to a modest budget there are many tips available to create the illusion of a bigger centre stone. Or even if you aren’t, the tips below can used when designing your ring to help make it look as extraordinary as possible.
Consider Shapes Other than Round Round diamonds are the most common, and the most popular shape, but they’re also the most expensive. Round cut is the most difficult to achieve from rough stone, and results in the most wastage, this combined with the high demand for round cut diamonds results in higher price per weight than other shaped cuts.
By looking at other, less popular shapes you can increase the size of your centre stone for the same budget.
Choose a Slim Band
Another thing to consider is that the wider the band of a ring, the smaller the stone will look. This also works in reverse with a slimmer band giving the illusion of the stone being larger. A slim band, particularly one that tapers as it approaches the stone is the best way to make your stone appear larger.
Choose a Halo Setting
Adding a halo to your engagement ring is a great way to make it look larger than it really is, without the cost involved in splashing out for a larger stone.
As the price of a diamond doesn’t increase linearly, for instance one carat in small stones will set you back a lot less than a one carat stone would. Adding a halo of smaller stones around your centre stone is a great way to add mass to your ring in a cost-effective way.
Use slim Claws
If you’re going for a solitaire setting, consider a style with slimmer claws which cover less of the stone itself. Selecting four prongs instead of six also helps to make the focus of the ring more on the diamond and give the illusion of a bigger size. Both of these elements combined would also allow more light to reflect through the stone and make it shine more brilliantly.
Choose a Bright White Band Another trick of the eye is to use a bright white metal. The brightest, shiniest metal available is 18K White Gold which is plated with rhodium to give it an extra shiny effect. An advantage to white gold is that it is cheaper than platinum allowing you to put more of your budget towards what matters most – the diamond.
Choose your Retailer Carefully
Knowing where to buy your ring can make a huge difference to the value for money you get. Surprisingly some of the bigger well-known brands can actually be worse value than small independent jewellery stores. Often you can purchase the same size and quality stone for a much cheaper price, as you aren’t paying for the branding and huge marketing costs associated with a big multinational, plus you have a much better chance of getting a truly unique ring!
Don’t Scrimp on the Cut When you begin the process of buying an engagement ring you will hear a lot about the four C’s – Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat weight. The most important of these is the cut.
A well-cut diamond will reflect light off the internal facets of the diamond and back out the top, while a wider, shallow diamond will absorb light through the diamond and out the other side making it appear duller.
If you prioritise surface size over cut, you will end up with a larger, but dull, diamond. As a rule of thumb, you should always go for the best cut grade that you can. Read more about the importance of diamond cut HERE.
Clean it Regularly
One of the easiest ways to ensure that a diamond looks as big and sparkly as possible is to keep it clean! You can wash it yourself at home with jewellery cleaner or a polishing cloth, or feel free to visit us at Micheli Jewellery as we offer a complimentary cleaning service.
Consider Shapes Other than Round Round diamonds are the most common, and the most popular shape, but they’re also the most expensive. Round cut is the most difficult to achieve from rough stone, and results in the most wastage, this combined with the high demand for round cut diamonds results in higher price per weight than other shaped cuts.
By looking at other, less popular shapes you can increase the size of your centre stone for the same budget.
Choose a Slim Band
Another thing to consider is that the wider the band of a ring, the smaller the stone will look. This also works in reverse with a slimmer band giving the illusion of the stone being larger. A slim band, particularly one that tapers as it approaches the stone is the best way to make your stone appear larger.Choose a Halo Setting
Adding a halo to your engagement ring is a great way to make it look larger than it really is, without the cost involved in splashing out for a larger stone.As the price of a diamond doesn’t increase linearly, for instance one carat in small stones will set you back a lot less than a one carat stone would. Adding a halo of smaller stones around your centre stone is a great way to add mass to your ring in a cost-effective way.
Use slim Claws
If you’re going for a solitaire setting, consider a style with slimmer claws which cover less of the stone itself. Selecting four prongs instead of six also helps to make the focus of the ring more on the diamond and give the illusion of a bigger size. Both of these elements combined would also allow more light to reflect through the stone and make it shine more brilliantly.Choose a Bright White Band Another trick of the eye is to use a bright white metal. The brightest, shiniest metal available is 18K White Gold which is plated with rhodium to give it an extra shiny effect. An advantage to white gold is that it is cheaper than platinum allowing you to put more of your budget towards what matters most – the diamond.
Choose your Retailer Carefully
Knowing where to buy your ring can make a huge difference to the value for money you get. Surprisingly some of the bigger well-known brands can actually be worse value than small independent jewellery stores. Often you can purchase the same size and quality stone for a much cheaper price, as you aren’t paying for the branding and huge marketing costs associated with a big multinational, plus you have a much better chance of getting a truly unique ring!Don’t Scrimp on the Cut When you begin the process of buying an engagement ring you will hear a lot about the four C’s – Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat weight. The most important of these is the cut.
A well-cut diamond will reflect light off the internal facets of the diamond and back out the top, while a wider, shallow diamond will absorb light through the diamond and out the other side making it appear duller.
If you prioritise surface size over cut, you will end up with a larger, but dull, diamond. As a rule of thumb, you should always go for the best cut grade that you can. Read more about the importance of diamond cut HERE.
Clean it Regularly
One of the easiest ways to ensure that a diamond looks as big and sparkly as possible is to keep it clean! You can wash it yourself at home with jewellery cleaner or a polishing cloth, or feel free to visit us at Micheli Jewellery as we offer a complimentary cleaning service.