If you’re looking to buy an engagement ring, you’ll know it’s no secret that the bigger the diamond you opt for, the more expensive the ring will be. This is because the price will increase accordingly with the larger the diamond you opt for. And while bigger doesn’t always mean better, we know you want to give your partner the most impressive ring you can – while sticking to your budget. Luckily, there are a few helpful tips and tricks you can follow to enhance the size of your engagement ring, and make it appear bigger than it really is. Read on for our experts’ advice.
1) Make your engagement ring look bigger with a halo setting
A halo setting is when a line of smaller diamonds surround your main, central stone. You can even opt for a double halo, which – as the name suggests – is a double line of stones around the edge, The smaller the diamond is, the less it costs, and because the stones in a halo setting are very small, they do not increase the price of the ring exponentially – as it would if you instead opted for a larger carat centre stone. The smaller ‘outside’ diamonds blend in with the centre diamond, cascading sparkle in all different directions, and enhancing the size of your solitaire.
2) Make your engagement ring look bigger with a cluster stone
Another great trick to enhance the size of your stone is to opt for a ‘cluster’ ring. A cluster ring is created when lots of small diamonds are placed next to each other, to look like one single stone. As previously mentioned, lots of small diamonds tends to cost less than one large one. When all the small stones are set closely together, it looks like one larger stone – so this tip really can make the most of your budget.
3) Make your engagement ring look bigger with side stones
If you don’t want a halo setting or a cluster ring (or maybe you do, and you simply want to enhance the size even further!), you can opt for side-stones, or a pavé band. Side-stone rings are where the central stone is flanked by two or more stones either side of it, and a pavé band is a ring band covered – or half covered – in tiny diamonds. Again, this addition of smaller diamonds surrounding the central diamond causes extra sparkle, and enhances the size of the stone.
4) Make your engagement ring look bigger with an uneven carat number
Here’s a tip the experts use, that you might not know. Carats in ‘even’ percentages tend to be the best sellers, because they market well. For example, you might consider buying a 0.25 carat ring, or a half carat, or even a full carat diamond – and the price jump between them will be noticeable. However, if you buy diamonds in ‘odd’ sized carats – for example, 0.30 carats – the price will only increase marginally, and you will get more diamond for your money. And once it’s on the wearer’s hand, no one asks whether it’s half a carat or 0.45 of a carat!
5) Make your engagement ring look bigger by choosing the stone’s shape carefully
There are certain diamond shapes that enhance the size of the stone. You want to look for a diamond where the largest part of the stone is the part you see – at the top. The best stone shape for this is a classic round diamond. Alternatively, you want to opt for a stone that takes up a large portion of the finger, the optical illusion of which can make your stone appear bigger. Elongated shapes such as ovals, marquise and emerald cuts tend to look biggest on the finger.
6) Make your engagement ring look bigger with a slim band
Another clever hack for making your centre stone appear larger is by opting for a thinner band. Again, this tip works because of the optical illusion that the thinner the band the stone sits upon, the bigger the stone itself will appear. However, when looking at rings with a thin band, remember it still needs to be robust enough to support your central diamond. Plus – especially with a thin band – always opt for a secure setting to hold your stone in place.
7) Make your engagement ring look bigger by adjusting your diamond’s 4c’s
If you’ve been looking into buying an engagement ring, you’re probably familiar with the ‘4c’s’. The 4c’s of diamonds are the cut, clarity, colour and carat weight – all the things that make a diamond sparkle. In an ideal world, you’d go for the ‘best’ of all four. However, the higher the quality in all of the 4c’s, the more expensive your stone will be, and you’d likely blow the budget quickly. The biggest factor in the price increase will be the carat weight, with the bigger the carat meaning the more expensive the diamond. But many of the adjustments to the 4c’s are likely only visible to a professional – meaning if you opted for a slightly ‘worse’ colour in aid of getting a bigger diamond, you might not notice the difference at all. It’s worth talking to a jeweller to see if they can be clever with the 4c’s to suit your budget.
8) Make your engagement ring look bigger by pairing it with a diamond wedding band
Another smart way to increase the look of your engagement ring is by pairing it with a ‘wed fit’ or ‘bridal set’ wedding band. A wed-fit band is a wedding band that is moulded around your engagement ring, so that the two fit seamlessly next to each other. You can choose a diamond wedding band that fits around your ring, so that the two pieces look like they are ‘one’. This can give the illusion of an extra halo of diamonds around your engagement ring, and – you guessed it – makes the stone look bigger than it is.
9) Make your engagement ring look bigger by choosing a gemstone
It might be traditional for your engagement ring to have a central diamond, but this is definitely not a hard and fast rule. You can have any stone you please as your engagement ring’s stone – just make sure they’re hard enough on the Mohs scale to sustain daily wear and tear. The beauty of picking a gemstone over a diamond is that you’ll likely get a lot more gemstone for your money; depending on the stone you pick, gemstones can be much cheaper per carat than diamonds are. So not only will you get a unique ring that’s sure to be a talking point, but your centre stone will likely be able to be much bigger than a diamond would, for your budget.
Still want some guidance choosing the perfect engagement ring?
How to make an engagement ring look bigger
If you’re looking to buy an engagement ring, you’ll know it’s no secret that the bigger the diamond you opt for, the more expensive the ring will be. This is because the price will increase accordingly with the larger the diamond you opt for. And while bigger doesn’t always mean better, we know you want to give your partner the most impressive ring you can – while sticking to your budget. Luckily, there are a few helpful tips and tricks you can follow to enhance the size of your engagement ring, and make it appear bigger than it really is. Read on for our experts’ advice.
1) Make your engagement ring look bigger with a halo setting
A halo setting is when a line of smaller diamonds surround your main, central stone. You can even opt for a double halo, which – as the name suggests – is a double line of stones around the edge, The smaller the diamond is, the less it costs, and because the stones in a halo setting are very small, they do not increase the price of the ring exponentially – as it would if you instead opted for a larger carat centre stone. The smaller ‘outside’ diamonds blend in with the centre diamond, cascading sparkle in all different directions, and enhancing the size of your solitaire.
2) Make your engagement ring look bigger with a cluster stone
Another great trick to enhance the size of your stone is to opt for a ‘cluster’ ring. A cluster ring is created when lots of small diamonds are placed next to each other, to look like one single stone. As previously mentioned, lots of small diamonds tends to cost less than one large one. When all the small stones are set closely together, it looks like one larger stone – so this tip really can make the most of your budget.
3) Make your engagement ring look bigger with side stones
If you don’t want a halo setting or a cluster ring (or maybe you do, and you simply want to enhance the size even further!), you can opt for side-stones, or a pavé band. Side-stone rings are where the central stone is flanked by two or more stones either side of it, and a pavé band is a ring band covered – or half covered – in tiny diamonds. Again, this addition of smaller diamonds surrounding the central diamond causes extra sparkle, and enhances the size of the stone.
4) Make your engagement ring look bigger with an uneven carat number
Here’s a tip the experts use, that you might not know. Carats in ‘even’ percentages tend to be the best sellers, because they market well. For example, you might consider buying a 0.25 carat ring, or a half carat, or even a full carat diamond – and the price jump between them will be noticeable. However, if you buy diamonds in ‘odd’ sized carats – for example, 0.30 carats – the price will only increase marginally, and you will get more diamond for your money. And once it’s on the wearer’s hand, no one asks whether it’s half a carat or 0.45 of a carat!
5) Make your engagement ring look bigger by choosing the stone’s shape carefully
There are certain diamond shapes that enhance the size of the stone. You want to look for a diamond where the largest part of the stone is the part you see – at the top. The best stone shape for this is a classic round diamond. Alternatively, you want to opt for a stone that takes up a large portion of the finger, the optical illusion of which can make your stone appear bigger. Elongated shapes such as ovals, marquise and emerald cuts tend to look biggest on the finger.
6) Make your engagement ring look bigger with a slim band
Another clever hack for making your centre stone appear larger is by opting for a thinner band. Again, this tip works because of the optical illusion that the thinner the band the stone sits upon, the bigger the stone itself will appear. However, when looking at rings with a thin band, remember it still needs to be robust enough to support your central diamond. Plus – especially with a thin band – always opt for a secure setting to hold your stone in place.
7) Make your engagement ring look bigger by adjusting your diamond’s 4c’s
If you’ve been looking into buying an engagement ring, you’re probably familiar with the ‘4c’s’. The 4c’s of diamonds are the cut, clarity, colour and carat weight – all the things that make a diamond sparkle. In an ideal world, you’d go for the ‘best’ of all four. However, the higher the quality in all of the 4c’s, the more expensive your stone will be, and you’d likely blow the budget quickly. The biggest factor in the price increase will be the carat weight, with the bigger the carat meaning the more expensive the diamond. But many of the adjustments to the 4c’s are likely only visible to a professional – meaning if you opted for a slightly ‘worse’ colour in aid of getting a bigger diamond, you might not notice the difference at all. It’s worth talking to a jeweller to see if they can be clever with the 4c’s to suit your budget.
8) Make your engagement ring look bigger by pairing it with a diamond wedding band
Another smart way to increase the look of your engagement ring is by pairing it with a ‘wed fit’ or ‘bridal set’ wedding band. A wed-fit band is a wedding band that is moulded around your engagement ring, so that the two fit seamlessly next to each other. You can choose a diamond wedding band that fits around your ring, so that the two pieces look like they are ‘one’. This can give the illusion of an extra halo of diamonds around your engagement ring, and – you guessed it – makes the stone look bigger than it is.
9) Make your engagement ring look bigger by choosing a gemstone
It might be traditional for your engagement ring to have a central diamond, but this is definitely not a hard and fast rule. You can have any stone you please as your engagement ring’s stone – just make sure they’re hard enough on the Mohs scale to sustain daily wear and tear. The beauty of picking a gemstone over a diamond is that you’ll likely get a lot more gemstone for your money; depending on the stone you pick, gemstones can be much cheaper per carat than diamonds are. So not only will you get a unique ring that’s sure to be a talking point, but your centre stone will likely be able to be much bigger than a diamond would, for your budget.
Still want some guidance choosing the perfect engagement ring?
Get in contact with The Diamond Store, and one of our experts would be happy to help you pick out the perfect piece.
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