You want as much sparkle as possible when shopping for an engagement ring. Buying a diamond engagement ring can be expensive, and the price goes up as the size increases. Most people’s budgets do not allow them to go with a bigger one that presents the sparkle they are looking for. But what if you could make them seem bigger without it being prohibitively expensive? You can do a few things to achieve this, and this handy guide will walk you through different things you can try.
Focus on the Cut
A beautiful and well-cut diamond reflects and refracts in beautiful ways. This can make it seem like it has more brilliance, sparkle, and flare than it does, which our brains translate into the diamond being bigger.It is therefore important to look at the quality of the diamond’s cut when shopping for one, or when shopping for an engagement ring. Remember that the cut alone will not lead to a brilliant piece, as you also need to consider the diamond’s clarity, weight, and color.
Go with Thinner Bands
The size of the band, mainly its thickness, is a crucial determinant of how big the set at the center seems. The size of the diamond is emphasized when looked at against a smaller band. The reason is that we immediately compare the ring’s size to the band’s size, making the band a key determinant of how big it looks. The good news here is that you can find engagement rings with bands of different sizes at regalhattongarden.co.uk, where you can also get a customized engagement ring if you do not find one that you fancy.
In addition to getting a thinner band, consider getting an engagement ring with a setting that holds the diamond up. The reason is that a protruding ring typically looks bigger than one set low. Settings such as Cathedral and Tiffany designs are great for this. A secondary benefit of getting a thinner band and the higher setting is that they both highlight the diamond, making everything in the background fade away so you can focus on the piece.
Get a Ring with Fewer Prongs
Many diamond settings, such as Tiffany or solitaire, use prongs to hold the diamond in place. Prongs look like metal claws that hold them when placed in a ring. The number of prongs used in most settings is between six and eight, but there are instances where as few as four are used. The issue with many prongs is that the more you have, the more metal surrounds them. Since much of the diamond’s surface area is covered in metal, that makes them less visible, making it seem a lot smaller. Another reason many prongs are not recommended is that they reduce the amount of light that hits the diamond. A reduced amount of light means fewer reflections and refractions, reducing the brilliance and allure of the diamond.
Use a Shiny Metal
White gold and platinum are excellent options for diamond rings because they complement the diamond’s sparkle. They do this by reducing the contrast between the diamond and themselves. The metal’s high brilliance makes it harder to distinguish between it and the diamond, making it all seem like a single piece. The effect will be less pronounced if you choose other options like rose gold or yellow.
Opt for Fancy Shapes
Besides its appearance, the beauty of the diamond is that it can be cut into different shapes. The most common shape is round, a classic and brilliant shape. It is also often the most expensive diamond shape you can get from most jewelers. The round shape means that most of the diamond is below the surface due to the deep cuts. With shapes like Ascher and emerald, the shallower cuts mean you see more of the diamond, which makes the diamond seem larger.
Other shapes that help with this include pear, oval, marquise, and emerald, as they have more surface area visible than round shapes. When selecting the shape of the diamond, you should remember that round shapes tend to have better light performance, leading to better sparkle and brilliance. All this has to do with the deeper cuts on these shapes. You should also know that fancy cuts are typically cheaper than round cuts. This affordability means you can buy a larger-carat diamond without exceeding your budget. Fancy cuts are also a better option if you are buying diamonds to use in men’s jewellery.
Go with Many, Smaller Diamonds
The price of diamonds is based on carat weight, with diamonds with a higher carat weight being more expensive. For this reason, buying many smaller diamonds can save you some money. If you go with many smaller diamonds instead of one larger one, use a cluster setting to show them off. Here, the tiny diamonds are set in a tight cluster depending on the color and size. The result is an illusion that makes the many smaller diamonds seem like one much larger diamond. From a distance, the illusions will make the engagement ring look amazing. Up close, the smaller diamonds’ beauty, size, and placement will make the ring look glamorous.
Surround a Larger Diamond
A popular option for those looking for a large statement piece is to buy a smaller diamond and then surround it with smaller diamonds of the same color. The comparatively bigger diamond should be the centerpiece and placed using a higher setting. The smaller diamonds can be set at a lower setting around the centerpiece diamond. The smaller diamonds are affordable and will help create a big, attractive, fancy engagement ring.
Engagement rings can be pretty costly. Regardless, you probably still want to buy one with sparkle, allure, and brilliance. If you are on a budget, there are several things you can do to ensure the diamond you pick for your engagement ring looks bigger than it is. These include how you set the diamond, the band you choose, the diamond costs, and others, as discussed above. Some of these can even save you money, and you can then buy a bigger diamond for the engagement ring.