How to Make your Diamonds Appear Larger

A diamond is considered more valuable if it is larger. This is mainly due to its shine, which captures the eye of the onlooker. While very expensive in nature, there are ways to make diamonds look larger without actually increasing the carat weight. From selecting cuts, settings, and shapes to picking thin bands and prongs, there are quite a few smart ways to change the appearance of any given diamond. Below are a few tips that would help make your diamond look larger.

Buy the Best Cut Available

The cut of a diamond determines how well it reflects the light. This is because a good cut translates to excellent facet dimensions, angles, and relative measurements. This paves the way for a great reflective reaction, especially once strong light falls on the diamond. If you want to confirm the quality of the cut, you can go by a grading system used to express this reliably. The GIA issues a grading certificate, which makes mention of something called a cut grade. Diamonds are graded as Excellent, Very Good, Good, and Fair, depending on the different parameters used to determine this particular factor.

If the diamond is well cut, it will reflect the light much better, making it look more brilliant. This would naturally make the diamond look bigger as well. It is advised to aim close to excellent cut grades among round brilliants, whether you pick a bezel setting or a solitaire. Note that there are no grades issued for diamond cuts other than the round brilliant. For one of the remaining ones, you would need to ask an expert about the quality of cut.

Round Diamonds Have a Tendency to Look Larger

Out of all the diamond shapes available, the round brilliant looks the largest. This holds true for all diamonds with the same carat weight. In circular diamonds, the cuts are so neat that the reflection exudes the essence of its weight.

Oblong and Elongated Diamonds Appear Larger

The elongated and oblong profiles of diamonds also have a tendency to look larger than their carat weight. Oval shaped diamonds are elongated, and hence have an enlarged appearance. Furthermore, marquise- and emerald-cut diamonds are more oblong, which makes them look larger for their weights.

Clarity of Cushion Cut Diamonds

Just as many shapes of diamonds appear larger, some end up the opposite in this regard. Since cushion cut diamonds are usually deep set, a majority of the carat weight there sinks below the setting line, and becomes impossible to see. According to the carat size, the cushion is clearly one of the most expensive diamonds available.

Slender Prongs Bring the Jewel to The Fore

A smart way to highlight the center stone is to try and make it appear large in comparison to something else. The best way to do this is to choose slender prongs. This means the prongs would appear smaller in comparison to the diamond, which would consequently dominate the scene and look a lot bigger. For example, the surface area of the center stone in most bezel set engagement rings would become a lot more visible this way.

Choose a Smaller Number of Prongs

Apart from selecting slim prongs for your bezel setting rings, you should also make sure that you use the lowest number of prongs with the center stone. Usually, round cut diamonds are used with four, five or six prongs. If you want to make the diamond dominate the appearance in your ring, you should reduce distractions such as prongs.

Select a Bright White Metal Band If Possible

There are several optical illusions which can be utilized to make a diamond look larger. One such instance is the use of a white metal band. Such a band would have a reflective surface, which pushes the incident light back into the mounted stone. Overall illumination gets heightened, and the diamond appears larger as a result of the optical illusion created.

Use Colored Stones Too

Colored diamonds look larger than traditional ones. Go for pale shades of green, blue, pink, and yellow. These shades have the innate property of appearing larger than their real size.

Flexibility in Diamond’s Color and Clarity

Diamonds are graded depending on their color and clarity. In case you are very particular about maximizing the size of a diamond, you might have to compromise on either or both in order to stick to budget.

Choose a Thin and Delicate Band

By making the diamond larger in visual comparison, it effectively looks like a bigger stone altogether. This effect can be achieved by selecting a thin band to fit your diamond, which is yet another example of an optical illusion. The center stone looks larger due to the smaller size of the band. Besides, it would have better appeal if it tapered near the center. Such bands are also known as the pinched shank, and they really bring mounted diamonds to the spotlight.