The choice of an engagement ring style is a matter of personal preference. Not every women craves for a giant engagement ring, but a larger diamond makes most of them happy. If your girlfriend falls in the latter category, learn a few tricks to make the diamond look bigger without having to pay the exorbitant cost associated with bigger stones.
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The cost of a diamond is determined by a combination of factors which are mainly the 4Cs. Yet, the carat weight of the stone is a predominant C. Usually, it is difficult to get the size of your liking within your budget. Reason being that large stones very rare and all rare things cost a lot of money.
So you have to strike a balance. Get the maximum possible carat weight (accommodating other attributes as well) within your budget and then strive to make the stone look bigger at that carat weight. Learn these tricks and make your diamond look bigger than it actually is.
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1. Concentrate On The Cut Attribute:
Among all the four Cs, the cut is the most important attribute of a diamond. And yes, it is more important than the carat size. Again, don’t get misled by the term ‘carat size.’ The term carat specifically refers to the weight of the diamond and not its size. As you know, a person’s weight does not necessarily correlate with height. Similarly, carat weight by itself, may not truly reflect a diamond’s size. A diamond with lower carat weight, but higher cut grade appears larger than a diamond with a larger carat weight, but poor cut.
Shift your focus from a diamonds carat to its cut. The cut determines how the stone catches light. A cut with balanced proportions and symmetrical balance allows for maximum re-emergence of light from the diamond surface. It brings out that extra shine giving the diamond an incredible sparkle. The brilliance makes the stone appear larger than it actually is.
2. Create The Size Illusion With The Shape Attribute:
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First of all know the difference between the shape and cut of a diamond. Cut refers to the exact proportions between the various parts of the diamond. While, shape implies the actual outward-physical appearance of a diamond, such as pear, round, or emerald.
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The shape of the diamond has a definite affect on how big the stone appears. If you want your diamond to appear larger, do consider the shape of the diamond.
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A diamond cut in the fancy and elongated shapes such as the pear, marquise or emerald will look larger than a round cut diamond of equivalent carat weight. Be aware that this involves a trade off in terms of the stones brilliance. Round brilliants reflect the light best making them the most brilliant for their size.
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3. Wrap A Halo Around Your Stone:
Halo is a cluster of smaller or tiny diamonds that are set surrounding the larger central stone. The apparently fused appearance creates the illusion of a single big diamond. As a bonus they spread further sparkle and splendor to your ring. As a variation, a knot-like detail around the center stone will create an interesting twist on the popular halo style.
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4. Let The Diamond Bask In Reflected Glory Too:
Choose a ring made of white metal like platinum or white gold with high degree of polish. Polished white bands offer a much better reflecting surface. The diamond will be reflected in and off the white metal giving the gemstone a larger appearance. Even if you happen to choose a yellow gold or rose gold ring, let the prongs be of white metal. The white prongs will reflect the diamond well and at the same time you will achieve a nice dichotomy of colors.
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5. Flank It With Side Stones:
Here is another neat trick to make your diamond look larger. Add two smaller side stones on either side complementing the larger center diamond. This will not only make the center stone look larger but also enhance beauty of your ring. The smaller side-stones will not add as much to the cost as increasing the size of the centre stone.
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6. Make The Bands Go Slim
Thickness of the band greatly influences the appearance of the center stone. A diamond superimposed on a slimmer band looks larger. Then again, you can opt for a style where the bands start wider behind the finger and taper as the approach the center stone. This will make the diamond look larger and at the same time put more emphasis on your gemstone.
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7. Stay Just Below The Rounded Carat Weights:
The price of a diamond tends to increase steeply at the full carat and half carat weight points. Try to choose a diamond just below these weight points. For example, if a 1 or 1.5 carat diamond is within your budget, try choosing a 0.9 or 1.4 carat stone. You will end up paying substantially less. The carat weight being spread across the entire diamond such minute size difference is virtually unnoticeable. You can utilize your savings to add side-stones or a halo.
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Read More Articles About Diamonds
See Also:
Fascinating Facts About Diamonds Straight From Tiffany & Co’s Chief Gemologist