6 Ways To Make Your Engagement Ring Look Bigger

Some people want a subtle engagement ring, while others want their engagement ring to look as glamorous and sizable as possible. If you fall into the latter category, we’re here to help with some handy tips on how you can make your engagement ring look bigger— without spending more for an enormous center stone.

Looking for ways to get the most sparkle out of your diamond center stone? You’ll find all our helpful tips and tricks for maximizing the appearance and enhancing the shine of your diamond.

The larger the size, the more expensive the diamond, and it’s common for even just a tenth of the carat to increase the price of the stone by hundreds if not thousands of dollars. But the good news is that there are ways to make your engagement ring look bigger than it is…. all without spending more.

It’s no surprise that diamonds have remained the most popular choice for engagement ring center stones as they always bring their fire and brilliance. Diamond sparkle is something unique that you may not find in every gem, and that’s why they’re so sought after.

But not all diamonds sparkle equally. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that bigger diamonds are the only ones that can bring the shine. It’s important to get the correct information on what makes a diamond sparkle well. Tricks of the trade can help you find the size and shape that works for your budget and make your ring finger glitter.

If you want to know how to maximize your diamond sparkle, take a walk with us as we break down six basic rules to get more sparkle out of your engagement ring.

6 Ways To Make Your Engagement Ring Look Bigger

Get The Best Cut You Can

Even though nearly every engagement ring shopper is focused on the carat weight of a diamond, it’s actually recommended that the stone’s cut is never overlooked as it is considered to be the most important of the 4C’s.

So how exactly does the cut of a diamond change how big it looks? The cut of a diamond determines how well it will reflect light based on the way its angles and facets were cut. In addition, it affects the overall sparkle of the diamond. A diamond’s cut is graded by the Gemological Institute of America as excellent, very good, good, and fair.

Diamonds with excellent brilliance (sparkle) appear larger to the eye. And for a diamond to have maximum brilliance, it has to have a great cut. To ensure your diamond has excellent brilliance, it is recommended to select a diamond with a cut grade of Very Good or Excellent.

Pick Your Diamond Shape Wisely

Another factor that can affect how large a diamond looks is its shape. While diamonds can be cut into numerous shapes, there are ten popular shapes. These include round, cushion, emerald, heart, marquise, oval, pear, Asscher, princess, and radiant. Even though round-cut diamonds are the most popular, elongated shapes create the illusion of a bigger stone.

Naturally, each diamond shape comes with many advantages and disadvantages. Wondering which diamond shapes help make your stone look the largest? We’re here to tell you.

Making Your Ring Look Bigger With Round Diamonds

Here’s a little insider’s tip for you if you want a diamond to look a lot bigger and more expensive. When compared to other diamond cuts, a round-cut diamond looks larger because of its shape. It has more surface area for light to reflect off, and therefore, it shines brighter and looks bigger. Also, it has no pointed or sharp edges. This too creates the effect of a larger diamond.

Making Your Ring Look Bigger With Elongated Diamonds

While bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, there are specific diamond cuts that can give you more diamond glow and extra finger coverage.

Popular elongated fancy-shaped diamonds like oval, pear, marquise, and emerald cuts are perfect if your goal is to enhance the size of your center stone. All four of these cuts look bigger than their actual carat weight. However, oval-shaped diamonds are the top choice for those wanting a classic engagement ring, yet still want to maximize the size of their center diamond.

These diamond shapes are a popular alternative to the classic round brilliant and can make light dance and add a unique feature to your engagement ring.

The oval shape also tends to appear larger since they’re elongated and take up a lot of real estate on your ring finger. Similarly, the oblong shape of a marquise shape or an emerald shape also makes for a larger-looking stone. All three of these cuts look bigger than their actual carat weight.

Diamond Shapes To Avoid

While some diamond shapes appear larger per carat, others look smaller per carat. You may want to avoid Asscher, cushion cuts, and princess diamonds.

Since they hide much of the weight below the diamond’s table, these specific shapes don’t appear as large as other shaped diamonds. In contrast to elongated shapes, where the weight is spread across a larger surface area, it has a concave shape.

Pick A White Metal To Make Your Diamond Look Bigger

Choosing a pure white metal such as platinum or white gold will make the diamond stand out. This is because the color of the metal acts as a mirror and reflects the diamond’s colorlessness, giving the impression of a larger diamond.

Additionally, platinum prongs may give a diamond the illusion of being larger because platinum blends in with the diamond’s color. But for those who are still determined to get a rose or yellow gold ring, no worries! You can pick whatever metal color your heart desires and still choose white gold or platinum prongs. This will allow the white gold to shine through the diamond, making the rock appear larger.

What Settings Make The Diamond Look Bigger?

You can also enhance the appearance of your center diamond by picking a setting that is very thin and delicate. Experts recommend that you select a setting with a slim band and slim prongs.

One of the most popular choices is pavé engagement rings, as this ring setting is specifically designed to highlight the center stone. Why? Because the setting consists of several small diamonds or gemstones that accentuate the main diamond. Diamonds are usually placed so close to each other that the metal underneath them cannot be seen. With different styles of pavé settings, you’re guaranteed to get more sparkle for less.

Halo Ring Settings

Much like the pavé setting, a halo setting is an excellent option if you want your engagement ring to look as glamorous and sizable as possible. This is also one of the best ways to add drama as the center stone is surrounded by shimmering, smaller accent diamonds.

Opting for a heavenly halo setting, you can increase your ring’s carat size without increasing the price tag. This is one of the many reasons why this ring setting is so popular. Not only does it add to the overall sparkle of the engagement ring, but a halo also works with just about any fancy-shaped diamond.

Did you know that halo engagement rings are not just versatile and easy to customize, but this ring setting can actually make a diamond appear as much as half a carat larger than it actually is? Amazing, right?

Three-Stone Ring Setting

Another stunning option is the three-stone ring setting. As a rule of thumb, if you choose this option, it’s best to keep the side stones on the smaller side so they won’t compete for attention with the main diamond.

Still, wondering why a three-stone engagement ring seems larger than it actually is? Well, if smaller side diamonds or gemstones are added on either side of the center diamond, it will help accentuate it. Think of the side stones as the performers who open the show! Their purpose is to create a grand, glowing effect for the main act – the center diamond.

Consider A Lab Created Diamond

Always dreamt of a diamond with 2 carats or more? Then it’s time to consider a lab-created diamond. Not only are lab-created diamonds physically, chemically, and optically identical to earth-created ones, but they also come with a cheaper price tag. To the naked eye, there is hardly any difference.

Here are just a few reasons to choose a lab-created diamond:

Superior quality & purity

Environmentally friendly and sustainable

Known origin of every diamond

It will cost 30-40% less than a natural diamond of similar size, color, and clarity.

To help maximize your budget without having to compromise on quality, JamesAllen.com also stocks True Hearts™ lab-created diamonds. This premier collection of Ideal diamonds is perfectly proportioned to refract light, producing only the best diamond sparkle.

Have Your Diamond Ring Cleaned Regularly

Last but not least, here is one of the simplest tips you can follow. If you want your engagement ring to look as large as possible, always keep it clean. As we mentioned throughout this article, the more sparkly your engagement ring is, the larger it will look. Over time, diamonds and precious metals accumulate oil and dirt, which dulls their sparkle. So to keep your engagement ring shining, clean it regularly.

It is generally recommended to get your ring professionally cleaned every six months. Then, in between professional cleanings, you can clean your ring from the comfort of your home. We’re all about DIY diamond cleaning, so we’ll let you on one of the best diamond cleaning tips.

All you’ll need is:

A toothbrush

Mild dish soap or ammonia

Polishing cloth/ microfiber cloth

Two bowls

Steps to clean your diamond:

1. Add lukewarm water to the two bowls and a few drops of dish soap/ammonia to one of them.
2. Using the toothbrush, gently use the soapy solution to clean your diamond (circular brush strokes are always better.)
3. Once you’re satisfied, rinse any excess oil or soap from your ring and dry it using a cloth.

FAQs About How To Make Your Engagement Ring Look Bigger

Which diamond shape sparkles the most?

A round brilliant cut diamond has the brightest sparkle. Round brilliant diamonds are cut to have 58 facets (including the culet), allowing light to enter the diamond and reflect off of every facet to create a beautiful shimmer.

How to make your engagement ring look bigger with a wedding band?

You can make your engagement ring look bigger by pairing it with a flush pavé wedding band to maximize your engagement ring’s brilliance.

How to make your engagement ring look more expensive?

The more carat, meaning, the larger the diamond, the whiter the color, the higher the clarity and the better the cut and proportions, the more expensive the engagement ring in which this diamond is set will look.

Final Thoughts

There are so many fun and calculated ways to maximize the appearance and sparkle of your ring. One of the best ways to ensure you have the biggest diamond ring possible is to work with diamond and jewelry experts, such as the ones at royisal.com.