How to Make Diamonds Appear Larger
If you would like to buy a piece of jewellery containing a large diamond, but you cannot afford the high pricetag, note that there are many ways to make low-carat diamonds appear larger and more expensive! The following are a few points to consider before buying. These tips apply to all types of jewellery but they are perhaps most useful for engagement rings because they are worn so regularly.
Shape and Cut
Although you or your loved one may be determined to have a particular shape of diamond, it is worth noting that oval-, marquise- and pear-shaped diamonds generally have larger exposed surface areas than round- or square-shaped diamonds of the same carat weight. These are therefore are an excellent option for shoppers looking for bigger diamonds on a budget.
You may be tempted to purchase shallow cut brilliant diamonds. These are wider, but not as deep as they ideally should be. As a result, although they appear large from above, they have reduced brilliance. Note that, unlike with round brilliant diamonds, there are no definite guidelines regarding the acceptable proportions of fancy-shaped diamonds. With these diamonds, it is more a matter of personal taste.
Setting
The way that a diamond is set can significantly influence its apparent size.
A bezel setting is where the diamond is surrounded by a metal rim. A colourless diamond can be made to look larger by using a rim made of metals such as white gold or platinum. Similarly, a yellow gold rim can enhance the apparent size of yellow diamonds. Try to avoid coloured gold (e.g., yellow, red, or green) bezel settings for colourless diamonds because they give the diamond a coloured tint.
An illusion setting can be used to enhance the size and brilliance of a diamond. With this setting, the diamond is mounted on a mirror-like plate before being set into the metal. The disadvantage of this setting is that it is difficult to repair.
Multiple Small Stones
An impressive example of a (0.34 carat total weight) diamond cluster ring. Photo courtesy of captain6-antiquediamonds on eBay.
Another way of making your jewellery stand out is to use many smaller, closely-packed diamonds instead of one larger diamond. The term cluster is often used to describe such arrangements. There are two common ways of achieving this.
One way is known as the pavé setting. Tiny, normally round brilliant cut, diamonds are placed in small holes that have been drilled out of the metal. Tiny beads are crafted from the surrounding metal to hold the diamonds in place. The metal used is almost always a colour that blends with the colour of the diamonds. The end result is a continuous surface of diamonds that appears as one large stone. The cost of pavé set jewellery largely depends on the amount of work involved to set the diamonds. Therefore, in some cases, it may be more economical to purchase a larger diamond.
A second way to combine lots of little diamonds is to use a technique known as invisible setting. For this, diamonds are placed on a metal framework that will be invisible when the piece is finished. Princess cut (square) diamonds are generally used so that there are no gaps between them. Expensive larger diamonds should not be set in this way because this method involves making a groove or hole in each diamond. Like pavé set diamonds, invisible set diamonds can give the appearance of one larger diamond. Note that invisible set jewellery is often very delicate and expensive to repair.