5 Ways to Make a Diamond Look Larger Than its True Carat Weight

Pay Attention to Diamond Cut, Shape & Setting

Did you know that there are many ways to make a diamond appear larger than it actually is? The diamond's cut, shape, and setting all have an impact on its apparent size.

Here are five techniques you can use to buy a diamond that looks larger than its true carat weight.

1. Consider Fancy Diamond Shapes

Fancy shaped diamonds usually look larger than round diamonds of equal weight, especially diamonds with elongated shapes, such as the marquise, oval and pear.

2. Choose a Pavé Setting

A pavé setting looks like a continuous surface of diamonds, but is actually made up of small diamonds set side by side into little holes, their surfaces nearly level with the setting. Tiny beads are crafted from the surrounding metal to hold the diamonds in place.

It's difficult to distinguish individual stones, so the setting makes you think the piece has more (and larger) diamonds than it truly does.

Intricate pavé settings can be expensive, so sometimes it's less expensive to buy a larger diamond!

3. Consider an Illusion Setting

The diamond in an Illusion setting is mounted to a mirror-like plate before being set into the band, making it look larger, with more brilliance.

There's a downside to the Illusion setting--it's more difficult to repair.

4. Choose a Setting with Side Stones

Small diamonds set into the band on either side of a center stone won't necessarily make the focal diamond look larger, but can give a ring more overall pizzazz.

5. Select a Bezel Set Diamond

Choose a diamond in a bezel setting, where a rim totally encircles the stone. White gold or platinum will blend with and enhance a white diamond, making it appear larger. A yellow gold bezel setting can throw a yellowish tint back onto the diamond.

Parting Words

Watch Out For Shallow Cut Diamonds

Diamonds that are cut shallow (not as deep as they ideally should be) appear larger than the same size stones with a more proportional cut, but what you gain in size you lose in brilliance. Light traveling through a shallow cut tends to go out the back instead of bouncing off of the sides of the stone and back into your vision.