What Type of Engagement Ring Looks Biggest?
•Posted on October 10 2024
When selecting an engagement ring to prepare for marriage, many couples consider the size of the ring. They desire the largest possible appearance for their engagement rings without having to purchase a heavier diamond or gemstone. But how to choose? What factors should you consider? In this post, we'll examine various elements that can give the appearance of a larger engagement ring, to assist you in finding the ideal balance between size and beauty.
The Role of Gemstone Cut
The word "cut" is used to describe both the shape of the gemstone and the quality of the craftsmanship that went into shaping it. An exceptional cut can add brilliance — its ability to reflect light — to a stone and may even give the appearance that the stone is far larger than the carat weight would suggest.
Shape Matters
Generally speaking, stones with more facets can reflect light more effectively. Here are some common cuts known to enhance size and sparkle appearance.
- Round Brilliant: Known for its remarkable sparkle, this cut is the most widely used. Due to the symmetry of a round engagement ring, light reflects more effectively arount it, creating the appearance of a larger gemstone.
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- Princess Cut: The princess cut has a striking visual effect thanks to its contemporary square design and sharp angles. Its numerous facets have the potential to produce an amazing show of light that enlarges the stone.
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- Emerald Cut: Because of its elongated design, the emerald cut can give the impression of a greater size even though it has fewer facets than the round and princess cuts. The gemstone could be more noticeable because of the "step" cut design.
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- Oval Cut: Compared to round gemstones of the same carat weight, oval gemstones can appear larger due to their distinctive form. Fingers appear longer and slimmer due to their elongated shape, which increases the overall impression of size.
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Depth and Table Ratio
Depth refers to the depth of the gemstone from the flat top, commonly called the table, to the bottom point called the culet, measured in millimeters. The table is a flat surface that always faces upwards, and its size regulates the amount of light entering the stone. The table-to-depth ratio combines these two features.
A well-balanced table-to-depth ratio allows light to enter, reflect, and exit beautifully. Each type of gemstone has an ideal range for these measurements. For example, round diamonds are often cut with a table percentage of 53-58% and a depth of approximately 60-62%. These ideal percentages and proportions staying within these proportions can create a "size illusion" that makes the gem appear larger and flashier.
Setting Styles that Enhance Size
While not as directly as the cut relating so much to the visual size of the gemstone, the gemstone setting can complement the cut and add to the visual size. The perceived size of the stone might be increased or decreased with some specific settings.
Halo Settings
A halo setting is one of the most efficient ways to make the gemstone appear larger. Smaller gemstones surround the center stone for framing, thus giving a bigger appearance. The small stones in the halo draw your eyes outwards, giving an impression that the center stone is big when in fact, it's not.
Pave Settings
Pave settings involve small gemstones set closely together along the band and sometimes around the center stone. This can create a continuous sparkle effect. Multiple small stones make the whole thing more brilliant and might make the main gemstone appear larger by comparison. The eye is drawn to the collective sparkle rather than completely focusing on the centerpiece.
Cathedral Settings
Cathedral settings raise the center gemstone with height and elegance. The setting contains arches that extend to the center stone, making a beautiful visual effect. The lift of the cathedral setting makes the gemstone more noticeable, hence appearing larger visually.
Metal Choice
Choosing the right metal for your gemstone setting significantly impacts its overall appearance.
Lighter Metals (Platinum, White Gold, Silver)
Light metals reflect more light and tend to merge with the light-colored gemstones. These metals can provide a continuous-looking appearance and make the stone seem bigger as a result of not drawing much attention to the band itself. The bright reflective surface enhances the sparkle of the stone, creating a more outstanding appearance.
Darker Metals (Yellow Gold, Rose Gold)
Darker or more saturated metals, like yellow gold and rose gold, contrast with lighter-colored gemstones. The contrast in color between the gemstone and the metal tends to make the stone pop more, thus improving its appearance. At times, though, a dark metal can make the outline of the gemstone more noticeable; this too-dramatic contrast could make the gemstone appear a bit smaller.
High-Polish vs. Matte Finish
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Metal with a high-polish finish will reflect more light. The shine of the metal adds brilliance to the general ring design and enhances the beauty of the gemstone while making it appear larger. On the other hand, a matte finish may play down the reflection of the metal and make the stone appear alone, sometimes shrinking it.
Band Width That Makes Your Stone Shine
The width of the band can also make a difference in how big the center stone will appear with the rest of the ring. A thin band can make a smaller center stone more dominant by not distracting much attention from it, thus making the stone look larger and more striking on the delicate band. A wide band gives a modern, more bold appearance; however, it can take the focus away from the center stone and make the stone appear to be smaller in size. Wide bands mostly go well with bigger stones or designs where the band and stone go in harmony with each other. It all depends on the desired style and the size of the gemstone when choosing thin or wide bands.
Personal Factors Affecting Appearance
Besides factors associated with the ring, personal factors like finger size and skin tone might also affect its apparent size.
- Finger Size: For instance, people with larger fingers may require a larger carat weight to create a balanced appearance, while for those with smaller fingers, a ring with a modestly sized stone is enough.
- Skin Color: Skin color will impact how a gemstone looks. Lighter-colored stones such as moissanite ring tend to contrast more dramatically with darker skin tones, whereas colored gemstones rings may pop a bit more on lighter skin.
Unsure which ring style best complements your hand? Explore our guide: How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring for Your Hand Shape.
Choosing Your Perfect Engagement Ring!
Several factors contribute to the visual size of an engagement ring, such as the cut of the stone, the style of setting used, the type of metal used, and so on. All these components add to the general beauty of the ring. However, as much as size can be attractive, the most important thing is to choose a ring that really speaks to your personal style and love. What really matters is that you find a ring that feels right to both of you!