Does a high setting make a diamond look bigger? What setting makes the diamond look bigger?
There are individuals who prefer small, simple, and subtle diamond engagement rings, but others would like their engagement rings as sizeable and glamorous.
If you’d rather the biggest possible diamond engagement ring, but you also wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money on that enormous diamond center stone, you will be happy with these tips on the best ways to pick and make your diamond engagement ring appear bigger than it is.
Does a high setting make a diamond look bigger?
You may have heard that a high diamond setting on your engagement ring would make the ring and the stone look bigger. But is this true? Yes, it is. A higher set diamond will make the ring look bigger, but be careful about the stone because some stones that are less 0.5 carats will look smaller.
What this means is that you will create and achieve the illusion of the perfect sized engagement ring if you opt for a high setting for a high-carat diamond ring.
Do diamonds look bigger on small hands?
Now, before we look into some of the ways, you could make your diamond look bigger (from the higher setting and all), let’s address the matter of balance and whether the diamond engagement rings look big on smaller hands or not. Let’s make it clear that if you have smaller hands, you don’t want your ring to look awkward on your hand.
So, back to the question. Well, the answer to this is that the diamond will always draw attention to itself, and the size of your fingers or hands; notwithstanding, the oval-, pear-, and the marquise-cut diamonds on engagement rings will result in the elongation of your fingers. On the other band, diamonds with cut designs like the Asscher, Cushion, or the Princess-cut will always widen your fingers, while in other cases, they will draw more attention to the ring.
At the same time, larger diamonds are overwhelming on small fingers, while the smaller diamonds are underwhelming on large fingers.
There’s also the matter of the ring’s band where the rings with thin bands tend to accentuate the wearer’s fingers, and the wide bands will draw more attention to the ring and away from the fingers.
Also on the ring sizes, it’s also important to note that an engagement ring with a very narrow band will blend with your skin, the wide band will dwarf your fingers, a diamond that is too large will overpower your hands, and picking a diamond that is too small will have an overwhelming effect.
To choose the perfect diamond for the ring, consider the band size and the cut of the stone. Princess-cut or solitaire diamond rings work better for persons with small hands because the cut makes the fingers.
But don’t assume that a specific cut will work for you, visit the jewelry store and try out all the different options available until you find that diamond ring size and cut that looks great on your fingers.
What setting makes the diamond look bigger?
1.Bright White Setting
To make your engagement ring look bigger, you need to keep in mind that the color of the precious metals used will determine the visual impact of the ring.
What this means is that you should consider platinum and 18K white gold settings for the rings. The bright white shine from the metal will reflect off the center diamond for the ring like a mirror would, creating an illusion of a bigger engagement ring.
Note that the 18K white gold offers a great reflection thanks to the plating with rhodium, which gives off a beautiful and extraordinary shine. It’s also more reflective than platinum, and also cheaper, making it a good setting metal if you don’t want to break the bank for the ring that looks big.
2.Halo Ring Setting
To make your diamond engagement ring look bigger, or to buy an engagement ring that will ultimately look bigger on your ring finger, one of the most effective strategies is buying a halo-set engagement ring.
The halo setting naturally looks big and glamorous, which is why it is a recommended option for you if you’d like the ring to look bigger without having to buy the ring with the biggest diamond.
With the halo setting, you will have your center stone surrounded by that shimmering set of rings made of the smaller accent rings. The bright halo shape/ design will exceed the size of the center diamond optically, and the ring will look a lot bigger than it is. The optical illusion of a bigger diamond is further enhanced by the extra shimmer from the diamonds in the halo setting.
So, if shopping for a diamond engagement ring for the first time and you need that dramatic feel, the halo setting for the diamond will be the best way for you to create and add impact on the engagement ring.
The halo setting is also ideal if you are planning to upgrade your older engagement ring and if you are going for that dramatic flair from the bigger ring.
3.Choose rings with slimmer settings.
The other thing you could do for your diamond engagement ring to look bigger is to settle for the slim, delicate diamond settings.
Select the ring with the slim band as well as slim set prongs for the center diamond to look bigger.
Note that a wide metal band and bulky prongs will make the diamond smaller, which is why it is a good idea to select a thin or slim setting for the band and the prongs if you want to create an illusion of a big diamond ring.
4.Diamond shapes to avoid
As you look for ways of making your diamond engagement ring look bigger, it is important for you to make sure that you know which shapes you must avoid if you want to create the illusion of a bigger diamond.
Avoid the Princess- and Asscher-cut diamonds, also steer clear of round-cut diamonds. These cuts don’t have the illusion of bigger stone, and they are also among the most expensive cuts.
Some of the cuts you should consider include the oval, pear, marquise, or the emerald-cut diamonds. These are not only affordable but also create the illusion of a bigger diamond ring.
5.Spread Stones
Spread stones refer to the stones that are designed to look bigger than they are. The most common spread stones are spread diamonds. Now, these diamonds are not the highest-quality diamonds, but they are designed and cut in a way that makes them look bigger, meaning that a 1.00carat diamond will look like a 1.20-carat diamonds.
Note that the spread stones are shallow diamonds, and because of their wider mass, they look larger.
But before you get an engagement ring with spread diamonds, you should know that they are low-quality diamonds that will lose their sparkle and brilliance too soon.
6.Eye-Clean Inclusions
A diamond with a high degree of clarity looks bigger because there is more light that enters the stone, hence more sparkle and the illusion of a bigger diamond.
7.White Diamonds
A pure white diamond looks bigger because it looks like there is some spot light directed on it, which is also why the white diamond from the D-E-F color range will automatically look bigger than it actually is.
More Tips
- Avoid diamonds with bezels
- More prong-set diamonds and no baskets
- 4-prong diamonds rather than the 6-prong
- Have the diamond set high
- Choose thinner metal mountings
Conclusion
Want your diamond ring to look bigger than it is, follow the tips shared above.
Thank for reading. Hope this post helps you. If you guys have any questions, please contact us. Visit this page for more diamond rings information or this page for more latest posts!

Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.