The ultimate purpose of choosing a diamond of a larger carat size is to get a diamond that looks bigger. However, as the rarity of a larger diamond increase exponentially with size, so does its price. In other words, the larger carat you choose, the higher price you have to pay. Comparing two diamonds of the same carat, the diameter size of the two may vary due to the shape, cutting and ring design. Knowing the tips and tricks below, you can get a diamond which can look larger that it really is and best of all, with a more affordable price.

1. The Art of Illusion

Price is largely determined by the carat of the diamond. Comparing diamonds with the same carat but of different shapes, an elongated shape of a diamond like pear, oval, and marquise can actually look much larger than the square and round shaped stones. Placing small stones next to the main diamond on a ring such as in the three-stone setting can help make the center diamond look larger as well.

2. Round versus other shapes

Round is the most simple but yet most desired shape of all for diamonds. One of the reasons why it is so appealing is because it releases the most brilliance compared to other shapes. However, you may not be aware that round diamonds also the most expensive shape among all shapes too! During cutting process, a lot more raw diamond material goes to waste when making a round and princess diamond versus other shapes. That is the reason why a round diamond can be more expensive than a radiant diamond of the same carat by at least $200 – $300.Given a fixed budget, it will be good if you keep the option to offset the diamond shape with carat, cut, clarity or color. On the other hand, the ultimate decision should be with regards to her taste and personal choice if you know what I mean!

3. Accompanying stones

A diamond ring will look gorgeous and attractive in a setting where the diamond is accompanied by 2 smaller diamonds or where little small diamonds are set surrounding the center diamond (pave setting). The good news is that this type of setting is usually of a lower price compared to a single big diamond setting. Best of all, you can hardly distinguish the size or tell the actual size. Gemstones which are cheaper can be used to replace the smaller diamonds in the pave setting. This results in a less metal showing and since you have more stones to play with, there can be potentially numerous design permutations!

4. Shallow cuts

A shallow cut diamond will result in a larger table, hence resulting in a larger looking diamond. However, the major drawback is that this type of cut increases the tableover depth percentage and the diamond will lose a significant amount of shine and brilliance. The amount lost could be so much that you cannot describe the diamond as a “bling bling” anymore. Hence, in order to get the best proportions, take this table as a reference. This can be a potential cost saver as you can pay a 0.9 carat diamond that looks like a 1 carat diamond!