In this article, Afshin Shaddaie, one of the world’s foremost authorities on jewelry and diamonds, delves into the question of which diamond shapes appear the largest. With his expert insights, you’ll discover how different cuts can impact the perceived size of your diamond.
Click here to read our tips on how to make your diamond shape appear bigger.
Which Diamond Shapes Looks the Biggest?
Here’s a list of the diamond shapes that experts say give an impression of appearing the largest from the top.
- Rose Cut
- Pear Cut
- Marquise Cut
- Oval Cut
- Cushion Cut
- Emerald Cut
- Round Cut
- Asscher Cut
- Princess Cut
- Heart Cut
1. Rose Cut Shape Summary
The Rose Cut, an antique style from the 16th century, features a flat base and a domed top with triangular facets, creating a soft, romantic glow. Unlike modern cuts, it lacks a pavilion, which means all its weight is concentrated at the top, making the diamond appear larger from a top-down view. Its flatter shape maximizes surface area, giving the illusion of a bigger stone, but it doesn’t have the same brilliance or fire as modern cuts like the Round Brilliant. The Rose Cut’s vintage charm makes it a favorite for those who prefer understated elegance over sparkle.
To maximize the perceived size of a Rose Cut diamond, it’s important to prioritize surface area (spread) over depth. Because this cut sits lower on the finger, a wider surface will make it look more prominent. For the best presentation, consider a bezel setting to give the stone a bold and seamless appearance, or opt for a prong setting to elevate the diamond and highlight its size. Pairing the Rose Cut with a thin band can further enhance its prominence, drawing attention to its unique shape and maximizing its impact on the ring.
2. Pear Cut Shape Summary
The Pear Cut diamond, also known as the teardrop cut, combines the brilliance of the round cut with the elongation of the marquise, making it one of the most popular shapes for creating the illusion of size. Its tapered point at one end and rounded end at the other stretch the diamond’s appearance, making it look larger than its actual carat weight. The unique shape naturally draws the eye along the length of the diamond, enhancing its perceived size, while its brilliant-cut facets help to reflect light beautifully.
To maximize the size of a Pear Cut diamond, look for stones with a balanced length-to-width ratio, ideally around 1.50 to 1.70. Choosing a setting that enhances its elongation, like a prong or halo setting, can make the diamond appear even larger, as it draws attention to the stone’s full shape. To further emphasize size, orient the pear with the point facing toward the fingertip, as this visual trick elongates the finger and makes the diamond seem bigger.
3. Marquise Cut Shape Summary
The Marquise Cut is renowned for its elongated, boat-like shape that maximizes the diamond’s top surface area, creating the illusion of a much larger stone. The long, tapered points at both ends naturally draw the eye along the entire length of the diamond, making it look substantial even at smaller carat weights. The Marquise’s shape also enhances the perceived size by extending the diamond across the finger, giving it a distinct advantage in making the stone appear larger than its actual weight.
To make a Marquise Cut diamond look even bigger, choose one with a length-to-width ratio of around 1.75 to 2.25, which elongates the stone while maintaining a graceful, balanced appearance. A halo setting is especially effective for this shape, as it adds extra brilliance around the stone and increases its visual size. Additionally, placing the diamond in a north-south orientation along the finger amplifies its elongating effect.
4. Oval Cut Shape Summary
The Oval Cut diamond is highly regarded for its ability to combine the brilliance of a round cut with an elongated shape that maximizes surface area. The oval shape stretches the diamond’s appearance, making it seem larger than its actual carat weight while also providing exceptional brilliance and fire due to its faceting style. Its balanced proportions create a flattering effect on the hand, giving the impression of a larger, more elongated stone that can appear more prominent than round diamonds of the same size.
To enhance the size of an Oval Cut diamond, aim for a length-to-width ratio between 1.35 and 1.50, which optimizes both elongation and symmetry. A halo setting can add even more presence by encircling the diamond with smaller stones, creating a larger overall appearance. Additionally, setting the oval in a north-south orientation can further accentuate its elongating effect and maximize its visual impact.
5. Cushion Cut Shape Summary
The Cushion Cut, with its square or rectangular shape and rounded corners, is a timeless choice that blends vintage charm with modern elegance. Although it doesn’t appear as large as more elongated cuts, its deep facets and excellent light performance give it a striking brilliance, making the diamond seem fuller. The Cushion Cut’s pillow-like shape distributes weight differently, meaning it may not appear as large as elongated cuts, but its classic appeal and soft, romantic look make it a favorite for those seeking elegance over size.
To maximize the size of a Cushion Cut diamond, choose one with a shallower depth percentage, as deeper stones may look smaller from a top view. Opting for a halo setting can add extra dimension and make the stone appear larger, while a prong setting can elevate the diamond and increase its visibility. A thin band, especially one with pavé diamonds, can further enhance the size appearance of the cushion cut, drawing attention to the main stone and giving it a more prominent, substantial look on the finger.
6. Emerald Cut Shape Summary
The Emerald Cut is known for its sleek, rectangular shape and step-cut facets, which create a hall-of-mirrors effect rather than the intense sparkle of brilliant-cut diamonds. While the emerald cut doesn’t maximize brilliance like other shapes, its wide, open table and long, clean lines make it appear large and elegant. The elongated form gives the stone a substantial top-down appearance, and the large surface area allows the diamond to look bigger than some deeper, more faceted cuts of the same carat weight.
To make an Emerald Cut diamond look even larger, aim for a length-to-width ratio of around 1.30 to 1.50 to achieve a balanced, elongated appearance. A bezel setting can frame the diamond and enhance its size without overwhelming its clean lines, while a halo setting can add extra brilliance and presence.
Although the Emerald Cut will not be as large as the cuts mentioned above, it will look the largest of all the step-cut options.
7. Round Cut Shape Summary
The Round Cut diamond is the most popular shape due to its unmatched brilliance and fire, thanks to its 58-facet structure designed to reflect light optimally. While it offers the highest level of sparkle, round diamonds tend to appear smaller than elongated cuts like the marquise or oval because much of their weight is concentrated in the depth rather than spread across the surface. However, the intense sparkle of the round cut often compensates for its smaller perceived size, drawing attention through brilliance rather than sheer dimension.
To make a Round Cut diamond look larger, focus on finding a stone with a shallower depth percentage, which will increase the surface area without sacrificing brilliance. A halo setting is an effective way to boost the size appearance by surrounding the round center stone with smaller diamonds, creating a more substantial look.
8. Asscher Cut Shape Summary
The Asscher Cut is a square-shaped diamond with step-cut facets similar to the emerald cut, but with more symmetry and a deep, architectural look. Its large open table and concentric facets create a unique hall-of-mirrors effect, but because the Asscher Cut is typically deeper than other cuts, it can appear smaller from a top-down view. Unlike elongated cuts, its more compact form doesn’t maximize surface area, though its distinctive vintage allure compensates with a striking visual impact.
To maximize the appearance of size in an Asscher Cut, choosing a halo setting can add more dimension and make the stone look larger. A thin or delicate band can also help the Asscher Cut stand out, drawing attention to its intricate design and enhancing its presence on the finger. Additionally, you can opt for a poorly cut variation that will present flatter than a well-cut variation.
Tips to Make Your Diamond Shape Look Bigger
There are several techniques that jewelers and jewelry experts utilize to make the diamond in their jewelry look bigger. These tips are especially helpful for engagement rings. Here are the top choices:
- Add a Halo around the Diamond
- Pick the Best Diamond Shapes (See Above)
- Ratio of the Diamond
- Choose a Narrow Band
- Flat Stones and Rose Cuts
I. Add a Halo around the Diamond
One of the best tricks to make a diamond of any cut appear larger is to choose a halo setting. Several tiny stones generally cost less than an even bigger stone, and those added stones will give a much larger appearance.
The halo setting also leaves room for creativity – you can choose to surround the center diamond with colored gemstones. However, if the colors of the main stone and halo are contrasting, the enlarging effect will be less impressive compared to stones of matching color.
Last but not least, a halo can protect the center stone from catching objects and scratching. This is especially important for marquise and pear-cut diamonds.
III. Ratio Can Make the Diamond Shape Look Bigger
Another thing to bear in mind, depending on the cut you prefer, is the length-to-width ratio. A diamond with equal length and width proportions will often appear smaller than one with a more elongated shape. This is particularly true for cuts like the Marquise, Oval, and Pear, where a greater disparity between length and width can make the stone appear significantly larger.
A diamond with a higher length-to-width ratio tends to draw the eye along its length, giving it a more substantial look, while a more symmetrical ratio can make the diamond seem more compact. Choosing a diamond with an optimal ratio for its shape will enhance the stone’s presence and make it look larger on the finger without adding carat weight.
IV. Choose a Narrow Band and Minimal Details
A narrow band will naturally make any diamond appear larger by drawing attention to the stone itself. Solitaire-style rings are particularly effective in accentuating the diamond, as the lack of additional design elements ensures the focus remains on the stone. In contrast, rings with a lot of intricate details can make even larger diamonds seem smaller—unless you opt for a halo setting, which adds brilliance around the center stone and enhances its size.
In general, a high crown requires a deeper stone cut, which can make the diamond appear smaller from a top-down view. Choosing a white gold or platinum setting can complement the diamond’s clarity and enhance its visual size by creating a seamless look. Conversely, a contrasting setting can diminish the stone’s appearance. That said, if you’re selecting a yellow gold band to pair with a champagne-colored diamond, the match can create a warm, cohesive effect.
V. Flatter Stones and Rose Cuts
Another great way to give a larger impression is to find a (poorly cut) diamond that has a much wider width to height ratio than the commonly accepted criteria. The wider the stone, the larger the look.
Of course, if you have a very wide diamond, you’ll be sacrificing sparkle and brilliance, but you can’t have it all.
Another option, is to go with a rose-cut diamond. Rose cut diamonds have become increasingly popular over the past few years. It’s an antique look that has made a giant renaissance.
Which Diamond Shape Looks Smallest?
If you want a diamond in your engagement ring to look small, go for the complex cuts. The heart-shaped and other complex diamond cuts will end up looking much smaller than the classic and simple cuts.
The round cut is also the most popular. Therefore, due to high demand, a 1-carat round-cut stone will cost more than a 1-carat marquise-cut stone. The sloped sides of a cushion-cut stone make diamonds appear smaller than they are, even compared to round cut stones – which can be considered the golden mean.
The cushion shape is also less forgiving to inclusions and cut imperfections. This means that it’s certainly not a choice for those who want a large, high-quality stone for a reasonable price. Cushion-cut diamonds have their advantages too, though.
Talk to a Diamond Expert
If you keep in mind the importance of shape, a perfect cut, and the surrounding details, choosing a ring should be much easier now. No matter what your preference, we hope that you won’t have to compromise the diamond’s quality and overall ring style for the carat number anymore.
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