Selecting the perfect diamond jewelry can be surprisingly complex. After all, what’s so hard about picking out a gorgeous diamond and finding the perfect setting for it?

However, diamonds are fickle gemstones that require certain conditions in order to achieve maximum brilliance. If you want to showcase your diamond ring to the world, then you’ll need to know how to
optimize your diamonds for brilliance, shine and clarity.

Luckily, there are a few key methods to achieving this highly desired look – and they’re a lot easier than you think:

It’s All about the Metal. Like with any house, showcasing the perfect diamond starts with its foundation: the metal band. Certain metals will highlight the effortless brilliance of your diamond, while others can make it look dull in comparison. If you’re not too fickle about the metal band of your ring, then opt for a platinum, palladium or white gold base. The silver color perfectly complements the brilliance of the diamond without drawing too much attention away from it.

If you’re interested in using a colored diamond, then gold might be a more sensible choice as a base metal. For example, green, violets, browns and reds are set off brilliantly by the warm undertones of a gold metal band.

Here’s a helpful hint: gemstones with cool undertones (like diamonds and sapphires) look great with silver tones, while gemstones with red undertones (such as rubies) sparkle against gold.

Pick the Perfect Setting. The setting is crucial to highlighting your diamond, as the wrong setting can overwhelm or even minimize the look of your gemstone. For those who are interested in solitaire diamond rings, make sure the diamond carat is higher than .75, as anything smaller can look tiny in a
solitaire setting. Those who want a smaller diamond should choose bezel, channel or eternity settings, as these use multiple small diamonds to create a brilliant sparkling effect.

Of course, the setting choice will ultimately be determined by your own tastes – just be sure that your favorite setting does that fabulous diamond justice.

Cutting is Key. Here’s a neat little trick that can make even the smallest diamond appear much larger: have your jeweler cut the stone’s edges. This cutting style allows the diamond to reflect more light, which visually increases its size. For example, this method is used to create Asscher-cut diamonds, which look almost identical to emerald-cut diamonds; however, thanks to this special cut, smaller Asscher-style diamonds look just as big next to larger emerald styles.

Your diamond ring will be a main feature on your finger for years to come – make sure you optimize its brilliance, clarity and shine!