Often featured in diamond engagement rings, these smaller diamonds make the ring appear larger and more captivating. Their common usage in gemstone engagement rings for women adds extra sparkle to the main stone.
Accentuating gemstones like rubies, emeralds, pearls, and sapphires with added brilliance, diamond accents don’t overpower the primary stones. These accents are also available in various shapes such as round, baguette, oval, emerald, princess, and more.
Common Types of Diamond Accents
Baguette Accent Diamonds
These accents come as either straight or tapered baguettes. Their rectangular shape often earns them the name rectangular accents.
Trillion Cut Accent Diamonds
Subtly curved to match the ring’s slope, trillion cut diamonds offer maximum sparkle for their cost. Care must be taken so they don’t outshine less brilliant center stones.
Marquise Accent Diamonds
Due to their tapered shape, marquise accent diamonds create an oval effect, making a striking pair with most angular center stones.
Round Accent Diamonds
Round accent diamonds are versatile and blend effectively with most diamond shapes.
Common Types of Settings for Diamond Accents
Halo
In this setting, accent diamonds are arranged in a circle or square around the central stone, enhancing its size and appearance.
Pave and Micropave
Small metal beads hold accent diamonds set closely together. This flawless look provides extra sparkle and is perfect for those wanting a beautiful, timeless engagement ring.
Channel
In this elegant setting, accent diamonds are suspended between two uniform borders, creating an illusion of floating diamonds. This setting pairs well with round and princess-cut diamonds popular in traditional engagement rings.
Bezel
Offering a classic appeal and remarkable durability, the bezel setting is ideal for individuals with active lifestyles, such as nurses or teachers.
The Most Classic Combinations of Accent and Center Diamonds
Baguette Diamonds
Known for their large table size and unique symmetry, baguette diamonds serve as ideal accent diamonds. While they have less sparkle compared to trillion cuts or small round accents, their smaller carat sizes make them budget-friendly. Both straight and tapered baguettes work well with various diamond shapes like emerald, radiant, princess, and round brilliant.
Straight baguette accent diamonds, in particular, appear larger due to their rectangular shape and are popular with round brilliant, asscher, and marquise cuts.
Trillion Cut Diamond Accents
The triangular shape of trillion cut diamonds elegantly follows the ring’s curve, making them suitable for three-stone settings with cushion-cut center stones and others like brilliant round, princess, and radiant cut diamonds.
Marquise Diamond Accents
With a whimsical shape resembling a smile, marquise diamond accents are ideal for non-traditional brides and pair beautifully with oval and princess cut diamonds.
Small Round Diamond Accents
Diverse in their versatility, small round diamond accents are compatible with all diamond shapes. They are categorized as ‘stars,’ ‘full cuts,’ and ‘melee,’ often used to enhance thicker ring settings.
Lab Diamond Accents
Lab-grown diamond accents are excellent for increasing the diamond count in a budget-friendly manner. Costing 20-40% less per carat than mined diamonds, they are environmentally friendly and ethical, offering a clean option.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Side or Accent Diamonds
Accent diamonds offer the freedom to design a ring that reflects personal taste, personality, budget, and preferences. Following a few guidelines ensures your diamond meets your expectations.
Clarity
Eye-clear accent diamonds will sparkle just as brilliantly as internally flawless ones, but for a fraction of the cost.
Size
To establish a visual hierarchy in your ring design, choose accent diamonds that do not exceed 15% of the size of the center stone.
Color
Select accent diamonds that are no more than three color grades different from the main stone. Ensuring the accents are from the same color grade will prevent a spotted ring.
Caring for Accent Diamonds
While diamonds are durable, they require regular care to maintain their sparkle. Professional cleaning is recommended at least twice a year. Additionally, you can clean your diamond jewelry at home by soaking it for 20-40 minutes in dishwashing liquid or vodka, gently brushing it with a toothbrush, rinsing under running water, and drying with a soft material like cotton. Finish by polishing your ring with a clean cloth until it gleams.
FAQs
Are diamond accents valuable?
An accent diamond is genuine and shares the same carat grade, cut, color, and clarity as a regular diamond. However, individually, its value is less than that of a larger diamond.
Do diamond accents fall out over time?
Yes, they can. A hard impact can damage the setting, causing diamonds to loosen. General wear and poor maintenance can also result in loose diamonds.
Is clarity an important feature in accent diamonds?
The clarity of accent diamonds should ideally be 1-2 grades lower than the main stone. Eye-clean accents are preferable.
What is the best setting for accent diamonds?
The best setting largely depends on the center stone and personal preferences. Choose the color, shapes, and sizes that best reflect your style.
