How to Make Your Moissanite Ring Look Bigger: 9 Tricks That Work
Most people who ask how to make a ring look bigger want the same thing: more presence on the hand without a much bigger bill. With moissanite the simplest answer is often just to go up a size, because each extra carat costs little. But shape, setting and band can add as much visual size as an extra carat, and some popular tips do not work at all. Here are the nine that do, and two that do not.
1. Choose an Elongated Shape
Long, shallow shapes spread their weight along the finger instead of into depth. At 1 carat a marquise measures about 10 x 5 mm, a pear about 8 x 5 mm and an oval about 7.7 x 5.7 mm, against 6.5 mm for a round. All three look larger than a round of the same weight, and they make the finger look longer too. Browse oval, pear and marquise moissanite rings, or compare in oval vs round.
2. Add a Halo
A halo of small stones around the centre adds about 1.5 to 2 mm of sparkle on every side, so a 1 carat centre with a halo reads closer to a 1.5 to 2 carat stone from a normal distance. See our moissanite halo engagement rings.
3. Go Up a Size, Because with Moissanite It Is Cheap
In our store each extra carat on a simple moissanite solitaire adds $50, whatever the metal: a 1 carat round is $649.98 in 14K gold and a 3 carat round is $749.98. Going from 6.5 mm to 9.3 mm for $100 is the biggest change on this list. Our carat size guide shows how much of the finger each size covers.
4. Pick a Thin Band
The eye judges the stone against the band. A band under about 2 mm makes the centre look larger by contrast; a wide or heavily decorated band competes with it. Pavé on a thin band adds sparkle without adding width.
5. Use Slim Prongs
Fine claw prongs cover less of the stone than thick round ones, so more of its face shows. Four prongs show more of a round or square stone than six. For pointed shapes such as pear and marquise, keep a protective prong on each tip; a slim V-prong protects without hiding much.
6. Set a Colorless Stone in White Metal
White gold or platinum prongs blend into a colorless stone, so the edge of the stone seems to extend into the setting. If you love yellow or rose gold, a white head on a colored band gives the same effect while keeping the warm band.
7. Turn It East-West
Setting an oval, emerald or marquise sideways across the finger shows its full length side to side, which reads as wide and bold. It is one of the strongest looks of the year; see east-west engagement rings explained.
8. Add Side Stones
Two side stones, or a line of graduated stones, extend the sparkle across the finger. A three stone ring with a 1.5 carat centre covers as much of the hand as a much larger solitaire. Read three stone ring meaning.
9. Keep It Clean
Lotion, soap and skin oils leave a film on the back of the stone that cuts the light coming out of it, and a dull stone looks smaller. A soak in warm water with mild soap and a soft brush once a week keeps the full sparkle. See how to clean moissanite.
Two Tips That Do Not Work
- A hidden halo does not add face-up size. It sits under the stone and adds sparkle from the side, which many people love, but from the top the stone looks the same size. See what is a hidden halo?
- Choosing a colored stone does not make it look bigger. Color changes the mood of a ring, not its size. Choose blue, green or champagne because you love the color; our colored moissanite guide shows the options.
One more honest note: deep cuts such as cushion, princess and Asscher hold more of their weight below the surface, so they look a little smaller from the top than a round of the same weight. That is not a reason to avoid them, only a reason to choose a slightly higher carat weight if you want the same face-up size.
Which Trick Gives the Most for the Money?
| Change | Visual effect | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| One carat bigger (moissanite) | About 1 to 1.6 mm more across | $50 |
| Round to oval at the same weight | About 1.2 mm longer | None |
| Add a halo | About 3 to 4 mm wider overall | About 15% more in gold |
| Thin band, slim prongs, white head | Stone reads larger by contrast | None to little |
Quick Answers
What shape moissanite looks the biggest?
For the same carat weight, marquise looks the largest, then pear and oval. Asscher and cushion look a little smaller from the top.
Does a halo make a ring look bigger?
Yes. A halo adds about 1.5 to 2 mm of sparkle around the centre stone. A hidden halo does not change the size from the top.
Does a thin band make the stone look bigger?
Yes. The eye compares the stone with the band, so a band under about 2 mm makes the centre look larger.
Is it better to buy a bigger moissanite or add a halo?
With moissanite, a bigger stone is usually the cheaper way to more size, since each carat adds only $50 in our store. A halo changes the style as well as the size, so choose it if you like the look.
Ready to compare sizes? Our moissanite and diamond size chart lists every shape in millimetres, and for standard shapes our ring pages draw the stone you choose to scale on a finger.