How to Design a Diamond Solitaire Enhancer

Adding diamonds to solitaire is one way to enhance the solitaire.

Diamond solitaires are a traditional staple in engagement rings. A diamond solitaire refers to one solid diamond in the center of a ring band. Ring bands may be made of yellow gold, white gold or platinum. Diamonds come in an array of colors, cuts and sizes. Besides white or "colorless" diamonds, rare diamonds can be yellow, red, pink, blue or brown. Changing the cut, style and even the band can enhance your solitaire.

Things You'll Need

• Diamond cleaner
• Warm water
• Lint-free cloth

Instructions

1. Change the cut of your diamond. The way a diamond is cut can add a lot of sparkle and shine to the stone. If the diamond is not cut properly it can appear dull and lackluster. Take your diamond to a certified diamond cutter and have it re-cut. When the diamond is cut to near perfection, it will display the three characteristics of a beautiful diamond: brightness (the white light that reflects through the diamond), fire (the spark of color that shows through the diamond), and scintillation (the sparkle emitted as the diamond is moved).

2. Change the style of your diamond. Another way to enhance your diamond is to change its style to create a whole new piece of jewelry. Choose the style you like best and take the diamond to a certified diamond cutter to be redone. There are several styles that you can choose from: round, princess (square), radiant ("soft" square), emerald cut (rectangular), marquise (boat-shaped), pear (teardrop-shaped), oval and heart-shaped.

3. Set the diamond in a different band. The color of your diamond solitaire can be quickly enhanced by the color of the band it is set in. White diamonds will seem even more brilliant if set in white gold or platinum bands. The silver and white tones in the bands will shine through underneath the diamond, giving it more sparkle. This is also true for blue diamonds--the silver/white tones enhance the look of blue diamonds. Yellow diamonds will stand out if set in a yellow gold band. The yellow in the band will make the yellow diamond appear brighter. Pink or red diamonds are enhanced when set in a rose gold band. The pinkish tones in the band will help create more "fire" in these colored diamonds.

4. Add more diamonds. If you really want your ring to shine, adding diamonds around the solitaire will surely do the trick. Small diamond baguettes can be placed around the diamond and/or down the sides of the ring. These extra little diamonds will add more sparkle, fire and brilliance to your solitaire (not to mention more carat weight). This method works very well, especially with colored diamonds.

5. Clean your diamond. When a diamond is worn every day, dirt, grains, pollution, exhaust fumes and other impurities can cloud the stone. Soak the diamond in a diamond cleaning solution for five minutes. Rinse the diamond off under warm water (plug up the drain first; you don't want to lose it!), then dry it off using a lint-free cloth. Clean your diamond at least monthly to bring back its sparkle.

References

• Gemological Institute of America: The Essential Four Cs
• RareColoredDiamonds.com: Exceptional Rarity
• Note Gold Diamond: About Yellow Colors of Diamond

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Gemological Institute of America: The Essential Four Cs: Cut