Diamond Rings – The Beauty of Clusters

When most people see cluster diamond rings they think of antique and vintage pieces. This is primarily due to the fact that the cluster stye of ring used to be one of the most popular designs on the market. During tight economic times, couples could rarely afford larger stones in either engagement rings or just regular diamond rings. To make up for this, they would select a small center stone and then have it surrounded by even smaller diamonds in clusters around the center stone.

This method of diamond ring design saved a significant amount since smaller stones are much easier to come by than larger ones and, therefore, cheaper per carat than a single stone. Instead of having a half carat solitaire set into a band, a couple could purchase a full carat cluster diamond ring for nearly the same price. The only difference was that the full carat was comprised of several small stones instead of one big one. The other benefit of cluster diamond rings was that the overall appearance of the ring made the amount of diamonds seem much larger than it actually was. Since larger stones are deeper as well as wider, a portion of the carat weight is buried within the setting and not visible. Smaller stones are shallower and, therefore, have a larger surface area which shows on the ring itself.

The cluster diamond ring is currently making a fairly strong comeback. This is due, in part, to the growing demand for vintage inspired designs and couples seeking out rings with an heirloom look and feel to them. It is also due to the same reasons the rings became popular in the first place, couples looking to get the largest carat weight for the least amount of money. Most couples are more than willing to sacrifice one large stone for several smaller ones if it means being able to get nearly twice the carat weight for the same price.

The other beauty of a cluster diamond ring is also that, from a distance, it truly does give off the appearance of a much larger single stone.