Choosing an engagement ring can be overwhelming enough without taking things such as hand size into consideration. Styles that work for some hands may not work well on your smaller hand. Things that affect the way that a ring will look on your hand range from the ring design to the cut of the stone, whether you choose diamonds or another coloured stone and the length and width of your fingers. Keep reading to find out more about these factors when selecting or designing the perfect engagement ring.
Choosing Engagement Rings for Small Hands
Finding the right engagement ring to suit your hand is essential. You want your ring to look just right – in your engagement photos, at your wedding and every time you look down at your hand. It may be tempting to choose your ring based on current trends, stones you love or styles you’ve seen. While you don’t have to ignore any of these things, you will need to also think about how the ring will look once it’s on your finger. A ring that is too complex or too large will make your hand look much smaller. Some diamond cuts elongate your fingers and others that make your already small fingers look wider or shorter.
To help you find a ring that is the perfect fit, here are some of the things you need to think about.
The ring
As we mentioned above, some styles are not ideal for smaller hands. A good example of this is very bold and dramatic rings that have thick bands, double halos, multiple layers, two or three metal types and a lot of contrast. These styles will dwarf your hand. Instead, look for simpler designs that bring in detail in other ways. Styles such as infinity bands, knots, three stone, cluster, Toi et Moi, ballerina, tiara, and the classic solitaire will give you perfect proportions.
Cuts such as round, marquise, pear, princess, baguette, trillion, and oval will always look good on smaller hands. Larger cuts such as cushion or emerald may be too overpowering.
The setting is another thing to keep in mind. Subtle settings such as prong or bezel can be more flattering than bolder settings such as channel or tension set.
The stone
You can never go wrong with diamonds, which are universally flattering on every hand. If you’d like to add colour, you will need to consider how that colour will look in the ring.
You may adore sapphires, for example. A sapphire and diamond ring in a simple style, such as trinity or pave solitaire will work well. Using sapphires as accent stones will also work. Using a sapphire as your primary stone, with a large cut and a complex design will make your hands look even smaller.
Lighter shades or pastel stones can be a better choice, adding colour without being overly bold.
Choosing stones that are similar in colour, on a band that does not clash, will add balance. For example, a delicate rose gold band with a morganite stone and diamonds will create the illusion of a single colour. Very brightly coloured stones on a contrasting metal band can make the ring look bigger as the primary stone stands out more in the design.
Keep these tips in mind when choosing your ring, and you’ll find the most flattering ring. One of the best ways to ensure a good fit is to use the Cape Diamonds bespoke ring design service, which creates a ring from scratch, according to your hand, style and budget.