Jewellery that makes more of your budget
From clever settings to considered stone shapes, discover the design details that create maximum impact for your jewellery budget.
When it comes to buying jewellery, spending more isn’t the only way to make a bigger impact. The right stone shape, setting or design can maximise sparkle, create the illusion of a larger diamond or simply give you more to love for your budget. Whether you’re shopping for a gift, choosing an engagement ring or treating yourself, these are the jewellery styles and design details worth knowing.
Gold vermeil: The look of gold for less
Love the look of gold? Gold vermeil combines a durable layer of gold with a sterling silver base, giving you a luxurious gold finish at a more accessible price point than solid gold.
It’s a great option for gifting or adding new styles to your own jewellery collection while making your budget go further.
Halo settings: Make the centre stone look bigger
A little extra sparkle can make a big difference, no matter the centre stone’s carat weight. Halo settings surround a central diamond or gemstone with a frame of smaller stones, increasing its overall visual presence while adding brilliance from every angle.
The result is a more substantial look without relying on a larger centre stone alone.
Cluster designs: Create the illusion of a larger stone
Cluster jewellery brings multiple smaller diamonds or gemstones closely together to create one statement look.
By arranging individual stones into a larger overall shape, cluster designs can give the impression of a much bigger stone at first glance, delivering plenty of impact – often at a lower cost.
Pavé settings: More brilliance on show
With pavé settings, smaller diamonds are set closely together across the surface of the jewellery to create an almost continuous finish of sparkle.
From diamond-set bands to pendants and earrings, pavé is a clever way to add more brilliance to a design without relying on one larger stone.
Illusion settings: Clever by design
It’s all in the setting. Illusion settings use carefully designed metalwork around a diamond to enhance its appearance, helping the stone look larger than it is.
It’s a subtle design trick that creates greater visual impact without increasing the carat weight of the diamond itself.
Elongated diamond shapes: More presence
Carat weight isn’t the only thing that influences how large a diamond looks. Elongated shapes such as oval, pear and marquise cuts spread their weight across a longer surface area, which can give them a larger face-up appearance than some other shapes of the same carat weight.
For engagement rings in particular, they’re a clever choice for plenty of presence on the finger.
Three-stone designs: More diamond on show
Why stop at one? Three-stone designs place two complementary diamonds alongside the centre stone, creating greater coverage across the finger and plenty of additional sparkle.
It’s a timeless way to achieve a more substantial, diamond-rich look without putting your entire budget into one larger centre stone. A three-stone ring can also represent your past, present and future – a meaningful touch for your engagement ring.
Lab-grown diamonds: More diamond for your budget
Lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical and physical properties as mined diamonds, offering the same look and brilliance. As they’re typically available at a more accessible price point, your budget can often stretch to a larger carat weight or a more diamond-heavy design.
Whether that means choosing a larger centre stone, adding a halo or opting for more diamonds across the design, lab-grown diamonds can help you get more from your budget.
Make your jewellery budget go further
From elongated cuts that maximise face-up size to halos, clusters and illusion settings that enhance the appearance of a diamond, clever design can make a noticeable difference.
The key isn’t simply choosing the biggest carat weight your budget allows. Look at the whole piece – the shape, setting, surrounding stones and metal – to find jewellery that delivers the look and sparkle you want at a price that works for you. Need more help? Speak to our experts, who will help you find your perfect piece, at the right price.
