What Is A Diamond Accent?

Even in the simplest setting, a diamond is a thing of rare and exquisite beauty.  When set with more diamonds in a piece of jewelry, it can take on an entirely new level of magnificence. 

The term "diamond accent," refers to a small diamond or diamonds placed beside a large stone in a jewelry piece. They are designed to add style, elegance, and personality to a ring setting, enhancing the overall beauty and brilliance of the piece of jewelry. Designers are always careful to avoid overwhelming or over-complicating the jewelry piece.

Are Diamond Accents Real Diamonds?

Diamond accents are real diamonds graded on their cut, color, clarity, and carat, the same as all diamonds. However, accents tend to be small and less visible (between 0.01 and 0.20 carats) making them less valuable individually. They are usually bought by jewelers who buy them wholesale, and you'd rarely see them sold on their own.

Types of Diamond Accents

There is a wide variety of diamond accent styles, but the three main shapes are Baguette, Trillion Cut, and small Round Diamond shapes. These three designs best complement the center diamond while still keeping the price reasonable.

Baguette diamond accents

Baguette diamonds are step-cut diamonds with 14 facets cut along thin, elongated lines. They are often used as accents due to their large table size and appealing symmetry, but tend to have less brilliance than trillion and round cuts. 

Baguette diamond accents usually come in two shapes: straight and tapered. The straight baguette is a rectangular diamond with parallel sides. In contrast, a tapered baguette has one end slightly narrower than the other often used to follow the curve of a jewelry setting. Baguette accents can complement shapes such as round brilliant, marquise, and asscher cuts without stealing the spotlight away from them.

Trillion accent diamonds

Trillion accent diamonds are triangular and have 31 facets. They often look bigger than other cuts of the same carat due to their large table and are best paired in a three-stone setting with round brilliant, oval, or radiant diamonds. 

Small Round diamonds

Round diamonds are the most versatile diamond accents because they pair perfectly with any diamond shape or setting. There are three categories of small round diamonds, with each having a full number of facets:

  • "Stars" = 0.02 Carat or less
  • "Full Cuts" = 0.02-0.07 Carat
  • "Melee" = 0.08-0.18 Carat

Small round diamonds are often used as side stones or in pave, channel, or halo settings. They provide extra sparkle and shine in every setting they are paired with.

How to Choose the Right Accent Diamonds For Your Jewelry

When choosing diamond accents, ask about their quality characteristics and make sure they match your center stone. When it comes to color, choose accents that are 1-3 color grades lower than your center stone, but ensure they remain colorless. Otherwise, if your accents are a higher color grade than your center stone, they will present a yellow-colored tint.

The same concept applies when it comes to clarity. However, because most accents are small, their inclusions will hardly be seen by the naked eye. As a result, you can go 2-4 grades below the main stone but make sure they are not damaged and do not have visible inclusions.

Keep in mind that the purpose of accents is to accentuate the main stone it is placed next to. As such, make sure your center diamond is the star of the ring, and the accent diamonds will elevate the sparkle of your ring to another level. Contact us to talk to one of our diamond experts, and we'll help you choose the perfect accent stones for your jewelry piece.