A diamond ring is a diamond ring, right? Well, not always. An engagement ring draws a lot of attention to the wearer's hand and fingers. Most of us would assume that all sparkling diamonds are going to look fantastic on THAT finger. However, some diamond shapes are going to look more fantastic on some fingers than others. What diamond shape is going to complement you hand and be best for your engagement ring?

* Round solitaires tend to look great on most fingers. The trick with a solitaire is to ensure that it is the correct size to balance your finger size. A smaller solitaire on a bigger finger can start to look unbalanced. Many girls with smaller fingers assume that there is no such thing as too big a diamond, and for many this is true.

* Slender petite fingers can really wear Princess and the very popular Asscher settings extremely well.

* Broader hands tend to look better with a balanced engagement ring. Beware that diagonal settings can make a broad hand or finger appear even bulkier. Diamonds in the shapes of pear, oval, and marquise, can all make a shorter finger appear longer.

* Personal choice. One of the very best ways to determine what diamond shape looks best on you is try on a variety of styles. You may find that you are constantly drawn to one shape, or that it is visually apparent which shape does your hand the most justice.

* Cost. Unless there is no limit to your engagement ring budget, costing may play some part in selecting a diamond shape. Some diamond shapes are more expensive than others. For example, an Asscher is going to be more expensive than a princess shaped diamond.

* Your preferred setting may well have a huge bearing on the sort of diamond shape you can utilize. Solitaire diamond engagement rings are always going to need a symmetrically shaped stone. Three stone engagement rings tend to favor some geometrical styles rather than others.

* Fire. If you have your heart set on a diamond with incredible fire you may well be not looking at the Pear, Marquise, Oval, or Heart shaped diamonds. These shapes tend to lose some of their fire in the way in which they have to be cut to obtain their famous shape.

* Another important consideration when selecting a diamond shape is how appropriate it is going to look with a wedding band. Obviously this will only be a consideration if you are wanting a wedding band. If your engagement ring is going to be both a wedding and engagement ring, then this will not be an issue. Bridal sets can be an excellent way to alleviate this sometimes tricky problem, as they are created and designed to be worn together and will sit together perfectly. Another solution is to try the intended engagement ring on with various wedding bands, prior to purchasing, to see if there is a band that suits the engagement ring.