Engagement Ring Styles
Engagement ring styles vary just about as much as diamonds do in their uniqueness and distinction. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some popular styles that many gravitate toward. At Wilson Diamonds, we offer custom engagement ring design, so if you see anything you like but want to change it to make it your own, we can help.
To start off with, we’ll take a look at some of the most well-known and loved styles of engagement rings.
Solitaire
Solitaire
A solitaire engagement ring is simple and elegant. It features a single stone set in the center of a plain band. The band can have texture or patterns etched into it, but what characterizes a solitaire ring is the lack of other diamonds. While it might seem that this design can’t be improved on or altered much, you actually can change things up and create a unique solitaire. Make the band smaller to enhance the size of the stone. Or, on the other hand, make the band thicker and provide more of a foundation to experiment with different kinds of settings.
Halo
Halo
Another very popular engagement ring style is the halo. This style is characterized by a center stone surrounded by rings of pave. A halo can have as many rings as you’d like it to, within reason, but typically we see one or two halos around the center diamond. This style enhances the size of the center stone, making it appear larger and adding extra brilliance with the small halo diamonds.
Pave
Pave
Pave, a French word meaning paved, refers to a type of ring setting with small diamonds all along or along part of the band that appears to be a solid diamond surface. Each small stone is set with its own prongs, sometimes shared with adjoining stones. The goal is to get the stones close enough together that it gives the ring exceptional brilliance when refracting light. A pave engagement ring features a band set with a number of small diamonds also known as melee diamonds—pronounced mel-ee. This is among the most popular settings today.
Side-Stone
Side-Stone
If you’re looking to offset your center stone with some additional diamonds, you might want to consider the side-stone engagement ring style. Typically, this design features a center stone with two or more smaller diamonds flanking it on either side.
Three-Stone
Three-Stone
A three-stone engagement ring features a center stone framed by two smaller diamonds—one on either side. In this instance, the center stone will usually be set higher, above the two side stones. Having three stones set increases the brilliance of your ring and compliments a center stone.
Channel Set
Channel Set
Channel set engagement rings have side diamonds along the band similar to a pave style. The difference with a channel is that the stones are set inside a channel groove in the ring rather than with four individual prongs. Channel settings are flush with the band, creating a more sturdy design and reducing the risk of snagging on clothes.
Crown Types
Your engagement ring should be designed how you want. That’s why so many different options for settings, styles, metals, stones, etc., exist. Browse below to learn more about some of the most well-loved and popular setting styles.
Prongs
Prongs
Secure your stone using this traditional form of setting which allows for maximum exposure of your diamond. Prongs can be altered and shaped differently depending on your preferences, but at the end of the day, because of its non-invasive structure, this kind of setting is going to allow your diamond to capture light and truly shine.
Bezel
Bezel
A bezel setting wraps all the way around your stone, securing it within a rim of precious metal. It can accommodate every single diamond shape, and even accentuate the size of your diamond if you go with white gold or platinum.
Channel
Channel
A channel setting is going to be more commonly used with a wedding band containing many diamonds of the same size. With a channel setting, you can secure your stone within two bands of metal that act to hold them in place as well as offset them beautifully for everyone to see.
Tension
Tension
Using a diamond’s natural hardness and durability, a tension setting essentially pinches the stone between two opposing metal pieces. Small grooves are cut in the setting to accommodate the edges of the stone, while the mountings used are particularly manufactured to hold the diamond securely in place without the use of prongs. This results in a seemingly floating stone appearance that many like.
Metals
Part of designing your engagement ring involves selecting which type of metal suits you the best. It really all boils down to personal preference. There are four different types of metals typically used for engagement rings: yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum. Read on to discover the benefits of each metal.
Yellow Gold
Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is the most common form of gold, and it is usually alloyed with silver and/or copper. The exact yellow color will depend on how much pure gold is in the combination. Wearing a pure, 24-karat gold ring is highly discouraged because it would be far too soft and easily damaged. Thus, yellow gold is mixed with alloys to strengthen it while still maintaining the beautiful yellow tone. You’ll find yellow gold rings most commonly offered in 14K (14 parts of 24 or 58% gold) or 18K (18 parts of 24 or 75% gold). The higher the percentage of gold, the higher the cost of the piece.
Authentic gold will bear the ‘k’ stamp somewhere on the inside of the band and often have the manufacturer’s mark and country of origin. However, these are only secondary methods for determining authenticity, a jeweler or goldsmith can run tests to determine gold purity. Yellow gold jewelry is hardy and easy to care for, but steer clear of harmful chemicals such as bleach, chlorine, or ammonia.
White Gold
White Gold
White gold is a very popular choice for engagement rings. It is mixed similarly to yellow gold, with alloys of different metals such as nickel or zinc. Based on the karat purity of the gold, it will still have 58% or 75% gold in the alloy, but mixed properly with the other metals it has a more silver appearance. White gold is popular because it offers the look of platinum without the price tag. In order to make the metal appear even more silver, a thin plating of rhodium (a silver liquid metal) is applied to the gold using electric currents.
Over time, you might notice your white gold ring going a little yellow. This is common and easily fixed through a simple re-plating process. Be sure to keep it away from corrosive chemicals. You can clean it with mild soap and warm water. When you purchase a white gold ring from Wilson Diamonds, we offer re-plating each year as part of your lifetime warranty (link to warranty).
Rose Gold
Rose Gold
Rose gold has risen in prominence among engagement ring metals in recent years. It is a gold and copper mix, resulting in a warm reddish hue that is highly sought after. The composition is similar to that of white gold, just with 25% copper in place of nickel or zinc. Caring for your rose gold ring is the same as what you would do for your white or yellow gold one—keep it away from corrosive chemicals and wash it gently with warm water and mild soap.
Platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a valuable and rare metal because it is only found in certain regions of the world and is only mined in comparatively small quantities. This is why it tends to be so much more expensive than gold. It is fairly durable for a precious metal and offers a very beautiful color that magnifies the radiance and brilliance of diamonds. Platinum is also the metal of choice for people who have allergic reactions to wearing metal because it has a very high purity grade. Any platinum jewelry will also bear a stamp verifying that it is real, pure platinum.
Platinum is even stronger and more durable than gold, and tends to retain its white luster due to the metals it contains. Similar to maintenance and care for gold jewelry, you can clean your platinum ring in warm water using mild soap.