Don’t know what type of engagement ring style or design to choose from? Do you want to understand what the difference between each design is? Here’s the one and only guide you need to learn everything you need to know about ring styles and designs.
This is a quick breakdown of everything you need to know from the setting, the style, to the band and metal.
The 4 Categories of Engagement Ring Styles
There are many different types of engagement ring styles for you to choose from. To help you get a better idea of the differences between them all, you’ll first need to know the 4 categories of engagement ring styles, and what makes them unique from one another.
The Solitaire Design
The most classic and most popular ring style is a solitaire diamond engagement ring. The reason for this is because of its versatility. Its minimal design looks elegant on everyone, and thus, it’s a popular choice by both soon-to-be brides and grooms alike.
This timeless design focuses on the center stone. This makes it a great design for any diamond carat size. The stone will always stand out. The solitaire design is also the most affordable style as it is the simplest. But of course, if it features a significantly valuable diamond, expect that price to be expensive too.
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The Solitaire With Accent Stones Design
If you’re looking for that extra touch of dazzle on a solitaire ring, you’ll fall in love with diamond rings with accent stones. This has a unique way of subtly adding that extra wow-factor to the classic solitaire style.
This style is also known as a Pave ring design. This is where small diamonds line the ring band on both sides of the center stone. This creates a beautiful effect where the accent stones highlight the center diamond, adding more brilliance to the ring. This makes it a popular choice amongst other engagement ring styles.
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The Halo Design
This modern engagement ring style may be one of the more popular ring designs as it is able to create the illusion of a large center stone. This is achieved by a center diamond stone that’s surrounded by small accent stones. From afar, this appears to be a ring with a bigger and brighter stone. This is often recognized with a round cut diamond, but it works just as effortlessly with a princess, oval, and cushion cut.
This is a popular ring design for many women as it translates into all style preferences. The halo engagement ring is traditionally designed with colorless diamonds and a white gold band. But it looks particularly stunning with a colored stone such as a Sapphire or an Emerald.
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The Three Stone Design
One ring design that has stood the test of time is non-other than the classic three-stone diamond engagement ring. This design can vary in the way it looks from different stones used other than diamonds, to different shapes and settings. But its simplicity, with two smaller stones set on both sides of the center stone, makes this classic such a timeless piece.
This design is perfect for a woman with an old soul. Someone who loves the look and feel of vintage and timeless pieces. This is also a particularly attractive design that is able to complement a hand well. If your partner prefers a bigger ring with a thicker band, a three-stone design will be perfect for her.
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What Engagement Ring Styles to Choose From
The struggle in shopping for the perfect engagement ring is trying to find the right ring amongst hundreds of ‘similar’ looking designs. It’s important to understand just how you can choose your own engagement ring style, from the band’s color to the setting of the ring. Here’s everything you need to know.
Choose a Band Color
The color of your ring band makes the biggest difference in the way your ring and the way the diamond looks when you wear it. The classic white gold band is the most popular choice for engagement ring shoppers. But the yellow gold and rose gold colors have quickly grown in popularity as they are not only unique, but they are able to highlight the brilliance of a diamond far more than the favored white gold band.
You can find that different ring band colors work differently on skin tones. Experiment and see what works well for you. You’ll find that the color that compliments your skin the most will make your engagement ring feel far more special and personalized.
Choose a Diamond Shape
The Diamond Shape is one of the first features one notices on any engagement ring style. It is fair to say that the overall look of the design of a ring is affected significantly by the diamond’s shape. Each one is uniquely beautiful in its own ways. Choosing the one for your engagement ring is the big challenge.
You’ll want to get familiar with the different diamond shapes available for your engagement ring style. The shape of the center diamond is significant. Find out which one you are drawn to the most and what shape you feel you can wear forever and ever.
Princess Cut
The Princess Cut is the classic diamond cut most people associate with engagement rings. It is timeless and looks beautiful as a solitaire ring, or a design with accent stones.
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Cushion Cut
The Cushion Cut, also known as the Pillow-Cut, has a large facet, much like the Princess cut, but has rounded corners creating a softer appearance.
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Round Cut
The Round Cut Diamond is particularly favored for its ability to reflect the most light. This is the cut that is known to have the most brilliance, and thus, be the most attractive for engagement ring shoppers.
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Pear Shape Cut
The Pear Shape Diamond has been favored for thousands of years as a classic diamond shape. It’s a design that has stood the test of time, and will always be a favorite amongst the many diamond cuts for engagement rings.
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Oval Cut
The Oval Cut, with its long shape, is known to effectively elongate the appearance of a hand. It compliments well when worn. This is a great choice if you’re looking for a unique engagement ring design for the love of your life.
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Choose a Ring Setting
The way diamonds or gemstones are mounted or ‘set’ on a ring band is the ring’s setting. The choice of engagement ring settings is where you will find a variety of ring designs under one category. For example, if you’re looking for ring designs with accent stones, you have a channel, split shank, or pave settings to choose from. Here are all the engagement ring settings to help you find the perfect ring design.
Pavé Setting
The Pavé Setting creates the effect that the accent diamonds on the wedding band, blend seamlessly together. These small diamonds are designs and held together with small prongs. The Pavé Setting works best if you are looking for a ring design with a thin wedding band, but still, want that seamless row of small diamonds complimenting the center diamond.
Micro Pavé Setting
Micro Pavé is exactly the same as a Pavé setting, but smaller diamonds are used. In most cases, the accent diamonds used for a Micro Pavé setting is as small as 0.01 Carat. The smaller diamonds used in this setting often means that this is the more affordable choice between a Pavé or a Micro Pavé setting.
Channel Setting
The Channel Setting is where accent diamonds are placed and set within the ring’s band, creating a seamless appearance. This design works perfectly for thick ring bands and is recommended for people who work heavily with their hands. It is a setting that holds accent stones securely, with a smooth ring band finish.
Cathedral Setting
The Cathedral Setting is distinct in its style and has been a timeless setting for engagement rings. The center diamond is set by arches of metal that hold the diamond in place. The arches of metal resemble the arches commonly seen in cathedrals, and thus its name. This is a setting that beautifully showcases the entirety of the diamond as you can see both the top and the bottom tip of the center stone.
Bezel Setting
The Bezel Setting is the go-to setting design for durability. The center diamond is encased in a thin metal rim that surrounds the entire edge of the diamond, holding it in place. It’s less likely for diamonds set in a Bezel design to come loose compared to prong-set diamonds. The smooth coating of metal around the diamond just so happens to be as beautiful as it is secure.
Twisted Band Setting
The Twisted Band setting is just as it sounds. It’s where the ring band itself is twisted. This setting creates a stunning fluid effect as the twisted band frames the center diamond perfectly. Its graceful design looks incredible on its own, but even more beautiful when paired with a complementing wedding band.
Split Shank Setting
The classic Split Shank setting has long been an engagement ring design favorite for one reason. It is a very flattering ring design when worn on your finger. The metal band splits into two shanks that meet the center stone. The shape this setting creates is very complementing to the hand and makes every diamond size look spectacular.
Hidden Halo Setting
The Hidden Halo is a hidden gem amongst the minimal engagement ring setting options. It is where a row of accent diamonds wraps around the bottom of the diamond where the center stone meets the wedding band. It creates a subtle illusion of a bigger diamond as it stands as a platform that lifts the diamond off of the band, making it look larger than it is. It’s a beautiful choice if you want that solitaire engagement ring with a secret wow factor.
Tension Setting
The Tension Setting is a modern take on the solitaire engagement ring styles. It is called a ‘Tension’ setting as the center diamond is held in place by the tension of the wedding band. The diamond looks as if it is suspended in between the metal band, creating a contemporary feel and look.
Mixed Color Setting
A Mixed Color Setting refers to engagement rings where two different colored metals are used on one ring. For example, you can have a yellow gold ring band and white gold metal prongs that hold the center diamond in place. When done right, this can create one of the most unique designs out of all the engagement ring styles. It’s commonly requested with custom-made engagement rings.
Diamond Cluster Setting
In a Diamond Cluster Setting, small diamonds are designed into different ring designs. This is often known for its affordability as the combination of the small diamonds creates the illusion of a bigger diamond, but sold for a more affordable price. With the evolution of jewelry designing, we have seen the Diamond Cluster Setting take-off on its own incredible innovation of new ways of more modern, creative, and elegant designs.
Infinity Setting
The Infinity Setting incorporated the ever-popular infinity symbol into the unique engagement ring design. A representative of endless love, the ring band seamlessly creates the infinity symbol a the platform for the center stone. This setting has been created in different versions, and each one is as unique as the last.
Popular Engagement Ring Style Questions
While trying to shop through engagement ring styles, you might find yourself asking quite a few questions. The world of jewelry, and particularly diamond rings, can be quite overwhelming. To help you, here are some popular engagement ring style questions, and the answers you need to find the perfect engagement ring.
- What are Prongs? – The Prongs are the metals that hold a ring’s center stone in place. You’ll notice that there are 4 Prongs and 6 Prongs used on rings. They can be shaped in different ways, and these have different effects on the overall look of the ring.
- Should I choose a White Gold or Platinum Band? – These two ring band metals are similar in the way they look but are fairly different in characteristics. Platinum is a lot denser than White Gold and requires less maintenance with everyday use. White Gold is a lot more affordable and is often the common choice between the two. The choice between the two will depend on whether you’re looking for a ring that needs minimal maintenance, or one that’s a lot more budget-friendly.
- Can an engagement ring be re-sized? – This will depend on the metal used for the ring’s band. For example, Gold is a lot easier to re-shape than platinum. In most cases, gold is easy to re-shape no matter what the engagement ring style.
- What’s a Channel Setting? – This is where accent diamonds are placed on a band, in between two walls of metal This creates an engagement ring style where the accent diamonds are set inside the wedding band, rather than protruding out of it.
- What if I don’t know what ring design to get? – This is quite a popular problem amongst soon-to-be grooms. It’s hard to know what ring to buy if you haven’t had much experience shopping for one. We often tell our shoppers that they can always choose a design that they personally prefer and would love to give to their partner. You can also try to discretely find out what design your partner wants. Here’s a helpful article on finding out what ring design your partner wants. It’s best to first study the different engagement ring styles before trying to find out which one she wants.
“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved” – GEORGE SAND
Finding the perfect ring in a world of a variety of engagement ring styles will be difficult at first. But if you know exactly what you’re looking for, the search becomes easier. This guide will help you learn of all the diamond ring design options you have before going engagement ring shopping for the love of your life. Click here to browse Engagement Ring Designs.
