Engagement Rings Setting Styles Guide

Our ultimate guide on the most popular Engagement Rings Setting Styles (With examples)

Confused about all the different settings styles available? At Waldemar Jewellers we have prepared this guide to help you understand and learn a little bit more about all the different engagement ring settings styles and trends. Engagement rings settings and styles are as unique as your future bride, so let’s take a deep dive into all the different types, their characteristics and features.

Solitaire Engagement Rings

Let your diamond speak for itself with this setting. A solitaire is an engagement ring with one main stone. This timeless setting is perfect for a simple, yet classy and sophisticated looking engagement ring. Even though round cuts are typically paired with solitaires, cushion cuts and ovals are also becoming a new trend.

Features of the Solitaire setting:

  • Elevates the diamond, making it more prominent and noticed
  • Enables significant light to pass through the diamond—increasing the stone’s brilliance and spark
  • Complements and supports a variety of Diamond Shapes and sizes
  • Simple to clean and maintain
  • Offers a classic, timeless look

Solitaire Setting Engagement Rings examples:

Diamond Band Engagement Rings

Diamond band engagement rings are crafted with petite diamond accents. Pavé (meaning “paved”) creates a brilliant accent for your centre diamond whether in a single row or a micro-pavé diamond halo engagement ring setting.

Features of a Pavé Setting

  • Highlights the centre stone
  • Magnifies the ring’s overall brilliance with side stones
  • Provides extra sparkle to a lower-set or less sparkly centre stone
  • Can be designed in a modern or vintage style

Pavé Setting Engagement Rings examples:

Claw Engagement Rings

The most common and classic ring setting is called a prong or claw setting. A “prong” is a little metal claw that grips the diamond tightly, holding it in place. Prongs or Claws can be rounded, pointed, flat, or V-shaped (the latter being the most common for princess-cut diamonds).

Most prong and claw settings feature either four or six prongs; with the first you can see more of the diamond, but the second one is more secure. A benefit of this setting is that there is a minimum presence of metal, so that there’s more diamond to see and more light that can pass through the diamond, thus adding to its brilliance.

Features of the Claw setting:

  • Elevates the diamond, making it more prominent and noticed
  • Enables significant light to pass through the diamond—increasing the stone’s brilliance
  • Complements and supports a variety of Diamond Shapes and sizes
  • Simple to clean and maintain
  • Offers a classic, timeless look

Claw Setting Engagement Rings examples:

Bezel Engagement Rings

This ring setting is characterized by a metal lip going completely around the stone. Bezels are a popular choice since the stone is better protected against accidental rubbing, blows and scratches. If you have an occupation where you need the most secure ring, this is the setting for you.

Half Bezel – A ring in which the bezel covers only part of the stone. Half bezels, or partial bezels, are the ideal setting to let more light shine into the gem to give you ultimate fire and brilliance. There’s also no worrying about getting anything caught on prongs,claws or heads with this style.

Features of a Bezel Setting

  • Secures the diamond more than a prong setting, making it an excellent choice for active lifestyles and careers
  • Offers a sleek, modern look
  • Does not snag on clothing and other materials
  • Protects the diamond well and prevents damage
  • Easy to clean and maintain (i.e. no prongs to routinely check)

Bezel Setting Engagement Rings examples:

Three Stone Engagement Rings

Three stone settings typically have a larger stone in the middle. The three stones represent the trilogy of your relationship: friendship, love and fidelity (Other say it signifies your past, present, and future). This style is meant for someone who wants to stand out and display their love story.

These stones can either be all the same size or, as is often the case, the center stone is larger than the two side stones. The most popular diamond shapes for this setting are the round brilliant cut and the princess cut.

Features of the Three Stone setting:

  • Maximizes on sparkle and brilliance
  • Allows for multiple larger stones (including ones of different colors)
  • Enhances appearance of center stone when paired properly with side stones
  • Provides opportunity for personalization and color contrast
  • Can achieve greater surface area of gemstone than a singular setting

Three Stone Setting Engagement Rings examples:

Halo Engagement Rings

Halo Engagement rings have a large center stone surrounded by a “halo” of smaller stones. Just like the gemstone at the center of this setting, the person receiving this ring will be the center of your attention. If you really want to be bold, choose a double halo like this ring below to accentuate the flash and beauty of the main stone.

Features of a Halo Setting

  • Boosts the appearance of a smaller Carat center diamond
  • Enhances overall sparkle due to surrounding stones
  • Securely holds and protects the center stone
  • Supports and complements a variety of Diamond Shapes
  • Contrast can be built with a halo of colored metal or gemstones

Halo Setting Engagement Rings examples:

Antique/Vintage Setting Engagement Rings

Many of the antique/vintage styles are designed to fit specific time periods of jewelry fashion, such as Art Deco, Edwardian and Victorian era styles. Often these rings feature intricate detail work such as filigree and milgrain.

Filigree is a kind of delicate metal work that solders together tiny metal beads or twisted threads of metal to the surface of the jewel. And milgrain engraving is a type of embellishment added to antique style rings to give them that “antique” look of tiny balls of metal decorating the sides of the band and the crown of the ring.

Features of the Antique/Vintage setting:

  • Radiates with plenty of character and charm
  • Unique and intricately built
  • Enhances the beauty and prominence of the center stone when well-designed
  • Can be crafted to match a time period or personal style preference

Antique/Vintage Setting Setting Engagement Rings examples: