Engagement Ring Settings

The setting is everything around the stone: the metal that holds it, the way it is raised or lowered, and whatever else shares the ring with it. It decides how much light reaches the diamond, how safe the diamond is, how the ring feels on the hand, and whether a wedding band will sit beside it.

Four words will help you through the rest of this guide:

Claws (or prongs)

The small metal tips that grip the stone. Most solitaires use four or six.

Head or basket

The structure that holds the stone above the band, seen most clearly from the side.

Gallery

The side profile beneath the stone. A well-made gallery is a quiet detail most people never notice until they do.

Shank and shoulders

The shank is the band itself. The shoulders are the parts of the band that rise to meet the stone.

One stone, on a band. The solitaire is the classic engagement ring for a reason: nothing competes with the diamond, it suits every shape, and it never dates.

Four claws show more of the stone and make a square-looking outline on a round diamond. Six claws hold it more securely, look rounder and softer, and spread the risk if a claw is ever damaged. The claw tips themselves can be round and smooth, pointed like talons for a sharper look, or doubled for a distinctive outline. Shapes with points, such as pear, marquise and princess, need a V-shaped claw on each point to protect the most fragile part of the stone.

In a cathedral setting the shoulders sweep up in two arches to meet the stone, like the vaulting of a cathedral roof. It lifts the diamond, makes the whole ring look taller and more architectural, and adds strength where the head meets the band.

The trade-off is height. A cathedral ring sits proud of the finger, so it is more likely to catch on jumpers and gloves, and a straight wedding band will usually meet it at the arches rather than lie flush against it.

A higher setting lets light into the diamond from the sides and gives it presence. A lower setting is more practical: it snags less, is better protected from knocks, and sits closer to the finger.

There is no right height, only the right height for the person. Someone who works with their hands or trains most days will thank you for a lower setting. Someone who wants the stone to be seen from across the room may want it raised.

A bezel setting wraps the stone in a thin rim of metal instead of claws. A full bezel surrounds it completely; a half bezel holds it on two sides and leaves the others open.

It is the most protective setting there is. There are no claws to catch or bend, and the girdle, the stone’s thin edge, is shielded from knocks. It has a clean, modern look. The trade-off is a little less light entering from the sides and a little more metal around the stone, which can make the diamond look slightly smaller from above.

A halo surrounds the centre stone with a ring of smaller diamonds. It makes the centre stone look larger, adds sparkle from every angle, and can make a modest stone feel generous. It suits round, oval, cushion and pear shapes especially well.

A hidden halo puts that ring of small diamonds underneath the centre stone instead, visible from the side but not from above. From the top it reads as a clean solitaire. Turn the hand and there is a quiet flash of light beneath it, a detail for the wearer more than for anyone else.

Halos involve many small stones and more hours at the bench, and like any pavé they need checking from time to time.

Pavé, from the French for paved, sets small diamonds closely along the band, held by tiny beads of metal so the surface looks covered in light. Pavé on the shoulders draws the eye towards the centre stone. Pavé all the way round is more dramatic still.

Two practical notes. Small stones held by small beads need an occasional check, especially on a ring worn every day. And a band set with stones all the way round is difficult to resize, so it pays to be sure of the size first. Our ring size guide explains how.

A three stone ring, sometimes called a trilogy, sets a centre stone between two smaller ones. It is often said to stand for past, present and future. The side stones can echo the centre stone or contrast with it: tapered baguettes for an Art Deco line, pears that curve towards the centre, or rounds for something softer.

Three stones cover more of the finger and give a lot of presence without one very large stone. They also offer a natural place for a second colour, a sapphire either side of a diamond, for example.

Toi et moi, French for you and me, sets two stones side by side on a single ring, often in different shapes: a pear beside an oval, a diamond beside a coloured stone. It is two people in one ring, and it has become one of the most personal ways to design an engagement ring.

An east-west setting turns an elongated stone, an oval, emerald cut or marquise, sideways across the finger instead of along it. It is subtle, a little unexpected, and sits lower and more comfortably than you might think.

Before you choose, picture the ring on an ordinary Tuesday. Will it catch on a jumper, a glove, a child’s hair? Will it be knocked against a desk or a barbell? Will a wedding band need to sit beside it?

If the wedding band should sit flush, the setting needs to be low enough for a straight band to slide underneath, or the band can be shaped to curve around it. Some people prefer a little gap between the two. All three are valid. What matters is deciding before the engagement ring is made, so the two are designed together. Our wedding band guide covers this in more detail.