Diamond halo engagement ring designs are extremely popular at the moment. Whether it is a centre round brilliant cut diamond or fancy shape like this radiant, the range of halo designs is always expanding.
When deciding on a halo engagement ring design there are two main design styles to choose from – grain set and claw set. Don’t worry to much about worrying if you have made the right choice as ultimately there is no right or wrong style. It’s just a matter of personal preference, and which ring you think looks better on your hands. Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for your diamond
1. Grain set halo engagement rings
A grain set halo engagement ring is typically a single row of 1 point diamonds (0.01ct) surrounding the centre stone. However lately double row halo designs are also becoming more popular.
Advantages
Grain set diamonds are embedded into the metal and are secured with small grains/beads that hold the diamonds in. Because there is more metal around the stones, you will save money of the overall diamond weight of your ring.
Disadvantages
The grain set diamonds create a diamond set border around your centre stone. In the case of a single row this may make your centre stone stand out more, because it creates a contrast. In the case of a double row, while it might create an overall larger look, it can tend to make your centre diamond look smaller.
2. Claw set halo engagement rings
A claw set diamond halo engagement ring, uses typically 2 – 3 point diamonds (0.02 – 0.03ct) set in claw settings around your centre diamond.
Advantages
Because the surrounding diamonds are much larger it tends to give a greater sparkle that blends in more with your centre stone giving an overall much larger diamond look. The design style is also great if you have a few inclusions towards the outside of your main diamond. The sheer volume of sparkle and bling tends to make it harder to focus on the the inclusions.
Disadvantages
The only apparent disadvantage of this style is that you might loose the individualism of your centre stone. Although this is a disadvantage that many brides are willing to live with.
What to look for when choosing your diamond halo engagement ring
Diamond halo engagement ring designs need to be made by exceptional jewellers.There are two things that you must look for when choosing your engagement ring.
1. Which ever design you choose make sure that the ring is made well and there isn’t any gaps between the halo diamonds as this will give you a really gappy look. This usually happens with the jeweller has either not calculated the right spacing around the main stone or the diamond setter has selected diamonds that are too small for the setting.
2. Ensure there is not a gap between the centre diamond and the surrounding diamonds. This will not only detract from that bigger diamond look that you are aiming for, but it is also a place that hand cream, soap and dirt will collect.
At Xennox Diamonds, I always like to draw a 3D sketch of our halo diamond engagement rings, so you clients can see exactly what your ring will look like. Drawing your engagement ring to scale is extremely helpful to see how big the diamond is, and what the overlapping effect will look like. If you would like to arrange an appointment to see me and have your halo engagement ring draw, please send me an email at [email protected]