Halo engagement rings

One of the most popular and timeless engagement ring designs is a halo engagement ring. For this style of ring, a single stone is surrounded by many small diamonds, creating a halo. Most halo engagement rings will also have diamonds on either side, the shoulders, and there are also some variations on the style. The halo can be adjusted into a double halo ring, which has 2 rows of diamonds, and 3 and even 4 row halo rings are possible too. For a full list of the different halo styles, click here

Gemstones of all shapes and sizes can be made into a halo ring, so you’re not limited to a particular cut or even type of gemstone. Diamonds and coloured stones are equally as popular, and you can use metals of different types and colours too.

Centre stone setting

For a halo ring, the centre stone can be set one of two ways: claw or rub over.

Claw Settings

As with most other types of engagement rings, the claw setting is more popular, as this allows for more of the stone to be seen from the side and for the stone to be set higher above the halo for a more pronounced look.

Round brilliant-cut diamonds will have at least 4 claws and sometimes up to 8, whereas other cuts, like marquise, can have as few as 2 and as many as 6. Pear cut stones and heart shapes will often have 3 claws, with a V shape claw protecting the tip of the stone.

Rub Over Settings

Rub over settings allow for a little more security and might be a better choice if you have a particularly active lifestyle. With a rub over setting, there is metal all the way around the stone and often stones set in this way will be set lower down on the ring.

Diamond halo rings

Diamonds are still the most popular gemstone in engagement rings for a myriad of reasons, and they are great in a halo ring. Choosing the right stone for you means working within the parameters of the 4 Cs to get the best stone possible for your budget.

Round Brilliant Cut Diamond Halo Ring

Round brilliant cuts are the most popular cut of diamond. The way the facets are aligned and polished will determine how much they sparkle, with the aim of reflecting as much of the light that enters the stone as possible in order get the most sparkle from your diamond.

Coloured stone halo ring

Despite the diamond’s popularity, there is such a variety of coloured gemstones that it would be impossible to list them all here. However, there are a few stones that are popular for halo rings.

The 3 most well known coloured gemstones, ruby, emerald, and sapphire, work well in a halo setting. These stones are often set into yellow gold, whilst the surrounding diamonds will be set into a white metal such as platinum or white gold.

Halo diamond setting

The diamonds in the halo can also be set in different ways and this affects the overall look of the ring, though all the setting types are equally secure.

Pave set stones are kept in place by tiny beads of metal and have a thin metal frame around them known as a thread. Sometimes this form of setting will also have small beads known as a ‘mill grain’ and this style is especially familiar to fans of antique and estate jewellery.

Alternatively, micro claws rings have tiny claws that come up from underneath the stone to keep them in place and have no metal surrounding them.

Platinum halo rings

Platinum is a rare, hardwearing and beautifully shiny metal that is great for setting diamonds into and, as a result, is popular for halo ring settings.

In the recent past, platinum has been more than twice as expensive as gold, however, that has changed, especially over the last 5 years. Today the price is about the same and, as a result, the popularity of platinum rings has increased.

The advantage of platinum is that, as well as being a tough, hard-wearing metal, it doesn't need to be replated every so often like white gold does.

Yellow gold halo ring

Yellow gold halo rings have become a popular trend in jewellery as the industry has leaned towards yellow gold in general. The luxurious warm tones of yellow gold work well with diamonds and coloured stones alike.

White gold halo ring

White gold mixes the workability and preciousness of gold with the look of silver or platinum, making an excellent housing for diamonds especially.

Rose gold halo ring

Although not as popular as white or yellow, rose gold can work extremely well with certain gemstones.

Mixed metal halo ring

Sometimes a halo ring will contain a mixture of metals, as mentioned above. Often this will mean two shades of gold, for instance, white and yellow gold. However, gold and platinum is a possibility, as is using white, yellow, and rose gold in one ring!

Often, diamonds are best set against a backdrop of white metal, like white gold or platinum. However if you wear mostly yellow gold, then a ring with a yellow gold shank may be best.

Hidden halo ring

A hidden halo ring is when stones are set on the side of a diamond’s setting, under the girdle of the stone, so that they cannot be seen from above, only from the side.