If you are out shopping for an engagement ring, you should prepare yourself for a daunting task. You see, there are multiple ring styles and designs from which to choose and picking the best is never easy. What’s more, you have to learn about your spouse’s style and preference to buy a ring that suits her personality. When buying a ring online, you also need to recognize and avoid online swindlers. The task can easily overwhelm you, when you have no or little information to work with.
To make the right choice, you need to arm yourself with all the information you can find. This article explores the main engagement rings that are available in the market, to help you make an informed choice. Read on.
1. Bezel Engagement Ring
The bezel setting is one of the most popular in diamond engagement rings because it gives your ring a modern look and is a setting that is suitable for people living an active lifestyle. This setting style uses a thin metal rim custom-made to hold the diamond in place. With a full-bezel, the metal rim surrounds the diamond.
This setting secures the precious gem, offers your ring a sleek modern look. The setting does not have edges that can snag on clothing. If your spouse is in a profession, which involves a lot of hand movements, this is the best ring style for them. However, the bezel design hides the stone thus diminishing its sparkle.
2. Prong Engagement Ring
If you want to purchase a brilliant sparkling ring for your spouse, the prong-style ring is the best choice. This classic ring style uses metal prongs to hold the diamond or diamonds in place. Prongs come in all shapes depending on your choice. The fact that the prongs only cover a small surface of the diamond means that it leaves a lot more of the surface visible. This means that the diamond looks more prominent and sparkles brilliantly.
If you want to purchase a princess cut diamond engagement ring, this ring style will work perfectly as it complements a variety of diamond shapes.
3. Tension Setting Engagement Ring
If you are in the market for a unique, modern looking diamond engagement ring, the tension setting will work for you. In this type of ring, no additional metal is used to hold the diamond, instead, the tension of the metal band holds the gem in place. The pressure of the custom-designed metal band secures the gemstone in place, while giving a ring a uniquely stylish look at the same time. With no metals around the stone, it can shine and sparkle more than when it is secured using any other setting.
4. Classic Solitaire Engagement Ring
If you are after a simple, elegant and timeless engagement ring, you should go for the solitaire style. This is the archetypal engagement ring since 1886 and has remained popular over the years. You have one diamond at the center and you can use a variety of settings to hold the center gemstone in place. In essence, you let the beautiful diamond do the talking.
5. The Three-Stone Engagement Ring
The three-stone engagement ring is another classic when it comes to engagement rings. Also known as a trilogy ring, it is a perfect choice when you want to customize your ring with some meaning. You can have a large stone with two smaller stones to represent different periods in your relationship. If you have a large diamond, you should use colored stones on either side for a better impact.
6. Pavé Engagement Ring
The pavé setting has grown in popularity as an engagement ring style for the outgoing personality. It is simply a ring set with a beautiful stone in addition to the center stone. You have invisible tiny metal beads or prongs holding the gems in place. The impact this setting creates is ethereal.
This ring style highlights the center stone while magnifying the ring’s overall brilliance with side stones. Using beautiful gems to pave your ring adds to its glamor, and helps you to avoid spending a lot on a large center stone.
7. Halo Engagement Ring
The halo styled engagement ring is all about glamor and elegance. The ring features a center stone surrounded by smaller gems to complete the overall brilliance of the ring. If you have a small center stone for your engagement ring, you can use this setting to make it look larger and more magnificent.
8. Cluster Round Style Engagement Ring
This engagement ring will sport a cluster of diamonds arranged in a circle. You can customize your ring to get a timeless classic look or a modern look. The cluster of diamonds adds sparkle to your ring and gives the impression of a bigger center stone if you choose to use one. You can go for a magnificent cluster princess cut diamond engagement ring, which is chic because each princess cut diamond adds depth and dimension to the stunning ring.
9. Flush/ Gypsy Engagement Rings
This engagement ring features an ordinary band but with a diamond securely set in a hole drilled in the metal. It works best with diamonds because your jeweler has to hammer the metal around the gemstone to ensure it holds securely. Only a diamond can withstand such treatment.
10. Cathedral Setting Rings
Just like the glory characteristic of cathedrals world over, the cathedral setting oozes elegance and grandeur. It features arches similar to those used on cathedrals, which are used to hold the gemstones in place. This ring style is ideal for an engagement ring as it accentuates and highlights the center stone in a unique and eye-catching design.
There are many engagement ring styles such as the bar setting, antique/vintage setting, Eternity setting, Shank/Split-Shank setting, channel setting to name a few. To choose the best engagement ring style, consider your spouse’s style and personality, the ease of maintenance of the ring style, ease of customization, and other factors that you feel are important.