4 Popular Engagement Ring Setting Styles

Engagement rings come in all shapes, sizes and styles and can feature an array of gems – not just diamonds.

The way your chosen gem is set can completely change the style and feel of the piece, as well as impacting the amount of light that passes through the stone. Here we look at four of the most popular engagement ring setting styles and their particular traits.

Engagement Ring Setting Styles

Claw Setting

A single stone mounted in a claw – or prong – setting is the most common engagement ring style. Initially popularised by the famous Tiffany setting, designed by Charles Tiffany in 1886 and a go-to for engagement ring settings ever since.

In this style, the centre gem is held in place by fine, metal claws (or in American jewellery parlance, ‘prongs’) ranging in number from 4 to as many as 12 – fewer claws results in a more minimal look, whereas more claws arguably mean the precious gem in the centre is more secure.

Claw set solitaire rings are by far the most popular setting style as it allows the centre gem to be lifted from the finger, letting maximum amounts of light to pass through the stone.

Halo Setting

A halo features one main stone in the centre with, as the name would suggest, a halo of gems around it. Halo rings were initially popularised in the 1920s but have recently come back into fashion. To reference Tiffany & Co. again, the Tiffany Embrace halo engagement ring has been perhaps their best seller over the past five years.

Because of the extra stones, a halo ring is normally much larger than a solitaire – and usually pack in a lot more sparkle. Admittedly, halo rings can be a little ostentatious for some, but many (us included!) appreciate the authoritative, eye-catching nature of this style.

This dramatic emerald and diamond halo ring with a double halo of 40 diamonds is an example of how bold and beautiful halo set rings can be when pushed to their limits.

Rubover Setting

Rubover settings, also known as bezel settings, are often seen as a practical and pragmatic setting style. But don’t let that make you think that rubover rings are any less attractive; they can be either highly ornate or stripped back and sleek.

The centre stone is secured within an unbroken metal rim, often giving the useful illusion that the stone is larger than it is. The stone is fully protected, ideal for those who are a little heavy-handed or worried about their stone coming loose.

This late Art Deco bezel set engagement ring illustrates how bezel ring settings can make a ring look slick and, dare we say it, almost modern.

Three Stone Setting

Three stone rings – also known as trilogy rings – feature a trio of stone set closely together.

For the romantics among you, this design represents the past, present and future making it a poignant style for an engagement ring.

It’s often the case that the centre of the three stone is the largest (as is famously the case with Meghan Markel’s engagement ring) or the centre is a different colour gem to the outer two, as in this ruby and diamond trilogy ring, ideal for those who want a diamond but also need a little colour in their life!