From the most popular stone shapes to a breakdown of precious metals and settings, this guide will give you all the details needed for the basics of engagement ring styling and design. Education is the key to empowering couples with this type of individualized experience.
Diamond & Gemstone Shapes:
Round
Often referred to as round brilliant cut, round diamonds are the most popular shape for engagement rings. Round brilliant cut diamonds have 57 or 58 facets (if the culet is also cut into a facet), making it the best cut for light return. This maximizes the reflection of light, giving it the most sparkle. Because it is the most popular shape, you can expect to pay the most for this shape of diamond.
Oval
Similar to round, oval diamonds have a remarkable brilliance. Even and symmetrical, this shape is popular as a solitaire and will allow you to get a larger stone on a budget, like most fancy shape stones. When the oval diamond is surrounded by a halo of diamonds, other gems, or small side stones appeals to a wide range of tastes. Oval shapes are typically the best shape for showing off the hues of colored gemstones as well.
Pear
Mixing the best qualities of the marquise and the round diamond, this trendy hybrid resembles a twinkling tear drop with a tapered point on one end. The most common way to wear a pear shape stone is with the tip facing toward your fingernail. With both pear and oval shaped diamonds, the ratios are so important that you should definitely be under the guidance of a professional when selection one of these shapes. With improper ratios, one of the flaws that can be visible is a “bow-tie” effect where a black bow-tie shape appears in the center of the stone from poor cutting ratios.
Marquise
Legend has it that this cut was invented during the 18th century reign of Louis XIV of France, named for his mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour, and inspired by her perfectly shaped smile. The tapered cut, essentially an oval with points at each end, is distinctive and dramatic. While this shape was extremely popular in the 1980s, it’s made a beautiful comeback and one of the trending styles is setting the stone east/west (horizontally), putting an unexpected twist on this shape.
Square Radiant
I like to encourage clients to look at square radiant shape stones over princess shape for a few reasons. Princess shape stones can be very fragile since they’re almost flat and have 45 degree angles. The durability is risky if a corner is hit and the light return isn’t great. So unless someone is looking to have that dramatic geometric look, and safely set the stone (bezel setting recommended), I advise being open to a square radiant instead. Square radiant stones are cut tremendously better and offer the same square vibe, while being better protected with each corner beveled. You can also find them elongated, which offers more bang for your buck.
Emerald
This shape is known as a step cut stone, being a rectangular shape with beveled edges. This shape shows off the clarity of stone better than any other shape, which is awesome, but also makes it harder to hide any minor inclusions. This shape offers more of a quiet elegance and subtle sparkle. Created in the art deco period, its name is a nod to the most popular shape for emeralds in the 1920s.
Cushion
Once referred to as the old mine cut or pillow cut, cushion shaped stones look like a rounded square or rectangle. Cushion cuts were most popular a century ago during an era of romance and elegance and show off a diamonds fire in a great way. They are a deeper cut stone so you want to be weary of a cushion cut being extremely deep and paying for weight in the depth vs size it appears.
This most common type of setting involves anywhere from 3 to 6 “claws” that hold a stone firmly in a metal “head” or “basket”. Prongs can be pointed, rounded, flat, or v-shaped and hold in the stone by its girdle with secure notches. The amount of prongs you decide is mainly about preference. While a stone with 6 prongs may be slightly more secure, a 3 prong setting is just as safe.
Bezel
This setting is where a metal rim with edges partially or fully surrounding the perimeter of the stone. A bezel setting will protect a stone’s edges from potential damage and conceal any existing damage.
Tension
A design in which the compression-spring pressure of the shank holds the stone firmly in place. The minimal interference of metal on this super modern setting can give the impression that the stone is floating. Only harder stones like diamonds, sapphires, and rubies can withstand the pressure.
Channel
Popular for wedding bands, this timeless setting places accent stones in a row with no prongs separating them, between two grooved horizontal channels that hold them in place.
Pavé
The French word for “paved”, a pavé setting involves 3 or more rows of several small stones fitted into holes that set them level with the surface of the ring. Surrounding metal is then raised to form beads that secure the gems. This setting can be flat or domed.
The cut of a diamond is the angles and proportions of the stone. It’s the most important of the four c’s to consider. If the diamond is cut too deep or shallow, it will leak light on the sides, giving it a lackluster appearance. A well cut diamond will have a great factor of brilliance.
Color
This term is actually referring to a lack of color, since a structurally perfect diamond has no hue. The degree of a diamonds colorlessness is graded on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (yellow), with colorless stones being the most valuable, because lack of color proves rarity.
Clarity
A flawless diamond is extremely rare. The fewer inclusions a diamond has, the clearer and more expensive it is. Inclusions are a natural occurrence when the diamond crystallizes in the Earth’s mantle. Also measured on a scale, a diamond's clarity is graded from Flawless, to the VS zone(Very Slightly Included), to SI zone (Slightly Included), to I (Included). With the SI range you cannot see inclusions without a microscope in 10x magnification. At I, you’re definitely seeing inclusions with the naked eye.
Carat Weight
Carats (not to be confused with gold karat), refer to the weight of the stone. As the carat size increases, so does the price. A diamond with a bigger carat weight doesn’t necessarily mean it will look bigger. A diamond with a smaller carat size but a shallow cut may look larger than a diamond with a bigger carat size and deeper cut. Different designs and mountings can also make your center stone appear larger. In the industry, the term known as “magic numbers” in sizes refer to when a carat weight hits a specific weight putting it into a higher pricing bracket, usually when the weight ends in .0 or .5. For instance, you’ll pay more for a stone that hits the 1.00 carat weight vs 0.99 carats.
Precious Metals:
Platinum
A rare, natural white metal known for its strength and purity, platinum is usually 95 percent pure. Platinum’s density makes it extremely durable, meaning it will keep your center stone protected and secure. It’s also naturally hypoallergenic, so it won’t irritate sensitive skin. When platinum scratches, as all metals do, there is very little metal lost, allowing your ring to withstand years of wear. One thing to be aware of is that because of its density, over time scratches cannot be buffed out and will cause the ring over time to have more of a matte finish, which is great when you’re wanting some of those authentic vintage characteristics.
Yellow Gold
In its purest form (24kt), this naturally soft, vibrant yellow metal is usually combined with a base of different metal alloys for added strength and durability. The yellow gold available to consumers is usually 70 to 75 percent pure. Yellow has become steadily more popular in recent years, with rings being most commonly cast in 14kt.
White Gold
White gold occurs when yellow gold is rhodium plated. With different alloy combinations available, the strongest ratio for gold is 18kt white gold. While you may be familiar with terms such as “re-dipped” or under the impression a white gold ring would have to be re-plated every year, or so, Honey Designs has chosen to work with manufacturers in the USA that have an amazing alloy combination for white gold that stays very white long term. Cheaper manufacturing is where you’ll find white gold rings have to be “re-dipped” and this should not be the norm.
Rose Gold
Also sometimes known as pink gold, this blush-tinted metal is gold with an added copper alloy. The more copper alloy in the metal, the deeper the rosy tones will be. One interesting thing about rose gold is that it’s been found to be universally flattering on all skin tones.
Choice of metal color is very much a preference now, unlike a decade or two and longer ago that it was chosen based on what was trending at the time. The belief that all your jewelry should match in metal color as also gone away. Mixing and matching things is our new normal.
