Is a Halo Ring the Right Ring For Your Engagement Design?

The Halo Around this Cushion Cut Center Diamond adds Size and Highlights the Beautiful Shape.

Will a halo ring design honor your center diamond or colored gemstone? Before we talk about halos can I share Beyonce’s song Halo?

The idea of a halo of diamonds around your main diamond has been around for a long time and is expressed in many different ways.

Why Stop at a Top Halo. Go For Side Sexy Diamonds too

A halo can make your diamond look larger and adds sparkle. Smaller side diamonds often sparkle more than their larger cousins, so that extra sizzle can be the making of your ring. Let’s dive into halo ring ideas!

Halo Variations to Tempt Your Imagination

This is a Stylized Halo. It’s a Bypass Halo, Named for the Bypass Design

Halos can look well-behaved or you can double up on halos, or set diamonds at different levels. You can make them seem to float up high, or meld into the surrounding ring like this bypass halo hybrid on the left.

If you like halos or aren’t sure if they are right for you, there are a lot of choices you can consider before you commit to your halo.

Black Rhodium Adds a Rock and Roll Punch to This Wide Shanked Halo Ring

Save close-up pictures of the halos design details you love the best. Sometimes it’s the subtlety of the setting style that really makes it your favorite. And sometimes it’s a quirky addition that makes it you.

If you share a detailed image with your jeweler, you’ll love seeing that detail on your ring.

Crazy Go Nuts on Your Design Choices

Sometimes you Want a Halo, and the Halo Becomes Art

When is a halo not a halo? Actually if there is a diamond element around the center gemstone in some way and the diamonds are smallish you can call it a halo. The idea of the halo setting off the center diamond is a versatile thing.

These Sweeping Rows of Floating Diamonds do not Fit the Standard of Halo. We’ll Call Them Stylized Halos

The original definition of a halo for a ring was a row of tiny diamonds surrounding the center diamond.

Six Ways to riff on halos:

1. Change the color of your halo gemstones,

2. vary the size of the gemstones,

3. double or triple the rows of your halo,

4. Play with different levels of height for your halo

5. Add space between your center diamond and your halo or halos,

6. Add interesting borders, keeping it tiny, inside and outside of your halo.

Vintage Details on Your Halo Ring

With a Halo Above and Hand Engraving Everywhere Else, This Sweet Ring Stops Traffic

Do you want to want to have a vintage feel on your halo ring, whether subtle or throughout? Add a hand engraving element.

The Milgrain Engraving on Your Halo Edge Gives a Vintage Look

This can be simple milgrain edging on the halo and ring shank only. Add hand engraving on the top plane and the side walls and gallery. Add openness on the gallery view. A solid side view is more modern in feel.

You can use a little or a lot where engraving is concerned. Either a kiss of engraving detail, all in, all over, or somewhere in between.

A Simple Halo

White Prongs Let White Diamonds Float

If you want it simple, prong set each diamond in a nice white metal so the diamonds appear to float.

When your prongs are yellow or rose gold they are more visible on the diamond and make the diamonds look a bit smaller. The white metal makes the diamonds look bigger and gives a more open look.

What About the Side View – Or Gallery View?

Classic Low Band, High Halo Setting, Side View

The Gallery is the area under the central element of your ring design. Decisions about your ring include this side view. In this top picture is a classic halo side view where it launches up in a “V,” off a low-to-the-finger thin band.

The Setting Comes up to Meet the Halo Setting With Diamonds on Curving Supports

The rose gold halo ring on the right has a side-view split shank offering more support for your halo setting.

Your halo gets more support when the ring splits below and part of the setting connects to the halo or slightly below it. If  your ring gets hit from any side, there are multiple connection points to keep it properly aligned.

This Gallery View has Filigree and an Open Feeling

While we’re talking about the design details of your halo ring in the gallery view, let’s talk about filigree.

The Side Gallery View is a Canvas for Your Creativity

You’ve got room to be creative and have wonderful details lavished on your ring. These details are not necessarily noticeable to the casual observer, but you know they are there and anyone who looks closely will get a happy visual surprise at the details on your ring.

Contour Elements to Consider

This Ring, Pretty and Low Set, Has a Bump-Out

Let your jeweler know if you’ll want a straight wedding band that can be worn alone at times. Some halo rings have a bump-out, that would keep your straight band from snugging up to it nicely. Your halo ring will need to be designed with that second ring in mind.

With its Stand-up Design There is no Bump-Out

The width of the halo ring shank is a factor. Before you are tempted to decide based on a picture you saw, that 2mm wide is what you want, try on different thickness. Check out my post on width of rings, with hints on picking the right width for your hand.

Use the sections in this post to survey yourself to see what really matters to you. And what styles and details you like.

Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla