8 Common Engagement Ring Styles to Choose From

Love is in the air, and so are thoughts of engagement rings. Sure, you could grab any dollar store trinket and call it an engagement ring, but a throwaway ring is hardly any way to say, “I want us to last forever.” If you’re looking for a more long term solution – and message – for your adored, it’s important to work with a jeweler to choose the right ring, whether it’s a custom engagement ring or one taken from existing store stock.

You have plenty of options, but before you even consider things like stones and metals, decide on the type of ring you’re after. Some stones or metals work better with certain ring types, choosing your ring style now can save you and your fiancé-to-be from a lot of disappointment later.

Types of Engagement Rings

Buying an engagement ring requires a little bit of special lingo. After all, if you don’t know the name of the ring style you have in mind, you’ll have a hard time describing what it is you want to your jeweler. That goes double if you’re planning a custom ring design.

Here’s a list of 8 of the most common engagement ring types:

Solitaire

Still among the most popular engagement rings, the solitaire features a large center stone set on a simple band. Typically, the stone has either a four- or six-prong setting to ensure your stone is there for the long haul. Although solitaires with diamonds or other white stones are popular, you can certainly mix it up with a high-quality colored stone like a sapphire.

Pave

Want an engagement ring that’s all sparkle and shine? Look no further than a pave ring. With stones set across the visible surface of the band and almost no metal showing, a pave ring is sparkle itself. Imagine your beloved’s face when you present them with a ring that is all glam!

Channel Set

Similar to a pave engagement ring, channel set rings have stones set across the band. The difference is that on a channel ring, larger stones are used and set into a channel within the band, so it’s very apparent where all that sparkle comes from.

Sidestone

When you’re aiming to impress, a sidestone setting can give you more visual bang for your buck. A modest center stone can be made to look much larger with additional same-color stones flanking it, or you can choose different colored stones as accents.

Halo

Yet another way to get a little more mileage out of your engagement ring dollar, a halo engagement ring helps bulk up a modest stone by surrounding it with smaller stones of a similar color. You can also create a lot of visual pop by using stones that contrast dramatically with your center stone.

Three-Stone

Three-stone rings are exactly what you might imagine: engagement rings with three main stones. The center stone is normally set higher, with a pronounced setting that gives your diamond or other stone a unique platform.

Tension Setting

Is your special person someone who loves the modern look? A tension setting may be what you’re looking for. These rings are designed in a way that puts the entire stone on display, doing away with the traditional prong-setting and opting instead for a tightly-sprung tension setting. The solitary stone set in a tension setting literally looks like it’s floating in the space within the band’s opening.

Vintage-Inspired

Love the detail of an antique ring, but struggling to find one that’s a little more fashion forward? Let your jeweler lead you through their selection of vintage-inspired engagement rings. Antique rings can be amazing, especially if they’re family heirlooms, but jewelry techniques have advanced dramatically since the days of yore, allowing for finer details and creating more fire in your diamonds. It can be tricky to find larger ring sizes among the antiques, further complicating your search. A vintage-inspired ring may be the ideal solution for your love’s affinity for fine things created with up-to-date technology.

Not sure what ring type is right for you? Now that you know the language of engagement ring types, you’ll have a much easier time browsing your jeweler’s selection and understanding exactly what you’re looking at, from the boldest solitaire diamond engagement ring to a finely tuned, sleek tension engagement ring.

To learn more about using various colors of metal in your next custom jewelry project, call us at 574-264-2040, or contact us via the chat box below, and we will be happy to help you explore the possibilities of unique metal colors.

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