The 4 Most Popular Engagement Ring Settings — and How to Choose Yours

There are tons of important decisions to consider when choosing your engagement ring. We know selecting the right stone is vitally important, but choosing the right setting? Just as crucial. 

Let’s explore why choosing the right setting is so important, the most popular settings, and which one may be the best fit for you. 

Why is the engagement ring setting so important?

The stone may be your engagement ring’s sparkly star, but the setting — the area of the ring where the stone is mounted — is what sets the stage for the entire piece’s look and style. That’s what makes choosing the right setting so important to creating a forever piece that represents you and your love story. 

Our favorite engagement ring settings.

Luckily, there’s so many engagement ring settings out there that it will be easy to find one that fits your style. Here are a few of our favorites:

Solitaire

Classic and utterly timeless, the solitaire setting is a single center stone often held by prongs onto a minimalist band. This effortless, understated band matches perfectly with round brilliant, oval, princess, emerald, or cushion cuts. 

This setting is best suited for women with a classic, elegant, or minimalist sense of style. It’s also great for active lifestyles since the setting’s prongs hold the diamond securely in place. 

Bezel

The bezel setting encircles the precious stone with metal to hold it in place instead of prongs. This makes it ultra-secure, ideal for people who work with their hands a lot or don’t want to worry about potential damage. Round, oval, emerald, or Asscher cuts absolutely sparkle in this setting. 

Depending on your personal style, this setting can look vintage or more modern, but keep in mind that the setting may slightly reduce stone’s surface area. 

Three-Stone

Calling all romantics! If you dream of a ring that represents your past, present, and future, look no farther than the three-stone setting. Traditionally featuring center stone surrounded by two smaller ones, this setting is bold and balanced. Round brilliant, oval, emerald, cushion, or radiant stones look beautiful in this setting (just make sure to keep the proportions balanced). 

This setting is also one of the more secure, making it ideal for those with busy, active lifestyles. It’s a great choice for those who want an extra sparkle, whether their style is vintage or classic. 

Halo

This show-stopping setting secures a stone in the center and surrounds it with a “halo” of smaller diamonds for maximum sparkle. Cushion, round, oval, or pear cuts are the perfect match because their softer shapes enhance the halo effect. For a more Art Deco look, try Asscher or emerald cuts. 

This setting is secure, but it may be worth removing your ring for hardier work to protect the smaller stones. If you’re looking for a bold, luxurious ring that you (and everyone else) can’t stop looking at, the halo setting is perfect. 

What setting is right for your hand?

While the best way to find the right setting for your engagement ring is to work with a jewelry designer, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind: 

• If you have petite hands, skip the bulky designs (like the cluster setting) and look for slim settings that elongate your finger, like solitaire, halo, or pavé with a thin band. 

• Have slender fingers? Avoid anything that overpowers your hand, like a thick bezel or bulky halo setting. Solitaire, pavé, and a smaller cluster setting will look lovely on you. 

• If your fingers are wider, skip the ultra-thin bands or tiny solitaire settings, and go for something bold, like a halo, cluster, or bezel setting. 

• Bold settings, like solitaire, bezel, and halo can look stunning on longer fingers, especially with bold or elongated stones. 

• If your hands are larger, bold statement rings were created for you. A thick bezel, double halo, or dramatic cluster setting will be show-stopping.

Finding the right setting for your engagement ring doesn’t have to be a guess in the dark. Knowing what settings fit your style, lifestyle, and hand will make it so much easier to choose your perfect ring. 

If you’d like to dive more into what settings would be perfect for your engagement ring, book a design call with our talented team of designers.