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The halo engagement ring style delivers a striking presence and brilliance. This ethereal style features a ring, or ‘halo’, of closely set smaller diamonds that surround the centre gemstone.

Halo engagement rings are an excellent way to enhance the overall appearance of your engagement ring as it cleverly makes your ring appear larger than it is, with a sparkly finish.

Halo engagement rings also often feature a pavé diamond or coloured gemstone shank which further enhances this style’s brilliance. Its dramatic cluster looks exceptional with a combination of all gemstones and metals and is a great choice for an engagement ring that is sure to capture the attention of all who catch its glance.

Halo engagement ring gallery

cushion cut center diamond with blue sapphire halo engagement ring set on a bias with split shank
cushion cut diamond halo engagement ring
round orange sapphire with diamond halo set in rose gold
emerald cut diamond platinum halo engagement ring
round centre diamond with double diamond halo engagement ring
old mine cut diamond with diamond halo in rose gold and platinum
round diamond halo engagement ring with split shank
cushion cut ruby with diamond halo yellow gold engagement ring
oval emerald with round diamond halo and diamond bead set engagement ring

What is a halo engagement ring?

A halo engagement ring is a setting style that encircles a centre gemstone with a ‘halo’ or ring of closely set smaller stones. These smaller stones are often known as pavé diamonds or gemstones.

The halo engagement ring made its debut in the 1920s, at the height of the Art Deco era. Today, the halo style has seen a resurgence, closely following the classic solitaire as the second most popular engagement ring style, for those who want an impactful twist on a traditional style.

Why should I choose a halo engagement ring?

The halo engagement ring style cleverly enhances the overall appearance of your ring, as the surrounding halo gives the illusion that the centre stone is larger than it is.

With its seamless, almost cluster-like effect, a halo engagement ring is perfect for those who want impact without the premium price point of a larger centre stone.

hexagon halo round diamond engagement ring

How can a halo engagement ring be customised?

A halo engagement ring has countless combinations of customisation. From different halo stone sizes, shapes and colours, a halo design can be entirely personalised without losing the traditional centre gemstone element.

Shank style

Halo engagement rings look beautiful with both a plain or pavé shank. A plain shank offers a simpler, cleaner appearance and gives the centre stone a greater presence, while a pavé shank will result in a more brilliant overall appearance. To follow the Art Deco style, the number of pavé stones on the shank is typically equal on both sides, creating symmetry.

Alternatively, the shank of a halo engagement ring could feature a split shank, in which the band splits into two narrower bands. A split shank can be further customised by being entwined, twisted, pavéd or left in its originally polished state.

Any of these band finishes will give you the classic halo engagement ring style, with a different feel.

pave shank
plain shank
twisted pave shank
split shank

The center stone type & shape

The centrepiece of a halo engagement ring can be a fancy-colour or colourless diamond, or another precious gemstone, such as ruby, emerald or sapphire. Each stone choice can be mixed and matched with other pavé choices for contrast, or can all remain the same stone type for a more classic finish.

Round, cushion and princess shape diamonds and coloured gemstones are classic choices for a halo engagement ring style. This doesn’t mean to say that other shapes don’t work. Ovals, radiants and emerald-cuts can look striking when wrapped in the stones of a ‘halo’.

Even the pointed ends of cuts like the pear and marquise, that sometimes put people off, for fear of being caught or chipped, are actually softened and protected by the smaller stones that ‘wrap’ the centre stone.

Pavé color

Choosing contrasting pavé gemstones gives your ring a custom look. Coloured precious gemstones as the pavé halo surrounding a colourless diamond combines tradition with a splash of bold colour. Or reverse it and use a coloured diamond or gemstone as a centre stone and surround it with classic colourless diamonds.

heart diamond with double diamond halo with pink and white diamonds and diamond pave split shank
princess cut diamond with princess cut ruby halo milgrain rose gold engagement ring
princess diamond with purple sapphire halo engagement ring

Metal

A classic diamond looks spectacular in the traditional metal choices for halo engagement rings, white gold and platinum.

For diamonds with a colour grade of H or I, yellow and rose gold work to mask the slight tint that is sometimes present in lower colour grade diamonds, ensuring they remain looking bright and white in appearance.

For this reason, mixed metal settings are emerging as an engagement ring trend that allows wearers to get the best of both worlds by using two tones without having to select D colour grade diamonds.

Rose and yellow gold have seen a rise in popularity in recent years not only due to their flattering appearance, but also the soft, warm tones they exude. Their hue can also enhance the colour of assorted gemstones, so if you’re including coloured diamonds or gemstones in your halo, these metals will complement them perfectly.

mixed metal round diamond halo trilogy engagement ring
pear yellow diamond with yellow gold claws and platinum diamond halo engagement ring

Number of halos

For those who yearn for a truly show-stopping piece, a double, or even a triple halo, circling your centre stone will give your ring substantial impact. Each ‘halo’ of pavé diamonds or gemstones will make the ring look bigger, so a triple halo would enhance a very small centre stone without the premium price tag.

oval diamond twisted diamond halo engagement ring yellow gold platinum mixed metal

Custom cut pavé gemstones

Sometimes a design requires a particular shape, size or colour that isn’t typically found in most classic halo engagement ring designs. While custom cut stones come at a premium, they mean a design can be created exactly as envisioned, from scratch.

emerald and blue sapphire custom cut floral hand engraved organic engagement ring
round diamond with blue sapphire custom cut halo and milgrain detail

Which celebrities wear halo engagement rings?

This style’s versatility is appreciated by hundreds of thousands of women worldwide, including some of the world’s most-recognised stars, from royalty to actresses.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s, Kate Middleton’s halo engagement ring is a vintage Garrard design, once worn by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Featuring a blue sapphire surrounded by a halo of white diamonds, this ring design is perhaps one of the most iconic in modern day halo engagement ring trends.

Other celebrities include, Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa, Eva Longoria, Olivia Wilde, Sofia Vergara and Natalie Portman many of which include coloured gemstones.

With a multitude of design customisations and details, the charming opportunities of a halo engagement ring design have not gone unnoticed and we presume their popularity will only continue.

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