Diamond Halo Engagement Rings

Halo engagement rings are an excellent way to enhance the overall appearance of your ring–the style cleverly gives the illusion that your centre stone is larger than it is, with a sparkly finish.

This dramatic cluster of precious gemstones is sure to capture the attention of all who catch its glance, without the premium price point of a larger centre gemstone.

The halo’s versatility is appreciated by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. This diamond ring style has countless combinations of customisation; from different halo stone sizes, shapes and colours, a halo can be entirely personalised without losing the traditional centre gemstone element.

The halo made its debut in the 1920s at the height of the Art Deco era. Today, the halo 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 ring. They also look great with a wide range of wedding ring styles, both plain, polished bands and elaborate diamond paved bands.

A halo ring has countless combinations of customisation. From different stone sizes, shapes and colours, a halo ring 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.

The centre 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, princess and oval 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. Other stone shapes like 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 colour

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 a classic colourless diamond halo.

Hidden halo

The hidden halo differs from the traditional halo. The traditional halo style features a row of small, delicate diamonds around the centre stone, creating a halo effect from the top down view when looking at the ring.

A hidden halo isn’t visible from the top down view of the ring and instead is visible at other angles where you can see beneath the centre stone. It’s a wonderful way to add a more subtle element of brilliance to your ring design.

A classic diamond looks spectacular in the traditional metal choices for halo 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 a diamond 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.

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

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

Admired by some of the world’s most-recognised stars, from royalty to actresses, halo rings continue to increase in popularity.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s, Kate Middleton’s 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 is perhaps one of the most iconic in modern day 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 customisations and details, the charming opportunities of a halo engagement ring have not gone unnoticed and we presume this style will remain on-trend for years to come.