The halo setting is one of the most popular, especially with regard to wedding and engagement rings, and it has a long and coloured history. The halo design incorporates a ring of small pavé stones and it could be round, oval, heart-shaped or even square. This design goes back to the Georgian period in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Georgian Period (1714-1837)
The early Georgian period saw the emergence of the halo setting. During this time, this setting had small diamonds or pearls that surrounded a larger central stone, with designs that resembled a flower.
The Victorian Period (1837-1901)
A very popular floral design came into being, with a sapphire centre stone. Small, triangular diamonds surrounded the sapphire central stone. Using a range of colours, the floral designed looked very much like a flower, mainly using emeralds to represent the leaves, and it wasn’t until the 1920s that the halo design really came into its own.
The 20th Century
Post WWI Britain saw the halo design become very popular. The central stone at this time was either a sapphire or an emerald, with small pavé diamonds surrounding to create an attractive pattern. The style gained popularity in the 1950s, with diamond clusters around a large central diamond, and the sixties and seventies saw a continuation of this impressive setting, with bold designs that reflected the fashion during those years.
Halo Setting Revival
Trends and fashions tend to move in cycles, and while the halo setting was not so popular after 1980, it is no surprise that the turn of the century saw a halo revival, as people preferred a classic design that really showed off the diamond sparkle.
Suitable Diamond Cuts for the Halo Setting
The most popular diamond cuts used in a halo setting include the following:
• Round Cut
• Brilliant Round Cut
• Emerald Cut
• Pear Cut
• Cushion Cut
• Marquise Cut
If you are having the ring designed, the custom jeweller would be able to show you fine examples of stones that incorporate the above cuts, plus you can design every aspect of the ring, as you are creating the ring from scratch.
You can view stunning examples of diamond engagement rings with a halo setting by searching online for a reputable jeweller who would have a great selection of halo setting diamond engagement rings at affordable prices. If you are looking for unique halo engagement rings, the best solution is to have the ring designed and created by an experienced custom jeweller, which is no more expensive than a ring from the jewellery store’s shelves. This allows you to design the ring from scratch, and you can be sure that there is not another identical ring in existence.
One of the advantages of the halo setting is the surrounding stones do complement the central diamond very well, and with the right design, the main stone can appear much larger than it actually is. If you do a Google image search, you can see many fine examples of diamond engagement rings with halo settings, then when you find one that is perfect, the custom jeweller can base the design on this.