Are you looking to know more about the halo setting for an engagement ring?
Look no further. Here is all that there is to know about the halo setting.
Here is a quick list of what to expect
- Definition of Halo setting.
- Are there options for a halo setting on the engagement ring?
- Comparison between halo setting and another setting
- Best places to purchase engagement rings with halo settings.
- How does the halo setting compare to other settings?
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Halo settings have gained a lot of popularity in the recent past. It has become very trendy and fashionable.
There are many styles for halo settings on a diamond ring. This setting creates a layer that surrounds the diamond shapes to protect them. Cuts such as princess or trilliant are very vulnerable without the hallo setting.
The halo setting brings a sparkle loved by many. Even so, some people always feel like the glow of the center stone disappears amidst all the glitter. Even though several brides opt to use halo settings, it is not suitable for all of them. So how do you know if the halo is suitable for you?
Let us delve into it.
What is a Halo Engagement Ring Setting?
Halo setting refers to a setting where the center stone is covered by a ring. This ring is what is called a halo. The setting can be square round or even cushion. Cushion and squares halos look alike. The difference is that a square halo has sharper Conners while a cushion halo its corners more rounded.
The common halo setting in the market today is vintage-inspired. The beautiful design was developed in the 1970s which was the Art Deco period.
The traditional common halo setting found in the market came to be in the Art Deco era in the 1970s, thus a true vintage-inspired kind of ring setting.
There are several other halo ideas recorded in history. They go back to the 1700s. in this era, their circular look went well with their geometric theme. These features made it perfect and popular in the Art Deco period.
If your center stone has a small carat weight, then a halo setting works best for your jewelry. Even though a halo setting is loved by many, there are some who feel it is not the best setting. They claim obstructs the beauty of the center stone.
If your center stone has a high carat weight it requires higher diamond grades. In turn, the prices increase making it accessible to very few people. Halo settings thus become a wonderful setting for almost everyone and are aesthetically attractive.
Should You Buy a Halo Setting Engagement Ring?
Generally, halo settings make a wonderful choice for any engagement ring. Even so. It has several drawbacks just like other settings.
If your lifestyle is very active then a halo setting should not be your first choice. This is because the halo protects the center stone but nothing protects the halo itself making it vulnerable to damage.
Additionally, a small diamond has a small prong. Small prongs have little to no space for loose diamonds to wiggle. In case they are knocked hard enough, the loose diamonds will go missing.
The upside to halo settings is that they are normally set lower. This increases its durability and protection. It is normal to knock your hand around and this happens a lot even if you are not a manual laborer. So if the ring has a high setting then it is at risk of being bumped scratched and damaged compared to a lower setting.
Pave-style rings go together with several halo settings. For pave bands, there are several tiny stones that look like a paved road. Normally, you will not see the metal since the stones are so close together.
Such types of stones will likely fall out easily. this is because they are smaller compared to those in halo diamonds. However, since halo settings that have pave diamonds are quite popular, you can easily find a halo engagement ring without any significant issues.
Halo Setting vs Other Engagement Ring Settings
Let us now get to know how this popular setting compares to other settings in the market.
Halo Setting vs Solitaire
Any time a comparison is done between the halo setting and other settings, solitaire settings come to mind. There is an aesthetic preference attached to the solitaire setting. Here are some of the other things we looked at:
Pros
- With a halo setting, you can have your center stone looking large even though you purchased a smaller one at a lower price.
- Halo setting is commonly set lower
- Solitaire setting suits best the higher diamond grades.
- Solitaire setting allows you to mix and match several band styles.
Cons
- Small diamonds on the halo setting are likely to easily fall out
- Halo setting easily detracts from the center stone of high quality
- The high setting in solitaire makes it vulnerable to being knocked around.
- Solitaire setting costs more even though it makes the diamond appear smaller. (this depends on the TDW of the setting)
Halo Setting Vs Bezel Setting
Another widely known setting you will find in the market is the Bezel setting. It is popular in gemstone jewelry or bands. They are rarely used for engagement rings. Even so, there are several benefits and disadvantages that come with this setting.
Pros
- Halo settings have a bigger look
- There is no much metal on the halo setting
- There is higher protection for center stones on Bezel setting
- There is hardly any catch or snag for the Bezel setting.
Cons
- Protection in the halo setting is mostly for the center rather than the diamond itself.
- The small stones on the halo setting may easily fall out.
- Careful metalwork is used in the Bezel setting making it expensive.
- Since there is a metal encasing in the Bezel setting, it appears to be small.
Halo Setting vs Tension Setting
In certain circles, a tension setting is also known as a bypass ring. This is because they create an illusion making your center stone appear to be floating.
Pros
- It is easy to get matching wedding bands with a halo setting
- Hallo settings accommodate any of the diamond shapes
- There is an awesome light return on tension settings
- The tension setting is very attractive and unique.
Cons
- Halo setting is a very obvious setting
- In halo settings, the center stone loses its focus
- It is hard to get matching wedding rings with tension setting
- Tension setting can only accommodate a few of the diamond cuts
Where to Buy Halo Diamond Engagement Rings
Finding halo rings for engagement is very easy. You can get them from any store selling high-quality jewelry. If you choose to buy at any major physical retailer, then expect to spend a lot more. This is the case even if the quality of the diamond is low.
There is also an option for those that fear making a local purchase. Look for any private retailer or jeweler. Ensure they have no association with any of the cooperate fine jewelry stores around.
Here is a list of some of the best jewelry stores that offer higher quality and affordable prices and are authentic.
James Allen
This store is one of the most reliable places to buy a halo ring for your engagement. They have a wide variety of ring styles available for you to pick from. They range from milgrain vintage to halo rings that have a side stone. They even have the popular style of halo rings that have pave diamonds. They additionally come in different colors. They include platinum and gold.
Other than just the halo rings, James Allen is widely recommended because of the lifetime warranty they have in place. The warranty covers the halo ring purchased from them, offers routine maintenance that includes re-tipping prongs and rhodium plating if your ring is white gold as well as other repairs.
If there is a bent shank or your stone is missing, James Allen sends it out for cost estimation. You can alternatively take your piece to the specific Jared stores for service or send them to James Allen.
Here is a beautiful 14K rose gold dual halo ring for your engagement. It has an emerald-cut diamond at its center and a split shank.
RECOMMENDED: Full Review of James Allen
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Blue Nile
If you love shopping online then you must have come across Blue Nile as it is a common online market for jewelry. Here you will get a wide range of halo styles. There are colored gemstone halo bands, flower settings, and rings that have both halo and plain metal bands.
They have put in place a lifetime warranty. However, it can only cover the manufacturing defects. The good thing is, there are financing options put in place, there is free shipping as well as free returns.
If you are thinking of financing your halo ring from Blue Nile, you will need their Blue Nile Credit Card. There is no interest charged if payment is done in 6,12, or 18 months. This is for approved members.
Here is a beautiful marquise halo engagement ring. It is a Blue Nile and compares well to a pave marquise engagement ring. A marquise-cut is a unique diamond cut that appears to be rather small compared to other shapes. This is mostly because of its long shape. Even so, when you decide to let it have a halo setting it appears to be bigger. This is the case even when you want to keep the one-carat center.
RECOMMENDED: Full Review of Blue Nile
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Clean Origin
Clean Origin is another online jewelry store. It is less popular and only deals with lab-created diamonds. This is good news for anyone who wants to buy diamond jewelry but has a low budget. Here you get diamonds that are as real as those mined and have similar composition but at a lesser cost.
Normally, lab-grown diamonds cost 20% less than the mined diamonds, even if they are of similar grades. At times, if you are lucky, you can get some that cost as low as 50% less than mined diamonds.
For engagement rings, Clean Origin has a wide variety of lab-grown ones. Just like other players in the jewelry market, Clean Origin has included a good number of hallo settings to the engagement rings. Even though they use the common settings for their rings, they make them as unique as they possibly could.
Other than beautiful pieces offered at this store, there is a fascinating return policy. Unlike its counterparts, Clean Origin gives you 100 days to see if the ring is good for you or not. Most of the other retailers offer only 30 days to 60 days return window. This much time is a great risk to the company but an advantage to the buyer. However, they are very certain that buyers will love their products so they have no problem with this risk.
However, they have a warranty that is not appealing at all. This is similar to the one offered by Blue Nile. The warranty only covers manufacturing defects and issues caused by the ring. Routine maintenance is not catered for in this warranty.
I have to say that i don’t care about Clean Origin’s absurd warranty. It’s similar to Blue Nile’s. They’ll take care of defects and flaws caused by the manufacturer, but not any of the regular maintenance.
RECOMMENDED: Review of Clean Origin
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