Everything you need to know about solitaire rings

A solitaire setting is any piece of diamond jewellery that contains a single diamond. Long celebrated for its simple and elegant the design, the most common form of the solitaire is, in fact, the solitaire diamond ring. Here is a brief rundown on everything you need to know regarding the solitaire diamond ring this year:

Gemstone shapes

The most popular cut for the solitaire ring is the round brilliant cut – with over 50% of brides preferring the cut over any others. That being said the beauty of the solitaire style is that it accommodates many different gemstone shapes. These include shapes beyond the traditional round and square gemstone shapes; ranging from oval, football (marquis cut), triangle (trilliant cut) and pear shapes. Because of the wide variety of options, brides are spoiled for choice in how to customise their wedding rings.

Settings

There are four main settings used within the solitaire design for rings – these include but are not limited to the bezel, prong and tension setting. Each of these settings provides individual benefits and style options that should be considered as follows:

Tension setting – A setting which gains its name literally by the tension that both sides of the metal band produce as it holds a diamond in place. The resulting design of the tension setting is a diamond that appears to be suspended in place by either side of the shank. This setting is incredibly unique and carries the added benefit of allowing a lot of light to pass through the diamond while it is effortless to clean.

Prong setting – The prong setting is perfect for drawing light through the diamond, allowing a stunning radiance to be seen; due to the fact, the gemstone is held in a metal basket by metal tines. Furthermore, as the diamond is elevated on this basket, the focus is drawn to the diamond – allowing it to be more readily observed. The prong setting allows for a wide variety of gemstone shapes to be set – which will enable brides to choose amongst a variety of gemstones for their engagement or wedding ring.

Bezel setting – The bezel setting involves a diamond (or gemstone) being encased in a small strip of precious metal – keeping the diamond flush to the surface. The bezel setting is perfect for brides and grooms who prefer a sleek, modern design.