Engagement Ring Styles and Settings: What’s Most Popular?

Getting engaged? Giving an engagement ring to your forever person is a significant activity as you make plans to get married and you want to make the best impression.

Whether you’re preparing to pop the question on a popular engagement day – Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve – or any other day of the year, we can help you make the best impression with the engagement ring.

Hopefully you have some idea of the kind of ring your significant other wants before you start shopping, and that you have plenty of time to make your decision before you pop the question! For instance, it may make sense to select a practical, yet stunning, ring for a woman with an active lifestyle.

Read on for a look into the most popular engagement ring styles to help you discover the perfect ring for your perfect match.

Popular Engagement Ring Styles and Stone Shapes

Three popular engagement ring styles are round cuts, solitaires, and halos.

We’re sure you’ve seen these if you’ve already started ring shopping, so let’s talk about why they are popular.

The Round Cut

The most popular diamond cut for engagement rings remains the round for its simplicity and timelessness.

A round diamond is the perfect for a classic look; there aren’t any frills or fads related to this cut.

A round cut is forever fashionable because it is fancy enough to be worn when she’s dressed in an elegant ballgown for a party or in jeans and a T-shirt for a cookout.

A natural round brilliant cut diamond is a great shape choice for a stone because there are several ways a round stone can be set. It’s also worth noting that a round-cut diamond is commonly available in many numerous sizes.

The round stone is most-commonly held above the band by four or six prongs in a solitaire setting. Light enters through the top and sides of the stone, enabling a sparkle in any light.

The Solitaire Style

The most popular setting for an engagement ring is the solitaire – a ring that features a single diamond held above the band.

Like the round cut shape, the solitaire style offers a classic and timeless look. A solitaire engagement ring can be worn by itself or paired with a wedding band.

Solitaires with round stones are traditionally the most popular, but any shape, such as the cushion cut and princess cut, can work well in a solitaire setting.

The Solitaire with a Twist

When you select the solitaire style engagement ring and add a little something to make the piece stand out – to customize it to match the wearer’s personality perhaps – it’s considered a solitaire with a twist.

Ways to create a solitaire with a twist include:

• Selecting prongs other than the straight and simple type, such as pointed claw-like prongs, tight-rounded tipped prongs, square prongs, or angular prongs
• Selecting a stone that has a bit of color to it
• Adding an embellishment of small stones, baguettes, on the sides; this can technically make the setting something other than a solitaire, but feel free to play with ideas

The Halo Style

The halo style is eye catching because it features a single or double ring of smaller diamonds, or other gemstones, encircling the round-cut, or other-shaped, center stone. The placement of the accent stones creates the appearance of a lot of sparkle and shine without overpowering the featured center stone. They also help hold and protect the larger stone.

Oval Diamond

An oval-shaped diamond in a halo setting is a great way to maximize the size and sparkle of the stone, as an oval will appear larger than a round even if the two stones are the same carat weight.

The oval-shaped diamond elongates the wearer’s hand and is gaining popularity recently.

Other Diamond Cuts for Engagement Rings

Here are a couple more diamond cuts for your consideration.

Princess cut diamonds are like round-cut diamonds, but they have more facets around the edges and corners, making them sparkle more than the rounds.

Emerald cut diamonds are like princess cuts but with fewer facets along the edges and corners, making it appear larger than other shapes even though it's the same weight as other types of diamonds.

Marquise cut diamonds are shaped like an elongated teardrop with pointed ends. They are typically smaller than most other shapes available, which make them better suited for petite hands and fingers.

Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring

Along with the diamond shape and size, and the style of the ring’s setting, you’ll also have to select the type and color of metal for the band.

Gary J Long Jewelers has a large selection of loose natural diamonds in all shapes and sizes, and we can help you select the best stone and setting for your engagement ring. We have a few exclusive lines of bridal jewelry, too. We’re also available to help you custom design a setting!

Picking the perfect engagement ring doesn’t have to be intimidating. The most popular style of engagement ring is the solitaire with a round diamond, but that may not be the best fit for your special someone. Let us help you find the perfect ring.

We’re here to help you every step of the way to your proposal… and beyond! Stop in or call us today.