Options are always good, but with so many different engagement ring styles to choose from, knowing which setting is the best fit for you or your future fiancé can get a little stressful. Enter classic engagement ring styles, tried and true designs that have stood the test of time. Rings in the classic engagement ring category feature bands, stone placements and center stone cuts that are fan favorites across the board, making your search for the perfect ring a little easier.
These styles are beloved and tout many benefits. First, thanks to timeless design elements, these rings match everything allowing whoever wears them to easily match their jewelry to outfits of any style. Speaking of style, a classic engagement ring is a perfect match for someone who likes to keep things simple in the fashion department. That’s not to say that these rings are boring by any measure, but rather effortlessly chic. These rings won’t be considered gaudy or over the top. They contain just the right amount of glamour and flair.
Another perk of classic engagement rings is their ability to dazzle for decades. These adornments can be passed down from generation to generation with confidence making them the ultimate heirloom piece for families to wear with pride.
Most Popular Classic Engagement Rings
So what exactly do these classics look like? We’ll explore the different settings and styles from the simplistic solitaire engagement ring to the glimmering halo engagement ring, there’s sure to be something fit for you or your loved one among these five time-honored engagement ring categories.
Solitaire
One of the most well-known engagement ring styles, the solitaire came into popularity after Tiffany released it’s famous Tiffany Setting solitaire back in 1886. The term solitaire refers to a piece of jewelry that features a single diamond and in the case of engagement rings, the diamond will be paired with a metal band to draw the eyes towards the stone. Although wedding rings in this style are typically simple in terms of design, they do offer some room for customization as you can select your favorite setting with your favorite diamond shape and choose from a variety of carat weights. Yellow gold, white gold, rose gold or platinum, every shade of metal looks great next to a sparkling diamond, so take your pick! Bonus: because round cut diamonds are such a popular choice for solitaire settings you can choose between a prong setting or a bezel setting where the diamond is held tightly in place by custom-fit metal to ensure that your stone won’t budge.
Who will love a solitaire? Solitaire engagement rings are a great choice for the minimalist. These rings offer all the sparkle that you want in an engagement ring without feeling complicated or over the top.
Three Stone
Representing a couple’s past, present and future, three stone engagement rings are a fan favorite due to their sentimental nature. Of course, it probably helps that these rings are absolutely gorgeous too, featuring a glimmering center stone accented by two diamonds or colorful gemstones on either side. Some people consider the three stone setting a flashier alternative to the classic solitaire engagement ring as this style offers the same low profile but with even more sparkle. Three stone designs are available in a wide selection of engagement rings, stone cuts and styles and pair well with a simple or accented wedding band of any color.
Who will love a three stone engagement ring? Three stone rings are everlasting and charming in design making them a good fit for the romantic in your life.
Accented
The most dazzling classic engagement ring style yet, an accented piece turns the glamour up to 11 by placing several accent stones along the band, or in some cases, around the center diamond to create a halo effect. These beautiful stones are often smaller diamonds – also known as pave diamonds or micro pave – but there are also accented designs that include vibrant gemstones like emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Accented styles come in a wide variety of fashions and couple nicely with any shape or stone cut such as a round diamond or princess cut diamond. To summarize, accented engagement rings bring some serious glitz to the table while remaining classic in style, making them the perfect choice for the person who isn’t afraid of a little attention.
Who will love an accented ring? Accented engagement rings bring a lot to the table in terms of sparkle and shine making them a fabulous option for fashion-forward couples.
Halo
For a look that radiates glamour try a Halo engagement ring setting. In this style, smaller stones, often diamonds or colorful gemstones, encircle the center stone to create a look that really wows. This setting looks great with emerald, oval and round cut diamonds and is available in a few variations including the double halo setting and the solitaire halo. A big perk of the halo setting is its ability to make the center stone look larger than life. In fact, a halo can create the illusion that your stone is up to one-half carat larger than it really is.
Who will love a halo? Brighter than the stars in the night sky, halo engagement rings are dripping in diamonds making them the ultimate choice for someone who isn’t afraid to turn heads.
Vintage
A popular choice among couples, vintage settings include nods to eras past. Rings of this style may feature fancy Edwardian filigree, designs with Art Deco symmetry and colorful gemstones favored throughout the Victorian era. Mix and match inspiration from different eras or add a modern twist to your design to create something completely one-of-a-kind. If it’s a genuine antique piece that you seek, authentic Victorian-style vintage engagement rings can be found at brick and mortar jewelers or online.
Who will love a vintage engagement ring? Vintage rings are #trending right now sending this style to the top of every fashionista’s engagement wishlist. However, this style will also find a sweet spot in the heart of those who value old-timey style and tried and true design elements.
Personalizing a Classic Engagement Ring
Intrigued by classic engagement ring styles but still want to make a few stylistic choices to make it feel like your own? Customize your engagement ring to fit your personal style.
Pick Your Metal
Rose gold, yellow gold, platinum and white gold, which classic engagement ring metal do you prefer? Envisioning your favorite color is a great place to start when deciding which engagement ring setting to choose. It’s also important to note that the color metal you choose can either accentuate the cut and brilliance of your center stone or add a hint of dimension to the overall design.
Silver tones such as white gold and platinum are great for those who are drawn to cooler hues. These metals are incredibly durable and nicely complement cooler skin tones. Most notable, however, is how fabulously these hues pair with diamonds as cool metals allow the stone to stand out beautifully from its setting.
Yellow and rose gold are a prime choice if you like to keep things on the warmer side. Yellow gold pairs well with darker skin tones while rose gold is said to look great on everybody. Due to the copper in the metal mix, rose gold rings give off an antique feel making it a great metal to pair with vintage engagement ring settings. Yellow gold, on the other hand, has long been associated with almost every style of jewelry and pairs great with classic designs including the four prong solitaire.
If you just can’t choose one, some people prefer a mixed look and opt for a combination of white gold and yellow gold to ensure that their engagement ring and wedding band will complement every piece in their jewelry arsenal.
Do you appreciate the well-admired round, princess cuts and oval engagement rings? Or do old-school cuts like marquise cut rings, emerald and pear strike your fancy? There are so many diamond shapes to choose from that it can feel impossible to love just one. However, it’s important to keep in mind that your ring setting will impact which stone shapes you can use in your design.
For example, a three stone setting is all about balance, so you might pair one round cut diamond with two round diamonds or combine a center emerald cut with two smaller side emerald cuts. On the flip side, you may want to consider a geometric shape when shopping for a vintage ring to create the perfect Art Deco vibe. Halo settings complement several stone shapes, but round and pear cut diamonds look especially stunning in this style.
Choose Your Stone
If you’re extra lucky, depending upon where you purchase your ring, you can choose your center stone. Here at 12FIFTEEN, we allow customers to build their forever adornment around one of our lab grown diamonds.
What’s the difference between lab grown and mined diamonds you ask? Lab grown diamonds (also known as lab created diamonds, synthetic diamonds or man-made diamonds) are carbon diamonds that are grown in a laboratory. These stones are just as real as diamonds mined from the earth minus the negative impact. Lab grown diamonds give you the same sparkle and brilliance as a mined diamond without the earth displacement, ocean dredging and habitat destruction.
If lab diamonds don’t strike your fancy, try simulated diamonds. Simulants are created in a laboratory and are designed to closely imitate the look and wear of a diamond. These stones are colorless, flawless and affordable making them a grand alternative to the traditional diamond.
Want something completely different? Opt for a colored gemstone as your center stone such as a sapphire, ruby, emerald or canary. These bright picks shine just a beautifully as the tried and true diamond while bringing a unique twist to your classic design.
Browse classic engagement ring styles and lab grown diamonds on our website 1215diamonds.com. We offer a wide range of fine jewelry from lab grown diamond solitaire rings, three stone engagement rings, halo-cut, princess cut, cushion cut, accented vintage rings and many more.