When shopping for a halo engagement ring, consider the quality of the center diamond, the craftsmanship of the ring, and the origin of the materials. Here’s a halo engagement ring buying guide with everything you need to choose the right halo engagement ring for you.

Choosing the Center of Your Halo

The most important factor for the beauty of your halo engagement ring is the quality and value of the center gemstone. The most popular gemstone choice is, of course natural diamonds, but sapphire halo engagement rings, morganite halo engagement rings and lab grown diamond halo engagement rings are also popular.

Natural diamond is the most popular choice for halo engagement rings because it symbolizes forever. Natural diamonds crystallized deep in the earth billions of years ago and were carried to earth’s surface in ancient volcanoes. Natural diamonds are rare and beautiful time capsules from earth’s early history, the oldest thing you’ll ever touch. As rare and valuable embodiments of forever, they are breathtakingly romantic choice for a halo engagement ring. They are born to sparkle in the spotlight, and the halo design is the perfect way to highlight their beauty.

If natural diamond is your choice, we recommend that you select a loose diamond and then build your engagement ring around it. Buying a loose diamond will allow you to select the precise quality, size and shape of your diamond. Loose diamonds are certified by independent gemological laboratories so you can be assured of their quality and value.

Buying a loose diamond and building a ring also means you don’t have to try to find a halo engagement ring style with the exact size, shape and quality of center diamond you want: you can commission it. Want to set your oval shaped diamond east-west instead of north-south? No problem: since we make your halo engagement ring to order, we can customize the design to your specifications.

At RockHer, you can also commission a blue sapphire halo engagement ring or a lab grown diamond halo engagement ring in any style, with the exact size, shape, color and quality center stone you want.

No matter which center stone you select for your halo, it will look larger and more dramatic thanks to the brilliant frame of diamonds around it. You can choose a smaller center gem and have a dramatic ring design that turns heads.

The Style of Your Halo Engagement Ring

Although all halo engagement rings share the same basic design concept: a center stone surrounded by a frame of smaller diamonds, variations in this overall design can create quite different looks.

The first variation is in the size of the diamonds in the halo. Small diamonds create a more tailored look and larger diamonds create more of a floral design.

Fancy halo engagement ring designs take this one step further, using different size or shape diamonds in the halo to create a more elaborate design rather than a uniform ring around the center design. Flower petals, star shapes and compass points are a few of the most popular designs but the only limit is your imagination. In the past few years, custom baguette diamond halos have become more popular also, creating Art Deco style rings.

If you love a fancy shape diamond but also are attracted by the classic brilliance of a round diamond, an illusion halo style will give you the best of both worlds. For example, our Bianca halo engagement ring creates a cushion-shape halo around a round center diamond to give you a more interesting silhouette.

Some triple-halo engagement ring designs feature three stones, a center gem and two side stones, which can all be surrounded by individual halos.

Today, you can combine the simplicity of a solitaire style and the intricate detailing of a halo design with a hidden halo engagement ring. In this design, the halo is tucked underneath the edge of the center stone so it can only be seen from the side. It’s a beautiful little detail for the wearer to enjoy.

And then there is the band, which can be plain metal or pave. A plain metal band helps the halo and center gem to read as one unit, creating the illusion of a larger center stone, particularly if the center stone and the halo are the same color. A pave band extends the style of the halo outward onto the finger for a unified look.

The Craftsmanship of Your Halo Engagement Ring

Because a halo engagement ring has many small diamonds, it’s important that it’s well-crafted. You need to be confident that all the diamonds are securely set and that the metal has been carefully polished so it won’t snag on clothing.

There’s one other detail that really makes a difference in the quality of halo engagement rings that you might not realize. If you choose a loose center diamond, especially one with a fancy shape, many large retailers will set your diamond in a standard-size halo setting. That means your diamond may not fit its halo perfectly: it might overlap the halo or there might be space between the center gem and the halo.

To make sure your halo engagement ring style fits your center diamond perfectly, at RockHer we make the setting from scratch to fit the outline of your diamond precisely. We adjust the three-dimensional ring design in the computer using the exact dimensions of the gem you selected and your finger size, adjusting every curve until it’s exactly right. Even if you choose a long slim oval or a chunky pear shape, the setting will fit your diamond like it was made for it. Because it actually was! Most retailers won’t take this extra step to custom fit the halo for your exact center gem but we think the difference in quality is worth it. Because we make the ring in your finger size, it won’t have to be cut and bent in the sizing process, which can loosen the gem settings and weaken the metal.

Responsible Sourcing for Your Ring

And because you want to be sure that your halo engagement ring is beautiful inside and out, it’s important to know where the gems and precious metals come from and where they wee crafted so you can be sure they are not only free of conflict but also have been sourced in a way that respects the craftspeople and environment that produced them. At RockHer we offer traceable center diamonds so you can know where they were mined and cut. We also source small diamonds from our sister company Lipari, who operates the largest diamond mine in Brazil which is a model for employment and environmental protection policies.

We craft all our halo engagement rings in our studio in Los Angeles, where our skilled craftspeople have decades of experience making rings of the highest quality for many of the world’s leading brands. All our engagement rings are made from recycled precious metals too.