The “solitaire” is one of the simplest and most popular styles when it comes to engagement rings. If you’re looking for a classic, everyday ring that can be dressed up in a stack or stripped down and simplified, this one’s for you!
Today we are breaking down the beautiful details of our most popular solitaire rings in our Signature Collection to give you the confidence you deserve as you search for that ring you’ve always imagined. If you come for an engagement ring appointment in person, we always start with explaining the different structure styles of our solitaire rings. This helps you decide which structure style is best for your lifestyle.
The first three rings we are going to outline are what we call “peg-mountings”, meaning the head of the rings (prongs and stone) are sitting on top of the shank. This is a classic look for a solitaire! (Just like the emoji! 💍)
Laurel - Laurel is our most minimalistic style - it is a fully round 1.5mm ring that goes all the way around and doesn’t taper in width. It can be set with any shape of diamond and you have the freedom to choose between yellow gold and white gold prongs. With Laurel, the focus is the diamond...and you, of course. Laurel fits perfectly with most of our wedding bands.
Ziza - Ziza is very similar to Laurel, but has a bit more height at the top and tapers to a thicker and more substantial base. Since Ziza’s center stone is set a little higher, you get some clearance for those prongs if you prefer a larger band or have a larger stone. This is the perfect solution for fancy shaped stones and a flush ring stack.
Sam - Sam has a square profile (meaning the band is flat) and is a bit more “modern” looking. It also has a taper, making it nice and strong. This one fits perfectly with our square band. It also pairs well with our name ring or secret name ring. If you like the look of an engagement ring with a little “edge”, this one is just that.
The next group of rings are what we like to call a “subtle cathedral” style. This style offers a bit more support or substance if you lead an active lifestyle. It’s also great if you like the feeling of more metal in a subtle way. You can’t see that extra support from above when looking at the ring, so we like to give it its own structure category!
Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus is a subtly beautiful design with a knife-edge profile. Some extra texture called “milgrain” is added to the knife edge. Elevate the look of any stone shape with the extra support of the subtle cathedral and a nod to vintage with that milgrain texture and slim design.
Parlor Palm - If you like the subtle cathedral, but want to see a little more metal, we created Parlor Palm for you! Parlor Palm is a slightly thicker ring with a half-round profile. It is about 2mm in width. Parlor Palm is your forever ring and looks good with truly any band. The more metal the merrier.
The third structure style is called the “cathedral mounting”. The cathedral mounting is a nod to the art deco aesthetic and fully supports the head, as well as connects to the gallery wire around the prongs. With the cathedral mounting we have 2 top styles:
Stephanie - Stephanie is our prong option for cathedral style rings. With a simple four prong layout and the option to mix metals with the prongs and shank, it is the perfect choice for a fully supported basket and ring.
Winnie - Winnie is another option if you like the cathedral style mounting, but would like a bezel instead of prongs. From the side view of the ring, the base of the basket is still open and the cutlet of the diamond is viewable.
There are many reasons our clients choose to opt for a “low basket mounting”. One might be the attraction of having the stone sit lower on the hand for extra security. Another might be wanting a bezel set diamond if your career is labor intensive or involves wearing gloves daily. Regardless of the reason, we absolutely love our low basket options and the ring stacks that can be created with them! (DROOL!)
Eugenia - This low basket mounting happens to be a double prong design, although we can always make modifications if you are more keen on a single prong style. With a half round shank and single metal color, Eugenia is simply perfect.
Basil - Basil is our low basket bezel set ring that we have finished with many different stone shapes including round brilliant diamond, emerald cut diamond and oval brilliant diamond. A bezel setting is ideal for metal lovers and really makes the star of the show, the stone, pop.
While we didn’t cover other texture, hammered or even hidden halo options in this blog post, we still want to mention that these do exist! We also know that a ring’s style isn’t everything and that stone shape and metal color can be just as important to the overall look of your new piece of jewelry. Remember, all of our Signature Collection engagement rings can be set with any size or shape of center stone. If you feel stuck trying to decide between different types of engagement ring bands (platinum vs white gold engagement ring, yellow gold vs white gold engagement ring, etc…) we have good news for you! Each of the solitaire styles we named above can be done in any type of metal you choose: 14k or 18k yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum. It’s even okay to mix metals! Let your creativity shine!
If you are just dying to see one of these solitaire rings on your finger (who could blame you?), you are always welcome to visit our storefront and try some on. You can also make an appointment online to shop virtually. Either way, we can’t wait to guide you as you consider the simplicity of the solitaire and make it your own!
