Engagement Ring 101: Understanding Setting Styles

Once you know you’re ready to pop the question, the biggest challenge (or, most fun opportunity, if you think like we do!) will be finding the perfect platinum engagement ring. The key decision you’ll make when choosing the ring will be choosing the setting for the diamond.

The center stone of your platinum engagement ring is the star of the show, but the setting plays a very important supporting role. The setting determines much of what the completed ring will look like. Here we’ll take a look at 6 different setting styles to help you determine which one would be the best for your soulmate. Keep in mind that even though most of these examples are shown with a round cut diamond, any of these settings can work with any diamond shape (have you heard? Heart-shaped diamonds are hot right now!).

It sounds complex — but trust us, she’ll love that you paid attention to the details, almost as much as she already loves you.

Prong/Claw Setting

The Prong, or Claw setting as it’s sometimes known, is a classic setting where the stone is visible from all sides for maximum brilliance. This is a classic choice that appeals to a wide variety of tastes and if you’re unsure of what style of ring to get, this is a great choice. Platinum is ideal for prong settings because of the metal’s strength and durability. You can rest assured that your stone is safe and secure, and your bride will love this choice.

Cathedral/Contour Setting

In the Cathedral setting, the stone is held high by raised shoulders that help to protect the diamond. This is a timeless and elegant setting, for a stylish woman who favors the traditional. If your bride is a true lady, and she wants the stone to pop while also being secure and looking classic, this is the setting for her.

Bezel Setting

With a Bezel setting, the stone is framed all around in platinum, which keeps it secure. This look is clean and modern and especially suited to someone with an active lifestyle. If your girl is sporty and you’re looking for a ring that’s just a little bit different, then a Bezel setting is the ideal choice for your platinum engagement ring.

Tension Setting

Warning: A tension setting is not for the faint of heart! The appearance of a “floating” diamond is especially unique, but rest assured, it’s still secure. The tension setting is a great complement to a high quality diamond because it uses pressure to hold the stone firmly in place allowing it to reflect maximum light. If your significant other cherishes the unique, this bold look will be a favorite. You can almost guarantee her friends won’t have anything like it.

Halo Setting

In the Halo setting, the center stone is surrounded by a band of platinum or diamond melee framing it to appear like, well, a halo (we promised we’d keep this simple!). It also has the added bonus of making your center stone look larger (extra bling!). This classic look has become extremely popular over the last few years with brides and celebrities like Naya Rivera, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting and Sofia Vergara.

Cluster Setting

The Cluster setting is ideal for the couple that wants to maximize the bling for their budget, so if you’re more of a DIY wedding couple, this might be the setting for you. The Cluster setting has several different stones mounted close together to give the cumulative effect of greater size and brilliance. The Cluster setting can involve several stones of identical size and shape or a large center stone surrounded by smaller stones. For a platinum engagement ring with a Cluster setting, the whole is absolutely greater than the sum of its parts.