What Is a Hidden Halo? Is It a Good Choice for You?

The hidden halo ring is a very special ring design for people who love more glamorous rings. High-carat, center stones look brilliant in hidden halo engagement rings and sparkle a lot. As an engagement ring designer, I decided to introduce the hidden halo engagement-ring setting and reasons why you should choose them.

What is a hidden halo? Is it a good choice for you? 

In hidden halo setting, a collection of a pave or micro-pave diamonds encircles one center stone. The surrounding pave stones draw attention to the central gem. Despite your budget size, you can have a brilliant-looking, engagement ring by hidden halos. If you are looking for a double brilliant engagement ring, a hidden halo is a good choice for you.

Now that you know what a hidden halo engagement setting is, you may have chosen to buy a hidden halo ring for your partner. If you are planning to buy a hidden-halo-engagement ring, you need to be knowledgeable about this setting. Below, we look into different aspects of the halo hidden engagement ring setting.

What is the point of a hidden Halo?

In hidden halo setting, instead of framing the center stone, the halo sits below it in a “hidden” way and becomes a base for the diamond. The presence of small, pave stones makes the center stone more brilliant from above more than other angles. For hidden halo setting, you need to choose a high color diamond for your center stone. That is because when you see a diamond from different angles, the diamond shows more color than the top part. A low-color diamond choice for center stone looks yellow next to the hidden halo.

Therefore, in a hidden halo setting, the center stone looks 15% larger and shinier. The hidden halo setting can be mixed with other styles and options to make a perfect and one-of-a-kind choice. For a simple look, you may choose a solitaire with a hidden halo. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more sophisticated style, you may choose a ring with pave diamonds.

Does hidden halo work for any diamond shapes?

Hidden halo setting work for different diamond shapes, such as oval, radiant, round, pear, round, and cushion-cut. Oval engagement rings with halo, and pear-shaped engagement ring with halo are the most popular ones. If you want to know about different diamond cuts read this blog:  What are diamond shapes?

The Hidden halo’s diamond-wrap is about 2mm high, which gives a ring the most sparkle from the side than ever before. Also, when you look from the top to a hidden halo ring, the size of the stone maximizes, visually.

The hidden halo is a versatile style as it can work with different settings. You can mix this style with other settings, different metals, colors, shaped gemstones, or different bands.

The bands in hidden halo can be white, yellow or rose gold and be shaped in a straight, twisted or double-ring designs to match with the center stone. Therefore, there is room for personalization and creative mixture of your ideas, in hidden halo engagement ring design.

To personalize your halo engagement ring with different styles, you need to know more about different engagement ring styles. Below, we provided a link for the description of different ring styles. Engagement Ring Styles.

Different types of halo engagement rings

The hidden halo engagement ring comes in different types. Below we’ll take a deeper look into them:

Split shank halo engagement ring

In this engagement ring style, the bands double when it gets closer to the center stone and the halo. Therefore, two thin bands support the halo, instead of one. The split band is also popular and eye-catching for the small stones on them.

Plain shank halo engagement ring

As the name suggests, a plain shank halo engagement ring consists of a plain band that gently goes up to the diamond and its halo. In this type of hidden halo, the center stone gets the maximum attraction possible.

Pave halo engagement ring

In the pave halo engagement ring, a line of small stones covers the band. The pave style of the band makes the center stone sparkle more. Pave halo rings have gained popularity among halo lovers. People, who love more brilliant and eye-catching engagement rings, choose a pave, halo ring.

Double halo engagement ring

In the double halo engagement ring, two halos encircle the main, center stone. Double halo rings cost more than single halos and make your diamond look a whole carat bigger, instead of half-a-carat in single halos. Some people even choose to design triple halo engagement rings.

Does Halo make the diamond look bigger?

Halo setting can make the stone look bigger by using the visual effects. The row of tiny diamonds that outline the main stone will make it look much bigger and even more brilliant from a distance look. The side- diamonds on both sides will act as an enhancer for the central stone.

How much size does a halo add to a ring?

In hidden halo style, the diamond looks 15% larger. Usually, the center stone in a halo setting looks up to one-half carat bigger, which means hundreds of dollars of your money saved. The presence of a pave design in a hidden halo ring makes the center stone sparkle more. The small stones in the pave design cost much less, however; it adds to the beauty and brilliance of the engagement ring.

Are halo engagement rings tacky?

Halo engagement rings are trendy and attractive. When your partner wears a hidden halo, people will notice a brilliant ring in their hands. However, we rather call hidden halos more eye-catching than tacky because the word, “tacky” has a negative connotation. People notice a hidden halo ring easily, but it is generally known as a shiny, pretty engagement ring style, among jewelry lovers.

There may be some negative opinions around hidden halos, which are mainly related to care and maintenance issues, as it is hard to maintain and clean this engagement ring style.

Our clients usually ask some questions about different settings. I would like to introduce a link to the most frequently asked questions about halo designs. You may find some answers to your further questions. Most frequently asked questions about halo designs.

What does a seamless halo mean?

Seamless Halo Rings or “no-gap halos,” are a type of halo design in which there is no dark air-gap between the center stone and the side stones or the metal surrounding it. Instead, the center stone sits flush against the halo. Seamless halos look larger, more eye-catching, and more brilliant.

Frequently asked questions

What are the different types of engagement ring settings?

There are mainly ten engagement ring settings, namely, prong, pave, halo, bezel, channel, bar, tension, gypsy, vintage, solitaire, and pave setting. All of these settings are popular, and each of them has some special features to meet different needs of security or long-lasting beauty.

Where can I buy a halo engagement ring in Chicago?

Among jewelry stores in Chicago, Weddings Bands & Co. offers more variety of halo engagement rings. You can choose among different halo designs in our showroom or sit with our designers to receive a consultation for your own personalized halo engagement ring. 

Why should I come to you to design my ring?

We involve you in every step of the process. At first, we will sit next to you and go over any concerns you have and any specific design elements you mind the ring to have. Once we have established exactly how you want the ring looks like, we will proceed with the design process. Once you see this design, if you want to make any change or if you have any questions or concerns we will be happy to address them for you. Our role is to help you to create the perfect ring and that means we will listen to you and make sure that your ring is indeed one of a kind.

We'll help you to design your dream engagement ring without stress and spending countless hours searching for your perfect ring. All you need to do is click on "Free Consultation" to get started.

By: Koorosh Daneshgar CEO/Design Chief