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Halo Settings: Everything You Need to Know

Various settings have started to become more and more popular alongside specific diamond cuts. That’s why some settings that haven’t been noticed before got their spotlight on the stage.

One of the settings that enjoys the most popularity right now is the Halo setting. That’s why decided to tell you everything you need to know about Halo settings.

Here you’ll find everything you might be interested in regarding the Halo setting, from its history and origins to the best jewelry that you can find this setting on and the price that goes with it.

If you’re interested in learning all these intriguing facts about the Halo setting, you’re more than welcome to continue reading!

Let’s dive right into the matter.

What Is A Halo Setting?

Before we get into some more complex things, it’s important to know what we’re talking about in the first place. So, what is a Halo setting exactly?

The halo setting is a setting with a bigger center stone encircled by a ring of smaller accent stones, usually pavé diamonds, in a halo setting. Halo settings can be distinct from the central stone’s shape or match it exactly, as in the case of a cushion-cut halo surrounding a round diamond.

This is the simplest possible explanation of the Halo setting, so keep it in mind while going through this article to help you better understand what we’re talking about!

Also, the halo setting can be characterized as a type of the pave setting with a centerpiece that’s a specific shape and size that’s surrounded by smaller diamonds in a circular fashion.

This setting is one of the most popular settings for engagement rings as it provides the owner with a sparkle that is hard to match, and besides that, it also looks stunning as an engagement ring.

This is actually where the Halo setting is most often seen – engagement rings. The Halo setting is very popular when it comes to engagements since it looks classy yet casual which allows for the owner of this setting to wear it both under casual and formal circumstances.

History Of The Halo Setting

Cluster rings, the precursor of halo rings, were originally used in the Georgian era that lasted from 1714 and ended in 1837. Instead of going out of style, they evolved into the Victorian era with an abundance of innovative styling.

Georgian cluster rings frequently included a smaller cushion-cut diamond surrounded by mine-cut or rose-cut diamonds, or a flat-shaped gemstone such as a garnet with seed pearls.

To hide the impurities and bring out the color of the hand-cut, imperfect gemstones and diamonds, these cluster rings were foiled in and closed in the rear.

Those who survived were elegantly rough-hewn in appearance, and they all had distinct personalities of their own. The Industrial Revolution and new cutting methods during the Victorian era led to the creation of more advanced variations of these rings.

There are bold designs with a bigger cushion-cut center stone encircled by a line of bezel-set old mine-cut diamonds. Numerous designs featured surrounds that were intended to resemble flowers, especially those that featured rounder old mine cut diamonds or colorful gemstones (such as rubies and sapphires).

The Art Deco Movement, which lasted from 1920 to 1935, was when the first iterations of the halo as we know it today were created. At that time, cutting techniques had evolved thanks to technological advancements.

These were more concerned with the symmetry and lovely streamlined geometry of a square cut diamond highlighted by a square halo setting or an oval halo that complimented the lines of the oval diamonds.

Today, Gabriel and Co. are leading the charge in developing a wide range of halo designs. From traditional to dramatic, understated to provocative, and ultra-modern to vintage.

Men who are ready to propose and are looking for an engagement ring on their own, as well as women who are involved in the selection, favor halo styles.

Now you see how much rich history this setting has behind it, and for a good reason! A setting as beautiful as the Halo setting almost always has a backstory that you can share with others.

Talking about these things are amazing conversation starters, especially if someone takes interest in the piece of jewelry that has a Halo setting and a beautiful diamond in it.

We often overlook that these settings have a rich history that sometimes dates back more centuries than we can even imagine!

Why Is Halo Setting So Popular?

The popularity of the Halo setting is undeniable. Everywhere you go and see diamonds, you’re likely to see the Halo setting. But why is that? Why is this setting as popular as it is?

Well, the answer may not be simple, but it’s easy to understand. The halo setting is one of the settings that allow for a feeling of luxury and prestige without draining all your life savings!

We aren’t saying that it’s not expensive, but instead, we’re saying that it’s more expensive than it looks!

This is an amazing feature since settings such as the Pave setting really do hold a price that is relative to how they look. The Halo setting is an amazing alternative that allows you to feel like you’ve gotten more than you paid for.

In addition to that, the level of popularity that this setting enjoys is partially due to the vibrant and rich look that it gives the diamonds.

With the centerpieces in the middle and the side pieces surrounding the diamond, you get the feeling of bulkiness mixed with elegance which is what is currently sought after the most on the market.

Another thing worth mentioning when it comes to the popularity of the Halo setting is its versatility. This is especially true when it comes to rings with Halo settings since they provide the most room for creativity.

The choice for precious metals, side piece diamonds, and the size of the centerpiece is all up to you if you’re not buying a premade ring, that is.

People often see this as a chance to put their personal touch on the piece of jewelry that they’re giving to a loved one, and that they’re creating a one-of-a-kind piece that can’t be replicated.

This is true, but there are only so many options that you can choose from, so this is true, but only partially.

Best Diamonds For The Halo Setting

Diamonds are an amazing gemstone because of the versatility that they provide. Raw diamonds, cut & polished diamonds, colored diamonds, seethrough diamonds, etc…

That’s why there are some diamonds that go amazingly well with the Halo setting, and then there are some that don’t go as well with this setting.

You’ve probably had an opportunity to see a Halo setting that houses a centerpiece that is a different color than the rest of the smaller diamonds.

Well here, we’re going to take a look at the best diamonds for that centerpiece and see what goes best with the Halo setting.

Here are our top three picks for the best diamonds for the Halo setting:

Regular Diamonds

When we say regular diamonds, we mean colorless diamonds. This is the safest possible option that will allow you to enjoy the setting rather than the originality of the diamond that serves as a centerpiece.

Going with these diamonds is always a good option, but one thing that you should keep in mind is the fact that you’ll most likely have diamonds that are the same “color” as your centerpiece surrounding that largest diamond.

This just means that you won’t have much to work with color-wise, but you can always play around with the precious metals that the piece of jewelry is made out of.

Yellow Diamonds

Yellow diamonds are most commonly seen in these settings. Halo settings can’t be considered minimalistic, but they really aren’t over the top. This means you have room to play around and make it even more extravagant than it is.

A colored diamond such as a yellow diamond is an amazing way to do so. Regardless of the intensity of the color of that diamond, it will most definitely stand out amongst other regular-colored diamonds.

If you decide to go with a darker yellow diamond, it will also look amazing, but then you should pay attention not to be left with a piece of jewelry that is too yellow. That’s possible only if you’re using gold in combination with a really intense-colored yellow diamond.

Champagne Diamonds

Champagne diamonds, or even better cognac diamonds are quite amazing-looking when found in a Halo setting. It’s a similar story to the one with the yellow diamonds, but with a little twist.

Both of these types of colored diamonds are considered a mix of yellow and brown diamonds, and because they don’t fit in either of those categories, they are unique.

If you decide to throw in a bit of originality, this may be a way to go. Cognac diamonds look fantastic, have an amazing name, and will look stunning on a ring or a pair of earrings with the Halo setting.


Best Pieces Of Jewelry For Halo Setting

Settings such as halo are amazing-looking, but not always. This may sound a bit contradictory, but hear us out. Some pieces of jewelry are made to enhance the diamond and its setting, and some aren’t. For example, a bracelet could never show the true potential of a Halo setting and its centerpiece.

That’s why we decided on the top three pieces of jewelry that will allow your Halo setting to show its fullest potential!

Here are our top three picks for the best pieces of jewelry for the Halo setting:

Rings

Rings are, as some of you presumed, the safest option for the Halo setting. It’s a compact enough piece of jewelry that will allow your diamond and setting to stand out instead of all the unnecessary gold or silver.

You’ll most commonly find Halo settings in rings, so the majority of you who are aiming to buy a jewelry piece with this setting will probably end up with a ring!

This isn’t a bad thing, far from it to be honest. Rings with Halo settings and yellow or champagne diamonds are very nice, and if you’re looking for an engagement ring, this may be your top pick.

Necklaces

Necklaces usually contain the biggest diamonds, even when it comes to the Halo setting. We’re telling you this since you’ll likely spend the most on a necklace. But, in return, you’ll get a big diamond surrounded by other medium-sized diamonds.

Necklaces with Halo settings and colored diamonds look really nice, but they will cost you quite a bit more, and will most definitely draw all the attention to that piece of jewelry.

Related Read: How Much Does A Real Diamond Necklace Cost?

Earrings

This piece of jewelry is also an amazing way to accentuate the beauty of the centerpiece found in the halo setting.

But usually, when we’re talking about earrings, the centerpiece will be a bit smaller since there are two earrings and for the sake of your pockets – the diamonds in the earrings will be significantly smaller.

This doesn’t mean that they won’t be visible. It only means that there are a few things to consider before buying earrings with the halo setting:

The first, and most important thing is that you should aim for earrings that have yellow or other colored diamonds as centerpieces. This will make them more unique and noticeable.

The second thing is that you should pair it well with another piece of jewelry. These earrings may be too intense to wear with 3 or 4 other pieces of jewelry, so do keep that in mind.


Halo Setting – The Price

The price is what most people are interested in when it comes to the world of diamonds and everything else related to them. Well, it’s not that easy to point a finger at the price of a setting. Naming a price for a diamond, piece of jewelry or a cut is much easier.

But we’ll do our best to give you guidelines that’ll further help paint a bigger picture about how much money you’ll need to spend on a diamond if it’s in a Halo setting. You can expect to spend between $500 and $15,000 on a Halo setting. This heavily depends on a few things:

The first thing that it depends on is the amount of side-piece diamonds that will surround the centerpiece. Of course, you do understand that a bigger circle around the centerpiece means more diamonds and sometimes bigger diamonds.

It also depends on the shape of the centerpiece which is often rectangular with rounded edges or any sort of a round cut. The process of embedding diamonds in a setting can be more or less complex depending on what we just said about the cut of the diamond that serves as the centerpiece.

It also depends on the part of the world that you’re trying to embed a diamond into a Halo setting, and the part of the year that you’re doing it in. An unspoken rule is that during summer, the prices of diamonds go up, and so do all things related to diamonds (repairs, polishing, grading, cutting, embedding, etc…)

Also, in the US, the diamond culture is very vast and you’ll find people that work with diamonds that will offer you a whole array of prices ranging from lowest to highest for the same job. This means that you need to carefully pick the person that going to do the embedding. This can also have an effect on the price (positive or negative).

But, what if we’re just talking about a setting that’s already done? How much does that add up to the total price?

Well, not too much. If you’re buying, let’s say, a ring with a Halo setting, you’ll pay maybe $500 or $600 max more than you’d normally pay with another (cheaper) setting.

So, only if you’re planning on doing the embedding alone, you’ll have an opportunity to spend a couple of thousands of dollars on a Halo setting.

Is Halo Setting Worth Considering?

Like with all things, the Halo setting has its pros and its cons. Your decision on whether you like it or not is relevant only if you take these things into consideration.

We agree that it’s important how a certain setting look, it’s maybe the most important thing. But it’s not the only important thing. That’s why we highly advise you to take these facts into consideration while educating yourself about the Halo setting. Maybe you’ll find yourself liking it more than you originally thought!

Now that you are aware of the importance of the pros & cons approach to this topic, let’s dive in and see what are the strengths and what are weaknesses of the Halo setting!

The Pros Of The Halo Setting

The Halo setting is one of the most popular settings out there. It means it definitely has something that large numbers of people find attractive and desirable.

Here are some of the pros of the Halo setting that we feel are the most important:

  • Safety of the centerpiece
  • Originality & Authenticity
  • Affordability
  • Sparkle

Now let’s see why we think all of these aspects of the Halo setting are its strong suits:

Safety of the centerpiece – The safety of the biggest diamond in the setting is quite important. From the security point of view, it’s the most important thing. This means that we highly value a setting that will hold the centerpiece in place. The Halo setting does exactly that, and it does it well for a few reasons. The first reason is that the jeweler that does the embedding of the main diamond in the setting has enough surface to apply glue. This primarily holds the diamond in place, and there’s no better way than enough glue!

Originality & Authenticity – We mentioned that we like the fact that you can play around with how the end product will look with this setting. Let’s take a ring, for example. You can pick and choose everything from the color of the main diamond, side pieces, the precious metal that your ring will be made out of, the size of the side pieces, etc… It’s an amazing experience when you can put a personal touch on a piece of jewelry, especially if it’s meant for someone special!

Affordability – Regardless of the fact that you can pay up to $15,000 for a Halo setting, this setting is considered affordable. That’s because the majority of people won’t embed their diamond after they buy it. The majority will buy a premade ring that already has its centerpiece, side pieces, and precious metals already picked out. In that scenario, the Halo setting is not considered expensive at all!

Sparkle – Although the diamond embedded in a Halo setting doesn’t have much light, especially from the downside, some would say that it’s hard for a diamond in a Halo setting to sparkle. But, we disagree! A lot of smaller diamonds that surround the centerpiece allow for a feeling that almost all the sparkle is coming from the main diamond, enhancing its sparkling considerably. Diamonds in this setting are provided with enough light, and they look amazing in both light and dark surroundings.

The Cons Of The Halo Setting

Similar to all other things, diamond settings have their downsides. It’s important to be aware of these downsides (or cons) and see if it’s worth the risk.

Here are some of the things that we don’t like about the Halo setting:

  • Not safe enough for side-piece diamonds
  • Very common

Here are the explanations for why we consider these things to be weaknesses of the Halo setting:

Not safe enough for side-piece diamonds – side pieces in a setting such as this aren’t big (unless they’re on a necklace) and can’t be held in place by glue properly. This means that there’s a chance of them falling out and you lose them. These diamonds are so small that unless you see them falling out at the exact moment of falling out, you won’t notice or be able to find them. Another bad thing is that you’ll have at least a dozen small diamonds in a Halo setting, so you’ll risk losing all of them if you’re not careful enough. You can prevent thins by bringing your piece of jewelry that has the Halo setting to your jeweler so they can check if any of the diamonds are coming loose, and if they are – to re-glue them.

Very common – We mentioned multiple times that this setting is quite popular at the moment. This means that, unless you personalize your Halo setting jewelry, you’ll probably see a similar piece somewhere sometime.

Conclusion

Now that you’re aware of everything you need to know about halo settings, you’re ready to come to a conclusion. If you feel like you forgot something, you can always scroll up and refresh your memory. But, for the sake of saving time, let’s do a brief recap.

The Halo setting (in all its variations) is an old setting that has been around. It’s also a setting that is very popular at the moment, making it a timeless choice.

It’s an extravagant setting that allows for semi-casual everyday use. But, you’ll have to be careful! This setting is very common when not personalized, and you’re likely to lose a small diamond or two while wearing it.

So, we hope that we helped you form an opinion on Halo settings based on the facts we shared with you and that we piqued your interest in the details in the world of diamonds!

Related Read: Can I Get A New Setting For Diamond? – Find Out Here & Now