Halo engagement rings. They sound so… angelic. And if you’ve seen a halo ring, whether it’s on a friend’s finger or in the pages of your favorite celeb magazine (or in this blog post), you know they’re gorgeous. But do you know what makes it a halo?

Halo Trend and Setting

“The term ‘halo’ is a very popular style in jewelry,” said Donald Haack’s Christina Holmes. “But it’s not new… it’s been around for over a hundred years.”

A halo setting features a main center diamond or gemstone is surrounded by smaller diamonds or gemstones. The smaller stones create the halo. The center gemstone or diamond can be of any shape and size.

“A halo style allows a small gemstone to appear larger and creates an illusion of a larger stone,” said Holmes.

Always Try On The Piece

Holly Farrant of Charlotte, a senior graphic designer for Baker & Taylor, said a halo setting wasn’t among her first picks. She scouted rings online for months and  had the EXACT ring picked out: a bezel-set ring with a simple platinum band. “I was at a loss when I finally got to try the ring on and it was all wrong for me,” Farrant said. “Even my fiance looked at me like I was crazy for picking out that particular ring!”

Then she tried one with a halo setting, and she was an instant convert. “It was kind of like trying on wedding dresses… when you find the right one, you just know,” Farrant said.

Of course, you don’t have to be engaged to have a halo ring. And if a ring isn’t your thing, you will find halo settings on earrings, pendants and bracelets.

What’s your take on halo settings?