Engagement Ring Terminology

Finding a perfect ring your significant other should want to wear for a lifetime is no mean feat. Still, ring shopping should be an exciting time and you should enjoy this adventure and everything that follows it. 

One way to do this is to understand some of the terminology used to describe rings. This knowledge will give you a bit more confidence when walking into ring stores or browsing engagement rings online, and this will allow you to relax a bit and focus on other aspects of finding the perfect ring. 

So what are the key terms you need to know when ring shopping? Here is the low down.

Band

A band is also known as a shank. You can’t have a ring without a band, so this is the foundational part of an engagement ring. A band is the metallic part of a ring that wraps around the finger. The band is also what holds precious stones like diamonds. 

Should one need to resize their ring, the adjustments are made at the bottom of the shank, which sits on the inside of the ring finger. This part can also be re-shanked over the years if it thins out.

Center Stone

When you begin looking at rings online or in physical stores, you will notice that most rings with precious stones have one stone that stands out. This will often be bigger than the others, and it usually sits at the top of the ring band or shank. 

This dominant stone is the center stone. 

Accent Stones

Side stones or accent stones are any other stones set on a ring aside from the center stone. These will be smaller stones on either side of the center stone and though gorgeous, their role is to accentuate the primary stone. Side stones run along the shank in a single file, or side by side, depending on a ring’s design. 

Halo

Side stones and accent stones sit on either side of the center stone and run along the shank of an engagement ring. A halo on the other hand is an accentuating feature as well, but it encircles the center stone with smaller gemstones or diamonds. 

Engagement rings with a halo offer more brilliance as the surrounding stones add their sparkle to the centerpiece. Similarly, halos create the illusion of a larger carat weight. You can have one string of diamonds on the halo or multiple. The more you have the larger the stone on the ring will look, and the more pronounced it will seem.

Solitaire

A solitaire is a ring that doesn’t have accent gemstones or diamonds.

Crown

A crown is the area at the top of the ring that holds the center diamond and other main accessory stones. If you go for a solitaire, then the crown will only hold the center stone. The crown is also referred to as the head.

Setting

This is also known as the foundation and refers to how the center and accessories are mounted on the band. 

Prong

This is a setting for gemstones where stones are secured by small bars or metallic spikes. These allow a jewel to be showcased and viewed from all angles in all their grandeur. Thanks to the prominence prongs give gems, they are the most common gemstone setting. 

Flush

A flush setting is when the center stone is at the same height as the metal around it. The stone in this case doesn’t stand out as much as it does when set with a prong. 

Karat

Most people get karat and carat mixed up. A karat is used to describe gold purity. For example, 24K gold is the purest form, meaning 100% gold, while 18K gold means 75% gold, with other metal alloys making up the rest.

Carat

Carat refers to the measurement unit of the weight of gemstones and pearls. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams. 

Gallery Rail

This is a small metal ring holding the bottom part of the diamond on an engagement ring. This will usually be attached to the head at the base of the prongs. Should a prong on the ring be lost or damaged, the gallery rail should help in keeping the stone in place.

On To The Fun Part

These ring terminologies should help you explain and describe what you are looking for when communicating with your jeweler.

It also helps to have a mental picture of what your significant other would like. Why not look through our Twice Loved collection, and see if anything jumps at you?