Settings
Hidden halo engagement rings, set by hand
A hidden halo is a ring of small diamonds set around the base of the centre stone, underneath the setting where you cannot see it from above. Nobody who looks at the ring across a table knows it is there. The person wearing it sees it every time they look down, and that is the whole point of it.
What a hidden halo is, and what it is not
Small brilliant-cut stones are set in a circle around the bottom of the setting, just above the finger. From the front the ring looks like a plain solitaire. From the side, when the hand turns, there is a band of sparkle under the stone.
It is worth being clear about what it does not do, because it is constantly confused with a halo. A halo goes around the outside of the centre stone and makes it read bigger from the front. A hidden halo sits underneath and makes no difference to the size of anything. It is a detail, not a size trick, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something.
| Visible from the front | Visible from the side | Makes the stone read bigger | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solitaire | No | No | No |
| Hidden halo | No | Yes | No |
| Halo | Yes | Yes | Yes, noticeably |
| Hidden halo and halo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Why people choose one
- It gives the wearer something of their own. The ring reads restrained to everyone else and is not restrained at all when they look at their own hand.
- It fills the side profile. A simple solitaire can look bare from the side, especially on a low setting. A hidden halo gives that view something to catch the light.
- It works beautifully with an oval or an emerald cut. Long stones have a long side profile to fill, and this is the detail that fits it.
- It keeps the top of the ring clean. If you want a plain band and a plain view but still want sparkle, this is how you get both.
The honest trade-offs
- It sits close to the finger, so it collects soap. The stones face outwards from the base of the setting and hand cream and soap can dull them over a few months. A soft brush and warm water brings them back, and a quick clean at the bench whenever you are passing is free.
- The stones are small, and small stones are a bench job to replace. They are set by hand here and we will replace and re-set one on the rare occasion it comes loose. This is another reason the setting happens at a bench you can reach.
- It cannot be added to every existing ring. If you already have a ring it sometimes can be converted, and sometimes the setting has no room for it without being rebuilt. Send us a photo of the underside and we will tell you straight which it is.
- It is not a dropdown on the builder here. The builder prices the stone, the metal and the band; a hidden halo is drawn and quoted with your ring.
What it does to the price
Set into a ring we are making from new, a hidden halo is a small number of melee stones and the bench time to set them. It is quoted with your drawing within 48 hours, as an exact figure rather than a range, and there is nothing to pay until you approve it.
Because the stones are set under the centre stone, a hidden halo is one of the few places a slightly lower clarity grade can be used without anyone seeing it. Where that saves money we will use it and tell you we have.
If you have seen one you like
Send a photo of it. Half the people who ask us for a hidden halo have only seen one in a screenshot, which is plenty to work from.
We make virtually any design. Bring the idea, however roughly it is drawn, and we will draw it properly and tell you honestly what it will cost.
Questions people actually ask
What is the difference between a hidden halo and a halo?
A halo is a ring of diamonds around the outside of the centre stone and makes it look bigger from the front. A hidden halo is set underneath the stone and is invisible from above, so it adds sparkle from the side without changing how large the centre stone reads.
Does a hidden halo make the diamond look bigger?
No. It is under the stone, so it adds nothing to the size from the front. If that is what you are after, you want a regular halo — and we will tell you which one suits the stone you are considering.
Do the little stones fall out?
Rarely, and if one ever does we replace and re-set it here at the bench, which is a fifteen-minute job when the jeweller who set it is the one doing it. This is exactly why we set every ring ourselves rather than sending them out.
Can a hidden halo be added to a ring I already own?
Sometimes. It depends on whether the setting has room underneath and how it was made. Send us a photo of the underside of the setting and we will tell you honestly whether it can be done, rather than take the job on and find out.
Can I have a hidden halo with a plain band?
Yes, and it is the most requested combination — a plain band, a plain solitaire from the front, and the hidden halo underneath. Nothing about the band changes.
Send a photo or describe it. A drawing and an exact price in 48 hours, free.