A Guide to Solitaire Engagement Rings

A solitaire engagement ring is a timelessly elegant and classically stylish ring for any bride-to-be. It’s one of the most popular designs of engagement rings and is a wonderful way to show off a spectacular diamond. Solitaire rings are much more minimalist and clean than intricate vintage or modern rings. And you know what they say — sometimes simple is best!

solitaire engagement ring

What is a solitaire engagement ring?

A solitaire engagement ring is a type of ring that comes with one single gemstone in the centre. There are no other gemstones around the main stone and the band is usually plain with no additional diamonds. It’s the style that springs to mind for most people when they picture an engagement ring.

engagement ring

Pros and cons

If you’re wondering whether a solitaire engagement ring is the right choice for you or your partner, it’s best to consider the pros and cons. While it’s difficult to find anything negative to say about such a stunning piece of jewellery, solitaire rings aren’t the best option for everyone.

Pros

The style is timeless and will never go out of style or look dated.
Because they’re always in fashion, they’re easy to pass on through the family.
Their simple design makes them easy to pair with wedding bands.
You can change the solitaire ring’s look depending on the type of rings you pair or stack it with.

Cons

Their simple design can be too basic and result in a ring that lacks personality. (You can overcome this by choosing a band with shoulder diamonds or an engraved design.)
Unless you’ve got a lot of money to spend on a large diamond, a single diamond on a solitaire ring can look small on its own. (You can get around this by following our tips on how to make a diamond look bigger.)

diamond ring

What to look for

Decided a solitaire engagement ring is the right choice for you? Great! Here’s what to look for when you decide it’s time to buy.

A quality gemstone

Choose the best quality diamond you can afford. To make your money stretch further, consider going for a lab-grown diamond instead of a natural gemstone. When it comes to a solitaire ring, all eyes are on the centre diamond, so it needs to look fantastic.

Diamond cut

One of the best things about this style of diamond ring is that there are no rights or wrongs for the gemstone. Thanks to its simple design, any shape diamond, from round, marquise, and princess to cushion, pear, and oval looks gorgeous.

Band

This also goes for the style of band. A solitaire engagement ring’s simple design means you can pair it with absolutely any style of band and create a stunning ring. We’ve got a handy guide that can help you choose the best style of band to match anyone’s hand.

Customisation

You can make a solitaire engagement ring look more interesting by placing it in the centre of two other rings. Stacking it with other bands helps to add more unusual shapes, designs, and colours if you incorporate different gemstones. Mix and match as often as you like to keep your look fresh.

Cleaning

One of the best things about solitaire engagement rings is that they don’t need any complicated cleaning or maintenance like other styles of rings. It’s a good idea to take your ring off when you’re doing any type of activity that could damage it, but other than getting it professionally cleaned every year or so, this style of ring is very low maintenance.