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What is a Classic Engagement Ring?

Jun 3, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Traditional Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings

If you were asked to draw an engagement ring, chances are you would sketch a classic solitaire engagement ring with a Round Brilliant Cut diamond on a simple gold band. Why? This minimalistic, yet sophisticated design is instantly recognised the world over as the most popular engagement ring style of all time.

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What is a classic solitaire engagement ring?

A classic solitaire engagement ring is identified by a single diamond set on a plain gold band; typically white gold, rose gold, yellow gold or platinum. There are no additional shoulder diamonds, halos or coloured gemstones, allowing the solitary diamond to take centre stage.

What diamond shapes can you have in a solitaire engagement ring?

Traditional solitaire engagement rings feature Round Brilliant Cut diamonds, however any fancy-shaped diamond can be used in a solitaire design, including Oval, Princess, Emerald, Cushion, Heart, Marquise, Pear, Radiant and Ascher.

Classic Solitaire Engagement Ring Setting Types

Prong-set diamonds are the most common setting type for Solitaire engagement rings, typically featuring four or six prongs (also known as claws). Heart-shaped prong tips are a subtle, romantic alternative to regular prong tips, which can be added to any shape diamond.

A half bezel-set diamond creates a more contemporary solitaire design with stunning open side profiles featuring flared half-moon panels on each side to further emphasise the size of the diamond. Chandelier and floating diamond settings, while less common, can also be used in a solitaire ring design.

Classic Solitaire Engagement Ring Band Varieties

In addition to multiple setting types, classic Solitaire engagement rings offer a variety of band widths and styles, allowing you to choose a combination that best suits your fingers and hand. The most classic solitaire engagement ring band design is, of course, a straight, high-polished band of equal width the entire perimeter.

Variations of this include a tapered band Solitaire engagement ring…

A knife-edge band Solitaire engagement ring…

A Solitaire engagement ring with faceted shoulder detail…

And a classic Solitaire engagement ring with offset tapered shoulders…

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How big should a solitaire diamond be in an engagement ring?

The majority of our Melbourne customers request a 1-carat diamond in their classic Solitaire engagement rings. For a single-diamond design like a Solitaire, a 1-carat diamond offers a substantial look and adequate sparkle, without relying on halos or additional stones.

Ultimately, everybody’s buying criteria is different, and the size of your hands and length of your fingers may also influence which diamond size and shape you decide works best; a 0.5-carat diamond on dainty hands with slender fingers may actually look a lot bigger than it is, and the opposite could be true for a larger hand.

The image below is an example of a 1-carat Solitaire diamond in a 4-claw setting with heart-shaped prong tips.

Benefits of Solitaire Engagement Rings

There’s no better way to showcase an excellent quality diamond than in a solitaire design, where complex design features or additional stones don’t divert attention away from the exceptional cut, colour, clarity and carat size of the solitary diamond.

Finding a matching wedding band for classic engagement rings also makes Solitaire designs a popular choice, as they are easily paired with any plain gold women’s classic wedding rings, as well as diamond-set wedding bands.

Curved wedding bands make a particularly striking match for traditional Solitaire engagement rings, as the peak, pinch or curve of the ring draws further attention to the Solitaire diamond.

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Classic vs Timeless Engagement Rings

A Timeless engagement ring follows the same design conventions as a classic Solitaire engagement ring, however Timeless rings feature additional diamonds along the band for greater depth of design.

A Timeless engagement ring may be ideal for a lower-quality centre stone, as the diamonds in the band can add extra sparkle, creating an overall glow less dependent on the feature stone.

Pricewise, a Timeless engagement ring with a centre diamond of equal quality to a classic Solitaire engagement ring will be more expensive due to the additional diamonds in the band, however price begins to level as the centre diamond in a Timeless ring decreases in carat size.

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Celebrity Solitaire Engagement Rings

Notable Australian celebrity Solitaire engagement rings from recent times include Ash Barty’s Cushion-cut solitaire engagement ring on a white gold band, and Aussie model-actress Ellie Gonsalves’ minimalistic Pear-cut diamond solitaire engagement ring in white gold.

Source: @ashbarty & @ellie_gonsalves

Hollywood A-lister celebrity Solitaire engagement rings from recent years include Jennifer Lawrence’s sizable Emerald-cut Solitaire ring on a thin gold band and Hailey Bieber’s magnificent 6-carat Oval-cut solitaire diamond engagement ring with a minimalistic 18kt yellow gold polished band.

Source: @haileybieber & @jenniferlawrence_

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Accessorising Classic Solitaire Engagement Rings

Solitaire engagement rings are easily and effectively paired with other classic jewellery, like diamond Solitaire earrings and simple solitaire diamond pendants. For a cohesive look, choose solitaire accessories with the same diamond shape and number of prongs.

How to Clean a Solitaire Engagement Ring

Due to their simplicity, Solitaire engagement rings are very easy to clean, as there’s few places for dirt and grime to hide. When you purchase a Solitaire engagement ring from SH Jewellery, we offer free ring cleaning in our Springvale showroom up to six times per year to keep your classic ring looking showroom-sparkly.

Alternatively, you can conveniently and safely clean your engagement ring at home with an Ultrasonic Jewellery Cleaning Machine.

Get Help Buying a Classic Solitaire Diamond Engagement Ring Online or in Melbourne

If you need help finding the perfect classic engagement ring, our friendly, patient and non-commissioned Melbourne Engagement Ring Specialists are available to help online, in store and over the phone.

At SH Jewellery, our Solitaire diamonds are not only GIA certified, but also 3-4 grades above industry standards and 7-8 grades above most chain retailers.

When you buy engagement rings online, we offer free delivery, along with 30-day exchange to ensure you’re 100% happy with your ring when it arrives in the mail via secure and insured delivery.

Want to see how our Solitaire engagement rings suit your hand? Check out our Virtual Try On Tool, available for most diamond engagement rings below the image carousel.