Anatomy of An Engagement Ring

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the volume of information available about the anatomy of a diamond ring. So Vanessa Nicole is here to help you! The terms shown in bold below (and featured on the image above) are the main ones you need to know. Also listed below are other terms that may come up when you’re pricing diamonds or looking at engagement ring designs.

Diamond Ring Terminology

Head – Rings are composed of two main parts: head & shank. The head is the primary object that holds in the main center stone. It is made up of 4 or 6 prongs and/or a halo, which connects to the shank.

Shank – The shank, or band, is the part of the ring that wraps around your finger on the bottom. This is the area that jewelers cut when sizing a ring. Limit’s also the area on a ring that gets stamped or engraved.

Center Stone – This is the main focal point of your ring. It’s the stone that the rest of the ring design is based around.

Halo – A halo is composed of smaller stones surrounding the center stone. This gives the center stone a larger appearance. It also adds a layer of protection around the center stone. You can have a single halo or double halo. Side Stones – Side stones (also know as “accent stones”) are additional stones located on the sides of the ring.

Prongs – Center stone prongs are part of the head. Essentially they wrap around the outside of the center stone so it will not fall out. They can be shaped in various ways such as round balls or claws. Also, they can be single prongs on each corner or double prongs on each corner.

Mounting – A mounting (also known as “setting”) is generally the entire ring not including the center stone. Types of mounting styles include prong, bezel, invisible, channel and pavé.

Shoulder – The shoulder consists of the top two sides of the shank. It’s generally where the top of the shank meets the head. So you might hear this term when referencing side stones here or referencing the angle of the shoulder (i.e. “having a straight or curved shoulder”).