Engagement Ring Glossary: Every Term We Use, in Plain English
By Clint Casmiro, Co-Founder, Smiro Studio
Short answer: This is the plain English version of every ring term we use on calls, from tulip basket and hidden halo to moval and bowtie effect. Most link to a full guide with real rings.
Ring shopping comes with its own language, and half of it gets used differently from one jeweller to the next. These are the definitions we use at Smiro Studio.
Setting styles
- Tulip basket
- An engagement ring setting where the prongs are shaped into petals that form a basket around the diamond, like a flower holding its bloom. Clean from above, a flower from the side. Our signature setting. More
- 4 petal vs 6 petal tulip
- A 4 petal tulip basket has four petals and always gets a hidden halo underneath to tie them together and add support. A 6 petal tulip basket has six petals close enough to support each other, so it needs no halo. The 6 petal is our most popular. More
- A hidden halo is a row of small diamonds set around the basket underneath the centre stone. From the top you only see the main diamond, and from the side you get a flash of sparkle. More
- Solitaire setting
- A solitaire setting connects the head to the band at one point. More
- Cathedral setting
- A setting where the band rises up in two arches to meet the head, adding shoulders that give three connection points and much more security. We recommend one for stones around 3 to 3.5 carats and up. More
- Split shank
- A band that divides into two strands that open up and flow into the head, with no end point. More
- Baby split shank
- A baby split shank is a band that splits into two just before it reaches the setting, then flows up into the gallery rail or the tulip petals. More
- Bypass setting
- A bypass setting is a ring where the band does not close into a full circle under the stone. Instead, two arms curve around from opposite directions and hug the diamond, one on each end. More
- Bezel setting
- A full bezel wraps a rim of metal all the way around the diamond instead of using prongs. It is the most protective, snag-free setting. More
- East west setting
- An east west engagement ring sets an elongated diamond (oval, moval, emerald, pear or marquise) horizontally across the finger instead of pointing up the hand. More
- Toi et moi
- A ring with two centre stones side by side, French for "you and me". More
Parts of a ring
- Bridge
- The part of the ring that sits under the head, between the diamond and the band, seen from the side. You cannot see it from the top, which makes it the favourite spot for hand engraving or a hidden stone. More
- Gallery rail
- A gallery rail is a band of metal that runs around the setting under the diamond and connects the prongs. It holds them in place and adds strength. More
- Setting height
- How high the diamond sits above the finger. Most of our rings are medium height, with a bridge under the stone so a straight wedding band stacks flush. More
- Band width and taper
- Most engagement ring bands we make are 2 mm, and we do not go thinner in gold, because gold thins with years of wear. A taper, for example 2.5 mm down to 2 mm, makes the band look like it flows into the setting. More
- Euroshank
- A band with a flat, squared-off bottom where it sits on the palm side of the finger. It helps the ring sit straight instead of spinning.
- Leaf prongs
- Leaf prongs are claw prongs with a fine leaf engraving cut into each one. More
- Rhodium tipped prongs
- Rhodium tipping means coating only the tips of yellow gold prongs in white rhodium. Yellow prongs contrast with a white diamond, and white tips blend into the stone, so the diamond looks bigger. More
- Hand engraving
- A design carved into the metal by hand with specialized tools, so no two pieces look exactly alike. It can go on the band, the bridge, the gallery rail, the euroshank or the bezel edge. Text inside the band is laser engraved. More
- Flush fit wedding band
- A wedding band that sits right against the engagement ring with no gap. It has to be designed in: the setting sits high enough for the band to slide underneath, or the bridge is indented to make room. More
- A small gemstone set somewhere only the wearer sees, often inside the band or under the diamond. More
Diamond shapes and cuts
- Moval
- A moval is a hybrid of a marquise and an oval. It has the long, slim outline of a marquise with rounded, softer ends like an oval, so it reads elongated without sharp points. More
- Dutch marquise
- A Dutch marquise is a marquise with a more angular outline, with straight, faceted shoulders instead of one smooth curve, and an antique style facet pattern. It looks sharper and more architectural than a standard marquise. More
- Portuguese cut
- A Portuguese cut is a faceting style, not a shape. It adds extra rows of facets to the crown and pavilion compared with a standard brilliant, so the stone throws more fire and a busier, glittering sparkle. More
- Old mine cut
- An old mine cushion is an antique style cushion cut with a small table, a tall crown and large, chunky facets. The big facets give big, slow flashes of light instead of glitter, which is why it is also called a candlelight diamond. More
- Crushed ice
- A faceting style with lots of tiny facets in no set pattern, which throws a glittery, crushed ice sparkle. More
- Hybrid radiant
- A hybrid radiant is a radiant faceted as a mix of crushed ice and brilliant cut. The crushed ice look in the centre means you do not see a bowtie, and the brilliant facets give it a lot of sparkle. More
- Elongated cushion
- A rectangular brilliant cut with soft, rounded corners and a pillowy outline. Compared with a radiant it has a softer, chunkier sparkle. More
- Bowtie effect
- The bowtie effect is a dark, bowtie shaped shadow across the middle of an oval, pear, marquise or moval diamond. It happens when the centre facets do not return light to your eye. More
- Custom cut diamond
- A custom cut diamond is cut from rough to your numbers: shape, proportions, facet pattern, sometimes colour. More
- Champagne diamond
- A diamond with a warm, champagne tone, natural or lab grown, graded and certified like any other diamond. The colour is part of the stone and does not fade. More
Diamond quality
- Carat vs ratio
- Carat is weight, not how big a diamond looks. Ratio (length divided by width) and the face-up measurements decide how big and how long a stone reads when worn. More
- Colour grade
- How colourless a white diamond is, on the GIA D to Z scale. D, E and F are colourless; G to J are near colourless and look slightly warmer. More
- Clarity grade
- How clean a diamond is inside, from flawless down to included. We usually recommend VS1, or VVS2 for step cuts like emerald and Asscher. More
- IGI certificate
- An independent grading report from the International Gemological Institute covering carat, colour, clarity, cut and measurements, and stating whether the diamond is lab grown or natural. Every diamond 1 carat and up we sell comes with one. More
- Lab grown diamond
- A real diamond grown in a lab: the same carbon crystal, the same hardness, graded the same way as a mined stone. Only specialist equipment can tell them apart. More
Not sure which of these you want?
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