Lotus Setting Engagement Rings: What Jewellers Mean by It
By Clint Casmiro, Co-Founder, Smiro Studio · Updated October 22, 2026
Short answer: A lotus setting is a prong setting whose prongs open into petals under the diamond, so the head looks like a flower from the side. Many jewellers use lotus and tulip for the same idea; some keep lotus for a fuller basket. We call ours a tulip basket, have built over 1,000, and start at $2,199 CAD in 14K gold.
People find us searching for a lotus setting, then ask whether a tulip is something different. Mostly it is a name.
What is a lotus setting?
Petals of metal under the stone instead of plain prongs. Each prong opens into a petal shape below its claw, and the petals together form a basket that looks like a flower opening around the diamond. From the top you see the stone and its claws; the flower shows from the side.
Dylan and Cassidy's ring: a 2.06 carat oval in 14K yellow gold with six petite claws over the petals. Call it lotus or tulip; it is the same build.
Is a lotus setting different from a tulip setting?
| Lotus (as some jewellers use it) | Tulip basket (ours) | |
|---|---|---|
| What holds the stone | Prongs shaped into petals | Prongs shaped into petals |
| Petals | Often described as more, or layered | 4 or 6, with half petals for 8 |
| From the top | A solitaire | A solitaire |
| What to ask for | A side view photo | A side view photo or 3D render |
There is no fixed industry definition, so the name tells you less than a side view does. The full comparison, with cathedral and regular baskets, is in tulip setting vs cathedral, basket and lotus.
Which of our baskets look most like a lotus?
The fuller ones. A six petal basket closes the flower all the way around, and half petals add a second, smaller row of petals between four main ones, which reads as a layered lotus from the side.
Left, Sonam's ring: a 2.5 carat Ashoka cut in a six petal head. Right, the 3D render of Matt and Emily's 3.01 carat oval in a six tulip basket with leaf engraved prongs.
Layered petals in detail: half petal tulip baskets.
What does a lotus mean on an engagement ring?
In Buddhist and Hindu art the lotus is a symbol of purity, because it grows up clean out of muddy water. Some couples choose the shape for that reason. Others want the lotus itself in the ring: on Sonam's ring we hand carved a lotus into the band for one partner's heritage, with the Himalayas on the other side for the other's. Ideas on hand engraving.
How much is a lotus or tulip setting?
Our tulip settings start at $2,199 CAD in 14K gold before the diamond, and complete rings with a 2 carat lab grown diamond at $3,300 CAD. Every listed price is in how much a tulip setting costs. US clients are quoted in US dollars.
Want to see a lotus style basket on your stone?
A free 20 minute video call with our team. Bring a photo, a budget, or nothing at all.
Book a free callGet a free estimateFrom our collection
Marquise Tulip Six Petal
Oval Tulip Six Petal
Radiant Tulip with Hidden Halo
Cushion Tulip with Hidden Halo
Questions we get about this
What is a lotus setting engagement ring?
A prong setting where the prongs open into petals under the diamond, so the head looks like a flower from the side and a solitaire from the top.
Is a lotus setting the same as a tulip setting?
Usually, yes. Some jewellers use lotus for a fuller basket with more or layered petals, so ask for a side view.
What does a lotus engagement ring mean?
In Buddhist and Hindu art the lotus stands for purity, rising clean out of muddy water.
Can you engrave a lotus on a ring?
Yes. We hand carved a lotus into the band of Sonam's ring, next to the Himalayas on the other side.
How much does a lotus setting cost?
Our tulip settings, the same build, start at $2,199 CAD in 14K gold before the diamond.
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