The anatomy of a diamond ring, almost like other rings, is complicated. So, we are going to introduce the most important parts of a diamond ring as its anatomy. The terms bolded below are terms you should know.
Anatomy of Diamond Ring Terminology
Eight parts of a diamond ring mostly considered when making an engagement or wedding diamond ring:
- Head – The rings consist of two main parts: head & shank. The head of the object is the main object located in the main stone. It is made of 4 or 6 branches and/or a halo that is attached to the leg.
- Shank – The shank or band is the part of the ring that wraps around your toe at the bottom. This is the area where the jewelry is cut when measuring the ring. The circle is also a ring that is stamped or engraved.
- Center Stone – This is the main focal point of your ring. This is the stone on which the rest of the ring design is based.
- Halo – The halo is made up of smaller stone that surrounds the center rock. This shape gives the middle stone a larger appearance. It also adds a protective layer around the center stone. You can have one or two halos.
- Side stones – Lateral stones (also called “accent stones”) are extra stones that are located on the sides of the ring.
- Prongs – The branches of the central stone are part of the head. Basically, they are twisted out of the center stone so that it does not disappear. They can be shaped in different ways, such as round balls or claws. They can also be single branches in each corner or binary branches in each corner.
- mounting – Installation (also known as “setting”) is generally the entire ring that does not include the center stone. Types of mounting styles include prongs, bezel, channel, ducts and pave.
- Shoulder – The shoulder is made up of the upper two sides of the leg/shank. It is usually the place where the top of the shank meets the head. So, you may hear the term when referring to side stones here or referring to shoulder angle, for example, having a straight or curved shoulder.
How to buy a diamond engagement ring
Buying an engagement ring is one of the most exciting aspects of wedding planning. To ensure that the ring is valuable, both aesthetically and cost-effectively, the buyer should be aware of a few things before buying it, especially if the ring is adorned with diamonds.
The first thing a jeweler might ask a prospective buyer is what kind of precious metal the shank is made of. Most engagement rings have a gold shank, but 24-carat gold is so soft that it cannot be used daily. Therefore, gold is alloyed with other metals such as copper, nickel and zinc.
- Yellow gold has a bright color with a metallic sheen, but this gold is mixed with some copper.
- White gold is an alloy with zinc or nickel. The shank is then coated with rhodium to give it an extra shine.
- Rose Gold uses more copper than yellow gold to give the metal a pink tint.
