Is a double halo “too much” for an engagement ring?

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Had a conversation with a friend today and we were discussing another friend’s engagement ring (it’s a large round diamond, looks about 4ct, in a double halo, and she has thin fingers. The ring+halos basically cover her finger edge to edge). She just casually said something like “I’m so happy she’s happy, but IMO it’s a bit much for an engagement ring no? I feel like an e-ring should be a ring you can wear everyday!” I don’t think she was trying to be mean AT ALL, like it was just her opinion.

But it made me think a little because I’ve been tossing up the idea of a double halo for my ering as well, if I go for a round (ring is far from reality, these are just ideas) because the round stone in question would be a family heirloom of my SO’s and it’s quite yellow, old cut, and I think it’ll look fabulous in a double halo of yellow and white diamonds. But it is a large stone as well - over 3.25ct.

So what do you all think - is a large stone in double halos “too much” for everyday wear? My finger size is US5.5-5.75 approx.

 

[Lakefront]

I don’t think it’s the double halo that puts it over the top. A friend of mine has a very beautiful double halo ering (~1.5ct center) and it’s definitely her everyday ring.
I think it all comes down to the scale of the ring on the hand.
Do what you think is beautiful. Erings don’t have to be simple. Think about everyone with a Heidi Gibson ring! That would be too much for my minimalist taste but it still works as a gorgeous everyday ering.
Go for whatever you’d love to see on your hand.

 

[FL_runner]

It's so personal, for me it would probably not work for every day (healthcare, so lots of gloves on and off) but if you love it and would be able to wear it all the time, go for your dream ring!

 

[WillyDiamond]

It is personal taste, of course.
I like the center stone to be the “star” attraction. If the double halo detracts from the center stone, then it is too much.

 

[seaurchin]

This is a lab sapphire (10.5x8.2) and I have man hands (size 6 but long fingers). So it's a little different from your idea but I think yours would also look substantial with a double halo. However, I don't think it would be so large that it would have to be considered an over-the-top, special occasion only type ring.

I have a couple of back-ups for when the one above seems like a little too much for one reason or another. I have a plain band and also a smaller solitaire in yellow gold (which is also because I like my metals to match. So I also wear the yellow gold solitaire if the rest of my jewelry is yellow gold that day). I think it is just too much to expect for one e-ring to be the all purpose one and we all need a few of them!

 

[yssie]

For me - it’d be unwearable as a daily piece. But that’s for me. For anyone else - I can’t see any sense in adjudicating what is or isn’t sufficiently “engagement-ey” for someone else!

 

[seaurchin]

A couple more thoughts here fwiw: When I was trying to design my ring above, I looked at (online) a lot of rings with colored and clear stones as you're considering, though in my case, pink rather than yellow.

One thing I saw over and over again was the pink halo being right next to the pink center stone and the clear halo being on the outside. To me, it looked kind of messy or confusing because I couldn't tell where the center stone ended and the pink halo began. I'd have put the clear halo next to the pink center stone and the pink halo on the outside, to give it a cleaner or sharper look, personally. But then it gets a "target ring" look so I guess you'd have to like that (which I do).

Also jmho but I felt like my center stone above could be the size it is without looking too over-the-top because it's pink rather than clear. I like the pale color because I think it makes it look diamond-ish but not like a diamond. If the center stone was clear with the double halo, then for me that might be too much for an everyday e-ring. Not sure if that applies to a yellow center diamond but just a thought...

 

[nala]

I actually had one at some point with my 2.9 and I missed seeing my center stone. But I love the Tiffany soleste with a cushion cut and can see how that works as an everyday ring if it’s a smaller sized stone. I should add that my jeweler warmed me that my ring would look fake at that size and I didn’t believe him but after a while, I kind of felt like it did bc it was such a huge appearance overall.

 

[tyty333]

For me and my area it would be too much however, it may work just fine for you, your habits, and where you live. Wonder if you
could find a cheap version to try out and see how you feel?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I don’t think it’s the double halo that puts it over the top. A friend of mine has a very beautiful double halo ering (~1.5ct center) and it’s definitely her everyday ring.
I think it all comes down to the scale of the ring on the hand.
Do what you think is beautiful. Erings don’t have to be simple. Think about everyone with a Heidi Gibson ring! That would be too much for my minimalist taste but it still works as a gorgeous everyday ering.
Go for whatever you’d love to see on your hand.

Thanks for your reply! I think you have a point also about how people just like different things. The friend in question who made that comment has a ~1ct solitaire ring that she chose herself because she didn’t want something too big and flashy (though they could’ve gone bigger or pave, 3-stone etc).

I think I would probably not do the double halo if I had edge to edge finger coverage, because I’d like the band to show (I think anyway). But I do like substantial looking rings, and I feel like rounds look really nice in halos. Like I would never do an EC in a halo, I prefer those as solitaires. But rounds - especially old cuts - I think look fantastic in halos or more “extra” settings.

It's so personal, for me it would probably not work for every day (healthcare, so lots of gloves on and off) but if you love it and would be able to wear it all the time, go for your dream ring!

Luckily for me the only work I do with my hands is typing, and I don’t have issues with rings while doing so. I would take it off to shower/sleep/workout/chores. So I have to gauge whether I love it, basically! Thank you!

It is personal taste, of course.
I like the center stone to be the “star” attraction. If the double halo detracts from the center stone, then it is too much.

That’s my fear - I want the centre stone to be highlighted, not lost in a sea of halos. I’m hopeful that because the stone is really quite yellow it’ll pop nicely in the double halo.

This is a lab sapphire (10.5x8.2) and I have man hands (size 6 but long fingers). So it's a little different from your idea but I think yours would also look substantial with a double halo. However, I don't think it would be so large that it would have to be considered an over-the-top, special occasion only type ring.

I have a couple of back-ups for when the one above seems like a little too much for one reason or another. I have a plain band and also a smaller solitaire in yellow gold (which is also because I like my metals to match. So I also wear the yellow gold solitaire if the rest of my jewelry is yellow gold that day). I think it is just too much to expect for one e-ring to be the all purpose one and we all need a few of them!

Your ring is GORGEOUS! I absolutely love it!! I’m so happy that you think it could still be wearable and won’t look gaudy or over the top. I would like to wear my ring as much as possible, but I can see myself having bands or other rings for when I want to be toned down or discreet (like when travelling or something).

For me - it’d be unwearable as a daily piece. But that’s for me. For anyone else - I can’t see any sense in adjudicating what is or isn’t sufficiently “engagement-ey” for someone else!

Fair enough yssie! I asked just to see what people in general think - I think I’ll have a lot more clarity when I see it all put together. For now since these are just ideas I wanted to solicit opinions (since I’m not in love with the idea yet, so no hard feelings haha).

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

A couple more thoughts here fwiw: When I was trying to design my ring above, I looked at (online) a lot of rings with colored and clear stones as you're considering, though in my case, pink rather than yellow.

One thing I saw over and over again was the pink halo being right next to the pink center stone and the clear halo being on the outside. To me, it looked kind of messy or confusing because I couldn't tell where the center stone ended and the pink halo began. I'd have put the clear halo next to the pink center stone and the pink halo on the outside, to give it a cleaner or sharper look, personally. But then it gets a "target ring" look so I guess you'd have to like that (which I do).

Also jmho but I felt like my center stone above could be the size it is without looking too over-the-top because it's pink rather than clear. I like the pale color because I think it makes it look diamond-ish but not like a diamond. If the center stone was clear with the double halo, then for me that might be too much for an everyday e-ring. Not sure if that applies to a yellow center diamond but just a thought...

I’m not a huge fan of target rings, so I would either do a single halo of clear diamonds, or a double halo of clear diamonds, or a double halo of yellow on the inside and white on the inside. I am a little concerned that it might blend together, but I think sufficient distinction could be achieved by setting the stone kind of “above” the halo(s)?

It’s also not fancy yellow coloured, more alphabet yellow. So we’ll have to see how well it plays with YG and WG, as well as with (light) yellow melee - I’d like to play up the yellow colour, if we go with this stone. Actually it’s quite funny but I had an inherited stone (smaller than this) that was also quite yellow that I was going to turn into an RHR with a double halo, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it; and now if we go with the round diamond for the ering, I probably will turn it into a pendant, haha. Maybe that’s why I’m itching to put this in a double halo, because I’ve had this idea before!

I actually had one at some point with my 2.9 and I missed seeing my center stone. But I love the Tiffany soleste with a cushion cut and can see how that works as an everyday ring if it’s a smaller sized stone. I should add that my jeweler warmed me that my ring would look fake at that size and I didn’t believe him but after a while, I kind of felt like it did bc it was such a huge appearance overall.

That’s definitely a concern of mine! I also don’t want to keep changing settings… they’re not super expensive to get made in india but a double halo with fancy light melee will not be cheap, either.

For me and my area it would be too much however, it may work just fine for you, your habits, and where you live. Wonder if you
could find a cheap version to try out and see how you feel?

I think socially it will fit in. Being a yellowy stone also means that a lot of people will have zero clue as to what it is, I think! I don’t know about buying a cheaper version, I may need to do some searching for exactly what I want (especially the right shade of yellow and proportions etc) but I don’t think I would buy it without getting some sort of idea of what it would look like on my hand - even if just plopping the stone in a similar looking setting (if the jeweler has one at hand!) thank you

 

[mommylawyer]

My only issue with my halo rings is that the settings come up off my finger. This would be necessary if you want to wear a wedding band under the halo. The problem is that the halo gets caught on things, such as the dishwasher rack, my daughter's hair and/or headbands, lace clothing, the inside of my purse, etc. Just something to consider.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I think a double halo on a 3+ carat is a "A lot of look", but if you can carry it off, more power to you! As for the practicality, it really depends on one's lifestyle....will you be doing your own chores such as changing diapers? cooking? gardening? Or will you be have help? Do plan to wear your e-ring 24/7, or remove when you're home.....so many factors!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

My only issue with my halo rings is that the settings come up off my finger. This would be necessary if you want to wear a wedding band under the halo. The problem is that the halo gets caught on things, such as the dishwasher rack, my daughter's hair and/or headbands, lace clothing, the inside of my purse, etc. Just something to consider.

Personally I’m not fussed about wedding bands, but it’s something that my SO would like to do. So if we do wedding bands I’ll wear them on different hands if we go with this round in the double halo (we haven’t fully decided on the centre stone yet). The catching sounds like it’s going to be super annoying though. Definitely a question for the jeweler (how to minimise catching it on things).

I think a double halo on a 3+ carat is a "A lot of look", but if you can carry it off, more power to you! As for the practicality, it really depends on one's lifestyle....will you be doing your own chores such as changing diapers? cooking? gardening? Or will you be have help? Do plan to wear your e-ring 24/7, or remove when you're home.....so many factors!

I would take off any rings I wear while doing chores, including plain bands. I don’t like to have anything on my hands when I’m cooking etc. But we will have some help for sure, for the gnarlier bits (like gardening, cleaning etc). I would like to wear my ering around the house as well, but will take it off when doing chores, sleeping, working out, showering etc. It is a lot of look though, that’s what I’m considering! I don’t want to be self conscious about wearing it, so I have to be sure that it’s something I’m happy with.

 

[mommylawyer]

Here are pictures of my rings. I find the engagement ring and double halo sapphire to be too high for regular wear. I only wear them to parties and special events. You might want to try a setting closer to the Yurman prasiolite halo if you want something more comfortable.

With the engagement ring, you can see that I have a slim matching wedding band.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Here are pictures of my rings. I find the engagement ring and double halo sapphire to be too high for regular wear. I only wear them to parties and special events. You might want to try a setting closer to the Yurman prasiolite halo if you want something more comfortable.

With the engagement ring, you can see that I have a slim matching wedding band.

I love your rings!! They are all lovely and the double halo on the sapphire is beautiful. Your WB also looks like a great match

 

[mommylawyer]

I love your rings!! They are all lovely and the double halo on the sapphire is beautiful. Your WB also looks like a great match

Thanks! I never met a halo I didn't like.

 

[WillyDiamond]

OP
Here is a picture of my wonderful wife’s ER with the single halo.
The center stone is 1.444 cts. I think another ring of stones would be too busy, just my opInion.

 

[WillyDiamond]

Meant to attach to above post.

 

[tyty333]

By cheap version, I mean something sub $50. Its not meant to look exactly like the ring you're going to have made. Just a simulant
to check on how you feel about the size of the stone with a double halo. Unfortunately, the one below probably isn't big enough.

Amazon.com: Blue Apple Co. Double Halo Wedding Engagement Bridal Set Ring Band 925 Sterling Silver Round Cubic Zirconia : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

Buy Blue Apple Co. Double Halo Wedding Engagement Bridal Set Ring Band 925 Sterling Silver Round Cubic Zirconia and other Wedding & Engagement at Amazon.com. Our wide selection is elegible for free shipping and free returns.

www.amazon.com

 

[maryjane04]

At first I thought, I could personally rock a double halo with a 3.5ct centre. Although upon researching most of the rings with a double halo have a 1.5-2ct centre to make it look like a 4ct. So given that I would say it would be too much - for me. I do prefer bolder cluster styles with old cuts though

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Phooey. If $$$ were no option, I'd have a big 'ole Cushion Tiffany Soleste and wear the hell out of it. @nala we agree!

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

For me - it’d be unwearable as a daily piece. But that’s for me. For anyone else - I can’t see any sense in adjudicating what is or isn’t sufficiently “engagement-ey” for someone else!

x a billion

 

[dk168]

IMHO, it is down to personal taste and style.

I personally do not like double halos, split shanks, paved shanks, high settings and claw/prong sets, etc. etc...

However, that's just me and I do not expect other people to like the pieces that I have made or purchased for me to wear.

My jewellery are for my own enjoyment alone, so I shall wear designs what I like to wear.

DK

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

OP
Here is a picture of my wonderful wife’s ER with the single halo.
The center stone is 1.444 cts. I think another ring of stones would be too busy, just my opInion.

Your wife’s ring is beautiful! I think I would agree if both halos were white diamonds, surrounding a white diamond. I could also do a double halo of much smaller stones (eg 1mm) in order to get that look without too much added size. Thank you for the pic!!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

first up im not into halos period

but an ER is (up to this point anyway) the most important piece of jewlery most ladies will own

can a ring ever be too big ???
um imho very rarely !

id be thinking about proportions though as im also not a fan of todays skinny little sparkly bands on ERs

but as others have said an ER is such a personal thing

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

By cheap version, I mean something sub $50. Its not meant to look exactly like the ring you're going to have made. Just a simulant
to check on how you feel about the size of the stone with a double halo. Unfortunately, the one below probably isn't big enough.

Amazon.com: Blue Apple Co. Double Halo Wedding Engagement Bridal Set Ring Band 925 Sterling Silver Round Cubic Zirconia : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

Buy Blue Apple Co. Double Halo Wedding Engagement Bridal Set Ring Band 925 Sterling Silver Round Cubic Zirconia and other Wedding & Engagement at Amazon.com. Our wide selection is elegible for free shipping and free returns.

www.amazon.com

Ah gotcha. I think you’re right that this would be too small (it says 7mm top to bottom, which is smaller than the stone itself). But I’ll keep an eye out! I think the stone+halos will come to around 13.5mm on average which should not cover my finger from edge to edge, and should be okay.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

At first I thought, I could personally rock a double halo with a 3.5ct centre. Although upon researching most of the rings with a double halo have a 1.5-2ct centre to make it look like a 4ct. So given that I would say it would be too much - for me. I do prefer bolder cluster styles with old cuts though

Cluster styles are gorgeous! I’m just not sure if I would want one for an e-ring, also, it’ll be kind of expensive to get stones to match the centre proportionately. But someday I might buy a cluster just because

I think I’ll have to get a drawing or something of exactly how big this ring is going to be, edge to edge. I just guesstimated 13.5mm above, thinking that if we have 2 1mm halos, that’s ~4mm added to the overall size, and the stone itself would be around 9.5mm. I have a size US5-5.75 finger, so it would be a lot of ring, but not so much ring that it covers my entire finger. Also, halos don’t necessarily sit at the same level as the stone, plus curvature etc - the actual size may be even less.

Of course the backup plan is to just get a single halo, but I want to explore the double halo first

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

HI:

Phooey. If $$$ were no option, I'd have a big 'ole Cushion Tiffany Soleste and wear the hell out of it. @nala we agree!

cheers--Sharon

Manifesting the biggest Tiffany Soleste for you

I’m not really going to change my mind based on the opinion of one person (who would be really upset to know her throwaway comment got me rethinking what I wanted) - more a discussion question and crowdsourcing opinions. If, once I see it, I fall in love with the look - that’s what I’ll go for!

IMHO, it is down to personal taste and style.

I personally do not like double halos, split shanks, paved shanks, high settings and claw/prong sets, etc. etc...

However, that's just me and I do not expect other people to like the pieces that I have made or purchased for me to wear.

My jewellery are for my own enjoyment alone, so I shall wear designs what I like to wear.

DK

I always thought I was the kind of person who liked simple, plain solitaires without too many halos. But I also feel like old cut diamonds look so good in double halos, and I would then go quite old school with the band etc (not going for a super thin band, but something way more robust, or split shank or something).

I’m quite a blingy girl, so I think I could probably carry it off!

first up im not into halos period

but an ER is (up to this point anyway) the most important piece of jewlery most ladies will own

can a ring ever be too big ???
um imho very rarely !

id be thinking about proportions though as im also not a fan of todays skinny little sparkly bands on ERs

but as others have said an ER is such a personal thing

I don’t think so, but I guess if it crosses the edge to edge span of the finger probably yes

I love skinny bands usually, but if I did this ring I’d go for a much more robust band, bit more old school.

 

[Diamond_Enthusiast]

more a discussion question and crowdsourcing opinions

Since you are just getting opinions, here is my two cents.

If it is a 3ct+ center stone, I would say skip the double halo. Single ok, but double looks too much IMO.

For reference, I'm the bling type what loves intricate designs and bling bling looks. Happy to be more adventurous/experimental with earrings and pendants etc. but I feel that for an e-ring, a more timeless look where the star is obviously the center stone is better, especially if the center stone is already very large.

Perhaps even consider a halo and a hidden halo if you still want a double halo, if this is possible. That way the face up won't have too many distractions and you have a nice halo to enjoy on the profile view too.