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You Had Me At Halo
You Had Me At Halo
Originally From Gabriel & Co.
No matter the engagement ring you choose, there is guaranteed to be a halo setting for it. They have flooded the cases of every jewelry store and are a common sight on so many newly engaged women’s Instagram feeds for good reason. Halos or double halos make a smaller carat stone appear larger, brilliantly highlighting features of a gem cut like a princess or pear cut diamond.
For those few future brides unaware of the halos power to enhance and dazzle, here’s how it’s done.
Halos are made up of diamond or gemstone pavés put into a design that surrounds the center stone. The pavé is a group of smaller gemstones set closely together and held in place by little beads or prongs that are barely visible. However, what you are most aware of is their aggregate sparkle, especially how it extends the shine to all sides.
While halos are one of the newer styles on the scene, its origin is centuries old. This versatile motif started taking off during the 1700’s when they were first called cluster rings. However, today cluster rings can also refer to a group of smaller diamonds held together to create the illusion of a large center stone. The two terms are interchangeable.
This 270 year-old ring was given by a rogue king who failed to reclaim the throne of Great Britain an uprising in the 1700’s gave to a widowed mother after her son volunteered to eat food that might be poisoned for him. The rose or “European cut” diamond is surrounded by smaller diamonds of various sizes. Diamonds were hard to source in uniform sizes, even for the most rich and famous people of the time.
Victorian times saw the rise of a variation composed of the smallest of halos with the center diamond being raised up high in certain mounts. Yet diamonds weren’t necessarily the most popular for halos back then. Many halos were made out of seed pearls set on a backing of black enamel in order to stand out.
During the Art Deco era halos adapted to fit right into its popular streamlined designs and geometric shapes. Many rings featured a cut open style that made use of negative space extremely well.
Though the halo has never really fallen out of fashion, its popularity began to rise in the new millennium and since 2010 it has skyrocketed. In fact, recently we have seen rapidly growing desire for the dazzle of double and triple halos. Most often they are paired with a wedding band or a series of harmonious stackables. Expect to see even more innovative styles as our gifted Gabriel designers redefine what an engagement ring can be.