Seen or hidden halo first, then the center carat, lab-grown or natural, and her size
Decide first whether she wants the halo seen or hidden. An open halo circles the center with small diamonds on top, so the stone reads bigger. A hidden halo sits under the stone and shows from the side, and the top stays a clean solitaire. About six in ten halo rings bought here in the year were hidden halos, each with a lab-grown center. Then judge the center by its own carat, not the total.
Halo or hidden halo: which halo engagement ring style to buy
Choose by the view from above. An open halo is a frame of small diamonds around the center, so the head looks wider and the center looks larger. A hidden halo tucks that row under the stone, and from the top the ring still reads as a solitaire. Ten rings here are hidden halos, and they were most of the halo rings bought in the year. The square cluster halo has no single center, only small natural diamonds set close, and it was the single ring bought most here in the year.
Center and carat: what carat center for a halo ring, and the total weight
Read the center carat on its own line. The total adds every small stone, and on most open halos here those outweigh the center. A hidden halo adds little, under half a carat of small stones on every ring here. The hidden halos hold the big centers, 3 carats in the middle, and the open halos sit lower. Of the rings bought with a single center, most were 1 to 2 carats. Color, clarity and cut are in the four Cs article.
Lab or natural: lab-grown halo engagement rings and the natural halos
Grown or mined, both are real diamonds, graded alike. Every hidden halo here has a lab-grown center, F color on most, and every lab-grown center is VS or better. The natural centers all sit in open halos, mostly rounds under two carats, most graded G or H and SI1. Two are fancy colors, a pink oval and a yellow cushion, both set with platinum. The pear pairs a lab-grown center with a frame of natural diamonds, so read both stone lines. Only three rings with a natural center sold in the year.
Gold and band: 14K, 18K or platinum, and a wedding band that sits flush
Half the rings here are 14K, and so were most halo rings bought, the harder gold for daily wear. 18K is a deeper yellow that marks sooner, and two rings come in platinum. Six hidden halo listings say a wedding band sits flush beside them. An open halo is wider at the head, so a straight band can leave a gap that a curved band closes. Ask the desk before you pair one with women's wedding bands.
Size and returns: halo ring sizes, resizing and made to order
Have a ring she wears measured on the ring size chart, and order that size. All but two come in half sizes, and most run from 5 to 8 or wider. Four natural halos come in one size only and one lists no size, so check first. Small stones down the band leave little room to resize, and the refund policy makes a resized ring final. Three hidden halo listings say each ring is made to order in her size, two to three weeks before it ships. For a size the listing lacks, write in the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET.