Choosing your dream engagement ring is a big decision. We love diamond ring design, and understanding the different parts of a ring, what they're called and how they contribute to the overall design, can make it so much easier to find the ring that's meant for you. This is our easy guide to outlining the anatomy of a diamond ring, to familiarise you with the most common terminology, so buying a diamond ring or commissioning a bespoke engagement ring is straightforward and fun - you can communicate what you're looking for and the process is not a daunting one!
Let's start at the top...

The Head

The top of the ring is called the head and it holds the main stone or stones. In a solitaire ring there’s just one stone but there can be more. For instance, if the ring has three stones (called a trilogy ring) or a halo (if the main stone has a rim, a "halo" of smaller stones around it). Next you can add side stones for more detail (or to maximise sparkle!) on either side of the main stone.

 The Shoulders

In most ring designs, the stones are held in place using claws (these are also known as prongs). The shoulders are the top sides of the engagement ring and they connect the head to the shank. They can be plain but are often set with diamonds or gemstones too.

 The Shank or Band

The shank (also known as the band) is the main part of the ring that wraps around the bottom of your finger. The bottom of the shank is the area where the Jeweller will make any ring size adjustments - cutting and removing some metal to size down and cutting then adding metal to size up.

All jewellery is required to have a hallmark in order to identify its composition and value. For instance, an 18ct gold ring will have a 18K stamp. (Since 18ct gold is 75% pure gold, 18ct gold jewellery can also be stamped with the number 750. Common platinum hallmarks are Platinum, Plat, Platine, PT, and 950.

We hope this information helps you to better understand these glittering beauties. Of course if you have any queries about diamond rings, we'd love to hear from you.