Diamond Rings

A full eternity band is set with diamonds all the way around its circumference. A half eternity, sometimes called an anniversary band, has stones across the top only with plain metal underneath.

The practical difference is resizing. A full eternity band cannot be resized in the normal way, because there is no plain section to cut and rejoin - it would have to be remade. A half eternity usually can be.

The half eternity is also more comfortable against a neighbouring ring and puts the wear on plain metal rather than on stones. The full eternity's advantage is that it looks the same from every angle and never needs straightening on the finger.

It depends entirely on the design. A band with stones across the top and plain metal beneath can generally be adjusted by a jeweller.

A full eternity band cannot, because there is no plain metal to work with - changing the circumference would mean rebuilding the ring around a different number of stones.

If there is any real uncertainty about size, or any likelihood it will change over the years, that is a strong argument for a half eternity design.

Channel setting sinks a row of diamonds between two raised walls of metal, so the stones sit flush and nothing protrudes above the surface of the band.

It is the most protective way to set a row of stones, which makes it the sensible choice for a band worn every day or worn beside another ring.

The trade-off is that slightly less of each stone is exposed than in a shared-prong setting, so a channel-set band reads as a clean line of light rather than as individual sparkling stones.

Measure rather than estimate. The most reliable approach is to take a ring the wearer already wears on the intended finger and compare its inside diameter against a standard size chart.

Measure at a normal moment - fingers swell in heat and at the end of the day and shrink in cold, so an extreme reading will mislead you.

Remember that a wide band feels tighter than a narrow one at the same nominal size. For anything wide, many people go up half a size.

It is worth matching them, though more for practical reasons than aesthetic ones. Two rings worn together rub constantly, and if one metal is harder than the other it will gradually wear the softer one away.

Matching metals wear against each other evenly. Mixing them deliberately can look excellent, but it is worth knowing that the softer ring will show it over the years.

The other consideration is fit. A contoured band shaped to sit flush against the engagement ring reduces both the rubbing and the gap between them.

Pavé sets many small diamonds very close together, held by tiny beads of metal, so the surface reads as continuous sparkle rather than as individual stones.

It does ask for a little more attention. The beads holding each stone are small, and over years of wear they can loosen - which is how a pavé ring loses a stone.

Having a pavé piece checked periodically by a jeweller catches loose stones before they are lost. For a ring worn against another ring, a channel-set design is more robust.

A bezel or a channel setting, and a low profile. Both keep the stones protected and keep nothing standing proud of the finger to catch on things.

Profile height matters as much as setting type. A tall cathedral setting is striking and gets knocked far more often than a low one, simply because of where it sits.

Prong settings show the most of a stone and let in the most light, which is exactly why people choose them - they just want the prongs checked from time to time.

Yes, both are represented across the range, and every listing states which a particular ring uses.

A laboratory-grown diamond is the same material as a mined one - the same carbon structure, the same hardness, graded the same way. It is not a simulant.

The practical differences are price and rarity. Lab-grown stones generally cost less for a given specification; natural stones carry geological rarity and an established resale market.

Neither is better - they behave differently. Platinum is denser, so the ring feels heavier, and it holds a white colour without any surface finish.

White gold is lighter and is typically finished with rhodium plating for brightness, which wears over time and can be reapplied by a jeweller. Yellow and rose gold are warm metals that also mask a slightly warmer diamond colour grade.

For a ring worn constantly, weight, colour preference and how much maintenance you want are the real deciding factors.

Having the setting looked at once a year is sensible for a ring worn every day, and more often if it takes heavy use.

The setting is what fails, not the stone. Prongs wear thin with use and the small beads holding pavé stones can loosen, and both are easy and inexpensive to correct if caught.

Between checks, clean the ring with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and take it off for manual work and sport - which prevents most of the wear in the first place.