Bezel engagement rings

Everything to know about bezel set diamond rings

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Bezel engagement rings are the second most popular setting style out there, behind the all-conquering solitaire.

The defining feature of bezel engagement rings is a metal frame that surrounds the edge of the center stone, securely holding in place. They’re actually the oldest setting style, due to their simplicity and the ease of manufacture.

plain bezel

But that’s not to say they’re old fashioned. Many bezel settings look sleek and modern, and their blend of elegance and practicality are the perfect balance for a woman on the go.

On this page we’re going to look at:

  • What’s good about bezel engagement rings
  • What’s bad about bezel engagement rings
  • A range of bezel setting styles

By the end of this page you should have a great idea of what your different options are when it comes to bezel engagement rings and hopefully have some inspiration to help you choose too.

What’s good about bezel engagement rings?

Bezel settings offer protection

The biggest advantage that bezel engagement ring settings offer is their practicality and the protection that they offer the central stone of a ring.

Although diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring material in the world, they can still be damaged if they are mistreated, particularly along the thin edge  that separates the top half of the diamond from the bottom half, known as the ‘girdle’.

Bezel settings wrap around the girdle, giving the ultimate protection from ever coming into contact with another hard surface that could damage it.

Bevel Setting

Bezel rings offer security

Related to protection is the security that bezel settings offer. The stone is held securely, with the edges of the girdle set into a small channel inside the setting, with the top lip of the metal folded down around the top ‘crown’ of the stone, locking it in place.

This holds the stone in place much more securely than the comparatively flimsy prongs that are used in many other setting styles.

Bezel diamonds rings are practical

Bezel settings are also much lower profile than any other setting styles – they don’t stand up as tall above the wearer’s finger. The advantage of low profile bezel set engagement ring is that they are much less likely to get snagged during day to day wear.

cathedral vs bezel engagement rings

For someone active – who uses their hands throughout the day – whether they’re a nurse, kindergarten teacher, gym instructor or any other profession where they are going to come into contact with people or equipment, this is a huge bonus.

Not only does it mean that the ring is less frustrating, it also means that the ring itself is less likely to get damaged, avoiding the need for potentially expensive repairs.

Bezel settings are well-priced

A huge benefit of a bezel engagement ring is a result of its simplicity: bezel settings tie with solitaire settings as the least expensive settings style.

While other setting styles use more precious metal or feature additional diamonds to support the main center stone, the simple design of the bezel means that a relatively small amount of valuable raw materials are required

Bezel settings are also simple for jewelers to make, meaning much less skilled workmanship and man-hours are needed to create them.

While a halo pave setting may have 100 tiny diamonds which all need to be set by hand, with prongs formed and bent into place to keep the tiny stones safe and secure, the bezel setting is much less labor intensive to create.

Bezel setting vs. halo setting:

solitaire bezel ring1 e1428450218639
Platinum: $1,100
18k White Gold: $800
14k White Gold: $600
pave halo palladium e1428365993572
Platinum: $2,400
18k White Gold: $1,950
14k White Gold: $1,680

Choosing a less expensive ring setting means that there is more budget available for other parts of the ring e.g. you could go for a larger, or higher quality center stone, or upgrade the precious metal used. Or you could put the money towards anything else you fancy – your wedding, upgrades on your honeymoon flights or an awesome bachelor party / bridal shower.

Myth: Bezel diamond rings sparkle less

One negative that you may hear about bezel engagement rings is that they sparkle less because the setting wraps around the side of the center diamond, reducing light entering the side of the stone which in turn reducing its sparkle.

However, this criticism isn’t legitimate – almost all of the sparkle that you see in a diamond is as a result of light entering the top of the stone, reflecting off the inside facets and then exiting back out of the top to your eyes:

Diamond perfect reflection e1426048962770

As long as the bezel doesn’t reduce the amount of light that is entering the top of the diamond, the impact on the sparkle should be minimal.

Consideration: yellow gold bezel diamond rings will make a diamond look warmer

If you’re considering a yellow gold bezel engagement ring, then one thing to be aware of is how the color of the metal will be reflected into the center stone.

All yellow gold settings affect the colour of diamonds to a certain degree, making them appear more yellow (or ‘warmer’, in jeweler’s lingo) than they really are. Bezel settings are more likely to show this trait than most other settings due to the amount of yellow metal that surrounds the diamond.

What it means is that if you’re planning on going with a yellow gold bezel ring, then it’s not worth going for a center diamond that scores really highly on colour grade.

A stone that is graded a D, E or F will look much warmer than it really is, meaning that you will have spent more than you needed to without a difference from a G-color stone being visible. G is as high as you should go – any higher and you will be wasting your money.

Bezel engagement ring settings

Due to the constraints of the bezel setting, there is slightly less choice with the bezel setting styles than some of the other ring settings, but there is still a good amount of choice out there.

I’ve selected a few examples below to give you an idea of what is out there, but it is by no means a definitive list. Click through on the links to see more options for each of the setting styles.


Round bezel diamond engagement rings

Below is a selection of rings that match my recommendations from my recommended retailers. They’re simple, classic and will hold up to an active lifestyle.

Click through on any of them to find out more.