Three stone engagement rings
Information and inspiration for three stone diamond rings
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Three stone engagement rings are a classy way to get a seriously impressive engagement ring, without being overtly ‘blingy’ or flashy. Three stone rings radiate luxury while still retaining an air of elegance.
Three stone settings are sometimes called ‘Past, present and future’ rings, and like many things to do with diamonds, this came from De Beers. In 2000 they started a marketing campaign promoting three stone rings as the jewelry gift of choice for an anniversary – tying the three stones to the past, present and future of a relationship.
However, three stone rings are definitely not just for anniversaries and are a popular choice for engagement rings.
On this page we’re going to look at
- What’s good about three stone engagement rings
- What’s not so good
- A selection of three stone engagement rings settings for you to check out.
By the end, you should have a great idea of what to look for with three stone rings, and hopefully have some inspiration to help you make your choice.
What’s good about three stone engagement rings?
Three stone diamond rings can give a higher total carat weight at a lower price
Buyers of a three stone diamond ring, have an advantage over those who choose a solitaire ring because a three diamond ring does not necessarily require a large single diamond, which can be expensive. Instead, the buyer can select three smaller stones of better quality, but since they are smaller, may have a lower price.
For example, if you were looking at a 1.5 carat round brilliant diamond with good cut, color and clarity, it would cost around US$12,000. You can check out today’s prices of a 1.5 carat round brilliant diamond here. Then you would have to add the cost of the setting on top of that.
But a three stone setting with 0.5 carats of side stones, added to a 0.9 1 carat center stone would allow you to hit the same 1.5 carat mark in a different way for significantly less.
This would allow you to hit 1.5 carats of total carat weight for around $7,500.
Three stone rings are versatile
Three stone engagement rings give you more opportunity than most other ring setting styles to mix up the design and really make it your own.
As well as the choice of center stone shape, as you would have with other setting styles, you can also choose to pair these with almost any other diamond shape as side stones. And, if you want to add a flash of colour, you can pair a center diamond with other gemstones as the supporting stone. Emeralds, sapphires and rubies are popular choices.
As we’ll see in the next section, there’s almost no limit to the combinations that you can choose in terms of shape and color for your three stone ring.
Three stone engagement ring settings
The three stone ring offers the most variety of any format of engagement ring due to the combinations of stones shapes and styles that are possible, which means that it’s possible to create a ring that is truly individual
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 any of the rings to find out more about it or see other options for my recommended retailers.
Classic three stone round brilliant diamond ring
The classic three stone ring has two smaller stones flanking the central stone, often using the same type of stone and the same shape. Classic and simple three stone settings like this can be a great way of getting a ‘past, present and future’ ring, without the added expense that extra bling like pavé or a halo setting would bring.
Check out more info on this ring and other three stone options here
Princess cut three stone diamond ring
Three stone settings are available using a wide variety of diamond shapes – Princess cuts are a popular choice as their flat sides mean that they work particularly. This ring holds the diamonds in place using a ‘trellis’ setting which adds a delicate flourish to what would otherwise be a straightforward design.
See more info on this ring and other Princess cut options here
Three stone diamond ring with half moon side stones
Diamond shapes that are not commonly used in other settings can work extremely well in three stone settings – these ‘half moon’ diamonds offer great sparkle and complement the center round brilliant diamond perfectly.
See more detail on this ring and other three stone options here
Three stone diamond ring with emerald side stones
Side stones don’t need to be the same gemstone as the center stone though, as this ring with pear-shaped emerald side stones shows. Mixing up the side stone colour can be a great way of incorporating a colored gemstone, while keeping all the positive qualities that a diamond offers as the center stone – incredible sparkle and durability.
Click here to check out this ring and other similar options
Three stone diamond ring with ruby side stones
See more info here
Rubies can also make excellent supporting stones in side stone rings, and each is available in a range of shapes, either to match the center stone or as a great way to introduce another shape of gemstone too.
Three stone diamond ring with sapphire side stones
Sapphires can also make dramatic supporting stones in side stone rings, and again they are available in a range of shapes.
Check it out here
If the main three stones just aren’t offering enough sparkle, then pavé can be added to the band to make your ring even more special. This ring has nearly two thirds of a carat of diamonds in the setting, even without the center stone.
Check out this ring and other pavé three stone engagement rings here
Of course, three stone settings don’t need to be white-colored though. They work equally well in yellow gold, or in a mixed gold setting.
See more info on this ring and other yellow gold three stone rings here
Three stone halo diamond ring
The sky is the limit with halo settings, as this extremely ornate ring from Ritani shows. With halo settings around all three stones and a pavé band, the setting has a diamond weight of 0.75 carats even without the center stone.
See more info on this ring here
This designer three stone ring combines many embellishments to incredible effect, with halos, pavé, a split shank and secret ‘suprise’ diamonds set into the side of the band to create a stunning ring.
Check out this ring in more detail here
Rose gold three stone rings
Although most of the rings featured here are either platinum or white gold, there is also a wide selection of three stone engagement rings for you to check out. Click through and have a look!
A great place to get inspiration for three stone diamond rings is online galleries which show a wide selection of recently purchased rings. You can use the dropdown menu to select just thee stone rings and see what other people have been buying – definitely worth a look!
