Skip to content
Annual March Diamond Madness - Meet Our Champion - Up to 11% Off
Annual March Diamond Madness - Meet Our Champion - Up to 11% Off

What is a classic style setting?

six-prong-classic-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-brian-gavin

A classic style setting, also known as a classic Solitaire, is a traditional solitaire which features a single diamond center stone at the top of the ring with four or six prongs. Our traditional six prong classic style setting is pictured to the left.

The "ring shank" which is the portion of the ring which wraps around your finger, measures approximately 2.9 mm at the top and tapers gradually down to about 2.2 mm at the bottom of the ring.

History of the classic Style Solitaire:

The design of the classic style setting or "classic solitaire" was made popular by the introduction of the "classic Solitaire" style engagement ring by classic & Co., in the late 1800's.

However there are historical references to diamond engagement rings going back as far as 1477, when Archduke Maximillan of Austria, proposed to Mary of Burgandy, with a signet ring consisting of the letter "M" covered in diamonds.

The design of the classic style solitaire is intended to raise the diamond up into the air when it can be prominently displayed with an open prong structure which lets the light enter the diamond from all sides.

Settings for the Modern Age of Diamond Cutting:

Advancements in modern cutting technology and diamond design, have resulted in our being able to dramatically improve the reflective properties of a diamond, and it is less important for the sides of a diamond to be open to light in order for it to be brilliant and full of life. Technically speaking, you could set one of our Signature Diamonds down in a bed of mud and it would still perform exceptionally in terms of light return and sparkle!

However it is doubtful that your fiancé will accept this method of setting! Then again, there is evidence that cavemen presented their brides with rings woven out of grass as symbols of their love and devotion.

classic Style Knife Edge Ring But if you're looking for something a little more traditional and upscale, you might consider our classic knife edge six prong solitaire engagement ring, pictured to the left with a channel set diamond eternity band, or our classic style half round engagement ring.

Both of these rings offer the time honored tradition of a classic style solitaire, and are available in a variety of alloy types, including 18k Yellow Gold, 18k White Gold, 18k Rose Gold, and Platinum.

Note that the measurements of the ring shanks are slightly different for each of the variations of traditional classic style settings that we offer, please refer to the description provided on the details page for each style of classic solitaire.

One of the advantages to our rendition of the classic style solitaire engagement ring, is that the prong structure is set down into the ring shank section, which has the effect of slightly lowering the overall height of the ring. We do the same thing with the "head" or prong structure on our traditional six prong classic solitaire that is referenced at the top of this article.

This is different than a lot of the solitaire style settings that we have seen, which are built with a four or six prong head, which is soldered on to the top of the ring shank, and therefore has a higher profile on the finger than our rendition of the classic style solitaire.

Previous Paris Hilton’s 20-carat diamond engagement ring