Band Designs

Flat

Rectangular in cross section, this is a crisp and clean profile which works well with Princess cut stones for a contemporary feel. The crispness can be softened slightly if the corners are rounded off. You see the true width of the band with this style, whereas the more rounded designs can make the band appear more slim than it actually is.

Flat with a gentle curve

This is a more modern looking take on the D shape profile. Essentially, it has a less deeply curved outside edge but retains the flat interior profile.

D-shaped

This design looks just like a capital D through the cross section. The flat part sits against the finger but the outside edge is deeply curved. This can trick the eye into thinking the band is slimmer than it actually is so you may wish to opt for a slightly bigger width to achieve the look you’re going for. The nice thing about this shape is that stacked D shape bands have a clear edge next to each other, whereas flat bands can blur into one.

Reverse D

The reverse D profile is the exact opposite of the D shape profile. The outside is flat for a contemporary look but the inside is curved for comfort. As with the flat profile, the corners can be softened slightly for a less harsh edge or you could opt for a gentle curve on the outside profile.

Courting

This profile is sometimes called ‘Comfort’, which gives a good indication of why people choose it! It is curved both on the inside and outside for a soft, curved look and comfortable wearing. The cross section is eye-shaped and this is particularly good as a wedding band for anyone not used to wearing rings. The edges can be flat between the outside and inside of the band or curved for an elliptical profile. Courting can also come in a heavy style, which means that the thickness at the widest part is deeper than normal.

Halo

This profile has the cross section of a circle as it is fully round. This is an unusual choice for slimmer bands but has a really interesting look and is comfortable to wear. Halo profile rings make great stacking rings because you get a clear definition between each ring.

Knife

The knife profile is a striking style, perfect for engagement rings with square, kite or Trillion cut stones. It is flat on the inside but has a peaked shape on the outside, so when viewed in cross section, it appears triangular. This shape can be softened at the sides and back of the ring for comfort.

Straight

Straight bands have no curves and give a classic look. If you want a low-key ring, this is the one for you. You can add stones into the shoulders or use this design for a trilogy ring. If your setting is wider than the band width, you’ll need to consider a shaped wedding band to sit next to it or perhaps an open-tip setting style to allow a flat band to sit comfortably beside it.

Tapered

The tapered band works to lead the eye towards the central stone. Essentially, it slims down towards the top of the ring. You can still have stone set in the shoulders, perhaps in a tapered setting.

There are lots of options with the tapered band – it can either be a gentle, curved taper as in the top image, or a short, sharp taper as in the second. You could go for a long straight taper as well.

Split

The split shoulder works really well with a four claw setting as shown in the illustration because the band meets the setting really cleanly. It work like the taper style to draw your eye into the centre of the ring and gives a lovely, balanced look. You could add an invisibly set side stone into the end of the splits for added sparkle. You’ll need a waved wedding ring to sit along side this design.

Twist

The twist style has become really popular as an alternative to the straighter styles. The band usually tapers down as it wraps around the central stone. It works best with rounder shaped central stones such as Brilliant, Oval and Pear but it also works well with a horizontally set Marquise shaped stone. These twist styles sit best with a shaped wedding ring as depicted in the illustration.

Bypass

The bypass style band twists round the stone for a fluid appearance but does not close off like a twist does. It works well with straighter stone shapes like the Princess cut shown here. This design could be paired up with a wishbone shaped wedding ring.

Wishbone

Another option is the wishbone shape which works with any shaped stone but particularly well with a Pear shape as shown. It gives you the option to stack it with another wishbone ring underneath, or wear another wishbone ring ‘upside down’ above it to enclose the stone.