Hidden Halo Setting

A hidden halo, sometimes called a secret halo or a peekaboo halo, sits in the gallery of the ring, beneath and around the base of the centre stone. A traditional halo sits at the same level as the centre stone and reads from above, whereas a hidden halo is tucked underneath, so from a top-down view the ring still presents as a clean solitaire. From the side, at an angle or as the hand moves, the small diamonds catch the light and throw off a flash of sparkle, and the look is especially popular as a hidden halo oval engagement ring, or set under a radiant, emerald or pear cut centre.

Small diamonds are set in a ring around the inside of the basket that holds the centre stone, sitting below its girdle and usually level with or just above the top of the band. These hidden diamonds are held by micro-prongs or beads, much like pave, and the centre stone is then set above the halo with standard prongs or claws. The setting adds a small amount of height to the ring profile, which lifts the centre stone slightly and lets it catch more light from below.

The hidden halo works with every shape, but oval is by far the most popular centre stone pairing, and oval hidden halo engagement rings are the highest-searched hidden halo style both in Australia and globally. A round hidden halo under an oval centre creates a soft contrast that shows from the side, while a round brilliant over a round hidden halo blends together cleanly. An emerald cut picks up extra sparkle that the step-cut shape does not produce on its own, and radiant, pear and marquise centres all benefit from the side flash and the slight lift.

A round hidden halo beneath any shape is the most common configuration, while a shape-matching hidden halo follows the outline of the centre stone instead. A double hidden halo adds two rows of small diamonds for extra side sparkle, and a coloured stone hidden halo uses sapphires, rubies or other coloured lab-grown gems for a flash of colour that only shows from the side. Some designs extend the hidden halo into the band for a continuous run of hidden sparkle, often paired with a pave band.

A hidden halo suits anyone who wants added sparkle without the maintenance load of a traditional halo, and because the small stones sit beneath the centre stone, they are less exposed to impact and snagging. The clean top-down profile also makes the ring practical for daily wear and easier to pair with a straight wedding band than most halo designs.

A hidden halo is usually less expensive than a traditional halo, because it uses fewer and smaller diamonds, and the added cost over a plain solitaire is modest, often only a few hundred dollars depending on the count and quality of the melee stones. Lab-grown melee diamonds bring that down further, which makes the hidden halo one of the better-value upgrades in modern engagement ring design.