For many people, one priority when picking an engagement ring is making sure the ring will sit flush with their future wedding band without any gaps. The easiest way to achieve this is a high-set engagement ring, like a peg head or a cathedral. Another priority for many of our clients is making sure their ring is durable and will last through decades of daily wear.
So if you're looking for both of these things - a flush fit and a durable engagement ring - what are your options?
Before we get into it, I'll just be totally honest about one thing: all other things being equal, the most durable engagement ring settings are low to the finger. When we elevate the basket enough to allow clearance for a wedding band, it's going to be vulnerable to snagging on things. If you catch the ring on the interior of a cabinet hinge and pull, as one example, the basket will probably bend. That's a function of the height and the softness of gold.
We can certainly still get you a ring that's high set and durable, though! There are two factors to consider here: gold weight and basket reinforcement.
Gold weight
In the age of fast fashion, we often don't consider that low cost often means low quality. For instance, fabrics have been getting thinner, with higher percentages of synethic fibers. In engagement rings, this manifests in lower and lower gold weight per piece. Bands are thinner, prongs are thinner, and overall, rings are flimsier than they used to be as a result.
One of the most significant factors in a durable engagement ring is the gold weight, no matter the setting height. The components connecting the band and the basket need to be sturdy. But when a basket is elevated off the band, the gold weight is even more important to keep that basket stable and less prone to bending. The larger the center stone you choose, the heavier these components need to be in order to stabilize the basket. All of our rings are designed with this in mind.
Basket reinforcement
In addition to the strength of the connection points between the band and the baskets, the number of those connection points also impacts how vulnerable your high-set engagement ring will be. The more places where these two components connect, the better!
The strongest kind of high-set ring is a classic cathedral setting like our Grace or Sophia rings. These rings connect the basket to the band at the sides (with shoulders) and the middle (with prongs). Floating gallery cathedrals like our Finn Cathedral are a little less secure because they're missing that middle connection point. In our opinion, the least secure style of high-set engagement ring is the very popular peg head, like our bestselling Jackson ring. With this style, the band and the basket only connect in the center of the ring.
Now don't get me wrong - if our peg head rings were bending all the time, we wouldn't sell them! We design them thoughtfully with an appropriate amount of gold weight, and out of the many such rings we've sold, I've seen two of them bend. That's still a pretty low failure rate. But just keep in mind that if you choose this style, you'll want to be extra cautious about taking care of your ring to avoid damage.
Insuring your ring
No matter what kind of engagement ring you choose, we strongly recommend insurance! We're all human, and fine jewelry is delicate by nature. Insurance will give you a lot of peace of mind.
