When shopping for engagement rings, you might think of Princess Diana’s famous sapphire beauty or a classic emerald cut nestled in a prong setting. (Jewelers have assured this editor that they’re all the rage right now.) But what about the bezel? A timeless classic that nods to Art Deco, it’s the one setting that’s never really caught on with jewelers...until now. With brands coming up with their own stylish takes, bezel set engagement rings can’t be ignored. From Brilliant Earth’s best selling Luna Ring to the ultra-luxe $10,000 (minimum) Ring Concierge bezel design and Bario Neal’s inventive take featuring opal, the options feel boundless. Here, we rounded up 19 bezel set engagement rings that are sure to dazzle, and had an expert share everything you need to know about this setting.
19 Timeless Bezel Set Engagement Rings That Are Sure to Dazzle
And how to pick the right one for you
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The Top Bezel Set Engagement Rings at a Glance
- For the Modern Take: Brilliant Earth Luna Engagement Ring ($890)
- Most Luxe: Ring Concierge Bezel Engagement Ring ($10,000)
- Great Three-Stone Design: James Allen Baguette Three-Stone Engagement Ring ($2,380)
- An Unconventional Flair: Bario Neal Opal Engagement Ring ($1,860)
- Most Glam: Frank Darling The Radiator Engagement Ring ($1,350)
- Art-Deco Inspired: Brilliant Earch Sinclair Engagement Ring ($1,590)
- Most Variety of Shapes: Vrai Signature Bezel Engagement Ring ($1,100)
- For a Pop of Color: David Yurman Petite Chatelaine Ring ($2,250)
- The Work of Art: Anthony Lent Adorned Hands Ring ($12,000)
- For the Sapphire Lover: Jennie Kwon Lexie Sapphire Ring ($1,345)
- Classic Details: Brilliant Earth Blair Engagement Ring ($950)
- Make a Statement: Clean Origin Nicky Ring ($2,200)
- Bold and Curvy: Ring Concierge Trinity Bezel Engagement Ring ($10,000)
- A Surprising Twist: James Allen East West Solitaire Engagement Ring ($620)
- For the Pear Cut Enthusiast: Frank Darling Pear Three-Stone Bezel Ring ($1,480)
- The Contemporary Halo: Bario Neal Diamond Halo Ring ($4,060)
- The Diamond Alternative: David Yurman Albion Petite Ring ($695)
- Sweet and Simple: Clean Origin Madeline Ring ($1,140)
- For the Emerald Enthusiast: Bario Neal Nikko Emerald Pear Ring ($1,500)
Meet the Expert
Jean Dousset is the founder and CEO of his eponymous brand. With a vision for innovation and the goal to liberate people from the restrictive options of mined diamonds, the great-great-grandson of Louis Cartier is helping to shape the future of the luxury diamond industry with his namesake designer lab diamond and fine jewelry brand. After working with some of the most significant names in jewelry making and design including Chaumet, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels, Dousset is considered a top expert in high jewelry and bespoke diamond jewelry.
What Is a Bezel Setting?
“A bezel setting is designed so that the gemstone is held in place by a metal rim or ‘bezel’ that surrounds the perimeter of the stone,” Dousset explains. “The bezel can be fully or partially encasing the gemstone.” Though the design has been around for decades, it never quite caught on with jewelers because it can cover a large portion of the stone, diminishing the brilliance. “It's really used for specific, more fragile gemstones than it is for diamonds.”
This includes irregular-shaped and softer gemstones, like opals and cabochon-cut gems. Dousset shares that the setting is also a solid choice for those looking for durability and security.
Pros and Cons of a Bezel Setting
While the obvious con of a bezel setting is that it can block a lot of light, contemporary designs are getting creative, keeping the girdle (rim) that defines the bezel look while floating the stone in an airier setting so that more light will hit the diamond.
Of course, there’s also the protective aspect. “It provides a secure setting for the stone, as the metal completely surrounds the edges, holding it firmly in place,” Dousset notes. “This makes it less prone to damage or loss compared to other settings like prong or claw settings.”
It’s also a good trick to have in your back pocket if your diamond is small. “The bezel setting can enhance the appearance of the gemstone by framing it with a border of metal. This can create a distinctive and elegant look, especially when combined with different metal finishes or textures.”
Some other things to keep in mind: because the metal surrounds the stone, bezel settings can be heavy (but not always). “In my opinion, a bezel setting is a personal aesthetic choice before it is a safety one. While the bezel does protect the perimeter of the diamond, the stones are incredibly hard, and it is rare your diamond will every chip from everyday wear.”
How We Chose the Best Bezel-Set Engagement Rings
To choose the best bezel-set engagement rings, we spoke with jewelers and asked them about the trends they’re seeing, visited showrooms, tried on the jewelry ourselves and evaluated designs at top brands, taking into account buyer reviews.
- Cut: super ideal, ideal, very good, good, fair per the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading scale
- Clarity: Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2), Slightly Included (SI1, SI2)
- Carats: Up to 2
- Source: natural, lab, recycled
- Available Shapes: round, oval, cushion, pear, princess, emerald, Asscher, radiant
- Band Metal: 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, 14k rose gold, platinum
According to Savannah Jostock at Brilliant Earth, the brand’s Luna Ring is its most popular bezel setting. Jostock also notes that customers have loved the ring’s contemporary take on a traditional design. The Luna features a lightweight cathedral setting with a floating diamond, which maximizes the light that can pass through the stone while still keeping the classic bezel rim. The elevated setting allows for easy nesting with a wedding band.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: Information available upon request
- Carats: custom
- Source: natural
- Available Shapes: emerald, old European cut, old mine cut, radiant, custom
- Band Metal: yellow gold, rose gold, platinum
This bezel ring from Ring Concierge is a fully customizable take on the setting. Options include recycled yellow and rose gold, as well as platinum. Emerald, radiant and the old European cut are some of the available shapes. This setting features a raised stone and base that allows light to pass underneath. The jewelry is made in New York City using GIA-certified diamonds selected according to the Kimberley Process.
- Cut: good to super ideal
- Clarity: Very Slightly Included (VS1) to Included (I1)
- Carats: up to 5.6
- Source: lab, natural
- Available Shapes: Round, princess, cushion, emerald, oval, radiant, Asscher, marquise, pear
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 14k rose gold, 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, platinum
If you’re wanting multiple stones in your engagement ring but also wish for a more traditional design, this baguette ring from James Allen ticks all the boxes. The center stone is customizable, so you can choose your preferred shape and gem. It is then flanked by two baguette-cut diamonds, which total 0.3 carats. James Allen offers lab diamonds and sources natural ones in accordance with the Kimberley Process, an international standard created by the United Nations for certifying conflict-free diamonds.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: information available upon request
- Source: lab, natural, recycled
- Available Shapes: N/A
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 14k rose gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, platinum
Buck tradition with this half-bezel, half-prong cluster setting from Bario Neal. Featuring delicate opal, white sapphire and diamond, this unconventional design is hand-made and created with fair-mined and reclaimed metals. Seth Maynard, the brand’s Brooklyn showroom manager, notes the popularity of side stones in ring designs, saying that people see it as a way to customize an otherwise traditional design. Inclusive sizing ranges from 2 to 16, with metal options including 14k and 18k gold and platinum. The brand’s sustainability commitments also include using responsibly mined, recycled and lab-created gemstones, and working towards carbon neutrality and traceable supply chain.
- Cut: good to super ideal
- Clarity: salt and pepper to flawless (FL)
- Carats: up to 13
- Source: natural, lab, recycled
- Available Shapes: Asscher radiator
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, 18k rose gold, platinum
Frank Darling’s Radiator Engagement Ring brings the glam factor. Low-set and chunky with dramatic ridges, it does not, the brand says, “share the spotlight” well with other rings. The showstopper of a setting features a floating diamond, allowing light to shine through the bottom. Frank Darling works with recycled metals, carbon-neutral lab diamonds and conflict-free stones that are GIA certified. Should you wish to customize your ring, you can do anything from slight modifications to total design overhaul, sans design fee.
- Cut: super ideal, ideal, very good, good, fair per the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading scale
- Clarity: Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2), Slightly Included (SI1, SI2)
- Carats: Up to 3
- Source: natural, lab, recycled
- Available Shapes: round, oval, cushion, pear, princess, emerald, Asscher, radiant
- Band Metal: 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, 14k rose gold, platinum
If you dream of living the life of Jay Gatsby, this Art-Deco inspired stunner will fit right in. Jostock notes that this design has hand engraving around the bezel setting, with milgrain (tiny dots) circling the band of trillion diamonds. Brilliant Earth sources its diamonds in accordance with the brand’s Beyond Conflict Free creed, meaning all its natural diamonds come from sources that follow internationally recognized labor, trade and environmental standards. It also uses recycled metals sourced from refineries rated by the Responsible Mining Initiative and London Bullion Market Association.
- Cut: excellent and above
- Clarity: Information available upon request
- Carats: 0.5 to 9
- Source: lab
- Available Shapes: round, oval, emerald, pear, radiant, cushion, marquise, trillion, Asscher, princess
Vrai’s signature bezel ring is available in 10 different shapes, from the popular emerald to the exquisite trillion. Set in the brand’s knife-edge bezel, this design was made to maximize a diamond’s brilliance. The stone is set in a low-sitting sling, which allows more light to hit the stone. The ring will sit flush with a wedding band, and there is a pavé option. Vrai creates its own diamonds in a foundry in the Pacific Northwest, where it converts greenhouse gases into gemstones. Even Leonard DiCaprio approves—the actor is an investor in the venture.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: 0.11 (diamond), 1.7 (tourmaline)
- Source: natural
- Available Shapes: cushion
- Band Metal: 18k gold
You can’t go wrong with a piece from sculptor-turned-jeweler David Yurman’s eponymous collection. The Chatelaine line is a collaboration between the designer and his wife, featuring chromatic gemstones in the iconic cushion cut with hand-set pavé diamonds. The 18k gold setting holds a hefty pink tourmaline stone for a personal pop of color.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: information available upon request
- Source: natural
- Available Shapes: heart, round
- Band Metal: 18k yellow gold and platinum
Designer Anthony Lent travelled to Europe to learn goldsmithing techniques, and it’s no wonder that a touch of the continent has made it into his designs. Reminiscent of the architectural details of Paris, this romantic ring features a heart-shaped diamond set in platinum, cradled by hands made from 18k gold. Brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the wrists and hands. Each piece is made in New York City.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: information available upon request
- Source: natural
- Available Shapes: emerald
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold
Jennie Kwon, a violinist-turned-lawyer-turned-jewelry designer creates designs as eclectic as her own path to jewelry. Here, an east-west emerald-cut sapphire flanked by two diamonds, set in a 14k gold band. It’s classic romance at its unconventional finest.
- Cut: Super ideal, ideal, very good, good, fair per the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading scale
- Clarity: Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1, VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2), Slightly Included (SI1, SI2)
- Carats: 0.3 to 2
- Source: natural, lab, recycled
- Available Shapes: round, oval, cushion, pear, princess, emerald, Asscher, radiant
- Band Metal: 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, 14k rose gold, platinum
Jostock shares that the emerald shape is a trending gemstone cut. It works well in the Brilliant Earth Blair ring, which features the dainty milgrain detail on the edges of the band. If you’re not an emerald fan, you can choose from a bevy of other cuts and metals to create your perfect setting. Though the bezel setting is deep, note that it is hallow, which will keep the ring light.
- Cut: fancy to ideal
- Clarity: slightly included (SI2) to internally flawless (IF)
- Carats: 0.45 to 2
- Source: lab
- Available Shapes: round
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 14k rose gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, platinum
This chunky statement ring comes in several gold and platinum options, with a weight of up to 2 carats in a round cut. Clean Origin was co-founded by a third-generation diamond jeweler, who made a commitment to use exclusively lab diamonds in the collection. All the brand’s gemstones are GIA certified, and it provides a 100-day, no-questions-asked return policy.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: custom
- Source: natural
- Available Shapes: emerald
- Band Metal: yellow gold, rose gold, platinum
This trinity bezel ring delivers maximum glamor, expertly marrying Art Deco decadence with modern curves. According to the brand, it’s “for the modern bride with an appreciation for timeless elegance.” The emerald-cut center stone is flanked by trapezoid side diamonds. Ring Concierge creates its designs in NYC using recycled metals and GIA-certified stones.
- Cut: good to super ideal
- Clarity: Very Slightly Included (VS1) to Included (I1)
- Carats: up to 6
- Source: lab, natural
- Available Shapes: emerald, oval, marquise, pear
- Band Metal: 14 white gold, 14k yellow gold, 14k rose gold, 18k white gold, 18 yellow gold, platinum
Turn the bezel setting on its head (or almost) with a tapered east-west setting. Available in emerald, oval, marquise and pear cuts, this design offers a new perspective on a traditional look. The brand offers both natural and lab diamonds vetted via the Kimberley process.
- Cut: good to super ideal
- Clarity: salt and pepper to flawless (FL)
- Carats: up to 13
- Source: natural, lab, recycled, moissanite
- Available Shapes: pear
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, 18k rose gold, platinum
Those who love the pear cut will appreciate this three-stone bezel from Frank Darling. Choose from natural, lab and recycled diamonds, as well as moissanite. The setting can be made with a variety of different gold or platinum and will stack flush with a wedding band. The brand also offers lifetime care, which includes free resizing, prong tightening, cleaning and polishing.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: SI1 and above
- Carats: 1.04
- Source: lab, natural
- Available Shapes: round cut
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 14k rose gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, platinum
Bario Neal’s halo ring is an update on a classic design. The setting features a total of one carat of diamonds, which can be lab or natural. When incorporating natural diamonds, the brand prioritizes responsibly sourced gemstones, sometimes buying directly from cooperatives and individuals. It also works with suppliers that help fund environmental restoration efforts. All the jewelry is handmade, giving each piece a unique and varied design.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: 0.17 (diamond), gemstone varies
- Source: natural
- Available Gemstones: Faceted amethyst, black onyx, lavender amethyst with hematine, prasiolite, morganite, blue topaz, white topaz, citrine
- Band Metal: sterling silver
With a plethora of gemstones to choose from and a braided rope band, the David Yurman Albion ring is a fun, colorful and untraditional pick. The design features a bezel-set, cushion-cut gemstone and 0.17 carat diamond pavé nestled on a sterling silver setting.
- Cut: fancy to ideal
- Clarity: slightly included (SI2) to internally flawless (IF)
- Carats: 0.45 to 5.5
- Source: lab
- Available Shapes: oval, cushion, emerald, marquise, pear, princess, round, Asscher
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 14k rose gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, platinum
For those who want a sweet and simple bezel setting, Clean Origin’s Madeline Ring delivers. It’s compatible with eight diamond shapes, including emerald, princess and the famous Asscher cut. You can dream big, too, because diamonds are available at up to 5.5 carats. To create this solitaire setting, the brand exclusively uses lab diamonds, which are GIA certified.
- Cut: information available upon request
- Clarity: information available upon request
- Carats: information available upon request
- Source: natural
- Available Shapes: pear
- Band Metal: 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, 14k rose gold, 18k white gold, platinum
Don’t be afraid to get unconventional with this Bario Neal emerald pear-cut ring. The handmade setting features a partial bezel and a solitary emerald stone, measuring 7x5mm. The options for the band include yellow, rose and white gold, in addition to platinum.
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Marissa Wu is a PureWow Associate Editor with a focus on SEO. She covers everything from fashion and home trends to travel, beauty, wellness, family and food. Her work has also appeared in Southern Living, Martha Stewart and Forbes Vetted.
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