Ultra Thin Bands: Chic and Dangerous

Right now a dangerous trend is putting many diamond buys at risk: ultra-thin rings and minuscule settings that are not strong enough to hold their diamond. 

And it makes sense, really, because that lack of metal helps the diamond pop, especially for smaller stones. However US consumers are buying larger and larger carat sizes, and there is simply a band size that is too small to support anything, let alone a stone more than a carat large.  

Specifically popular these days are 1-1.5mm bands with minimalist, skinny, three or four-pronged solitaire settings. These rings are certainly eye-catching and allow an almost completely unobstructed view of the stone, but the structural dearth comes at a serious sacrifice of security from damage or loss. This is especially true with large carat stones, now more available than ever because lab-grown diamonds allow, more potential diamond owners, carat sizes that only recently were exclusively available as enormously expensive mined stones.

There is simply no structural integrity left when you pair a 1mm or even 1.3mm band with a minimalist solitaire setting holding a large stone. The band will bend or even break with only minimal usage, perhaps even causing the diamond to loosen and fall out. That's really the last thing you want to happen when you forgot to take off your ring to work out, do the dishes, or dig around in the garden. 

Because almost everybody does that eventually. 

And let's not forget that over time some of the metal on the band will be lost to the natural erosion from wearing it. 

Now you may say, “But this isn’t my forever ring, it's just my starter ring, I’ll change it later.” However you will still want that diamond to be present for the next resetting, right? Bit of a key player, that stone. 

Just saying. 

The very greatest fear of everyone who has a diamond ring is that their forever stone will fall out and be lost…forever. Why set yourself up for that? 

Yet there are a number of options our experts at Michael Gabriels can offer consumers who want a thin ring. 

First, the thinnest ring we will make is 1.6 mm, but we really recommend you go with 1.8-2mm, which can take practically any stone size. 1.6 still has some structural integrity, but you should probably use a more sturdy setting and a smaller diamond, and not wear it in any active circumstances. The truth is that it's hard to tell the difference between 1.6 and 1.8, but those extra two-tenths of a millimeter make a big difference. 

If you are dead set on that thin-looking band, why not opt for a smaller but higher quality stone, or more than one of the highest quality. After all, thin bands make smaller diamonds pop. 

You can add a lot of structural support by adding height for structural integrity, especially where the setting is. Band styles such as Knife Edge will add height to your band instead of width. 

A twisted or two or three-tone braided band is also a way to add subtle structural integrity to your band. While they are normally thicker than 1.8 mm, they look very thin and will make your diamond seem larger.

You can also decrease the setting height and add depth to the prongs to increase their integrity. Or use a setting that has more integrity built into it such as cathedral, trellis, or bezel. The extra structure of the cathedral and trellis styles will give more grab to your setting, while the full wrap of a bezel setting will secure your diamond the best. You may still have trouble with a thin band, but with these settings, you can be more secure in your diamond’s safety. 

You can opt for a more intricate and customized, perhaps multi-stone setting, which is specifically designed at Michael Gabriels to allow for a minimalist band. Our experts look forward to meeting your needs. 

You can also just scale up and go for double or more. Two and three-band rings are popular and becoming more trendy as engagement rings. With two bands, you can set an enormous stone between them with much less stress over its security. 

Please feel free to inquire with any of the Michael Gabriels experts on how we can help you achieve a thin banded ring that can still last forever.