How to Give a 3-Stone Diamond Ring Special Meaning in 2024

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minute/s reading time

April 21

The three stones in a 3 stone diamond ring represent a couple's past, present, and future together. The center stone is the largest and represents the present, while the side stones are the past and future.

Some people choose three-stone rings because that is their preferred style, as evident from the client inquiry below. That is the inspiration for this 3-stone diamond ring buyer's guide.

There are essential characteristics to look for when buying three-stone diamond rings. The diamonds' proportions and the degree of optical precision are crucial factors because they dictate the light performance.

3-Stone Diamond Ring by Blue Nile with Pear Shaped Center and Half Moon Accents.

3-Stone Diamond Ring from Blue Nile.

3 Stone Diamond Ring Questions:

"I'm looking for a three-stone diamond ring, but I don't know which ring style to choose. I found your blog post about how to create the look of Kat Dennings' three-stone engagement ring and am taking you up on your offer for advice."

"I don't want to ask my girlfriend which ring style she prefers because I'm trying to surprise her. We've been together for more than three years, so it's not like my proposal will come as a surprise."

"But I want to create that special moment and catch my princess completely off guard. She's been dropping hints like crazy and leaving bridal magazines all over the house. Thankfully, she dog-ears all the pages, so it's easy to see which ones she likes!"

Continued...

"Most of the rings she likes are three stone rings. Some of them have pear shape accents, and others contain tapered baguettes. There are also some with oval and trapezoid shape accents."

"Which ring style should I choose? I'm also unsure which diamond shape she prefers because the dog-eared pages include round, cushion, pear-shaped, and oval-shaped diamonds."

"Please make some recommendations for a center stone that will keep me around ±14K. It would also be helpful if you could recommend a clarity and color combination that provides good value."

Oval Diamond Three Stone Ring by James Allen.

Oval Diamond 3-Stone Ring by James Allen.

Three Stone Ring with Pear Shape accents:

I've got to admit that I'm partial to the Summer 3-stone setting by Brian Gavin. First, I like the way that pear shape diamonds look alongside a round diamond.

Second, both shapes have round outlines, which creates a smooth transition between the two diamond shapes. The natural taper of this ring style also has a slimming effect upon the finger.

Most three stone ring styles look bulky and awkward, but the design of this ring flows perfectly. The lines of the setting are sleek, smooth, and sexy, like a Porsche GT3 RS.

Summer Round and Pear-Shaped Three Stone Diamond Ring by Brian Gavin.

Summer Three Stone Setting by Brian Gavin.

I've seen this ring in person and like the way it feels and looks on the finger. The ring features an open basket-style design and two pear shape diamonds weighing about 0.40 carats total weight.

Brian Gavin will match the pear shapes up for you. They'll be VS in clarity and F-G in color with a visually appealing outline. Consequently, Brian Gavin is one of the few people who pick diamonds the same way I do.

3 Stone Diamond Ring with Baguette Accents:

All right, I'm going to admit that I'm partial to 3-stone diamond rings with pear shape accents. In other words, I prefer pear shape accents to tapered baguettes, but it's not my ring.

I do think that the pear shape diamonds flow better with a round brilliant cut center stone. If you think your fiancé prefers a baguette three-stone ring, then I'd go with the Sasha setting by Sholdt.

The tapered baguette shape accent stones create a nice slimming look upon the finger. However, you can see from this picture that the transition between the two shapes is not uniform like the pear shapes.

Sholdt Sasha Tapered Baguette 3-Stone Ring from Brian Gavin.

Sholdt Sasha 3-Stone Ring from Brian Gavin.

I'm more likely to select this ring style for pear-shaped center stones than round brilliant-cut diamonds. That is a matter of personal preference, and people find different ring styles appealing.

You're lucky because she seems to like several different styles of three stone rings. In that case, you can't go wrong if you choose one that is in that wheelhouse. By chance, are any of those dog-eared magazine pages more worn than others?

3 Stone Diamond Ring Center Stones:

While it's essential to pick just the right ring style, choosing the right diamond is also critical to your success. This 1.324 carat, H-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature diamond is a great choice!

First, the superior sparkle factor is evident in this photograph. Second, the hearts photograph on the diamond details page confirms the higher degree of optical precision.

That is the consistency of facet shape, size, and alignment from the perspective of 360-degrees. Consequently, it does not factor into the overall cut grade on the diamond grading report.

Brian Gavin Signature Super Ideal Cut Diamond.

Brian Gavin Signature Diamonds.

Third, the overall cut grade is AGS Ideal-0 on the Light Performance grading platform. The Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool (ASET) map on the lab report shows how evenly this diamond reflects the light.

Best Proportions for Light Performance:

You want all the stones to look fantastic when you build a three-stone diamond ring. In that case, the cut quality of the accent diamonds needs to be comparable with the center stone.

That's a challenge because most manufacturers use standard quality melee for accent stones. However, Brian Gavin uses melee that rivals the performance of larger Brian Gavin Signature diamonds.

Take the center stone suggestion given above. The 40.8 degree pavilion angle will produce a high volume of light return in terms of the proportions.

Brian Gavin Three Stone Setting with Super Ideal Cut Round Diamonds.

Custom 3-Stone Diamond ring by Brian Gavin.

At the same time, the 34.8 degree crown angle creates a virtual balance of brilliance and dispersion.

The combination of the 76% lower girdle facets and optical precision will also produce broad-spectrum sparkle. Here's what that means in English:

"The future's so bright; you're going to need shades!" Be sure to buy a new pair of sunglasses!

Fancy Shaped Diamond 3-Stone Rings:

The modern round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular shape of all time. One reason is that the symmetrical facet structure reflects light more evenly than fancy shape diamonds.

It also makes it easier to optimize the round brilliant for light performance by adhering to specific proportions. Follow the guidelines in our one-minute diamond buying guide, and you'll knock it out of the park.

Consequently, Brian Gavin is the only diamond cutter with a patent for maximizing the light performance of the modern round brilliant cut diamond.

James Allen Oval Three Stone Diamond Ring with Marquise Shape Accents.

James Allen Three Stone Diamond Rings.

In our experience, the performance of Brian Gavin Signature diamonds is exceptional in all forms:

Traditional Versions of Fancy Shape Diamonds:

All of the Black by Brian Gavin and Signature diamonds reflect his passion for improving diamond design and performance. First, you'll see that the facet pattern is different from traditional versions of fancy shape diamonds.

Second, you'll notice that the proportions are more precise, and his production reflects a higher degree of optical precision. Brian Gavin Diamonds look brighter and sparkle more than their traditional counterparts.

The only downside is that it takes up to 4X longer to achieve a higher degree of optical precision. In that case, super ideal cut diamonds cost more than standard production.

Brilliant Earth Radiance Diamond Engagement Ring.

Radiance Diamond Ring by Brilliant Earth.

It's a little-known fact that overall cut quality can influence diamond prices by up to sixty percent. Most people also don't realize that optical precision dictates sparkle factor.

Where to Buy Fancy Shape Diamonds:

Be sure to read the diamond buying guides we offer for fancy shapes.

P.S. I sent you a special subscriber-only Brian Gavin Diamonds Coupon Code via email. It will save you some money on the setting, but it will not affect the diamond price.

Every little bit helps, right? Send me a request via my free
Diamond Concierge Service if you're reading this post and want to know if any coupon codes are available.

P.S.S. Looking for more ring-spiration? Be sure to follow @NiceIceDiamonds on
Instagram!

About the Author

Dive deep into the glittering world of diamonds with Todd Gray, the CEO of Gray Matter Development, LLC. Todd has 35+ years of experience as a diamond buyer and trade consultant. He ghostwrites content for several online vendors and is an avid Freediver, currently exploring the Cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico. Dive into brilliance with Todd Gray!