Solitaire Engagement Rings in Solid 9ct, 14ct & 18ct Gold

What a Solitaire Engagement Ring Actually Is

A solitaire is a single diamond held on a plain band, with no side stones, halo or pavé. “Solitaire” describes the setting, not the shape of the stone — a solitaire can be round, oval, emerald, cushion, princess or pear. Because there is nothing else on the ring to fund, a solitaire puts more carat weight on the finger per pound spent than any other setting, which is why it has remained the default engagement ring for over a century.

The second reason it endures is practical. A plain band takes daily contact against keys, handles and keyboards without exposing accent stones to it, and it resizes easily because there is unset gold at the back. Rings that are worn every day for forty years tend to be simple ones.

Choosing the Stone: Round or Oval

Round brilliant returns more light than any other cut and is the classic solitaire stone. Oval is the fastest-growing alternative for a reason: at the same carat weight it presents a visibly larger face and its elongated outline lengthens the finger. A 1 carat round measures about 6.4mm across; a 1 carat oval reads noticeably bigger from above.

Emerald suits a solitaire well because there is nothing competing with its long, mirror-like flashes — but it shows clarity openly, so it needs a cleaner stone. Princess and cushion both cost less per carat than round.

Which Wedding Band Goes With a Solitaire?

This is the question most people ask after buying, and it is worth answering before. A solitaire with a low setting sits flush against a flat wedding band, so a plain court or D-shape band in the same metal fits cleanly with no gap. A high or cathedral setting lifts the stone and leaves a visible gap at the base — the usual solutions are a shaped or contoured band that curves around the setting, or a thin plain band worn with the gap accepted as part of the look.

Match the metal purity as well as the colour: a 9ct band worn constantly against an 18ct ring will wear the softer 18ct faster, because the harder alloy abrades the softer one. Our diamond eternity rings work as diamond-set wedding bands — choose half eternity rather than full if you want it resizable later.

What a Solitaire Costs

A 1 carat lab grown solitaire starts from around £1,100 in 9ct gold, £1,360 in 14ct and £1,575 in 18ct. At 1.5 carat the range starts near £1,400 and at 2 carat near £1,790. A mined diamond of comparable colour and clarity typically costs three to five times more — see lab grown diamond engagement rings for the full comparison, including the honest caveat on resale value.

The old “three months’ salary” rule was an advertising line written in the 1930s, not a standard. There is no correct amount.

A Note on Platinum

We work in solid gold rather than platinum, and we would rather say so plainly than let you find out at checkout. Platinum is denser, whiter without rhodium plating, and holds claws exceptionally well — it is a genuinely excellent metal for a solitaire. It is also considerably more expensive and, being softer than 9ct gold, scuffs into a patina rather than staying polished. If white is the look you want, 9ct or 18ct white gold gives the same cool tone at a lower price; it is rhodium plated and benefits from replating every few years.

Solitaire Engagement Ring Questions, Answered