Cathedral Solitaire Diamond Engagement Ring in 14K White Gold | 1.00 ct

A cathedral shank borrows its name from architecture, and the borrowing is accurate. Two arms rise out of the band and meet the setting from either side, carrying load out to the shoulders the way an arch does. A head soldered onto a plain band is one joint under stress; a cathedral head is braced by the ring itself.

The height that comes with it is the point. Lifting a 1.00 carat round clear of the finger lets light enter through the pavilion from below instead of stopping at skin, and a round brilliant is built to use light arriving from underneath. Four prongs hold the stone with almost nothing else in the sightline.

Nothing is set on the band. Every dollar in this ring is in one diamond, graded I to J in color and I1 to I2 in clarity, which is where the weight came from. It is a straightforward trade and a common one: diameter you can read across a table, in place of grades read under magnification.

Sizes run 3 through 9. A solitaire scales down better than anything else, since a wide stone-set band eats a small hand while a single stone stays in proportion. Solid 14K white gold, with the DEEVE lifetime warranty.