Antique Frame Halos — Ten Vintage-Inspired Halo Ring Designs

One of our favorite halo styles uses elegant curves and points to create a beautiful design around the center stone. These vintage-inspired halos have been around forever, and they can be designed so many different ways. And yet, we couldn't find a standard name for this style of halo. To us, these ornate, sparkly curves look a bit like the elegant designs of antique picture frames — and so, we've decided to call these antique frame halos.

Like the perfect frame, these halos are subtle enough to allow the center stone to shine and showy enough to enhance the whole setting. Perfect for those who love vintage rings. Have a look at ten of our recent favorites in this style!

1

The classic antique frame halo! A shimmering, ethereal moonstone sits in the middle with curves of diamond opening like petals around it. Using a larger stone at each point in the framing halo helps accentuate the curves, which we echoed in the taper and graduated gem settings of the band.

2

For this ring's design, the same curves take on a much more square shape around a cushion cut center stone. Instead of fully covering them with diamonds like a typical halo, we use a small handful of gems to accentuate the curves and points of the frame. We added milgrain on all of the edges, and patterns of bead detailing combine with the ring's prongs to create a beautiful pattern around the center stone. The overall effect gives the feel of an antique, even though the ring is newly designed and created.

3

Here's a much less common look inspired by the curves of the antique frame halo. A scalloped inner halo and antique frame outer halo both float around each other and the ring's round center stone. The open space creates a lightness that's unusual for such a bold setting, and the scale of the setting and its small outer curves and points reminds us of a snowflake. Our favorite detail is our designer's choice to have the outer halo not perfectly symmetrically aligned with the band. It's a perfect little unexpected touch to keep the eye interested and exploring the design.

4

This ring's design exaggerates the curves and points of an antique frame halo to create a much more geometric look. We then highlighted these semi-circle and diamond shapes with a mix of aquamarine and diamond accents in an homage to Art Deco design. The concept would have worked with many gem shapes, but wrapping it all around a pear cut center stone gives it an even more interesting geometric contrast.

5

It would be hard to make a ring that's more of a design tribute to days gone by. Start with an antique center stone in this gorgeous rose cut diamond, and then surround it with delicate curls of white gold and diamond accents. Like a few of the other designs on this page, the halo uses a smaller number of diamonds and a lot more intricate metalwork. The balance in this design allows the large center stone to be the star, keeping the swirls of filigree smaller around it.

6

Can you believe it took us until #6 to arrive at the classic pairing of emerald and gold? It was worth the wait. There's a reason this combination is timeless and beloved. This ring's halo is more intricate than the basic petals of a classic antique frame halo. We brought in milgrain bead details and a series of points in the elongated shape of the frame, adding movement around the soft oval curve of the emerald. Just a few diamonds are all that's needed to highlight the halo's shape and help transition to the tapered, pavé band.

7

You could argue that this is much more of a scalloped halo, but our artist's choice to extend the marquise shape into finial-like points at the top and bottom gives this one the feel of an antique frame. There's milgrain and 8 slightly exaggerated bead prongs playing off the curving semi-circles of the scallops, and the smaller diamonds set in each curve allow the frame's design to stand out. It's all a perfect frame for the swirling blues and purples of a gorgeous opal center stone.

8

In this design, the scalloped curves of the framing halo float around the center emerald. The floral halo sparkles with diamonds and larger gems are set at four ends with prongs on the outside to create a pointed detail between the curves.

9

This ring stretches the classic curves and petal-like points of an antique frame halo into an elongated marquise shape. We created striking color contrast by blending white and yellow gold around the black diamond center stone. And texture contrasts add interest as well, with milgrain on the yellow gold interior, while the white gold outer edge is left smooth. Like the previous design, we left some open space around the center to make sure the bold setting wouldn't feel heavy.

10

Clearly we're taking some liberties by including this one — there aren't even any gems around this center stone! But we'd argue that the beautiful loops and curls of rose gold around this opal create a halo with the distinct appearance of an antique frame. It may not be a halo in the strictest sense of the word, but it serves a very similar purpose in framing and accentuating this ring's center setting.