Solitaire engagement rings, the single diamond done right, in South Africa.

Why a solitaire shows a diamond better than any other ring

A solitaire is the setting that gets out of the diamond’s way. With no halo, no side stones and no pavé to add borrowed sparkle, the centre stone stands completely alone, so what you see is the diamond itself, not a clever arrangement of small stones around it. That honesty is the whole appeal. A solitaire reads as exactly what it is, it is the most classic engagement look there is, and because it relies on nothing but the stone, it never dates the way a fashionable setting can. It is the ring most often pictured when someone imagines a diamond engagement ring at all.

That same honesty is also a test. Because the stone is exposed on every side, a solitaire rewards a well-cut diamond and exposes a poorly cut one. There is nowhere for a flat, light-leaking stone to hide. This is precisely why a solitaire belongs with a cutting house rather than a retail counter: the part of the ring that carries it, the diamond and its cut, is the part we make ourselves. Prodiam buys rough at De Beers DBCM viewings and South African tender houses and polishes the centre stone in-house at Procut DCW to GIA Excellent cut grade, so the brightest thing on the hand is the thing we control, not a stone bought in and marked up.

Cut is the grade to protect first in a solitaire

Of the four Cs, cut is the one that governs how alive a diamond looks, how much light it returns to the eye as brilliance and fire, and in a solitaire it matters more than in any other setting. A halo can lend a modest centre extra sparkle from its frame; a solitaire cannot. The single stone has to do all the work, so a precisely cut diamond is worth protecting in the budget before chasing the top colour or clarity grade. A well-cut stone one colour grade down will out-sparkle a sleepier stone a grade up, every time.

For a round brilliant this is measurable: the round is the only shape GIA assigns an overall cut grade to, and that scale tops out at Excellent, awarded when the proportions, polish and symmetry sit in the range that returns the most light. We polish our rounds to that grade in-house. For the fancy shapes, GIA grades polish and symmetry but not overall cut, so the judgement sits with the cutter, which is where having a working bench, rather than a buying desk, earns its place. You can read more on why cut is the grade that matters most, and every stone we set as a solitaire comes with its GIA certificate so you can verify the grade yourself before you commit.

Solitaire settings, from four-prong to tension

Solitaire describes the single stone; the setting is how that stone is held. Each style changes how much of the diamond shows, how protected it is, and how the ring sits on the hand. We build all of them to order on our own Bedfordview bench.

• Four-prong, four slim claws holding the stone with the least metal in the way, so more of the diamond shows and light enters from every side. The cleanest, most open classic look, and the one that suits fancy shapes especially well.
• Six-prong, six claws for a fraction more security and a rounded, balanced head, the traditional choice for a round brilliant. The extra claws hold a larger stone reassuringly.
• Bezel, a thin rim of metal wrapped around the girdle of the stone, the most protective and most modern solitaire. It guards the edges of the diamond and snags on nothing, which suits an active hand or daily wear.
• Cathedral, the centre stone lifted on graceful metal arches that sweep up from the band, adding height and presence while keeping the single-stone simplicity.
• Tension, the diamond held by the spring pressure of the band so it appears to float, the most contemporary look, engineered and finished with particular care because the metal does the holding.

A solitaire can also carry a plain, knife-edge or slightly tapered band, or a band with a hidden touch like a flush-set diamond on the inner shank, without ever becoming a different style of ring. The stone stays the star.

Solitaire works with any diamond shape

Because a solitaire is a setting style and not a diamond shape, you can set any cut on its own. A round brilliant solitaire is the timeless default, the brightest shape in the purest setting. An oval or a cushion solitaire faces up a little larger for its carat and softens the classic outline. An emerald-cut solitaire reads architectural and calm, its long, clean facets best shown with nothing around them. A princess, pear or marquise solitaire each carries its own character, and a single-stone setting lets that character speak without competition.

The shape is the first decision, because it sets the personality of the ring; the solitaire setting then lets that shape be seen at its clearest. Compare the outlines on our guide to every diamond shape before you choose, or start from a particular cut: a round brilliant engagement ring is the most-requested place to begin.

Choosing the centre stone: the 4Cs in a single-stone ring

Because a solitaire spends almost its entire budget on one stone, the grade of that stone is everything, there are no accent diamonds to soften a compromise. Many clients put cut and carat first and accept a near-colourless colour that faces up white and an eye-clean clarity where inclusions do not show to the naked eye. White gold and platinum heads suit a colourless or near-colourless stone and read cool and bright; yellow or rose gold suits a warmer look and can flatter a faint tint. We talk you through the trade-offs against your budget in the brief, and quote a firm figure before any work begins. The 4Cs explained sets out the order of trade-offs in full.

How a solitaire is priced

There is no single solitaire price, because the ring is built around one diamond and a diamond’s value is set by four grades, not one. Carat is only the multiplier; cut, colour and clarity move the figure far more. The trade prices every polished stone against the Rapaport list, an international wholesale benchmark quoted in US dollars per carat, then trades at a discount to that list for the exact make, converts it to rands at the rate of the day, and adds 15% VAT. The per-carat price also steps up at the popular weight thresholds, 0.50 ct, 0.70 ct, 0.90 ct, 1.00 ct and above, because rough large enough to yield those weights is scarcer and the round numbers are the most sought-after, so a stone just under a threshold can be quietly excellent value.

A solitaire concentrates the budget more than any other ring, almost all of it sits in the centre stone, so where that stone is bought makes the biggest difference to what you pay. Because Prodiam cuts in-house, the importer-and-wholesaler markup is simply not in your price; you pay at a wholesale-direct, Rapaport-referenced level for the same GIA-certified specification. That is the heart of buying direct rather than from a retail jeweller. The only honest number is one quoted for your exact stone, so we show live ZAR prices on the diamond search, then quote your chosen ring firm in writing, excl. VAT, before any work begins.

How a solitaire is made to order

1. 01

   Brief

   The centre-stone shape and carat, the colour and clarity range, the head style, the metal, the finger size, your budget and your deadline. We respond within 24 hours.

2. 02

   Choose the stone

   We present GIA-certified diamonds, rounds cut to Excellent and fancy shapes cut for maximum life, on the daylight tray or by video, each with its report, and quote a firm ZAR figure.

3. 03

   Build & cast

   The head and band are built and cast in your chosen metal, engineered around the exact stone so it sits true and secure.

4. 04

   Set & finish

   The diamond is set into the head, the ring hand-polished to a mirror finish, and checked under loupe and microscope.

5. 05

   Hand-over

   Presentation at Bedfordview by appointment, or insured overnight courier nationwide. Certification and a written valuation included.

Prefer a frame around the stone? Compare a halo engagement ring, which rings the centre with pavé to make it read larger, or set your solitaire in our most-requested metal with a white gold engagement ring. For the full bespoke route, the custom engagement process walks through every step. When you are ready, brief us and Darren will come back within 24 hours.

Solitaire engagement rings: common questions

Last reviewed: June 2026.