Guinevere Puzzle Ring Style and Weave

Guinevere Puzzle Ring Style and Weave

What makes this ring a Guinevere? Each of the four band engagement puzzle rings we offer on our site (Athena, Avalon, Avon, Guinevere, Marquise) has the same puzzle ring for its foundation. Each one holding a stone of up to 0.72CT is a medium weight puzzle ring. Heavier weight rings hold heavier stones. What distinguishes each style is the setting that holds the center stone (please note that while other jewelers call the entire ring and head holding the stone “the setting,” we call the ring “the puzzle ring” and the head that holds the stone, “the setting.”) The Guinevere has a square, illusion setting holding the center stone. It’s called an illusion setting, because when it holds a diamond, it is hard to see where the diamond edges are, because both the diamond and the setting sparkle so much. This makes a diamond appear larger than it might otherwise. 

The Guinevere engagement puzzle ring has the lowest profile (thickness or depth), ranging from approximately 3.9mm to 4.95mm at top center, depending on the size of the stone. This makes it the lowest engagement ring in terms of how far above the finger it rises. 

The Guinevere puzzle ring can hold either of two stone shapes: a square or a round stone.

Plus, for women who prefer a ring with a very shallow profile, this ring is perfect! Nurses, teachers, moms with young ones, outdoorswomen, and athletes love this ring. If you don’t want to have to turn your diamond in towards your palm everytime you put a sweater on, then this is the ring for you.

Although we select all of our settings for their trouble-free nature, the Guinevere is a setting that has never even had a bent prong, let alone a more serious event. It is the epitome of strength and sturdiness in a diamond or gemstone setting.

An engagement puzzle ring in a Guinevere style is beautiful with an open, standard, or tight weave. The weave refers to how tightly or loosely the puzzle ring is woven. Each ring is individually woven by hand for the very stone it will bear. The width of an engagement puzzle ring will vary depending upon your stone size and shape and the weave that you choose. We will customize your puzzle ring exactly to your taste: the stone, the stone shape and size, the optional accent stones, the metal color or type, and the weave. Please read on to understand this style of puzzle ring and the weaves we offer. 

Open Weave Guinevere Puzzle Rings
Below is an open weave, half-carat, Swiss blue topaz Guinevere Royale puzzle ring with accent diamonds. The term “Royale”, which is pronounced roy-AL, with the accent on the second syllable, rather than royal, means that this ring has side stones; the accent side stones are five-point diamonds which tend to look right no matter the size of the center stone.

This four band puzzle ring has been hand woven with an open weave. Look at the center loops that stick out above and below the stone. You can see a teensy bit of air between the setting and the loops (visible only on the top loop, because of the angle of the photograph). That little bit of air between the stone setting on a Guinevere puzzle ring and the top and bottom center loops is what tells you this puzzle ring has an open weave.

Guinevere puzzle ring with square step-cut blue topaz and
accent diamonds.

We often pair an open weave puzzle ring with a shadow band, which is a handmade ring that is custom fit to the very puzzle ring with which it mates. The engagement puzzle ring shown below is paired with a handmade, Celtic knotwork shadow band.

Guinevere puzzle ring with 4mm rhodolite garnet in 14K yellow
gold with Celtic shadow wedding band.

We prefer to make shadow bands to go with rings with open weaves, because there is more shape there to hold the rings together on the hand. We will make your puzzle ring or bridal set with the stone(s) of your choice and the precious metal or metal combination of your choice.

For example, you may have this exact set with a colored gemstone or a diamond up to 0.72CT, in 14K yellow or rose gold, palladium, or platinum or a combination or colors or metals. Why not 14K white gold? We prefer that your rings match in color, and since white gold puzzle rings are not rhodium plated (like most white gold) to turn them bright white, we can’t rhodium plate your wedding band either, and all white gold that is unplated is not necessarily the exact same shade of white. 

Rhodolite garnet in a princess-cut on a four band Guinevere
puzzle ring with a Celtic wedding ring.

You can see how a shadow band fits perfectly with the puzzle ring all the way around. Each shadow band is made from a hand-carved wax; this wax is made to fit the puzzle ring, it’s every “nook and cranny.”

Please be aware that when you order a puzzle ring and a shadow band set, we prefer to deliver the puzzle ring first. This way, you can propose, find out if she loves her ring, and make sure it fits, before we pick it up to make the shadow band. We must retain the puzzle ring for the six to eight week duration of creating the shadow band, so that we can ensure the two rings fit together correctly. 

Under special circumstances, we may deliver both together, but in that case, we need to send a trial puzzle ring first, in order to make sure the ring size is correct. This doesn’t work so well if you are planning a surprise proposal.

In any case, please allow plenty of time for the creation of a puzzle ring/shadow band set: the minimum is 12 weeks for everyone’s comfort and mental health (and no nail biting), but we can sometimes deliver sooner. 

And here to show the low profile of this ring is a side view of this bridal set: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standard Weave Guinevere Puzzle Rings
Below is a Guinevere Royale (meaning it has side accent stones) with a standard weave. The center loops just show, and you can’t see air between them and the setting or head holding the diamond. Many prefer this ring with a wedding band that has a uniform width all the way around. This diamond ring, by the way, is holding a 0.70CT round brilliant diamond with 5-point accent sapphires. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four band puzzle ring with half carat princess cut blue diamond and Irish Celtic claddagh wedding ring.

Below is a one-half carat, princess-cut blue diamond Guinevere puzzle ring with a standard weave paired with a 4.2mm wide, Irish claddagh band. This ring has a uniform width all the way around. 

The standard weave is the most popular weave for this puzzle ring when our clients wish to order a Celtic wedding band or a posy ring.  Full disclosure: There will be a gap between the puzzle ring and the wedding band which is noticeable at the shoulder and on the sides of the shanks. I’ll illustrate this below.

Four band puzzle ring with half carat princess cut blue diamond
and Irish Celtic claddagh wedding ring.

An Illustration Using a Marquise Royale Style Bridal Set
Below is a very beautiful set that we sent to a client in Toronto. She was “Over The Moon” about her set, absolutely loves it, and sent a photograph shown below. 
We show this here, because in the interest of full disclosure, we want to show one aspect that most people don’t find to be an issue, but a few people do, so that can be one motivator for opting for a shadow band. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please see the image below. Notice a gap at the shoulders and sides of the engagement ring. 

Celtic engagement puzzle ring with sapphire center,
accent diamonds, and recessed eternal knot band.

 

This set is shown above to illustrate that the puzzle ring with a wedding band with a uniform width results in a more eclectic style. I wear this style of bridal set myself (Mandira), as I love the look of two rings selected to go together that may not have originally been made to go together. I let the center loop of my puzzle ring float under the wedding band at will, and then they can fit more tightly together. But then they may float apart.

Tight Weave Guinevere Puzzle Rings
Shown below is a Guinevere puzzle ring with a tight weave. You can barely see the tips of the center loops, and sometimes they don’t show at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The side view below gives you a good look at how a tightly woven puzzle ring differs from the standard weave and the open weave. 
This ring is often chosen when a client wishes to wear a wedding band with a uniform width, as shown below.

Amethyst tightly woven birthstone or engagement puzzle ring.

Here’s a look at a genuine Alexandrite Guinevere puzzle ring with a tight weave paired with a 4mm Celtic eternal knot band.  The Alexandrite shown is about 1/4 CT; we have great prices on Alexandrite (both genuine and lab-created), and we can make this ring with many larger sizes of stone. But the larger point is that we can make your ring with almost any stone you want!

Celtic bridal set with four band Guinevere puzzle ring with
genuine alexandrite and a recessed Celtic eternal knot wedding band.

Guinevere puzzle ring with larger stone and heavier weight
This 3/4CT princess cut diamond Guinevere puzzle ring is made with just-over-medium-weight stock. It’s just a little heavier than the medium weight, and it is strong enough to hold this heavier stone.