What is a Bypass Ring?

A Bypass Ring coils around the finger, with the ends of the band passing each other on top. In some designs, the ends are completed with pavé or channel set diamonds. Others have larger diamonds set on or between the ends — Diamond Council of America

It’s a style that has been around since at least the 1830s, but most of us have probably never noticed the elegant, yet twisted style wrapped around our friend’s finger until the last couple of years when the bypass ring became a growing trend.

Past Bypass Rings

The bypass ring became popular during the Victorian era. This style was given as an engagement ring, symbolizing two souls coming together as one. The popularity of the two different colored stones during that era also added to the symbolization of union and togetherness.

One of the most famous bypass rings dates back to the 1950s. John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier with a beautiful diamond and emerald bypass ring tapered with baguettes. The design by Van Cleef & Arpels is still replicated to this day. The ring can be seen in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston.

Present-day Styles

And while the bypass ring is still given as an engagement ring today, we’re seeing it become a fashion trend as well. The curves and twists of a bypass ring give it an elegant look, while still sleek and contemporary. You can have two stones that bypass each other, or a single stone intercepted by converging shanks. Choose from simple, contemporary, fancy and elaborate styles, as shown below.