I have a very clear opinion on east-west settings: I love them, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere. They’ve been part of our design language at Serpentine from the beginning and it has influenced many of our bespoke and ready-to-wear pieces throughout the years.

And if you feel like you’re seeing stones turned 90 degrees everywhere, you are! They’re especially popular in engagement rings right now, but turning a stone sideways is far from a new idea. You see some particularly great examples in Art Deco jewelry of the 1920s and ’30s, when elongated stones became part of the actual architecture of a jewel. Baguettes and emerald cuts were laid horizontally to create those long, clean lines across rings and bracelets, while a marquise and other elongated stones were turned in different directions to build geometric patterns.

The East-West Effect

Turning a stone sideways may sound like a small design decision, but it completely changes the silhouette of a piece. Instead of drawing the eye vertically, an east-west setting creates width, emphasizing the span of the stone and giving it a much bigger presence across the finger, wrist, or neckline.

I especially love what it does to different cuts. Emerald cuts become these long, clean lines of step-cut facets; ovals and elongated cushions feel broader and give you incredible finger coverage; and marquises may be my favorite -the points create this beautiful horizontal line that really shows off the shape.

That versatility is exactly why east-west settings have such a place in both our ready-to-wear collection and bespoke designs.

Not Every Stone Should Go East-West

I love an east-west setting, but I wouldn’t automatically turn every elongated diamond sideways.

Some stones become incredibly elegant horizontally, while others lose what made their shape special in the first place. I’m looking at the length-to-width ratio, how the stone faces up, how much width it creates across the finger, and whether the setting complements rather than fights the cut.

This is particularly important with engagement rings. An east-west setting should feel intentional from every angle, not like someone simply rotated a traditional solitaire.

So, Timeless or Trend?

Timeless, and we’re firmly on team east-west! East-west is certainly having a resurgence, but it has far too much jewelry history behind it to call it a trend.

At Serpentine, we use east-west settings across just about every category: diamond rings and bands, colored gemstone pieces, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, you name it. We’ve turned emerald cuts, marquises, ovals, cushions, sapphires, emeralds, and more on their sides because each stone takes on a new personality when you change the orientation.

Consider us permanently in favor of a 90-degree turn!