Diamonds and Gemstones

Hidden Halo

The Hidden Halo command builds a small halo of stones set into a channel that sits underneath the center gem, hidden from a top view and only visible from the side or the profile, and, on top of it, the prongs that hold the center gem, so one command gives you the whole head. Select one or more diamonds or gemstones and the command generates a channel ring, the small stones set into it and the center prongs, all sized and positioned relative to each selected gem. Round and Princess center shapes are supported; Marquise, Triangle and Coffin gems are filtered out of the selection because the hidden halo cannot build a rail around them yet.

The command panel is organized in four tabs: the Channel tab, which shapes the ring that holds the small stones, the Channel 2 tab, which adds an optional second ring below it, the Gems tab, which controls the small stones and how they are set, and the Prongs tab, which holds the center gem.

Channel

Mode: Choose the ring shape independently of the center gem’s own outline — Circle, Square or Oval. Square and Oval remember their own X / Y size, so switching between shapes does not lose your settings.
X Length / Y Length (Square and Oval only): The extents of the ring in millimeters.
Metal profile: Pick the channel’s cross-section from your profile assets using the preview selector.
Width and Height: The dimensions of the channel cross-section.
Distance to gem: How far the channel sits from the center gem.
Z position: How far below the girdle the channel sits. Positive values lower the halo, negative values raise it towards the girdle. New halos open at 4.70 mm.
Rotation: Rotates the channel’s cross-section — 90° is the “hidden halo” orientation, tilting the section and every small-stone plane so the stones face outward instead of up, which is what keeps them out of sight from the top.
Smooth Edges: A slider that rounds the channel’s corners.

Channel 2

A second hidden halo under the first one: a double row of small stones seen from the side. It is off by default; turn on Enable to build it. It opens one channel height below the first, with the first channel’s values, so the two rings stack straight away.

Width, Height, Distance to gem, Z position, Rotation and Smooth Edges: The same controls as the first channel, for the second ring only. Use Z position to set the gap between the two rows.
Bright cut, Inner height / Inner width: The bright-cut facet and the inner opening of the second channel.

The second ring carries the same small stones and setting as the first (Gems tab) but no center prongs of its own: the prongs of the first ring run down past it, and any stone of the second ring they pass through is dropped too when Remove stones under the prongs is on.

Gems

Stone shape: The shape of the small stones set into the channel — Round or Princess.
Gem size: The diameter (or side, for Princess) of each small stone.
Min distance: The minimum gap kept between adjacent stones.
Vertical: Vertical offset of the stones inside the channel.
Bright cut: Width of the bright-cut facet cut around each stone.
Inner height / Inner width: Dimensions of the channel’s inner opening around the stones.
Force Even Number: Forces the stone count to an even number so the halo stays symmetric.
Remove stones under the prongs: Drops any small stone a center prong runs through and leaves its slot as solid channel, without groove, so the prong lands on metal. No shared prong is placed next to a dropped stone either.

Prong settings — choose how the stones are held, with three modes selectable by icon:

Channel (none): The stones sit directly in the channel with no additional prongs.
Prongs: Adds shared prongs between the stones — Gem inside, Prong height, Extension for manuf., Distance, an Automatic Prong Diameter toggle, and, when it is off, External Diameter / Internal Diameter to set the prong size by hand.
Scalloped: Cuts a scalloped bright-cut pattern between the stones instead of prongs. Toggle V-Cutters to switch the cutter shape, Boolean to carve the cutters directly out of the channel, and Remove Channel to strip the channel geometry. Configure the Cutters with Start/End Height and Width, Length, Move in Z, Move Middle in Z, a U Shape / V Shape selector and a Shape Scale slider; when V-Cutters is on, a matching set of V-Cutters parameters appears below.

Prongs

The prongs that hold the center gem, built the way the Basket builds them. New halos open with four prongs; pick the no prongs option in the selector for a halo alone.

Number of prongs: The selector at the top of the tab — three, four, five or six prongs placed around the gem, or none.
Mode: Circle for a round section, or Claw for a tip that bends over the gem.
Diameter and Bottom Diameter: The section of the prong at the top and at the bottom.
Height: The whole prong, from the tip to the bottom. Together with Over Girdle it fixes where the bottom lands: Height minus Over Girdle below the girdle. New halos open at 6 mm.
Gem Inside: How far the tip bites into the gem.
Over Girdle: How far the tip rises above the girdle.
Offset: The prong bottoms converge on the center of the gem; Offset is the radius they stop at. 0 brings them all to one point under the gem, larger values open them outward.
Rotation and Cap Bump (Circle mode): Rotate the section, and dome the tip.
Expansion Manufacturing: Extra length added to the tip in manufacturing mode, for the setter to cut.
Gem Inside and Height (Claw mode): Where the claw tip ends, with the Tip Direction and Smoothness sliders shaping the hook.

Style — three icons:

Straight: A straight prong from the tip to the bottom.
Bend: A curved prong.
Stepped: Straight down past the girdle, a jog towards the bottom position, and straight down again. Step sets how far under the girdle the jog begins and the Smoothness slider how long the bend is for its width, from a tight knee to a long S.

Post Support: None, Single or Double bars joining the prong bottoms under the gem, with their Width and Height.