The separability tensor element of a separable extension of noncommutative rings is an idempotent when viewed in the correct endomorphism ring; so one speaks of a separability idempotent, as one usually does for separable algebras. It is proven that this idempotent is full if and only the H-depth is one. Similarly, a split extension has a bimodule projection; this idempotent is full if and only if the ring extension has depth 1. The depth one Hopf algebroids are derived explicitly. If the separable idempotent is unique for some reason, then the separable extension is called uniquely separable. For example, a Frobenius extension with invertible E-index is uniquely separable if the centralizer equals the center of the over-ring. It is also shown that a uniquely separable extension of semisimple complex algebras with invertible E-index has depth 1. Earlier results for subalgebra pairs of group algebras are recovered, with corollaries on depth 1 over fields of characteristic zero and more general ground rings.1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. 12F10, 13B02, 16D20, 16H05, 16S34.