Diamond Settings |
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To judge the craftsmanship of a diamond wedding or engagement ring, pay close attention to the quality of the setting. Is the metal holding the stone even and smoothly finished so it won't catch on clothing? Is the stone held firmly and square in the setting? Is the metal well polished with no little burrs of metal or pockmarks? |
Common Settings |
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Prong Setting
The most common and popular type of setting, with either 4 or 6 prongs. The high position of the diamond allows maximum exposure to the light from top to bottom. This type of setting can be used for all kinds of faceted stones. |
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V-Prong Setting
The diamond fits snuggly inside notches carved on both sides of a prong. Two sides of a prong are squeezed from both sides to hold the stone in place and to protect from accidental breakage. A popular setting type for princess cut diamond rings. |
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Bezel Setting
The bezel setting has been used for hundreds of years. The diamond is set deep inside of the mounting, then, using a burnishing tool, the outer metal mass is pushed over the edges of the stone to create a strip which holds it in place. This setting can be used for any type of stone. |
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Channel Setting
Channel settings can be used for a variety of faceted stones - round brilliant, princess cut, emerald cut , baguettes, etc. The stones are aligned girdle-to-girdle along the groove and secured by hammering the upper sides of the channel walls. |
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Pave Setting
The stones are placed side by side in small openings on a flat surface. The diamonds are secured by raised overlapping gem spurs and are finished by creating beads. |
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Tension Setting
A relatively new type of setting for engagement rings where "springing", metal's physical characteristic, is used to hold faceted stones in place. The gems must have a hardness of 9 or up (diamond, sapphire, ruby, etc). The diamond is set in small grooves which are cut at the ends of the ring shank. |
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Bar Setting
In this setting, the stones are set between bars. The diamonds are nested in grooves and overlapped by metal using a special hammering tool. This type of setting is used for gems with a hardness of 9 and up.
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