How to Pick Engagement Ring Settings
When shopping for an engagement ring, you will want to select the style of the setting before you select your diamonds. The setting is the part of the ring that holds the diamond in place. Although the setting will ultimately need to be customized to fit the size and shape of the diamond you choose, you will need to select the setting first to help you choose your diamonds. Selecting an engagement ring setting is relatively simple, as long as you have a general idea of the type of engagement ring you want.
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Instructions
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Decide how many diamonds you plan to use in the engagement ring. There are three main styles of engagement ring settings: solitaire, solitaire with side stones, and three-stone. The solitaire setting simply features one single diamond on the band. A solitaire setting with side stones also features one main diamond, but has diamonds or gemstones added into the ring band for extra sparkle. A three-stone setting features three diamonds on the band of the ring; one diamond represents the past, one the present and one the future.
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Determine the number of prongs you want to use. Prongs are small pieces of platinum that are used to hold the center diamond(s) in place on the ring. Most diamonds will be held in place with four or six prongs.. Although four prongs will allow more of the diamond to be revealed, six prongs will hold the diamond in place more securely.
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If you would rather not use prongs, select your alternative method for holding the center diamond(s) in place. Alternatives to the classic prong setting are the bezel, flush and tension settings.
With a bezel setting, a metal frame wraps around the diamond. This frame not only holds the diamond in place, but also protects the stone from damage. However, the bezel setting allows very little light into the diamond, which reduces its sparkle and makes the stone look smaller. With a flush setting, the diamond is set directly into the ring band; the surface of the diamond is flush with the surface of the band. As with the bezel setting, the flush setting offers great protection, but allows very little light to enter the diamond. With a tension setting, extremely efficient technological placing of the stone allows the diamond to be held in place with very little visible support. This type of setting is extremely supportive and protective, and it also allows a significant amount of light to enter the diamond, enhancing its beauty.
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Select the setting for your side stones, if necessary. The most common settings for side stones are the channel setting and bar-channel setting. With a channel setting, the diamonds are held in place within a narrow metal channel along the band of the ring. The stones are lined along the channel, where they receive a significant amount of protection and security. The bar-channel setting is a slight variation of the channel setting. With the bar-channel, diamonds are still lined up along narrow metal channels in the band of the ring. However, with this setting, metal channels are also found between each stone. This provides an interesting contrast between the sparkle of the diamonds and the shine of the metal.
You may also consider using a pavé setting, which uses a large quantity of tiny diamonds. These diamonds are mounted into very small holes that are drilled into the metal of the engagement ring band. Once the diamonds are placed into the holes, small beads of metal are arranged within the setting to hold the diamonds in place and provide a glittering appearance. However, keep in mind that the pavé setting is extremely time-consuming to prepare. Therefore, pavé setting engagement rings are commonly much more expensive than other types of settings.
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