Diamond Solitaire Setting Styles
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Diamond engagement rings come in a variety of settings.
Diamond ring image by nata_rass from Fotolia.com
A single diamond can be set in a variety of ways in a ring to show off its best attributes. There are several types of settings available, depending on stone shape, size and color, as well as the wearer's lifestyle and tastes. Jewelers can provide prong, bezel, flush, channel or tension settings to match the desires of a ring purchaser.
Prong Setting
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Prong is the traditional setting for a solitaire diamond and, therefore, the most common type of setting. A good example of the prong setting is the Tiffany-style setting, which is common for engagement rings.
Three to six prongs, which are pointed, rounded or flat, hold the diamond in place. More prongs in this setting provide a more secure setting, but fewer prongs show off more of the stone. A jeweler can adjust the prong-style setting to the size of the diamond. A V-shaped prong is best for protecting a heart-shaped, pear-shaped or marquise-style diamond.
Prong settings allow the most light through the diamond and allow easy cleaning of the ring. In addition, they usually cost less because the jeweler uses less metal. However, most of the perimeter, or girdle, of the diamond is unprotected, and high prongs can snag clothing, hair and other people. Low-set prong settings are available that alleviate some of this problem.
Bezel Setting
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In the bezel setting, a collar of metal surrounds the diamond. The metal rim surrounds the girdle of the stone. In some contemporary designs, some of the girdle is exposed.
The bezel is popular for men's rings, but it requires more work on the part of the jewelry maker and is, therefore, more expensive. Jewelers must make the metal rim to fit the diamond exactly. The jeweler cuts the seat into the metal collar, inserts the diamond and then carefully hammers the metal over the diamond. This obscures about 10 percent of the stone's surface.
Bezel settings are quite secure and protect the girdle of the diamond. They can also hide chips on the stone's edge, and any shape of stone can be set in a bezel. This setting is smooth so that it will not snag anything, and white metal bezels make diamonds look bigger. However, gold bezels make diamonds look smaller.
Flush Setting
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In a flush setting, the jeweler drills a hole in the metal band and drops the diamond into it. The jeweler hammers around the stone, securing it in place. This style is very popular for men's rings. A variation of this style is the gypsy setting where the metal on top of the ring's band is thicker and raised, much like a class ring style.
Although flush settings do not allow any light to come through the diamond, it works quite well for larger diamonds, giving a lot of protection for the stone. Since the stone is set close to the finger, this setting minimizes snagging.
Channel Setting
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The channel setting usually holds a row of stones in a channel in the ring band without any metal separating them. This style protects the girdle quite well.
Although the channel setting is most common for multi-stone bands such as wedding bands, there is a variation used for diamond solitaires called the bar channel or bar set. Two bars rise from the ring band and hold the diamond on opposite sides. This is an excellent choice for large stones because the setting exposes the stones to light on two sides while protecting them on the other sides.
Tension Setting
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In the tension setting, the spring tension of the ring band holds the diamond in place. In a special technique using pressure or thermal treatment on the metal, the jeweler creates the ring so that the tension setting has from 65 to 95 pounds of pressure on the stone.
In this setting, the stone looks like it is floating without any support. This set allows a great deal of light to pass through the diamond. Round or square-cut diamonds work best for this setting.
Because the ring must be custom fitted, it is hard to get it resized, and repairs are difficult if not impossible. The original manufacturer of a tension-set ring must perform the repairs in most cases. In addition, the setting does not protect the diamond well. Therefore, this setting is appropriate for wearing only on special occasions or for wearing by less active people.
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- Photo Credit Diamond ring image by nata_rass from Fotolia.com
