Prong, channel, and beyond: Choosing an appropriate setting style for everyday rings

By Renée Newman

When deciding on an on a regular basis ring, it is very important contemplate greater than its look and value. One also needs to make sure that the ring is comfy and sensible, and that the gems are well-protected and safe. To deal with these points, it’s useful to know the benefits and drawbacks of the varied setting kinds.

That is the commonest sort of setting, particularly for women’ solitaire diamond rings (Figures 1 and a couple of). This model includes becoming the centre stone in a metallic head or basket and securing it with a minimal of three prongs or metallic claws.

The form of the prongs can range. They could be rounded, elongated, or pointed. There are various ornamental variations of this setting model. Tiffany & Co. popularized the claw setting for engagement rings when it launched its signature, elevated six-claw Tiffany setting in 1886.

Benefits

• The claw setting permits extra of the stone to be in view as in comparison with most different kinds. This, in flip, permits extra gentle to go via the gem.
• It may possibly maintain giant gems securely when correctly set. Settings with six or extra prongs are safer than these with 4. If one prong of a four-prong setting is broken, it’s straightforward to lose the stone; nevertheless, if one is broken on a six-prong setting, the stone will probably keep in till the setting might be repaired.
• It permits gems to be extra simply cleaned than different kinds (supplied the prongs will not be encased with a variety of metallic or wire).
• It may be used to set any sort of gemstone, no matter fragility. Claw setting is especially standard for clear faceted gems, for instance.

Disadvantages

• The claw setting might not present as clean a hoop floor as another kinds. Typically prongs can get caught in clothes and hair, particularly if the setting is excessive.
• It doesn’t defend gems in addition to different kinds, as a lot of the girdle space is left uncovered. V-tips may also help defend the factors of marquise, coronary heart, and pear-shape stones.

The channel model is usually used for marriage ceremony bands, however might also be used to accent the centre stone of an engagement ring. Gem stones are suspended in a channel of vertical partitions with no metallic separating the stones.

Benefits

• Channel setting protects the girdle space of gems.
• It offers a clean ring floor.
• It’s acceptable for enhancing ring shanks and for creating linear designs with a tailor-made look.

Disadvantages

• Channel setting is normally extra time consuming than claw setting (particularly if the stones are sq. and never spherical). Some channel setting is finished cheaply and shortly by simply chopping an extended groove in skinny metallic and sliding diamonds in; nevertheless, in these designs, the stones might not be safe. When completed correctly, stones are positioned individually in seats in a sturdy channel with adequate metallic alongside each side for help.
• This setting carries excessive threat when it comes to potential injury to stones and shouldn’t be used for fragile gems.

A bezel is a band of metallic surrounding the gem and holding it in place. The bezel might both totally or partially encircle the stone (Figures 3, 4, and 5).

Benefits

• Bezel setting offers good safety for the girdle and pavilion areas of gems.
• It may be used to set virtually all gems with out inflicting injury to them.
• It offers a clean ring floor, which doesn’t sometimes snag clothes.
• When completed correctly, it holds gems properly and doesn’t require restore or upkeep in a while.
• A partial bezel setting reveals extra of a stone, whereas additionally permitting extra gentle into them in addition to providing good safety.

Drawback

• This model is normally extra time consuming and costly as in comparison with claw and bead setting.

In such a setting, gems are match into tapered holes and set virtually degree with the floor of the ring. As soon as set, among the surrounding metallic is raised to kind beads which maintain the stones in place (Determine 6, web page 36).

When there are two or extra rows of stones set on this manner with out partitions between the stones, it’s referred to as pavé—which, in French, means ‘paved’ like a cobblestone street. Nevertheless, regardless of the excellence of rows, the jewelry commerce typically refers to any sort of bead setting as ‘pavé.’

To assist in giving the impression of a steady diamond floor, it’s customary to make use of white gold or platinum to help pavé-set diamonds, even when the remainder of the mounting is yellow gold. Rhodium plating is added to additional heighten this impact. If diamonds are yellowish, they have an inclination to look higher set in yellow gold with out rhodium plating.

Benefits

• Pavé setting might defend gems higher than claw as a result of the stones are normally set decrease.
• It permits uninterrupted designs of various width. When pavé designs are unfold over the floor of a mounting, it provides the phantasm gems are bigger and extra quite a few than they really are.

Disadvantages

Usually, it is a dangerous setting technique when it comes to potential stone injury. Whereas good diamonds, rubies, and sapphires can stand up to the strain of being pavé set, fragile stones akin to emeralds, opals, tourmalines, and diamonds with giant cracks may be broken. Particularly, pavé setting doesn’t present as clean of a hoop floor as bezel, channel, and flush setting. Moreover, it might not be as safe as different settings.

Flush setting is a well-liked model for individuals who work with their palms and don’t wish to take away their rings. It affords good safety for gems as a result of they’re set flush in tapered holes and don’t protrude (Determine 7).

Québec-based jewelry fabrication instructor Christine Dwane divides flush setting into two varieties: burnish and gypsy settings. For the previous, a burnishing software is used to push metallic throughout the stone and the metallic is pressed and hammered in place. For gypsy settings, a graver is used to boost slivers of metallic that come up simply above the girdle, securing the stone in place. Gypsy setting is just not as dangerous as burnish setting. 

Benefits

• Flush setting protects the gem’s girdle.
• When completed correctly, it secures gems properly.
• It offers a tailor-made look and doesn’t snag on clothes.

Disadvantages

• Flush designs don’t let as a lot gentle into the gem as a claw setting.
• It’s a dangerous setting technique when it comes to stone injury and shouldn’t be used for fragile gems.

Whereas engaged on the eighth version of her Diamond Ring Shopping for Information, this writer requested a number of jewellers what recommendation they might provide to these searching for a hoop they’ll put on regularly each day. Listed here are their suggestions:

1. Choose a setting with no less than six prongs for claw-set giant diamonds. This may assist forestall the diamond from being misplaced if one prong breaks. Some jewellers advocate six prongs for any diamond weighing greater than a half carat.
2. Be sure bead-set stones are set low and guarded by ample metallic.
3. Keep away from shared bead settings which have one bead securing two diamonds, as these will not be as safe as settings by which every bead secures just one stone.
4. Bear in mind: the smaller a diamond is, the better it’s for it to fall out of a hoop, as much less metallic is used to safe the stone. Half pointers (0.005-carat diamonds) in halo rings look engaging, however they might fall out if they don’t seem to be set by an expertly expert craftsman.
5. Be sure channel-set diamonds have bars beneath them to assist forestall the channel from widening (if this occurs, it’s extra probably the diamonds will fall out). Should you suppose you would possibly resize the ring at a later date, keep away from rings with channel setting across the complete ring.
6. Keep away from rings with pre-set gems. (To make sure most safety, Christine Dwane advises gems ought to be set after the mounting has been solid as a substitute of being set in wax.)
7. Watch out for skinny, mass-produced rings offered on the web for discount costs. Jewellers who should face clients when stones fall out of their rings have extra of an incentive to promote securely set diamond rings than a vendor who doesn’t substitute misplaced stones.

Jewelry consumers don’t sometimes analyze what setting kinds could be greatest and why, however they need to. Too typically, jewelry that appears engaging on the time of buy finally ends up being too impractical for day by day put on. With a little bit of forethought, nevertheless, it’s potential to pick out a mode that’s not solely esthetically pleasing, however useful as properly.

That stated, regardless of how appropriate the model, if a stone is just not correctly set in a hoop, it could possibly come out of its setting. To keep away from this, it is very important work with professionals who place an significance on good craftsmanship.

Renée Newman, BA, MA, GG, is a gemmologist, lecturer, and writer of 14 gem and jewelry books. She wrote her first e book, the Diamond Ring Shopping for Information, in 1989 whereas working on the Josam Diamond Buying and selling Company in downtown Los Angeles. A brand new eighth version was revealed final 12 months. Her latest e book, Diamonds: Their Historical past, Sources, Qualities and Advantages, was launched on October 1. For extra details about Newman and her books, go to www.ReneeNewman.com.