On this blog, we want to help you to understand the importance of the ring settings, to help you to find the perfect engagement ring and wedding band.
To make an informed choice on your ring, and understand why is important to know the ring settings, you will need to do a little research.
Luckily, we’ve made it super easy for you by putting together this guide that it should certainly go some way to help you to make the right decision.
Wouldn’t be wonderful if we could just look at a ring and say, “it’s perfect” without worrying about the details?
Well, if you are only looking for how pretty the ring looks, that’s very possible, especially with the great variety of ring styles for you to choose.
But being on the field for over 40 years, we know that not every ring is perfect for everyone, because people have different lifestyle, jobs, hobbies, some people care for their jewellery more, some less. Which means some ring styles might require more maintenance than others if not choose carefully.
Now, let’s get into it!
The setting of a ring essentially refers to the way that the diamond or precious stones are held in place, and it does an incredibly important job – holding the stones and ring together!
There are multiple ways of setting a stone and they all have different advantages and disadvantages and each of them dictate the final look and style of the ring.
It can be technical at times, but it’s as important as it is to know about the 4 Cs of a diamond and the durability and softness of different metals.
As mentioned before, ring settings refer to how the diamond or stone is held or inserted into the setting.
Let’s start with the engagement rings settings
Prong/Solitaire
A prong setting is one of the most classic and recognizable settings for engagement rings. Elegant and timeless, a prong setting holds the ring on several edges. Usually, prong settings come in a four or six prong arrangement to allow for a secure setting that still enables light to travel through it. The prong setting looks like a metal basket that holds the ring safely within it.
Trellis
Simple variation of the prong style. A trellis engagement ring will have four prongs which cross over one another to create a secure and elegant setting that keeps your central diamond or precious stone well protected.
Often a trellis setting can be embellished with additional diamonds or even metal work like filigree. Trellis settings can be even more elaborate and can work very nicely with rings where there are multiple stones to hold in place. The effect is vintage, beautiful, and classic.
Illusion
An illusion setting is, like its name suggests, a way to create the illusion of having a bigger diamond. This is achieved by having a ring of metal around the girdle of the diamond. The shape of the ring mimics the outline of the stone which in turn causes the stone to look a lot larger than it actually is. This is a clever way to make your budget go a little further, and some illusion settings can actually be very striking and pretty in their own right.
Tiffany
Elegant and symmetrical look, the unique positioning of the prongs allows the diamond to be viewed in more angles, which allows the maximum amount of light to travel through the diamond. It is also very secure.
Advantages and Disadvantages of these settings:
Security: Strong and stable, these settings keep the diamond held securely in place.
Thin prongs though, can bend and loosen over time, so be sure to choose sturdy metals.
Compared to other settings, these styles allow light to enter the ring from all angles, but if there are 6 or more prongs, less light will be able to enter the ring.
Maintenance: Very easy to clean, but the prongs or claws will need regular checking to make sure that they are still holding the stones as well as they can.
Thin prongs can bend and loosen over time, so be sure to choose sturdy metals.
Lifestyle: Prongs or claws that protrude can catch on clothing like wool or tights (pantyhose) and can even snag on hair, so not ideal for an active lifestyle
Tension
A tension setting ring refers to a ring that holds a diamond or stone in place using the metal bands of the ring itself. Highly unusual, a tension setting can look very arresting as the diamond appears to be floating, held in place only by the precision of the metal bands. This style is very modern as it is a fairly new technique. It allows for a lot of light to travel through the diamond which means it can look its’ brilliant best.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Security: Less secure than traditional prong style or bezel type setting.
Maintenance: Easy to clean but you must be careful not to disturb the stone.
A tension ring will be very expensive to resize should you need to make it smaller or larger.
A tension ring will need regular checking usually by the manufacturer that you bought it from to ensure the stones remain secure
In order to keep the stones safe, you may have to remove a tension style ring for sports, cleaning, and work more so than other styles of ring setting.
Lifestyle: A tension style ring can be more vulnerable to knocks or scuffs, so it is not a good choice for someone who works with their hands or who does a lot of sport.
Other: You may want to get your beloved’s exact ring size before going ahead to make a custom order for a tension setting ring because the size has to be exact.
Bezel
The bezel style setting makes a pretty and practical alternative to a classic style of engagement ring. It certainly looks more modern in its aesthetic.
They work by wrapping a strip of metal around the stone, so that it is completely encircled along the circumference. This enables it to be held very securely.
One of the safest settings, but it does mean that the stone is not able to shine as brilliantly as this setting type does absorb a lot of light and conceals a large part of the stone.
There are full bezel settings to consider which encircles the stone completely, whereas partial bezel settings don’t cover the entire edge of the stone, rather it allows the sides to visible, allowing for a touch more dazzle. Very secure and have been a very popular choice for a long time.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Security: For peace of mind, the bezel is great as it is the safest setting type for your stone and will keep it very secure.
Maintenance: Very low maintenance.
Lifestyle: Ideal for busy lifestyles, bezel settings keep your stones very safe and protected
Other: A half bezel or semi bezel is a bezel setting that doesn’t surround the entire circumference of the diamond. This can be an alternative to consider in order to allow for more light into the stone and as such more sparkle.
Different Band Settings
Pave setting
Pave is a really effective way of clustering diamonds together for a big impact. It involves setting many smaller diamonds together by drilling small holes into the metal of the ring, holding it in place by securing them with a tiny droplet of metal in between each diamond. It’s technical, but the results can be stunning.
Smaller diamonds are used to create an impactful cluster of diamonds and in ‘micro pave’ even smaller diamonds are used to create a similar effect.
Channel setting
The smooth channel setting securely holds an uninterrupted flow of larger stones clearly set within the metal band, thereby protecting the girdle or thinner edge of the stones and preventing snags. This style allows the stones to shine fairly brightly.
Bar setting
Similar to the channel, bar settings uses a thin U- or V-shaped metal piece to hold each stone in place on both sides.
Gypsy setting
Also known as “hammered” or “flush” setting, sits a gem into a drilled hole in the metal.
This means the gemstone sits flush with the surface of the metal and does not protrude. It is visible from the top, while its sides and bottom are embedded in the metal.
Very secure, it’s snag-free as there are no sharp edges or prongs used to secure the gemstones.
Prong setting
shared prong setting
Surface prong setting
Prong settings secures the stone(s) within a set of raised metal prongs or “claws”.
It allows light to flow through the stone and to accentuate the stone arch.
Bezel setting
Bezel settings refer to a metal frame that wraps completely or partially around the stone or at its girdle for extra protection.
Now, you should be ready to find the perfect ring for yourself and your loved one.
Come to our store to see our beautiful collection!