Setting Guide

Prong Setting

Prong settings gain much of their popularity as the easiest methods of setting a gemstone as well as one of the least expensive. Yet, an additional benefit is that the prong setting allows an optimal amount of light to pass through the stone, displaying the gem at maximum brilliance.

In a prong setting (or “claw” setting) usually four to six talons of precious metal reach around the girdle (side) of the gemstone and arch over its crown (top), snuggly holding the stone in place. Although the visible part of the prongs may be shaped into decorative shapes, more often they’re rounded to avoid catching on other objects and causing damage to either the objects or the prongs.

Bezel Setting:

The bezel setting is precisely crafted to embrace a gemstone and hold it securely in place. The bezel is one of the oldest techniques used in gem setting and remains an excellent method to protect both the girdle (middle) and the pavilion (bottom) of a gemstone from chips and scratches.

Old-fashioned bezels generally surround the entire circumference of a stone, but contemporary bezel settings may be split into a variation called the “half bezel”, which only partly encircles the stone. The bezel setting may be straight-edged or shaped to accommodate the cut of the stone and overall design of the jewelry.

Bezel settings are the setting of choice for fragile gemstones such as opal.

Flush Settings

A variant of the bezel setting is the flush (or gypsy) setting. In this variation a window is cut into the base, the gem set into it and secured underneath. The crown (top) of the stone reaches over the base, coyly flirting with the light.

Channel Setting

The tennis bracelet is a prime example of the channel setting. In the channel setting, two long bands of precious metal hold multiple gemstones in place, giving them the appearance of floating in the setting since no metal can be seen between the stones.

Bar Setting

The bar channel, a variation of the channel setting looks as if a number of stones float in adjacent berths with each stone docked in its own private channel and set apart from its neighbors by two thin metal bars.

Pave Setting

The word pave (pronounced as ‘pa vay') came from the French word ‘Pavé' means pavement. Pave setting is a setting method in which the surface of a jewelry item appears to be covered with tiny diamonds. These same sized tiny diamonds are placed in small holes that have been drilled out on the surface of a jewelry item. Generally stones are positioned close together in a honeycomb pattern. Like the prong setting, pave setting also has small handmade claws, triangular in shape, which hold the stones low and very close so that they produce a carpet of brilliance across the entire surface of a jewelry item.

The use of multiple stones in pave setting forms an illusion of a bigger jewelry. Usually this setting is combined and presented with other stone settings to add more beauty and effect. This setting gives best results with diamonds and white gold.

Invisible Setting

Invisible setting is a new and improved setting method that is considered as one of the most difficult setting methods. In this setting, the stones are positioned in such a manner so that metal is not visible from in-between stones that ultimately show appearance of uninterrupted and continuous surface. In this setting, stones are grooved just below the girdle and then those grooved stones are slid onto metal tracks to hold them in place.

This setting is appropriate only for multi-stone arrangement that usually attached in multiple rows. It looks similar to pave setting but gives better look and more brilliance, since no claws obstruct the light's entry. Usually invisible setting is best suited with square princess, emerald, baguette, and trillion cut diamonds and gemstones because the straight edges can be positioned very close to each other without leaving any space in-between.

Tension setting

Tension setting is a relatively new type of setting in which metal pressure is used to hold a stone. In this setting, metal is spread apart and the girdle of the stone is settled into small grooves in the inner surface of the metal. Tension setting requires strong metals to create sufficient tension and pressure to hold a stone firmly and platinum is often used for this purpose. Also this setting is appropriate only for very hard gemstones like diamond, sapphire, ruby, etc with hardness 9 to 10 on moths hardness scale.