Guide to Diamond Jewelry Settings

You already have natural instincts on what makes for a pretty jewelry piece, but are you an expert on what settings exist to hold the diamonds in place?

Consider a diamond engagement ring. Settings are essential to these diamond rings for many more reasons than just securing a diamond on a band. A setting helps determine diamond jewelry style and the look a jewelry piece evokes. Below I take a look at, and define, setting options available. Knowing what these settings are will help transform any average Joe into more of a diamond jewelry connoisseur.

Bezel Setting: This setting means a diamond is set inside and supported by a metal tube. One upside of this setting is it securely holds a stone in place and is a wonderful option for the next Billy Blanks or Maria Sharapova. A princess cut solitaire diamond looks great in this setting. Partial bezels are also available, meaning the stone is only semi-surrounded with a metal, thus creating more visibility for showing off the bling as well as evoking a more contemporary look.

Channel Setting: Stones flow in a continuous row in this setting, and although the metal does hold the bling in place, it doesn’t divide any of the stones from one another. The look is sleek and elegant. A tennis bracelet or a diamond engagement ring fits the bill well for this setting.

Chaton Setting: This setting, which also goes by the names coronet or arcade, occurs when the stone is held in place via a multitude of metal claws around a metal band.

Gipsy Setting: A stone takes a plunge into the metal for this setting. Often, the stone is surrounded by engraved designs. This style is a perfect option for a diamond wedding band.

Tension Setting: Stones are held in place using tension created between two or more bands of metal. This setting creates a diamond floating mirage and exudes a minimalist flair and a contemporary feel.

Claw Setting: A series of metal prongs, dubbed claws, tightly hold a stone in this setting without any metal directly under the stone. This option is wonderful because it allows light in from beneath the stone, showing off the luster of any jewelry piece, like a diamond pendant necklace, well.

Pave Setting: The band is littered with diamonds set close to one another, showcasing a heavy diamond look and deemphasizing the metal. The cobblestone of diamonds creates a big appearance without too steep of a price tag for diamond engagement rings, for example. Generally, the stones are held in place by little beads of the setting metal.

Tiffany Setting: This is a simple and sweet classic setting, where four or six prongs are equally spread out around the diamond, holding it in place. This is a quintessential setting that looks great on solitaire diamond rings.