When most people think of settings or mountings for engagement rings they have a mental image of the traditional prong style settings that secure the diamond to the band. While these types of settings are beautiful, simple and very discrete, there are other types of settings or mountings that can be used on engagement rings to highlight and enhance the appearance of the diamond.
Many engagement ring settings are designed specifically to maximize the amount of light that can enter the diamond both from the top as well as the sides. This light entering into the diamond causes the flashes in color that make diamonds such an appealing stone for engagement rings and other types of jewelry. Mountings also elevate the diamond above the band, providing more options for capturing light as the hand moves.
A more solid type of setting for engagement rings is called the bezel setting. This is like a collar of the same metal as the band that wraps around the diamond and lifts it off the ring’s surface. Bezel settings are ideal for modern styles of engagement rings plus they are exceptional for unusual shaped diamonds that may be hard to secure to the bend using prongs. With a bezel setting the collar may go completely around the diamond or it may only be over half, allowing light to enter the stone.
Inset diamonds into the band of engagement rings or wedding rings are set with the channel setting style. A uniform groove in the ring itself plus a side groove just under the lip of the channel holds each diamond in place. These rings are often made with smaller round diamonds, diamond chips or baguette type diamonds for maximum brilliance
Adding a small piece of metal between the diamonds in a channel setting results in a bar channel setting. The metal between the diamonds actually reflects the light back into the diamond, providing additional flash and fire.
Ornate types of settings are called bead settings on engagement rings. Smaller or larger drops or beads of metal are engraved and styled to both add to the appearance of the ring but also secure the diamonds and other gems in place
Invisible settings or mountings on engagement rings are also very popular since they are largely if not complete hidden by the stones themselves. Pave settings are largely invisible and are formed by drilling tiny holes into the band into which each individual diamond chip or stone is then placed. Small beading is then used to secure the diamonds.
Any type of engagement rings and settings need to be cleaned and inspected for damage. Early detection of any problems with the settings can be easily corrected, keeping engagement rings looking beautiful forever
