The Personal Gemologist: Settings for your rock
Filed under: Rings, Budget Advice, The Personal Gemologist
If you go to a major chain store to buy your engagement ring, you'll get to look at a selection of a few dozen rings in a case and choose from what the shop has in stock. It's okay to shop this way, but for the best bang for your buck, and to be sure you get exactly what you want, I find it's best to buy the ring by its individual parts. You choose all the metals, the gemstones, and the settings. The style of setting is mostly a matter of taste, so I don't really have any recommendations one way or the other in that regard, but I do suggest that no matter what style of ring you choose, you select a secure head for the stones in your ring. The head is the piece that holds the stone in place, and there are dozens of designs to choose from, some far more secure than others.
You may like the look of a certain setting, but if it's not secure, you risk losing your diamond, or whatever gemstone(s) you may have in your ring.
A lot of women used to come into my store and ask for the smallest head possible. They didn't want too much metal around their sparkling diamonds, or they didn't want the ring to feel too heavy. But I guided these women away from light, minimal settings toward more substantial ones that would be more secure. You don't have to compromise the beauty of your ring to keep the stone secure.
The first thing to consider is the metal for the head. The vast majority of diamond settings are either platinum or white gold. Even if the ring is yellow gold, the head is generally white, because a yellow setting would reflect inside the diamond and detract from its color.
A platinum setting will last longer than white gold, because it won't wear down as quickly. You shouldn't need to have the prongs retipped on a platinum setting for decades, whereas white gold prongs need to be retipped every few years. Platinum is more expensive, but maintenance on a white gold setting will run the cost much higher over time. One advantage white gold has over platinum is that it will not bend as easily, though most jewelers will tell you that platinum is still the best choice.
Once you've selected the metal, you need to consider the shape of the setting. If you select a pronged setting, the more prongs the better. I don't recommend a four-pronged setting, because if one of those prongs happens to break, your diamond is not secure anymore. On a six-pronged setting, the diamond is still mostly surrounded after you lose one or even two prongs. It is important to have your setting evaluated for wear and tear every few months to be sure that you are not at risk to lose your stone.
If your diamond has points, you should choose v-shaped prongs rather than just a metal tip at the point(s) of your diamond. The chevron tip will hold your stone more securely and guard against chipping.
If you don't like prongs, bezel and partial bezel settings are even more secure. A bezel surrounds the stone, and can come in varying degrees of thickness. This type of setting doesn't let as much light into the stone, so it may cut down some on the sparkle, but some women (myself included) prefer this design.
For pictures of various types of settings, see the gallery below.
The first thing to consider is the metal for the head. The vast majority of diamond settings are either platinum or white gold. Even if the ring is yellow gold, the head is generally white, because a yellow setting would reflect inside the diamond and detract from its color.
A platinum setting will last longer than white gold, because it won't wear down as quickly. You shouldn't need to have the prongs retipped on a platinum setting for decades, whereas white gold prongs need to be retipped every few years. Platinum is more expensive, but maintenance on a white gold setting will run the cost much higher over time. One advantage white gold has over platinum is that it will not bend as easily, though most jewelers will tell you that platinum is still the best choice.
Once you've selected the metal, you need to consider the shape of the setting. If you select a pronged setting, the more prongs the better. I don't recommend a four-pronged setting, because if one of those prongs happens to break, your diamond is not secure anymore. On a six-pronged setting, the diamond is still mostly surrounded after you lose one or even two prongs. It is important to have your setting evaluated for wear and tear every few months to be sure that you are not at risk to lose your stone.
If your diamond has points, you should choose v-shaped prongs rather than just a metal tip at the point(s) of your diamond. The chevron tip will hold your stone more securely and guard against chipping.
If you don't like prongs, bezel and partial bezel settings are even more secure. A bezel surrounds the stone, and can come in varying degrees of thickness. This type of setting doesn't let as much light into the stone, so it may cut down some on the sparkle, but some women (myself included) prefer this design.
For pictures of various types of settings, see the gallery below.
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