One of the most important steps of the art of jewelry manufacturing is the gemstone setting. A piece of jewelry with a good setting must achieve several goals simultaneously – safety of the stone, correct reflection of light off of the gemstone, a smooth and comfortable metal wear and the overall harmony of the aesthetic look of the piece itself.
Choosing the right gemstone setting method, is key for the perfect balance between all of these criteria the lack of which could mean defects in the overall look of the jewelry, the risk of stones falling or breaking, or discomfort in the metal wear (rough feeling on the skin).
This short guide will help you understand some of the key elements that make a good setting.
Bezel setting
The bezel is the simplest and one of the earliest method of setting gemstones into jewelry. It features a thin band completely surrounding the gem along its circumference. Bezel setting provides a good protection of the gemstone from chipping, snagging on clothes and makes the stone seem bigger than it is.
Usually, the most common type of stone put in the bezel setting is cabochon. Light doesn’t usually enter a bezel set gemstone from the behind or from the sides, the setting is most commonly used for dark and opaque gemstones (You should see it with garnet stone – it looks magnificent).
The bezel setting is recommended for the gemstones with a hardness rating (Mohs) below 7, such as tanzanites, opals, pearls, and quartz. Bezel setting can accomodate any type of stone cut and it is the safest setting type out there.
Since the stone is well protected, the bezel setting is ideal for people with an active lifestyle and can resist exposure to rough wear. Unlike prong settings, there is little likelihood for the stone to get loose and fall out of the setting.
Prong setting
Prong setting nowadays is the most popular and common setting of the gemstone. This type of stone setting refers to metal claws (prongs) that are curved at the end and hold the gemstone securely in place by gripping it from the edges.
The prong setting is especially popular for round or oval solitaire diamonds, or single stone rings because the only goal this setting has is to expose as much stone space as possible, maximising the light reflection from all angles.
Prong setting allows light to pass through the top and the sides of the gemstone, minimising the blocking effect of the metal and increasing the gemstone’s visual appeal.
A gemstone may be mounted high or low in a prong setting, and the higher it is set the more prominent it looks. It may include 3, 4, or 6 prongs per head, which is the center of the setting. The prongs are either evenly set spaced around the gemstone or at the four corners. One thing to look for is that the prongs are well polished so they don’t snag on clothes. Prongs tend to wear out or become loose over time and should be carefully checked every year.
As any setting, it has its own disadvantages such as comfort and protection. Even though it amplifies the charm of the gemstone it is easily hooked in other materials such as textile. So, the prong setting would be a sweet burden for someone who works manually or has to wear gloves.
Pavé and Micropavé setting
Whether it is ready-made or custom-made design, always keep an eye on jewelry pieces with micropavé setting when you’re choosing yours. Micropavé is the best method to bring our the most out of the gemstones as it uses the least amount of metal. This method has become possible with technological developments made in the jewelry industry over the years. Micropavé setting was almost impossible to make even 50 years ago but now it has become one of the most fashionable and popular setting methods.
The word “pavé” is pronounced “pah-vay” and its origin is french. It means to pave (as in pavement) and that’s exactly what the method does; it paves small or tiny gems and creates band-like pavements. The craftsman drills small holes into the metal for the stones to sit in, then holds them in place with beads or prongs of metal leaving minimal if any gaps between the stones. The pavé setting is also sometimes known as a bead setting.
Typically, the stones used for a pavé setting must be 0.01 to 0.02 carats to be deemed “pavé” – anything smaller is called ‘micro pavé. Usually, pavé settings will only have stones halfway around the band so that the ring can still be resized if needed. If the stones are all the way around the band, most of the ring will have to be dismantled to resize and it can cause further problems down the line – so very few (if any) craftsmen will do it.
The main purpose of why people choose the pavé or micropavé setting is to emphasise the look and color of the stone by reducing the use of metal. If the stones are cut correctly and have decent to high quality a very nice boost on the stone color can result into an amazing look with this setting. That is why Wollem chooses micropavé for all of its jewelry pieces, to take the garnet jewelry to its peak quality.
We hope this article will help you to choose the right stone setting and enjoy your jewelry.
