Stone Setting Styles

There are many ways to set a stone including bezel setting, prong setting, bead setting, channel setting and invisible setting to name a few. Each style of setting offers a different visual appearance and manner of setting. It is important first to decide how to protect the diamond and whether the diamond is a main stone or a side stone. Bezel Setting A simple setting that can highlight the diamond or simply frame it for protection. The diamond sits on a base plate and the diamond is surrounded by a wall of metal that sits perpendicular to the base. Then the wall’s edge is pressed over the edge of the diamond, securing it and framing the diamond as well. It is often used to protect the points on a marquis, princess cut or pear shaped diamond. You will see this setting in modern jewelry and vintage jewelry as well. Prong Setting Prong setting is different from bezel setting in that equal parts of the bezel are removed leaving prongs to cover the edge of the diamond. Much more of the diamond is showing. The traditional tiffany solitaire mounting is a prong setting. Bead Setting Bead setting is different from prong setting in that a small bead of metal, gold, platinum or silver is pushed just over the edge of the diamond creating a way to secure it. Bead setting is different than pave setting which means to pave. Bead setting covers one row of diamond setting where pave setting is bead setting covering many rows of diamonds over an expanded area. Channel Setting Channel set diamonds can be used with most types of diamonds-round, princess cut, emerald cut and baguette. This is a procedure where the diamonds are set side by side along a groove and are secured by hammering the sides of the channel walls. Invisible Setting Invisible set diamonds are set in such a way that no metal is showing that would cover the diamonds. No prongs, no beads, no channels or bezels are used. This technique is two centuries old and was developed by the French. Grooves in the diamond girdle are set into a metal framework below the surface. The procedure is difficult to do so you will not find many jewelers that can create or repair this kind of jewelry setting.