Ring Setting Types

Prong

A prong engagement setting (also referred to as claw engagement setting) - which usually has 4 or 6 prongs - is one of the most popular engagement settings on the market, and is used for all types of faceted diamonds and gemstones. The shape of the prongs can be elongated, pointed, or rounded. There are numerous decorative variations of this setting style. The prong setting allows the maximum amount of light to enter and travel through the diamond or gemstone from all angles, making the stone more brilliant and sparkling. Prong engagement setting also allows the diamond to be more easily cleaned compared to other engagement setting styles.
 

Trellis

Trellis engagement setting, a popular engagement setting style, features overlapping prongs as viewed from the side of the ring.

Shared Prong

Similar to the Prong setting, the Shared Prong gets its name from prongs of metal placed between two stones such that the close-set stones are set right next to each other with minimum spacing sharing prongs.

Bezel

A versatile choice used for any type of stone, the bezel engagement setting sees the diamond set deep inside of the mounting while the metal is folded over the stone to create a strip that holds the diamond in place. This style engagement setting provides good protection for the girdle and pavilion areas of diamonds and a smooth ring surface. Due to the band of metal securing the circumference of the diamond, compared to the prong engagement setting, light cannot enter the diamond from the sides.
 

Half Bezel

This setting utilizes essentially the same approach as the Bezel setting, except a Half Bezel, is when the stone’s girdle is partially covered.

Channel

Another engagement/anniversary setting that can be used for any type of diamond or gemstone, the channel setting sees the goldsmith creating a channel - as the name would suggest - and then cut seats in it where the diamond will sit. After each diamond is placed in the new channel, the goldsmith secures the stones in place by hammering the upper sides of the channel walls. This style is often used for wedding bands and also used to accent center stones. Stones are set in-line (one or multiple rows) suspended in a channel providing a smooth ring surface. Due to the neighboring vertical walls, the girdle of each diamond is well protected.

Pavé

With pavé settings (also referred to as bead settings), several small gemstones - usually diamonds - are set closely together, separated, and held in place by small beads of the setting metal. This produces what resembles a continuous string of diamonds or other gems on its surface. This setting often gives the impression of a continuous diamond surface.

Tension

A tension ring is a type of ring in which the gemstone is held in place by pressure rather than prongs, a bezel, or another mounting. This requires gemstones to have a Hardness level of 9 or above.

Bar

Similar to the Channel setting, the Bar setting sees that diamonds are set between bars, where they are first nested in grooves and then overlapped by metal using a hammering tool. Like the Tension setting, this also requires gemstones to have a Hardness level of 9 or above.