When asked what an engagement ring looks like, most people will probably describe a prong set round brilliant cut diamond. And that is not surprising because the traditional diamond solitaire has become synonymous with engagement. But there is a wide range of other settings you could choose from if you want a more unusual engagement ring.
But not all settings suit all sizes and cuts of diamond. So here are your main choices.
Bezel Setting
This is a beautiful setting which is smooth and comfortable to wear. A stand of precious metal totally encircles and protects the gemstone, giving it an antique yet contemporary look. If necessary, cuts can be made into the metal setting to allow extra light to pass into the gemstone, so a bezel set diamond can flash with nearly as much fire as it would in a prong setting.
Channel Setting
This is another very comfortable setting which will not snag on clothing. The gemstones are set between two tracks of precious metal, flush with the band of the ring. Because they are held by their girdles, this setting requires very precise and well cut stones. Channel setting suits smaller diamonds and colored gemstones which have straight sides, such as Baguettes, Square, Rectangular or Princess Cuts. In these cases, the metal cannot be seen between the individual diamonds and the illusion is of an uninterrupted channel of diamonds floating between precious metal tracks!
Tension and Invisible Settings
Tension set diamonds are integral to the band of the ring, and actually complete the circle of the band. This setting has become popular with newer designs of engagement ring and it is very striking. However, the diamond is largely unprotected, making it suitable only for robust diamond cuts. Furthermore the ring cannot be easily resized once it has been completed so if you want to propose with a tension set diamond engagement ring, make sure you know the size of her finger first!
The invisible setting is similar to the tension setting. Here the diamond is not integral to the ring but is set invisibly into it so that it looks as if it has been tension set. Invisible settings are strong, and can be easily resized.
Cluster
The cluster setting is extremely good for large numbers of small clean diamonds which can be set close together to give the illusion of a much larger stone. This is an affordable alternative to a single large carat diamond.
Pave Setting
In this setting, large numbers of clean diamonds are invisible prong set using miniscule prongs, to create a river of diamond brilliance. Because each stone is individually set, this is a very labor intensive setting, which makes it an expensive one. It is a gorgeous setting is often used to enhance the shoulders of a ring.
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