Gem Settings for Jewelry

You may wonder about the terms describing various types of gem settings. Different types of settings show best on different hands. The only way to know which one is "right" is to view the various types of settings on your fingers. Below we discuss the most common type of jewelry stone settings:

• Prong Setting
• Bezel Setting
• Channel Setting
• Bar Setting
• Pave Setting

Prong Setting

Probably the most frequently seen setting is the prong setting. Here the jeweler uses tiny precious metal claws bent over the stone's girdle, gripping the stone and securing it into place.

Easy to work with, prongs easily adapt to the stone's size and also allow light to pass through the stone from several angles. Four to six prongs normally hold the center gemstone in place though marquise and trilliant cut stones may be nestled in two or three v-shaped prongs on each of the stone points.

Bezel Setting

A bezel setting consists of a tiny precious metal disk the exact size of the stone's circumference which holds the gem by its girdle to the band. This labor intensive setting requires precision in crafting the plate to the exact outline of the stone and is far less flexible than the prong setting. A variation of the bezel setting may be a window cut out of the band, allowing the crown of the stone to rise above, while securely holding the ring from underneath.

Channel Setting

Think of the channel setting as one or more tracks of precious metal holding the gemstones by their girdles. You see the channel setting frequently in mother's rings, eternity bands and tennis bracelets. Stone shapes perfect for this type of setting include rectangles, squares and princess shaped stones. When set properly, no metal is seen between the stones, allowing a beautiful marching chain of gemstones.

Bar Setting

Like the channel setting, the bar setting features gemstones set in tracks. However, the channel setting usually sets the stones in long tracks while the bar setting sets gemstones individually in short bars. In the bar setting the gemstones are set between the small bars and the sides of the gemstones are open to the light and allowing maximum sparkle and brilliance to show through.

Pave Setting

The pave setting, used most frequently in white and yellow gold settings, uses a carpet of tiny gemstones to pave or encrust the body of the jewelry piece. Prongs may be used to hold the gems in place or the jewelry may scoop out areas of the precious metal to hold the gemstones in place.

If you have questions about any of the online jewelry we offer, we invite you to contact us. We will do our very best to answer you straight forward, as we have done with our online jewelry shopping catalog descriptions.