The Collectibles Store Blog

Often in the excitement of searching for types of engagement rings that will symbolize your love, diamond ring buyers completely forget about the practical aspects of the rings. Diamond engagement rings will typically be a daily wear part of a woman’s jewelry collection, so ensuring that the ring is well constructed and the diamond secure on the ring is just as important as the overall beauty of the ring .

Engagement ring settings come with several different types that are sometimes referred to as mountings. Some mountings or settings are very visible and are part of the ring design while others are almost impossible to detect. Either option is great, it is just important to understand the differences when selecting a ring.

Prong settings are typically more closely aligned with the barely noticeable types of engagement ring settings. The simple gold, white gold or platinum hooks are most typically used with solitaire stones, stones in groups or large sized diamonds.  These prongs are located at the edges of the diamond and actually hook over the surface, pulling the diamond into the setting and holding it secure. Engagement rings with prong settings are by far the most common.

Prong settings will vary in number on engagement rings based on the size and shape of the diamond. On square or rectangular shapes there will be at least one prong on each corner and sometimes one prong along each edge. This again will vary on the size of the diamond .

Evenly spaced prongs on engagement rings with round or oval stones secure the diamond in place. Typically there will be four to six prongs, but larger or smaller stones may have different numbers. Unique shapes such as marquis, heart or pear shapes will also typically have four to six prongs .

Prongs serve to both provide security to the diamond but also to lift or elevate it off the band itself. This focuses attention on the diamond plus it also allows more light to enter into the gem. Engagement rings with raised diamonds will really sparkle and shine with movement of the hand .

Square corners and square diamonds in engagement rings are secured using v-shaped prongs at the corners. This allows a smaller prong to secure the diamond in place without having to double the number of prongs. Raised diamonds will attract more light, but are also more likely to be bumped and hit, requiring additional support .

It is important to always have engagement rings checked on a yearly basis to ensure the prongs are all still secure. A jeweler can easily adjust the prongs in an engagement ring if needed, preventing the possibility of losing the diamond from the setting .

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When most people think of settings or mountings for engagement rings they have a mental image of the traditional prong style settings that secure the diamond to the band. While these types of settings are beautiful, simple and very discrete, there are other types of settings or mountings that can be used on engagement rings to highlight and enhance the appearance of the diamond.

Many engagement ring settings are designed specifically to maximize the amount of light that can enter the diamond both from the top as well as the sides. This light entering into the diamond causes the flashes in color that make diamonds such an appealing stone for engagement rings and other types of jewelry. Mountings also elevate the diamond above the band, providing more options for capturing light as the hand moves.

For a very unique type of setting that is not at all like the prong setting you may wish to consider engagement rings with a bezel setting. Often described as a collar, the bezel setting molds around the diamond in a solid or partial covering. Half bezels only provide a solid attachment on half of the sides of the diamond, allowing light into the center of the gem. Bezel setting is both traditional as well as modern and provide a sleek, streamlined look to the ring when viewed from the sides or the top

Inset diamonds into the band of engagement rings or wedding rings are set with the channel setting style. A uniform groove in the ring itself plus a side groove just under the lip of the channel holds each diamond in place. These rings are often made with smaller round diamonds, diamond chips or baguette type diamonds for maximum brilliance

Another option on the channel setting or engagement rings is the bar channel. In this style each diamond is separated from others with a thin bar of metal, usually white gold or platinum. The light from the diamonds reflects off the metal rather than through other diamonds.

Ornate types of settings are called bead settings on engagement rings. Smaller or larger drops or beads of metal are engraved and styled to both add to the appearance of the ring but also secure the diamonds and other gems in place

Invisible settings or mountings on engagement rings are also very popular since they are largely if not complete hidden by the stones themselves. Pave settings are largely invisible and are formed by drilling tiny holes into the band into which each individual diamond chip or stone is then placed. Small beading is then used to secure the diamonds.

Checking the settings on engagement rings, regardless of the setting style, is very important. Jewelry stores often offer free inspections of engagement rings and other diamond jewelry to determine if there is any need for repair

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When most people think of settings or mountings for engagement rings they have a mental image of the traditional prong style settings that secure the diamond to the band. While these types of settings are beautiful, simple and very discrete, there are other types of settings or mountings that can be used on engagement rings to highlight and enhance the appearance of the diamond.

Many engagement ring settings are designed specifically to maximize the amount of light that can enter the diamond both from the top as well as the sides. This light entering into the diamond causes the flashes in color that make diamonds such an appealing stone for engagement rings and other types of jewelry. Mountings also elevate the diamond above the band, providing more options for capturing light as the hand moves.

A more solid type of setting for engagement rings is called the bezel setting. This is like a collar of the same metal as the band that wraps around the diamond and lifts it off the ring’s surface. Bezel settings are ideal for modern styles of engagement rings plus they are exceptional for unusual shaped diamonds that may be hard to secure to the bend using prongs. With a bezel setting the collar may go completely around the diamond or it may only be over half, allowing light to enter the stone.

For a flat surface for engagement rings or wedding bands the channel setting is very popular. This type of setting has a groove that runs through the center of the band, plus an additional slight groove off to the sides. Round or baguette style diamonds are inserted into the channel for a dazzling appearance. The small grooves on the sides of the channel hold the stones in place but also allow light to filter between and through the diamonds in the channel setting.

Bar channel settings have literally metal bars between each of the diamonds in the groove. These types of engagement rings often are in white gold or platinum since the reflective surface of the metal enhances the light entering into the diamonds.

Bead settings are much less common but are absolutely stunning in appearance. Beads of metal that match the band are actually both part of the design of these types of engagement rings as well as the practical element that holds the diamonds in place.

For those that don’t want to see the settings at all, pave style settings will be the perfect match. Smaller diamonds are placed in tiny holes drilled in the band, resulting in crusting of diamonds over part or the entire band. To finish off these types of engagement rings small beads are placed to secure the diamonds without obstructing the light reflection

Engagement rings with these unique types of settings are both beautiful as well as practical. With any type of engagement rings featuring any type of setting, routine checking of the mountings is always recommend so any loose settings can be immediately repaired.

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Accented with beautiful round brilliant-cut diamonds, ring features a gorgeous cushion-cut diamond center that is sure to dazzle the one you love.

The pave cushion cut engagement ring is a type of engagement ring that is sure to provide a lot of glitter as well as will shimmer because of the special setting of its diamonds. The term pave is actually a shortened form of the word pavement and the reason why this term is used is because the diamonds are set in a very close cluster so as to make the diamonds give off the same effect as when light shines on a cobbled pavement.

Looks Expensive

Another feature of the pave cushion cut engagement ring is that such an engagement ring looks expensive because of the many rows of diamonds set close together. However, in point of fact, the pave cushion cut engagement ring need not prove to be too costly because most of the diamonds being used are simply diamond chips whose main purpose is to make the ring look more beautiful rather than add to the cost of the ring.

Essentially, a pave cushion cut engagement ring will be set through drilling of tiny holes into the shank of the ring into which the cushion cut diamonds are inserted. In fact, each of the different diamond chips being used will be of a similar size and will also have the same amount of luster. Once all the stones are inserted into their place, small amounts of metal are then molded over the edge of each different diamond chip to ensure that the diamond chips stay in place.

Also, the pave bands will include small sized prongs that hold the diamond chips in their place and the overall effect is to make the pave cushion cut engagement ring stand out and sparkle because the diamonds will be prominent while the metal will be mostly invisible.

You can choose from two different types of pave cushion cut engagement ring settings with one option being using a single band that has an entire row of sparkling diamonds; the other design is to use a wider band that has a number of rows of sparkling diamonds clustered together with each diamond chip being set at an angle to the other.

You need to also pay special attention to cushion cut engagement ring settingand in addition it will also be necessary to decide on whether to opt for handcrafted reproductions of original and antique cushion cut diamond engagement rings or to go for more modern settings. Actually, the antique engagement rings will contain more unique settings and because of that it will cost more.

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If you are someone who is in the market for a diamond engagement ring, then you’re probably planning a proposal in the near future.  First off – Congrats!  Getting engaged is an exciting time in your life and is something that every girl has dreamed of since she was a child.

Now, on to the important part – finding an engagement ring!  Many guys think that this is the most stressful part of getting engaged.  Everyone knows that a diamond is a girl’s best friend!  Obviously,The problem is that most men have never shopped for a diamond before so they have no idea what to look for.

It’s normal to get a confused when you first enter a jewelry store.  You are confronted with lots of shiny diamonds and plenty of dollar signs!  It’s no mystery that the jewelry store employee is going to show you the most expensive diamonds first!

Don’t get stressed out  Trust me, you will find a fantastic diamond ring at a fantastic price.  Ignore the first prices that are presented to you in the stores – the costs are NOT set in stone.  There’s a lot of wiggle room and more importantly, you can hunt for a diamond with certain characteristics so you get the biggest value your buck.

The most critical part of hunting for an engagement ring is to be educated on how these things are graded.  Look for a diamond buying guide to help you out here.  Understand the “4 C’s” and how diamonds are graded.

After you know what goes into grading a diamond, you will have a clearer understanding of what is looked at when determining the price of diamonds.  From there, it’s up to you to select which grading characteristics are important to you and your special someone in purchasing a diamond.

It’s important to decide how much you are willing to spend, and stick with it.  The size of the diamond you choose can go up just by going down a grade in one of the .  As an example, by going from a “F” color graded diamond down to an “I”, you can save big bucks or increase the size of the diamond by a good amount.

Well, get to it!  Go snag that perfect ring!

Click here to take a look as some stunning engagement rings: Engagement Ring Settings.

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