Setting stones is a technological stage in jewelry production, performed after mounting and branding, and is the process of fixing stones or other inserts in a setting or socket of the finished product.
Throughout a long history, craftsmen invented many methods for stone settings. This allows you to create jewelry of different styles with stunning decorative solutions. There are several requirements for setting precious stones: it must firmly maintain the mineral in a metal frame, make the jewelry comfy to wear, and show the attractiveness of the jewelry.
In the previous article, we addressed the issue of whether can be broken a lab grown diamond or not, and in this article we will discuss the issue of setting stones. Below are methods and approaches that have been evaluated worldwide.
Prong Setting in Engagement Rings
It allows you to emphasize the beauty of the stone in a ring or studs. The ring usually has a simple design since the synthetic diamond plays the leading role here. The design is simple: a stone is installed between the hooks (usually 4 or 6) and securely fixed with grooves explicitly made for the shape of the insert and the type of cut. Protruding paws are more likely to have a simple rounded shape but can also have any look, depending on the idea of ββββthe jeweler. The number of prongs varies. For this type of fastening, choose the best stones without flaws. Inserts of a square shape such as "Square" or "Princess" are often fixed with 4 prongs, round ones - from two to eight.
A claw is a hook that holds a stone in a unique bowl. It can be slanted, round, flat at the tip, oval, or heart-shaped.
The cutouts between the prongs are called backlashes.
The presence of several prongs is typical, but more miniature ones surround the main lab diamond. Several factors influence the preference of setting type for a particular piece of jewelry:
- The size of the stone;
- Type of cut of the insert;
- Indicators of hardness
- The number of inserts;
- The color of the stone and its saturation;
- Transparency of the insert;
- The presence of defects (cracks, chips, uneven color};
- Metal color;
- The practicality of fasteners.
Bezel Setting in Engagement Rings
The metal setting surrounds the stone from all sides, providing reliable protection. The edges of the insert do not protrude beyond the rim - very convenient for people with an energetic way of life. The ring will not cling to clothes or hair, so it is convenient and reliable. There is a semi-deaf cast variant when the stone's bottom is entirely open. The insert is installed under high tension, and this option is often utilised for lab diamonds, as more fragile pieces may suffer from such an impact.
A bezel setting is ideal for colored stones: it enhances their color and makes them more saturated. But the yellow and red color of the metal gives transparent stones yellowness, so you should consider these facts when choosing a ring or studs with a lab grown diamond in lemon gold. A reflective foil is placed under the bottom of the insert to prevent such an effect.
Channel, Bar and Pave Settings in Engagement Rings
Another popular type is when creating rings with inserts of the same size. Lab grown diamonds are placed around the ring's circumference, clamping them with a "rail". They are not protruding beyond the boundaries of the metal, so they do not cling to clothes. So the stones are entirely protected, and it is almost unbelievable to damage them. The downside of the rail setting is that dust collects inside because the inside of the ring is hollow. Such products periodically need to be cleaned using ultrasound - standard procedures with ammonia, and a napkin are unsuitable.
It is used for stones with defects that are unsuitable for open options. It is essential when buying to check how firmly the stones are installed. There is also a variation between the plates. Each insert is installed in a separate channel, but there is no sealing, so this method is considered less reliable. However, this is a prevalent option for three or five-stone pieces.
Bar settings it resembles a channel setting, but metal plates are between the diamonds. Usually applied for rings with multiple stones (3-5). This bartack is less reliable than the channel bartack.
In this design, many small gems are stacked like a paved pavement. This is a very complex technique: small niches are drilled in metal, and stones are inserted with a sharp end into these niches at a small distance from each other, which is than filled with alloy.
Each influx must play the role of a prong, holding three stones.
Using this technique, you can create entire canvases, use different gems and give free rein to fantasy. Usually, the pavΓ© technique is used to create products in which small stones play the role of a background for the main large specimen. It is also used for stones with different cuts, and the jeweler must master it to perfection to create only beautiful but also reliable products.
Tension, Flush and Bead Setting in Engagement Rings
Tension Setting. It is when the lab diamond is held in the frame due to tension between the two parts of the ring. This force is the key point in backtack, and the very name of this type of backtack comes from the method itself - with the help of pressure.
For each specific product, this moment of tension (pressure) is worked out so that it corresponds to the size of the stone being fixed, with the help of which the stone will hold.
Products look great, unique, and exceptional. It supplies relatively good visibility of the fixed stones.
Flush / Burnish Setting. Another way of fixing the stone in the depth of the metal. A thin metal band around the perimeter of the stone holds the stone in place. The flush setting is often used to set diamonds.
Bead Setting. It is a method of fixing a faceted stone. A small metal burr is lifted with the engraver, processed at an angle of 30 degrees and pressed against the edge of the stone. It is then polished with a concave end punch into a small ball over the stone's girdle.
Invisible & Cluster Setting in Engagement Rings
The lab diamonds are attached to metal structures obscured under the stones. The effect is that these seats (nests) are planted where the stones are hidden.
It looks beautiful and guarantees that the gemstones are well saved from harm, as the stones do not protrude from the setting and are therefore less likely to snag on clothes or other things.
Although it is usually quite reliable in protecting the stones from damage, the invisible structures holding the stones can be deformed from a strong impact, and the stones may fall out.
Cluster setting used in rings with rows of small diamonds. Clusters with stones in the ring can be arranged in a flower or abstract, airy or dense, but the ring cluster is multi-level and rises high above the hand.
It is the right option if you can't afford a more significant center lab diamond but like more dazzle and light for less.
In one piece of jewelry, several ways of setting a stone can be combined. The process requires special care and accuracy from the jeweler, but the fantasy result is impressive! Behind the beauty of a simple ring with a shining stone are hours and days of painstaking work. It depends on the jeweler how much the insert will reveal its brilliance or surprise with color saturation.
Does 4 or 6 prong make lab created diamond look bigger?
Stones set in a four-prong setting show more glimmer and shine than in a six-prong. Four prong settings make the stones appear larger, while six prong settings make them slightly smaller in comparison, as most of the gemstone's surface is plated. For this reason, it is recommended to use a four-prong setting if your diamond is smaller than 1 carat so as not to obscure the gemstone with additional metal prongs.
Do bezel set artificial diamonds fall out?
The custom-fit metal rim closely has the center diamond, making it far less likely for the diamond to come loose or fall out. Thanks to this firm custom fit, it is one of the safest engagement ring settings. How to set lab grown diamond stone in a prong setting? It typically has four or six metal prongs that extend up from the ring's basket and over them.
What does a halo bezel setting ring look like?
One of the most widespread type is the Halo, when a halo of small inserts is placed around a large central stone. In general, the method is influenced by the design of the ring, under which the jeweler selects inserts with a certain cut.
