Engagement Ring Center Setting
A comprehensive guide to the center setting and style of engagement rings
So you're ready to buy an engagement ring! How do you get started? Seems like an overwhelming number of choices — the shape and type of center stone, the metal color, an endless number of designs and styles. You should start by blocking off a few weeks to read articles like this one and get an intensive education in ring design, gemology, and jewelry styling. When you can properly identify milgrain and v-prongs and fishtail pavé, you're ready to start browsing through thousands of ring designs in stores and online catalogs. The perfect ring is out there!
First up: the center stone setting. The way we set the center stone impacts not only the overall style of the ring, but also its durability. We’ll start this off with the most popular methods, then discuss other options for unique aesthetics.
Prong Settings
By far the most common method of setting a center stone, prongs allow for lots of light, which means tons of sparkle! For round center stones, designs with four or six prongs are most common, but as few as three prongs could hold the center stone. Alternatively, using more prongs on a solitaire ring can give it a unique, vintage flair.
Of course, there are tradeoffs for the number of prongs that you use. While fewer prongs allow for more light on the center stone, they also make the stone a little less secure. For most lifestyles, a four-prong setting will hold the stone securely. If you have an active lifestyle or a larger center stone, six prongs are a great option for improved durability with plenty of light on your center stone.
Prongs on Different Gem Shapes
For gemstones with fancy shapes (which means anything but round) there are other considerations. We often recommend setting princess, pear, marquise, and heart shapes (i.e. shapes with "points") with protective corner prongs, to reduce the risk of the diamond or gemstone chipping at those most fragile spots. This can be as simple as setting the stone with a single prong on the corners or using an even more protective setting like a v-prong (a wider prong that hugs the corner, creating a shape like the letter 'v').
In addition, square or rectangular shapes usually look best with four prongs, unless you want to opt for a style with many prongs.
Of course, the tip can come in various shapes and sizes. Some people prefer circular edges, while others prefer the aesthetics of pointed or tapered edges. The tapered tip can provide a retro feel when designed in a claw like shape, or feel very modern by using sharper angles and straight lines.
Forks can also be increased by two or three times, adding more diversity to the possible appearance. For example, we can use double claw tips to create a durable environment with a noticeable retro feel. Alternatively, we can set three sharp tips at the corners of the princess's diamond cutting to provide protection with a unique V-shaped tip.
Border settings
If the tip is not suitable for your style, you can consider installing a baffle. This ancient method of setting the center stone actually produces a smooth and modern appearance. In the bezel setting, the metal is completely wrapped around the gemstone, making it very safe. Unlike pointed tips, it also does not stick to clothes or gloves. This makes the bezel setting an excellent choice for people with an active lifestyle or practical work experience. For soft center stones such as opal or pearls, this is also a good choice because they are easily scratched in pointed environments.
Half border
The crystal center stone in this ring has a half bezel setting with openings on both sides to showcase more gemstones.
You can always compromise by designing half border settings. Here, only a portion of the stones are embedded in the bezel, while the remaining portion is open. This gives your ring a unique style and allows more light to shine on the stone, making it more shiny than the full bezel setting.
Halo
halo settings are the next most popular choice for an engagement ring. In these styles, first popularized in the Victorian era, small diamonds or gemstones encircle the large center stone. Usually, halo settings employ small round stones, but some halos can use different shapes to create a unique effect. While most halos are a simple circle around the center stone, others are shaped to appear like flowers or a sunburst. Some rings even have multiple halos, sometimes employing two or more shapes or types of gemstones.
There are several advantages to choosing a halo style. The halo adds a lot of sparkle to the ring, and compared to choosing a larger center stone, a halo is much easier on the pocket. In addition, a halo of diamonds will actually make the center stone appear larger, when compared to a solitaire. If you’re looking for a sparkly style with a lot of finger coverage, diamond halo settings are a great option.
If you need many shining points, but the halo is not your style, you can consider a three stone ring. These rings are exactly what they sound like, showcasing three beautiful gemstones that symbolize the past, present, and future. Usually, the two stones on the side are smaller than the one in the middle. In this case, a smaller lateral stone will make the center appear larger. However, some people prefer three stone rings, each of which is of the same size.
Some people choose three stone rings with round diamonds or gemstones, while others prefer mixed shapes. The circular center stone paired with a conical staff was a popular style in the 1950s and is now becoming popular again. The trillions, pear shaped, and marquis shaped side stones also provide a conical appearance for the three stone ring. A flat side stone is an excellent choice for a three stone ring. There are three princess cut stones on the ring, emitting a lot of radiance and displaying powerful geometric shapes. Personally, my favorite three stone rings use three emerald cut gemstones, enhancing the subtle texture
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