Saturday, August 20, 2011

What You Should Know Before Choosing Your Engagement Ring Setting

By Dean Prater


Half your job as a bride-to-be is finished after you pick the gemstone for your much-cherished engagement ring. After this lies the job of deciding on the best setting that exhibits your stone, as well as your ring to the best effect. Here is a review at some options, advantages and shortcomings of three popular engagement ring settings.

Bezel setting

A bezel setting has a rim (made of metal) that attaches the stone, and covers its perimeter partially or completely. A primary benefit of this setting is that it offers good protection to the stone's girdle; chips and nicks are sure to be few or rare in your bezel set diamond engagement ring. It secures the stone effectively and hides any imperfections or nicks in the stone's girdle. The metal casing can be easily shaped to fit various sized gemstones securely. However, if you decide on a bezel setting made from yellow gold, the 'whiteness' of the diamond can be compromised as it will reflect the bezel's yellow tint. Alternatively the bezel setting could certainly improve the look and color of green and red gems.

Prong or Claw setting

The prong or claw setting is a common option in many engagement rings. Basically, the prongs hold the stone tightly, with the metal claws protruding over different corners of the stone. The gemstone may have anywhere between 3 and 6 prongs, while smaller stones go better with fewer prongs so they won't be overshadowed by the metal. The prongs are generally V-shaped, flat, pointed or rounded. A few of the attributes of such a setting include good light exposure that lightens up gemstones and a straight-forward stone cleaning procedure. Nevertheless, the prongs may be an irritation every now and then as clothing and hair can get snagged on them. In addition, a high-mounted claw setting may cause scratches when it brushes against the skin.

Bar setting

In this kind of setting, slim metal bars are put in between stones to attach them. The benefit of a bar setting is that it offers sufficient protection to the sides of the girdle, whether it's an individual stone or you have several gemstones bordering the gemstone in the center. The surfaces of the vertical metal bars tend to be tiny, smooth and don't infringe on the beauty or luster of the stone(s) at all. One look at the ring that has a bar setting at your local Austin jeweler will reveal just how contemporary a look and feel it offers. Nevertheless there are some disadvantages in this style of setting- the bottom and top of the gemstone lies exposed and the jagged edges of certain designs might cause discomfort.

Examine different stone settings to make an informed decision

Just the tremendous assortment of stones and ring designs makes the responsibility of deciding on the best setting quite challenging. You might debate about the appearance, practicality, protection, simplicity of cleaning, amount along with other features, which is a good thing if you are to make an educated purchase decision. Familiarize yourself with the favorable as well as less beneficial elements of different engagement ring settings prior to heading to an austin jewelery store near you.




About the Author:



No comments: