Engagement Rings With Prong Settings
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.
Settings on engagement rings can also be called mountings, and they are the visible or invisible ways that he diamond is held onto the ring. In some cases and ring designs the setting is actually part of the ring’s beauty while in other cases the settings are as small as possible and not really noticeable.
One of the most popular and classic types of engagement ring settings is the prong setting. Like the name suggests the prong setting uses metal prongs or filaments to hold the diamond into the base of the setting at the band. They have a hooked top that clasps the top surface of the diamond, holding it into the setting base. Prong settings are generally only used on medium to larger sized diamonds or when the diamond is a solitaire in a setting.
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.
Round diamond shapes in engagement rings often have four or size prongs to secure the diamond. Unusual shapes such as heart shape, triangular shaped or marquis shaped diamonds will often have four to six prongs, perhaps more if the diamond is larger than average.
The prongs are not heavy on most engagement rings and are placed in positions to allow light to enter from the top and sides of the diamonds. Without this type of open structure there would be less brilliance and dazzle to the diamond. Often the prongs form a sort of a cradle or basket around the diamond, especially those that are raised high off the band.
To minimize the number of prongs and increase the area where light can enter into the setting and the diamond, jewelers use a variety of prong styles. V-shaped prongs are used on corners of diamonds in engagement rings to minimize the number of prongs and maximum light area.
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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