Unless they are particularly enlightened, informed, done it before, or helped a friend previously, most guys know very little when they begin the journey of finding an engagement ring for their partner.
However, if you want to venture into less-travelled territory, if you and your partner are more out of the ordinary, prefer the unusual, you probably should look into custom designed jewellery. You can find a lot of jewellers who specialise in customized engagement rings Melbourne wide. There is nothing like receiving a gift of jewellery that you know has been offered to you in the spirit of generosity and love – and one in which your interests are at the forefront. Create a special design that’s “very her.” Find a reputable jeweller.
One of the critical creative elements of an engagement ring is the setting. Don’t worry if you don’t know much about settings – unless you work in the jewellery industry, you wouldn’t have much cause to learn about settings.
There are several things you should know about settings so you can approach your chosen jeweller.
Prong: the most common and classic setting. A prong holds the diamond in place, in the setting. Prongs can be rounded, pointed, flat, or V-shaped (used most commonly for princess-cut diamonds). The settings usually have four or six prongs – the idea behind this is that you can see the diamond more clearly with only four prongs, but six prongs secures the precious jewel and holds onto it tightly. Prongs – especially high-set, can snag on clothing. Lower-set prongs are ideal if your partner is athletic or active. Because of the potential for loosening, prongs should be inspected by your jeweller.
Tiffany: Created in 1886, this specific solitaire six-prong setting was designed to maximize the light return on the diamond. It’s distinctive because of its shaft’s signature “knife edge” and the prong design. Any jeweller can mimic, but the exact Tiffany has been trademarked.
Bezel: Prong-less; the diamond or the central stone is encircled, with a thin metal rim custom-made to hold the stone tightly in place.
Tension: Tension in the metal band secures the stone in place and it appears the diamond appears suspended between the two sides of the shank. This is no easy feat for the jeweller, because he has to make tiny grooves on the side of the band, with the help of calibrated lasers, which determine dimensions. For extra security/peace of mind, a prong or bezel setting is added beneath or to the side.
Channel: Small mall diamonds are set in a row into the band; diamonds are flush with the shank. They’re set tightly together in the grooves to decorate the band’s sides or the band itself. It is frequently used for wedding bands and stackable rings with small stone and without a featured (centre stone). There are no prongs.
Pave: The jeweller sets small diamonds together with minimal visibility of the prongs. The jeweller will drill tiny holes and fill the holes with diamonds, adding tiny prongs to secure. Because the tiny prongs resemble beads, this is sometimes calls bead-setting. Pave-set diamonds are .01-.02 carats – anything smaller is called micro-pave. Bands paved all around cannot be sized.
Halo: Diamonds or gems surround the centre stone
Cathedral: Uses arches of metal to hold the chosen gemstone. The diamond (or gem) is mounted with arches – adding height and giving the main stone the appearance of being larger, above the rest of the shank.
Bar: Similar to Channel, bar set diamonds are exposed on two sides.
Flush: Also called a gypsy setting, a hold is drilled into the band and the jewel is set flush with the band. It’s a popular setting for a men’s ring.
Three-Stone: These three stones represent the couple’s past, present and future. The stone can be all diamonds or a mixture of stones.
Antique or vintage: These are rings from or made to look like they are from Art Deco, Edwardian and Victorian. Filigree and Milgrain are engraved in intimate detail.
Cluster: Several small stones are placed tightly together to mimic the look of a single large diamond.
Eternity: These are most often used for wedding bands or anniversary rings and are available in prong, channel, bezel and flush settings.
Shank/Split Shank: the shank “splits into two separate shanks.”