The Best Ring Setting for Your Favorite Gemstone

As you probably know, the ring setting is very important. It not only keeps the gemstone in place, but it also determines how visible the gem will be. And since it can be quite difficult to decide between various ring settings, we have made it easier for you. Read further to discover which ring setting is the ideal choice for your favorite gemstone, then go ahead and view our ring buying guide.

The ring setting & brilliant, hard gemstones

There are a couple of gemstones that reflect light in a way that offers them a particular sparkle. We are talking about diamonds, rubies, sapphires, amethyst, and aquamarine. What all these gemstones have in common besides the ability to reflect light in a beautiful way is a good score on the Mohs hardness scale. Diamonds, for example, get a 10, closely followed by rubies, sapphires, and emeralds which get a 9. The amethyst and aquamarine get 8, but these two are still durable stones, resistant to scratches.

When choosing a ring setting for your gem, you always have to think about the hardness of the stone and its ability to reflect light. Some ring settings offer a lot of visibility but don’t protect the stone as well as others. In turn, the ring setting that protects the gem the most, usually covers a great portion of it, interacting with the gem’s ability to reflect the light. This being said, which ring setting should you choose for these gemstones?

The answer is prongs. Whether with four or six metal pins, the prong ring setting is an excellent choice for gemstones with high brilliance and resistant to scratches. Of course, we wouldn’t recommend the prong ring setting for softer gems. Read further to find out which ring setting is best for them.

The ring setting & less brilliant, hard gemstones

Think about carnelians and garnets. These beautiful gemstones have a pretty good hardness score but they don’t usually reflect light as much as the above gemstones. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find the perfect ring setting for them. Sure, you can try prongs but if you want a special effect, try the tension ring setting.

This type of ring setting uses tension to press the gem between two metal bands. Of course. It is not suitable for soft gemstones, but garnets and carnelians should be fine. Another interesting fact about the tension setting is that it is always custom to the gemstone’s exact size.

The ring setting & brilliant but soft gemstones

There are gemstones that reflect light in a beautiful way but are not as resistant to scratches or mechanical shocks as diamonds or sapphires. In this category, you will find the zircon, citrine, topaz, and periods. What can you do about it? Which ring setting should you choose for these stones to protect them but also emphasize their brilliance?

Luckily for you, people have invented the invisible setting. It is very creative and offers a special effect while also securely holding the stones in place. It also lets light pass through so that the gems’ brilliance is not affected.

The ring setting & opaque gemstones

Most of the opaque gemstones are also quite soft, but it doesn’t matter. Why? Because you don’t need a ring setting that will let light pass through so you can choose a secure one, like the bezel or flush settings. Both of them look fabulous and create a special vintage effect while also securing the stones and protecting them against scratches and mechanical shocks.

You can choose a bezel or a flush setting for amber, jade, lapis lazuli, tourmaline, turquoise, moonstone, opal, onyx, and pearl. These gemstones that we all love need a little bit of extra protection to remain beautiful, which is why a bezel or flush setting is ideal for them.

When it comes to pearls, some people also choose a cathedral ring setting, which is very similar to prongs. Even though less safe than the bezel or the flush, the cathedral ring setting has the unique advantage of emphasizing the stone. A perfectly round pearl in a cathedral setting will look absolutely fabulous, but you will have to be very careful with it.

The ring setting & tiny gemstones

Last, but not least, there are three more ring settings that create an elegant and fabulous effect. We are talking about the channel, the pave and the bar ring setting. With different designs, all of them have one thing in common – they feature a multitude of tiny gemstones set together. What’s great about these settings is that it doesn’t matter whether the gems are brilliant or opaque. The final effect is still mesmerizing. And even if we are talking about diamonds, don’t worry about their brilliance being affected by this setting. When clustered together, diamonds sparkle beautifully, regardless of the ring setting.

If you enjoyed reading this article, we invite you to check out our other articles as well. We publish daily informational articles where you can discover useful buying guides, fun & inspirational styling ideas and more. Browse through our blog and share it with your friends so that they too can become jewelry experts.

To view Ana Luisa’s unique NYC jewelry collections, visit our online jewelry shop. Get to see unique designs at fair prices and limited-edition creations that you will fall in love with. Go ahead and pay us a visit to discover a universe of stunning high-quality jewelry for women.

Others interesting posts about this topic :

Ruxandra

Ruxandra is a fashion blogger who teaches fashion stumped twenty to thirty somethings how to shop their jewelry boxes for polished new ensembles. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Nylon, and Refinery29.