Diamond Earring Settings
While buying a pair of diamond earrings, the last thing that is in our mind is the setting. We tend to concentrate more on the design and style of the earring, the carat and cut of the diamonds and of course how much it is going to cost. However it is a good idea to give the setting for the earrings equal importance. The kind of setting that your diamond earring has, has a bearing on the look and finish of the earring, the safety factor and also the resale value. When you are purchasing diamond earrings that is less than half a carat, the type of setting does not really make a lot of difference. But when you choose one carat or two carat diamond earrings, you have to consider earring settings that is ideal for that sized stone.
Different Settings Used in Diamond Earring
The setting for diamond earring depends a large deal on the style and design. The more intricate and ornate a design, the more complicated the setting become. This of course translates to shelling out more money for your pair. One of the most common type of diamond earring setting that you will see is the prong setting. It is very basic in nature and most jewelers prefer to have this setting. There are several variations of the prong setting and a prong setting with either 4 or 6 prongs is the most popular one. It is an open ended setting, meaning that light can enter both from the top and the sides giving you maximum brilliance. Since it allows maximum amount of light to reflect through the diamond, it is an ideal diamond earring setting.
Suppose you are not purchasing solitaire diamond earring studs, but a cluster of small diamonds that are mounted together. Then the best setting to showcase the brilliance of this tiny fiery diamond is the pave setting. A pave setting is nothing more than a tight grouping of identically sized diamond stones that are laid across a flat surface. Since the small diamond stones are set close together without any metal in between them, it looks paved with stones. Pave settings are great as they give the illusion of bigger stones.
The best diamond earring setting however is the martini style setting. It is mostly found in antique diamond jewelry. In a martini style settings, the diamond is held by three prongs as against four or six prongs. This gives a neat and clean look and also is better able to show off the brilliance of the stones as there is less metal that covers the diamond. Another good diamond earring setting that you can consider for solitaire diamond earrings is the frustum setting. It is also known as the hollow cone setting and it is characterized by a conical or tapered shape. The diamond rests against the inside of the cone. Another popular diamond earring setting to be used is the bezel setting. The bezel setting has been used for a long time and in this setting the diamond is set deep inside of the mounting.
Some settings like the martini style setting costs a lot more than others. Other settings like tension, invisible and channel are also used in modern diamond earring jewelry. Many women prefer certain settings like prong and martini style because they greatly enhance the brilliance of the diamonds. The kind of setting in diamond jewelry will ultimately have an effect upon the price of the earring.
