Posted By seovine on May 12, 2011

As a diamond expert with over 20 years of time spent in the field, I am frequently requested to help young couples choose an appropriate engagement ring to commemorate and symbolize their love as they anticipate their future wedding. My experience and knowledge in this area can be helpful, but, of course, each person (and couple!) considers jewelry with their own personal style and taste, which should be recognized and upheld throughout the process.

There are a number of particular ideas, though, which I find can assist couples to gain a broader comprehension of the types of diamond ring settings that can be found.

For example, many couples approach buying jewelry with the initial expectation (fostered by Tiffany & Co.) that the “standard” style of engagement ring is a solitaire setting design, where the main diamond is held in position by several prongs connected to a simple metal band. These have indeed held a solid reputation over time, but they barely scratch the surface of the many other choices of diamond engagement settings! You can find an incredible diversity of setting styles beyond these solitaire settings, such as can be seen in 3 stone engagement rings, settings featuring a halo of stones surrounding the center stone, split shank designs, and many other options are available.

Another important factor to consider is whether to choose white gold engagement rings as your setting style of choice. Before the current generation, yellow gold was the most prevalent by far, and still holds a certain antique appearance for diamond settings. Now, however, it’s more likely to see white gold used as the material for wedding jewelry. One reason for this choice is that a white gold band causes your diamonds to display in a brighter color. Because natural diamond stones are almost never completely without color, there are visual advantages to choosing a white-colored setting for your diamond.

It is important to bear in mind that white gold must be frequently refinished with rhodium plating in order to maintain its appearance, to prevent it from reverting back to its natural yellow color over time and with heavy used.

In addition, you will want to consider the physical manner in which your diamond(s) are held in place in the engagement ring. Due to the fact that gold is naturally a soft metal, it happens all too frequently that a bride will find that the prongs of her setting have been jarred somehow, and the center stone has been knocked loose from its setting. Hopefully she will be able to recover the lost diamond, but regardless,Unless the missing stone is found, this kind of accident can be expensive and heartbreaking!

For those with active lifestyles or who work frequently with machinery, you might want to think about bezel engagement rings as a possible option compared to traditional prong-set engagement settings. Bezel diamondsettings wrap a thin layer of metal either partway (“half bezel”) or entirely (“full bezel”) around the circumference of the diamond. This helps keep the stone in place, and makes it almost impossible to dislodge by mistake.

There are many reputable diamond designers from whom can be found beautiful engagement ring settings. To name but a few:

• Tacori
• Tiffany & Co.
• Leo Ingwer
• Emma Parker & Co.
• Stardust
• Gabriel

You can generally find excellent selections of ring setting styles at your local jeweler, or searching web sites online to get a sense of the selection that can be found.

I offer you my best wishes for your relationship, and hope you will be successful in finding the perfect engagement ring setting!

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