Diamond Setting Types: A Guide for Diamonds and Gemstones

What is a diamond setting?

A setting is the metal work that holds a stone in place on a ring, pendant or earring. Jewellers also use the word for the act of fixing the stone, which is done by a setter, a specialist bench jeweller who cuts a seat into the metal and then pushes or folds metal over the edge of the stone.

Most ring settings share the same parts. The shank is the band that goes around the finger. The head is the part that holds the centre stone, and it sits on a gallery, the open metalwork under the stone that you see from the side. The metal that touches the stone is either a set of claws (called prongs in the US), a continuous rim called a bezel, or the surrounding metal itself, as in flush and channel work. Every stone sits in a seat, a small groove cut to the exact angle of its girdle (the thin outer edge of the stone).

Those terms come up again and again when you talk to a jeweller, and our A–Z glossary of jewellery terms explains the rest. If you are mainly choosing the look of an engagement ring rather than the mechanics, our guide to engagement ring styles such as solitaire, trilogy and vintage covers design; this page focuses on how stones are actually held and how each method wears.

What are the main diamond setting types?

There are seven setting methods you will meet in almost every jewellery shop in Australia. Many rings combine two or more, for example a claw-set centre stone with pavé down the band.

Lab-grown and natural diamonds are set exactly the same way. A laboratory-grown diamond has the same hardness (10 on the Mohs scale) and the same girdle and facet structure, so every setting on this page works equally well for both.

How many claws should a diamond have?

Claw settings are the most popular because they leave most of the stone open to light. The number of claws is a balance between security and how much of the stone you see.

• Four claws: shows more of the diamond and gives a squarer look to a round. If one claw breaks, only three remain, so they need regular checks.
• Six claws: rounder outline and more security; if one claw lifts, five still hold. Common on rounds from about 0.70 carat up.
• Three or five claws: used on hearts and trillions, where the claws follow the corners.
• Double claws: two thin claws at each position, so eight in total, for a finer look with backup.
• V-claws: a V-shaped claw that wraps a point or corner, needed on princess, pear, marquise and heart shapes, where the point is the thinnest and most chip-prone part.
• Eagle (pointed) claws: tapered tips that cover less of the stone; elegant, but there is less metal to wear down.

Claw shape matters as much as number. A round-tipped claw carries the most metal; a flat or tapered claw shows more of the stone. New claws on a solitaire are usually about 0.8–1.2 mm thick at the tip, and setters generally want at least a third to half of that left before they consider a claw safe.

Claws work for almost any shape, but corners and points change the rules. Our setting options for round brilliant diamonds compares four and six claws in detail, and the princess cut setting guide explains why square corners always need a V-claw or bezel. For the specific geometry of points, see how to protect the tip of a pear diamond.

Is a bezel setting more secure than claws?

Generally, yes. A full bezel is a continuous metal rim, usually 0.5–1 mm proud of the girdle, that wraps the whole edge. There is no single point of failure, and the girdle, which is where most chips start, is completely covered. A half bezel covers two sides only, leaving the other two open to light. The trade-off is a little less sparkle from the side and a slightly smaller-looking stone, because the metal frames the edge.

A flush setting, also called a gypsy or burnish setting, goes further. The setter drills a hole into the band, cuts a seat, drops the stone in so its table (the flat top facet) is about level with the metal, then pushes the surrounding metal over the girdle. Nothing sticks up, so nothing catches. It is ideal for wedding bands and men's rings; our page on how flush and gypsy settings are made shows the process.

A tension setting holds the stone between the two ends of the band, with tiny grooves cut into the metal and the band's springiness gripping the girdle. True tension rings need a hard stone (diamond, sapphire, ruby or moissanite) and precise engineering, and they usually cannot be resized more than a little. Many rings sold as 'tension-style' have a hidden bar or bezel underneath. Our guide to tension and suspended stone settings explains how to tell the difference.

Pavé vs channel setting: which suits side stones?

Small diamonds down the band or around a centre stone are called accent or side stones. How they are set decides how the ring looks and how much maintenance it needs.

• Pavé (French for 'paved'): small stones, usually about 1–2 mm, set close together and held by tiny beads raised from the metal with a graver. Micro-pavé uses stones under about 1 mm and is set under a microscope. Bright-cut pavé adds a polished groove alongside the stones to reflect more light.
• Channel: stones lined up between two parallel walls, with no beads to catch. Suits round, princess and baguette side stones and is more practical for daily wear.
• Bar: like a channel, but with short metal bars between each stone, so more of each side stone is visible.
• Halo: a ring of small pavé or claw-set diamonds around the centre stone. It frames the centre and makes it look larger.

Pavé gives the most sparkle per millimetre but has the most points of wear, because each bead is only a few tenths of a millimetre. Our explainer on micro-pavé, bead and bright-cut work goes into the detail. If size is your priority, a halo is one of several tricks that make a centre diamond look larger. For softer, nature-inspired designs that use clusters of small stones as petals, see our floral ring setting ideas.

Which diamond setting types suit each shape?

The shape of the stone narrows your choices. Anything with a point or sharp corner needs that point protected, and step cuts with large open tables show the setting through the stone.

Each shape has its own detailed guide. Cushions vary a lot in outline, so see our cushion diamond setting options. Both points of a marquise need V-claws, covered in securing a marquise at each end. Step cuts have their own considerations: read claw and bezel choices for emerald cuts and setting an Asscher cut so its corners stay safe. Hearts need both the point and the cleft considered; see V-claw, bezel and halo options for hearts.

Which gemstone setting types work for coloured stones?

Diamond is 10 on the Mohs scale of scratch resistance. Almost every coloured gemstone is softer, and some are brittle or heat-sensitive, which changes how they should be set and repaired. Lab-created gems, such as lab-created sapphire, have the same hardness as their natural counterparts and are set the same way.

Two things matter most. First, a setter's pressure must suit the stone: an emerald with fractures can split if a claw is pushed too hard, so many jewellers prefer bezels for emeralds. Second, softer stones usually have to be removed before claws are soldered or re-tipped, because torch heat can crack or discolour them. Our guide to designing a secure setting for a coloured gemstone explains seat depth and claw placement, and spinel is covered in why spinel suits an engagement ring.

How do diamond settings wear over the years?

From the repair bench, the pattern is very consistent. Settings rarely fail suddenly; they wear slowly, and the stone is lost when nobody has checked for a few years.

• Claws: rub thin on the tips and on the side that faces your palm. Gold loses metal as it wears; platinum tends to move and spread rather than wear away, so it lasts longer between repairs but still needs attention. Re-tipping, adding new metal to a worn claw, is commonly needed somewhere between 5 and 15 years of daily wear.
• Pavé beads: flatten until a small stone moves or drops out. Losing one or two accent stones over a decade is common.
• Channel walls: can be pushed open by a sharp knock, loosening every stone in the row.
• Bezels: can dent, but the stone is rarely lost.
• Shanks: thin at the base of the band, especially in 9ct gold and in thin bands under about 1.5 mm. Stacking a wedding band against it speeds this up.
• White gold: its rhodium plating wears to show a slightly warmer colour, often within 1–2 years; re-plating restores it.

As a rough guide, re-tipping one claw costs about AUD $50–$150 in gold and more in platinum, while replacing a whole head costs more again. If you garden, lift weights, work with your hands or play sport, a lower bezel or channel design will spend far less time on the repair bench; see our advice on ring settings for active hands and busy jobs.

Can you choose a custom setting for your own stone?

Yes. If you already have a diamond or gemstone, for example an inherited stone, a setting can be built around it. Because every stone is slightly different, a custom head has to be modelled to its exact length, width and depth, and to the angle of its girdle. A difference of 0.1–0.2 mm can be the gap between a tight seat and a loose stone, which is why exact stone measurements matter in custom work.

A CAD (computer-aided design) render lets you see the setting from every angle, and check the height and claw placement, before any metal is cast. If you want to move a stone into a ring you already own, our guide to fitting a loose diamond into an existing ring explains what is and isn't possible.

How do you choose between diamond setting types? Step by step

1. Start with the stone. Note its shape, measurements in millimetres and hardness. Points and corners need V-claws or a bezel; softer stones (below about Mohs 7) and brittle stones such as emerald suit a bezel.
2. Think about your hands. Active work and sport favour bezel, flush or channel; office wear suits claws and pavé.
3. Decide how much light you want. Claws show the most stone; bezels and flush settings trade some sparkle for protection.
4. Choose the metal. Platinum claws last longest between repairs; 18ct gold is harder wearing than 9ct in daily use.
5. Check the height. A low-set head catches less; a higher cathedral head shows more of the stone from the side.
6. Plan the wedding band. Make sure the head and band sit together without rubbing.
7. Book regular checks. Have the claws and any pavé checked every 6–12 months, and re-tipped when they thin.