18k White Gold Four Prong Classic Engagement Ring Setting
This engagement ring is 18k white gold with a four-prong platinum head which accommodates your choice of diamond weighing from 0.30 to 3.50 carats.
Settings
Whether you're choosing a diamond solitaire, a ring with a number of stones, or an open-work lattice ring in which the diamonds flow along the lines of the setting, the way the stones are held in the setting is an integral part of its design. Once you recognize these differences, you'll be prepared to analyze each ring at a glance and make a choice based on those elements that best please your taste.
Prong Settings
Let's start with the prong setting, the one most often used to hold a solitaire. Prong setting puts the emphasis on the stones and not the metal. The purpose of any setting is to hold the diamonds securely in the mounting and at the same time allow light to enter the diamonds for maximum brilliance.
This is obviously a delicate balancing act. The more metal used to hold the diamonds, the more secure they are; the less metal used, the greater the chance for the diamond to reflect light. For this reason, platinum is often the metal of choice for diamond solitaires.
Because platinum is both dense and strong, very thin wires of it are sufficient to hold the diamond securely in place. The diamond may be raised high up above the shank, to give it a larger, more important appearance, with only a suggestion of metal showing.
In such a setting, the prongs are attached to the central setting of a ring, known as the head or basket. Each prong extends upward and outward from the head, arching over the diamond to form a secure grip.
The ideal prong tapers to a rounded point. It should be smoothly finished, diminishing any chance of the prong snagging the threads of your clothes. The prongs should also be placed at the key points of the stone, typically at four corners or at four, five or six points evenly spaced around the stone, to offer security without interfering with the stone's brilliance.
The prong setting can also be found in a few variations. One such variation, called the V-prong setting, functions on the same basic concept, but it uses prongs which, when viewed from above, appear to be curved into a V-shape. The right angle of the wire is cut to allow the corner of the gem to rest and be held by the wire.
Another variation on the prong setting is called the common prong. Here, the metal wire is grooved at the top, and is used to hold two gemstones by their side (girdle). This technique is used to give a close side-by-side gemstone relationship without the metallic interference of too many prongs.
