low girdle and
pavilion facets
The flat cuts made
in the stone below
the girdle.the table
The face or flat
surface of the stone.the crown
The top of the
stone above
the girdle.
the girdle
The name given to the
edge where the stone’s top meets
the bottom. In most cases, this is
where the prongs hold the diamond.the culet
The point at the
bottom of the stone.PRONGS
Also known as claws, four to six metal
prongs bend over the stone and secure it in
place (six prongs are safer). Prongs can be
thick or thin and are an excellent way to
show off a diamond, because they allow
the entire gem to be seen and maximum
light to shine through.
CHANNEL
Stones are set side by side, without dividers,
all the way around the ring. Two metal
support strips are also set flush with the
stones, providing a smooth all-over surface
that won’t catch or snag. Channel-set rings
don’t allow as much light into the diamonds
and thus tend to reduce their sparkle.
PAVÉ
Many small gemstones are placed so
closely together in a ‘honeycomb’ pattern
that no metal can be seen.BAR
A bar setting is similar to, but safer than, a
channel setting. Slim vertical metal bars are
used to divide the stones and allow light to
enter the side diamonds.FLUSH
This setting involves a prominent centre
stone with smaller diamonds embedded
into the band (flush set) on either side.CLUSTER
Clusters or three-stone rings surround a
large centre stone with smaller side stones.
This setting will embellish a smaller
diamond or emphasise a large one.SEMI-MOUNTING
If you already have a stone,
semi-mounting is a great option. Semi-
mounting can be purchased ready-made
with space for your stone.BEZEL, HALF-BEZEL
AND DOUBLE-BEZEL
A bezel or ‘rub-over’ setting is a
metal frame that surrounds your stone,
making it appear larger.INVISIBLE
A variation on the bar setting,
diamonds in an invisible setting are placed
so tightly together that no metal shows
between them. In fact, the stones are
actually cut to interlock with each other in a
dazzling array of uniformity.TENSION
Contour or tension settings are a
modern version of the classic solitaire
setting. Elegant lines rise up to protect
and suspend the diamond on both
sides. It allows maximum viewing,
but are not as secure and should
be checked regularly.set for success
WORKBOOK
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