My husband brought to my attention that sometimes I use terms in reference to how stones are set that need some extra explanation so I thought I would write a post dedicated to all of the ways to set stones in jewelry.

Read on for pictures and explanations of prong settings, basket settings, pave, channel settings, bezels, partial bezels, and gypsy settings.

Prong setting is probably the most common type of setting. Under that heading of “prong setting” there of several options though. The first would be a die cast head which is how some jewelers prefer to set large center stones. The reason they prefer this particular way of prong setting is that it is the most secure type of prong setting. It is more secure for several reasons. The first is that the actual metal is stronger. The process for Die Casting leads to a head with metal that is dense without any “bubbles” that create weak spots. Also, for round stones, die cast heads often have 6 prongs. If 4 prongs are good, 6 are better because there are just that many more prongs to hold the stone in case 1 or more prongs are damaged.

Another type of prong setting is a “basket” This type of head if often cast with the rest of the ring. The nice thing about basket heads is that there are horizontal rails that the stone sits on which stabilizes the stone. Baskets are most often used for center stones but variations can be used for smaller side stones.

Pave is another type of prong-link setting. Real pave is not considered to be prong set because there are no prongs when the jeweler starts setting the stone, he has to dig the metal out to create prongs which is very difficult. These days, pave setting is often just another way of prong setting because the prongs are part of the ring before the jeweler starts setting. Pave is a term used to refer to a lot of stones set very close together on the surface of the a piece of jewelry, “paving” the surface of the metal.

Channel setting is a very popular type of setting where the stones are held with tension between two bars of metal. This type of setting can be used for both large and small stones. The difference between a channel setting and a true tension setting is the band of metal underneath the stone or stones that prevent the bars holding the stone(s) to be pulled apart.

Another type of setting for both small and large stones is a bezel. Bezel set stones have metal all the way around the stone that is bent over the edges of the stone slightly to hold the stone in place. This is my personal favorite type of setting because it is clean and VERY secure. The downside to bezels is that they are more difficult for the jeweler to do well so you have to trust your jeweler to keep the metal thickness around the stone even and smooth.

There is a variation on bezel setting called a partial bezel. This type of setting something between a bezel and a channel. It is like a bezel that doesn’t go all the way around the stone or like a channel that curves to fit the edges of the stone.

The last type of setting that I use is gypsy setting which is also called flush setting. This type of setting is used for smaller stones generally but does not have to be. Gypsy setting is like bezel setting without the bezel. The stone is set down into the metal and the metal of the piece is bent over the stone all the way around to hold the stone in place.

Ideally every type of setting will hold your stone in place forever, but jewelry is not always ideal. Make sure you trust your jeweler to do their best work and also have your jewelry checked periodically to make sure that your setting are still secure to prevent stone loss.