What is Prong Setting of Diamond?

The prong setting is one of the most common settings in diamond jewelry. The prong setting is also one of the main characteristics that make the most amazing diamond rings. Most of the companies are also trying to get the basics of this setting to be known as the leading name as diamond engagement rings.

Though, the sad part is that many of us are not aware of the exact concept of prong setting in diamonds. Let us invest some of our time in knowing the exact meaning and details of this setting by exploring this article.

The traditional setup for a 4 prong setting involves placing prongs at the 2, 4, 8, 10 clock position and it creates somewhat a unique look to the ring. But, did you know that the prongs can also be mounted in a north-east-south-west (NESW manner. This is sometimes referred to as a kite mounting and is frequently found in settings with four corner cut diamonds.

When used with a diamond, this orientation makes an illusion which makes the diamond appear bigger than itself. People who want to have a bigger looking solitaire diamond ring, consider setting the center stone in this setting. Do note that a kite mounting will make it harder for a wedding band.

What is Prong Setting?

According to the famous site of Wikipedia, prong setting refers to the use of projections of metal which are known as prongs for securing the position of the jewel stone in the ring. These metal projections fix the position of the stone in the ring and don't allow it move or lose its position. This setting is essential in the diamond jewelry, especially in diamond engagement rings as this setting allows the light beam to fall on the diamond from different angles and allows it to shine even brighter and with brilliance.

Prongs are often preferred over the complex designs in the rings because they can be easily generated and repaired and allow to highlights the maximum portion of the stone without any damage.

Types of Prongs Setting:

The two most common types of prongs setting are:

1. 4 –Prong Setting: The 4- Prong setting is the most preferred choice for a diamond ring of 1 carat or less. This prong setting allows the maximum area of the stone to get visible. These prongs setting can easily be created and repaired. The only drawback of the 4-prong setting is that it is not recommended to hold the diamonds stone of higher carat as 4 prongs are generally lesser in number.
2. 6- Prong Setting: The 6- prong setting is the first choice for a diamond ring which is made up of higher carats. The 6 prong setting is considered to be more secure than the 4 prong setting because there are a number of prongs to hold the diamond ring in place. It, therefore, delivers high security to the stone. Besides providing a great support to the ring, this setting is more expensive to generate and repair. The other drawback that a 6 prong setting faces is that because of the more number of prongs, most of the portion of the diamond gets hidden.

General Features:

The most general features that the prong setting offers to the diamond ring are as follow:

1. They can be hand made
2. Easier to create and repair
3. Gives maximum exposure to the stone
4. Available in many shapes and sizes
5. Gives a supportive base to the ring
6. Allows the light to fall on the stone from different angles and thereby giving maximum brilliance and light
7. Adds to the ring’s beauty