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Diamond Earring Settings

Rimlee Bhuyan
The setting of diamonds in diamond earrings is as important as the look of the jewelry. Discussed here are the various settings used in making diamond earrings.
While buying a pair of diamond earrings, we tend to concentrate more on their design and style and the cut and carat of the diamonds. We do not bother much about the setting of the diamonds.
However, it is just as important as the other aspects, because it has a bearing on the look and finish of the earrings and also on their safety and resale value.
If the diamonds used in the earrings are less than half a carat, it does not make much of a difference. However, if they are one or two carats, then you have to consider a setting that is ideal for a stone that size.

Different Types of Settings
The setting used for a pair of diamond earrings depends greatly on the style and design of that particular piece. The more intricate and ornate a design, the more complicated the setting will be, and the cost of the jewelry will also be proportionately higher.
One of the most common settings you will find is the prong setting. It is very basic in nature, and most jewelers prefer to go for it. It has several variations, but the ones with 4 or 6 prongs are the most popular.
It is an open-ended setting, meaning that light can enter from the top as well as the sides, giving the stone maximum brilliance. It is ideal since it allows a great amount of light to reflect through the diamond.
In case you are purchasing earrings with a cluster of small diamonds mounted together, instead of a solitaire stud, the pave setting is the most suitable. It is a tight grouping of identically sized diamond stones that are laid across a flat surface.
Since the small diamonds are set close together without any metal in between them, it looks like a path paved with stones. Pave settings give the illusion that the stones are bigger.
The best among all these, however, is the martini-style setting. It is mostly found in antique diamond jewelry. In this style, the diamond is held by three prongs as opposed to four or six. This gives it a neat and clean look, and is also better for showing off the brilliance of the stones, as there is less metal covering on the diamond.
Another good setting that you can consider for solitaire earrings is the frustum setting. It is also known as the hollow-cone setting, and is characterized by a conical or tapered shape, wherein the diamond rests against the inside of a cone.
The bezel setting is another popular variety which has been in use for a long time. Here, the diamond is set deep inside the mounting.
Some settings like the martini-style, cost a lot more than others. Other settings like tension, invisible, and channel, are also used in modern diamond earring jewelry.
Many women prefer specific settings like the prong or martini styles, because they greatly enhance the brilliance of the diamonds. The kind of setting in a diamond jewelry piece will ultimately have an effect on its price.