Okay, you’ve finally decided the color, cut, carat and clarity of the diamond you want. You’ve even chosen the precious metal that will hold it. But you’re not finished! Now the two must be combined into one, and there are a myriad of ways to make that happen. Among your options include bezels, channels, flushes, bars, and more. But the most popular of these is the prong setting.
While most settings envelope the sides of the gem to hold it in place, the prong setting, as its name implies, uses little claws reaching out of the band to hold the stone in place. Besides allowing for more light to filter through the diamond, it makes it easier to clean. Unfortunately, it also leaves the sides of the gem vulnerable to chipping over time.
There is one other negative side effect to the prong setting: its hooks can catch onto strands of hair or threads of clothes. In the worst case scenario, they can accidentally scratch people. But this can be easily safeguarded against by simply taking the ring off when touching little children.
