advice on setting and design

[diamond4ever]

recently i purchased a stone, .50 color D, vs1 and the cut is excellent. i''m looking for an engagement ring, a solitaire with a setting to really bring out the stone. my fiance-to-be has small hands, and her fingers i would say are thin, i''m not sure the size yet.

so... i have seen some settings, 3, 4 and 6 prong. the 3 prong setting i have seen looks very nice and really shows off the rock, from all angles. Would that necessarily mean it''s not as protective and easier to chip/lose?

are there any general rules or pros/cons to 3 prong vs 4 or 6 prong settings?

6 prong setting seems to bury the stone.

i''d love for any suggestions on design and settings.

thanks

 

[FireGoddess]

Some threads you should check out here. It''s an ongoing debate, and personal preference will weigh in every time. If I recall correctly, Garry seems to advocate 6 prong, but I couldn''t find one of his posts where he has arrows on the area most prone to girdle chipping, on the sides...

 

[pebbles]

I think I would be leary of the 3 prong setting because more diamond is exposed than a 4 prong setting. A lot of experts don''t like the 4 prong settings, but I personally like them over the 6 prongs (except for the real Tiffany knife edge solitaire).

I had my original .38ct in a 6 prong setting and thought it was totally overwhelmed by the metal. It looked much nicer in the 4 prong setting.

Here''s a pic of a .50ct in an x-prong setting. My finger is a size 6 for reference.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/dvatche-x-prong-questions-from-a-newbie.38990/

 

[diamond4ever]

Thanks for your reply and the links have been very helpful.

I haven''t found many websites taht contain pictures or discussions about 3 prong settings...
I wonder if there is a reason for it.

At .50, the stone isn''t that big, so I''m afraid the 6 prong will be too much. Moreover, the color is D and it really does shine, so from the side, I would like it to show more diamond than metal.

any thoughts?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''ve had a 1 ct. stone in a 4 prong for 29 years with no problems. I think that would be perfect for your stone! A 3 prong sounds trendy and may not be safe, so I''d stay with the timeless 4 prong, if it were me. I agree that 6 would be too much. Your diamond sounds beautiful!

 

[momof3crazykids]

The only three prong ring I have ever loved is the one on Mark Morrell''s website. He is really into making sure your stone is secure so, if you want a three prong to show off your D stone, I would check out his ring. If you end up choosing between a 4 prong and 6 prong, I would go with a 4 prong truffle or xprong type setting to show off your D stone. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[diamond4ever]

the 3 prong setting from Mark Morrell looks fabulous!

My dilemma is security of the stone, and the style... oh decisions decisions.
thanks for the link.

 

[AndyRosse]

I say 4 prongs as a minimum. The only time three prongs are going to be around my diamonds are when they are martini earrings

.

Personally I like the 4 prong look over the 6 prong look in general. I like being able to see more of the side view of the diamond, plus if not done perfectly, 6 prongs overpower stones IMO.

 

[momof3crazykids]

diamond4ever- I can''t stress enough how much Mark Morrell is concerned about security of your stone in a setting. He would not have this type setting if it wasn''t secure. I have read posts about MM not doing custom designs for people because MM didn''t feel the design was secure for the stone. If you really are considering a 3 prong setting you should talk to Mark. He is very nice to talk to and doesn''t take as long on simpler projects. I really love my Sunburst Solitaire and can''t imagine having a solitaire from anyone other than MM. I also really love the 3 prong but it wouldn''t work for my stone (2.62 ct) and I think it is still a classic design but different from all of the typical mall settings. Keep us posted with your decision.