4 prongs vs. 6 prongs, which one the best? Urgent!!!!

[fingklam]

Hi everyone,

We picked a 1.02 round diamond, ideal cut, F colour, VS2 for a really good price. However, we are still debating rather to set it into a 4 prongs or 6 prongs 18K white gold ring with platinum prongs?! We were told that both 4 or 6 is secured enough since the prongs are made by platinum. We were also told that it will use equal material to both 4 & 6 prongs. That means the 6 prongs will be thinner. Please help me with this issue ASAP. Thank you.

Regards,

Vick

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

6 prongs aligned east west -not the usual north south - protects the stone from chipping.

Or insure it

 

[ladykemma]

sturdy platinum 6 prongs i think is the best.

i have destroyed: 2 each 6 prong white gold heads. at the moment i have a 4 prong platinum head. it has already shifted slightly sideways in one year of wear. i have reversed the direction i wear the ring to get it to bend back the other way. sounds crazy, no? It's moving, i swear!

 

[mtrb]

Six prongs is safer. If one loosens the diamond you may notice before you loose the stone, With 4 prongs... if one loosens you may loose your diamond before you notice.

I vote 6 prongs for safety.

 

[fasinateme]

Vick,

Although a 6 prong setting might be somewhat safer, go with the 4 prong! I prefer it because it doesn''t take away from the beauty of the stone and showcases it better. My parents have been married for 38 years and my mother has a 1.02 carat round brillant stone set in a 14k gold 4 prong setting. NOTHING has ever happened to her ring or the setting in 38 years!

 

[LdyNghtWng]

I had 4 prongs for 30 plus years, went to 6 prongs when I changed the mounting recently. The 6 smaller prongs are not more obvious that the 4 larger prongs were, and I find the stone looks rounder with the 6. I say go to 6!

 

[fingklam]

Thanks all,

So I guess 6 prongs is better isn''t it guys? Is that the final answer?!

Cheers,

 

[oldminer]

Never the final answer!!!!

different designs of the shank make the choice of the prong number better for 4 than 6 or vice-versa sometimes. Security-wise both options are just about equal, especially in platinum and properly set. Workmanship and the correct metal alloy play as much or more of a role in what is going to last the best and keep the stone securely set.

 

[cpster]

Also think about the wedding band when selecting the setting. There are some six prong setting that are designed well and work with wedding bands while others will have more gap in between.

 

[diamondlove]

a couple of things to consider:
6 prongs are safer and I personally think make a diamond look rounder but some people like the more squarish look of 4 prongs so see which you prefer. However, with 6 prongs just make sure to choose a design with small prong tips so they aren''t too visible.

 

[ladykemma]

if your lady sews or quilts, get her sturdy prongs, this is how i destroy settings.

 

[Kissingfish]

This topic has received a lot of answers, but I''ll give you my $.02 anyway.
I think a 6 prongs will be more secure than the 4, but not the normal 6 prong with the progrs sitting at 12, 2 ,4, 6, 8, and 10 o''clock, but the prongs that sit at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 o''clock..

 

[shinythings]

I have a round diamond set in 4 prongs, and many people have mistaken it for a square diamond/cushion! Just be aware that it could change the look, especially if the prongs are bigger (mine are antique fishtail)

 

[DBM]

I''m sort of suprised no one else has posted this, maybe i''m wrong, but i find 6-prongs makes the stone look smaller... a psychological effect but an effect nonetheless. my 2 cents as well

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 11/22/2006 9:48:24 PM
Author: DBM
I'm sort of suprised no one else has posted this, maybe i'm wrong, but i find 6-prongs makes the stone look smaller... a psychological effect but an effect nonetheless. my 2 cents as well

You'll see people post the exact opposite of that on here, too!

But I think it is just personal preference. I had no problem with a 14k gold tiffany style setting for 30 years. So just choose the ring you like best!

 

[bling*diva*]

~~I think 6 prongs would be the best...

 

[knuman]

The ring I have designed (and will pick up tomorrow) is not all that dissimilar to the ring you posted above (except it has pave on either side of the main stone, has a triangular design on the setting which allows you to see the tip of the diamond and has 4 thin split prongs (in effect 8 thin claws)).

I was initially only interested in getting 6 claws - I was under the impression that 6 claws made the diamond look more round and was safer than 4 claws (it may have had something to do with the fact that most of the 4 claw rings I saw were done badly).

However, as time went on I eventually started to like the 4 claw setting more - you do get to see more of the diamond and you tend to focus more on the diamond. In the end I settled on 4 double claws, which enabled me to keep the benefits of 4 claws while making it a little more unique than your ordinary 4 claw ring. However, my only caveat is that the claws must be very thin and small, otherwise they will take attention away from the main diamond.

By the way the ring was platinum.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 11/22/2006 9:48:24 PM
Author: DBM

I''m sort of suprised no one else has posted this, maybe i''m wrong, but i find 6-prongs makes the stone look smaller... a psychological effect but an effect nonetheless. my 2 cents as well

EEK! Really? Please elaborate... I have only heard the opposite around here! (My 2.36 RB is being held by 4 prongs... so I don''t know a darn thing first hand about 6-prongs!)

Thanks,
Lynn

 

[DBM]

Date: 11/23/2006 11:01:08 AM
Author: Lynn B

Date: 11/22/2006 9:48:24 PM
Author: DBM

I'm sort of suprised no one else has posted this, maybe i'm wrong, but i find 6-prongs makes the stone look smaller... a psychological effect but an effect nonetheless. my 2 cents as well

EEK! Really? Please elaborate... I have only heard the opposite around here! (My 2.36 RB is being held by 4 prongs... so I don't know a darn thing first hand about 6-prongs!)

Thanks,
Lynn

Like I said I'm a little surprised by the comments but I (and customers i deal with) find that 4 prong looks bigger and 6 prong gives too much metal and looks smaller. The 4-prong i think gives a sub-conscious visual image of "so big it's ready to bust out"

The only thing i'd mention Lynn is that if you're very attached to your particular stone and it's an expensive one (as i assume yours is) some people choose the 6 prong just for added security of popping out. Others it doesn't bother as much even on big expensive stones as they are insured.

Daniel

 

[diamondlove]

i think the only time 6 prongs make a diamond look smaller is when they are the chunky prongs that I mentioned in my earlier post to stay away from. When you have nice and subtle 6 prongs, they actually enhance the diamond rather than minimize it.

I looked at TONS of 6 prongs and 4 prongs when I was going through this same dilemma and in the end it''s about the design. There are some ugly 6 prongs out there that will certainly detract from the diamond but there are so many nice ones you can find on PS (Leon Mege, Mark Morrell, Superbcert, WF, etc) that it''s a whole different world of 6 prongs than the ones you see at the mall stores or typical strip center jewelry stores. Don''t forget that the original classic Tiffany solitaire has 6 prongs and noone ever accuses that design of making a diamond look smaller-- it''s the bad replicas with big prong tips that do that.

 

[ladykemma]

my tiny quarter carat looks bigger, brighter, and better, in the <1 year old platinum prongs, 4 prong style. whouda thunk it?

 

[ILikeBond]

I''m considering a bigger diamond lower on the color range that faces up nicely but from the side shows its yellow. I think setting it in platinum may help hide the yellow color anyway, but one thought I had is that 6 prongs may actually help "block" the side view so that the yellow isn''t so obvious, whereas the side view would be clearer with 4 prongs - can anyone confirm or deny this?

 

[fingklam]

Hi guys,

I''ve read this from http://engagementrings.pricescope.com/prong.asp
and here''s what they say, what do you guys think?

Prongs that hold the stone are often made of platinum (even on yellow gold rings) because of its special features. With 4 prongs, you will show off more of the diamond, but 6 prongs will hold the diamond more securely and are highly recommended to avoid losing the stone. The Tiffany style is a classic example of a prong setting, usually 4 or 6 claws on a half rounded band. This simple and basic ring is a great way to show off your rock, since it is lifted up away from the finger and is ''floating'' in space.

I love both the setting with 4 prongs Tapered Cathedral Setting and Tiffany style classic 6 prongs like the picture below. I have skinny long finger with size 4.5. Which style will look better? What''s more popular?!

 

[ladykemma]

get the six prongs. you will sleep better at night. platinum only.

 

[DBM]

Date: 11/24/2006 10:35:44 AM
Author: ILikeBond
I''m considering a bigger diamond lower on the color range that faces up nicely but from the side shows its yellow. I think setting it in platinum may help hide the yellow color anyway, but one thought I had is that 6 prongs may actually help ''block'' the side view so that the yellow isn''t so obvious, whereas the side view would be clearer with 4 prongs - can anyone confirm or deny this?

As far as i know the best setting for obscuring a yellow colored diamond in yellow gold.. platinum and WG will bring out the yellow color more.

 

[ILikeBond]

Date: 11/25/2006 7:11:55 PM
Author: DBM

Date: 11/24/2006 10:35:44 AM

Author: ILikeBond

I'm considering a bigger diamond lower on the color range that faces up nicely but from the side shows its yellow. I think setting it in platinum may help hide the yellow color anyway, but one thought I had is that 6 prongs may actually help 'block' the side view so that the yellow isn't so obvious, whereas the side view would be clearer with 4 prongs - can anyone confirm or deny this?

As far as i know the best setting for obscuring a yellow colored diamond in yellow gold.. platinum and WG will bring out the yellow color more.

That may be so, but yellow gold is definitely not an option - not my girl's style. There have been threads before on the look of low-end "near colorless" colors (I, J) in platinum. (See https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/).

For those with lower colors in platinum settings, do you find 6 prongs helps "hide" the side-view where the yellow is most likely to show?