What platinum or 14k white or yellow gold diamond engagement ring setting style is best for your stone? To answer this question, you will need to know what styles there are to choose from and what advantages each has to offer. Here, the choices are as varied as ring designers.

Prong Setting Fine Diamond Vintage Engagement Ring: This is the most common type of setting, especially for ladies' solitaire diamond rings. Prong setting is the one most often used to hold a solitaire. Prong setting puts the emphasis on the stones and not the metal. It involves fitting the diamond in a metal head or basket and securing it with a minimum of three prongs or metal claws. The purpose of any setting is to hold the diamonds securely in the mounting and at the same time allow light to enter the diamonds for maximum brilliance. The shape of the prongs can vary. They may be rounded, elongated or pointed. There are many decorative variations of this setting style.

The more metal used to hold the diamonds, the more secure they are; the less metal used, the greater the chance for the diamond to reflect light. For this reason, platinum is often the metal of choice for diamond solitaires.

Because platinum is both dense and strong, very thin wires of it are sufficient to hold the diamond securely in place. The diamond may be raised high up above the shank to give it a larger appearance. In such a setting, the prongs are attached to the central setting of a ring, known as the head or basket. Each prong extends upward and outward from the head, arching over the diamond to form a secure grip.

The ideal prong tapers to a rounded point. It should be smoothly finished, diminishing any chance of the prong snagging the threads of your clothes. The prongs should also be placed at the key points of the stone, typically at four corners or at four, five or six points evenly spaced around the stone, to offer security without interfering with the stone's brilliance.

Prong Set Diamond Engagement Solitaires Advantages?: It allows more of the stone to be in view than most other styles. It's quicker and, therefore, less expensive to set than most other styles. It can hold large diamonds securely. Settings with six prongs are more secure than those with four prong. This setting allows diamonds to be more easily cleaned than the other styles. It can be used to set any type of gemstone, no matter how fragile it is.

Prong Set Vintage Estate Diamond Engagement Jewelry Disadvantages: May not provide as smooth of a ring surface as some of the other styles. It doesnot protect diamonds as well as other styles since it leaves most of the girdle are exposed.

Channel Setting Diamond Engagement Ring: This style is often used for wedding bands, but it may also be used to accent center stones. The diamonds are suspended in a channel of vertical walls with nometal separating the stones.

Channel setting is also used when there is no center stone at all. The placement of baguettes around an entire band is a beautiful choice for a wedding band, one that goes well with a matching ring set with a diamond solitaire. Channel setting offers a sleek, elegant appearance, though the end result is a very different look.

Channel Set Platinum Diamond Engagement Settings Advantages: Channel setting protects the girdle are of diamonds as well as provide a smooth ring surface. None of the edges are exposed, and so they are not subject to hard knocks or general wear and tear.

Channel Set 14K White Gold Engagement Settings Disadvantages: Usually more time consuming and costly than prong setting, when properly done. It should not be used for fragile gems.

Pave Setting Unique Diamond Engagement Ring: In this type of setting, diamonds are fit into tapered holes and set almost level with the surface of the ring. Then some of the surrounding metal is raised to form beads which hold the diamonds in place. Sometimes the metal around the bead-set stones is raised or engraved to form decorative patterns.

When there are three or more rows of diamonds in this way without partitions between the stones, it is calle pave, which, in French means paved like a cobblestone road. In order to give the impression of a continous diamond surface, it is customary to use white gold or platinum to support pave-set diamonds even if the rest of the ring is in yellow gold.

Pave Set Platinum Engagement Estate Vintage Jewelry Advantages?: Usually protects diamonds better than a prong setting. Allows uniterrupted designs of varying width. Pave set rings appear larger eventhough the stones are smaller. Each tiny diamond, weighing just a few points, is fully cut with 58 facets. Though small in size, each stone contributes to the overall, shimmering look of the design. After it is positioned in its hole, tiny bits of metal from the surface of the shank are pushed over the edge of the diamond, forming tiny beads to hold the stone in place.

Pave Set Filigree Unique Engagement Jewelry Disadvantages: Is a risky setting method in terms of possible stone damage. It does not provide as smooth of ring surface as bezel, channel and flush setting.

Bar Setting Rare Unique Diamond Engagement Ring: This is a form of channel setting, except the diamonds are set in channels acress a ring, and stones on each end of the channel are exposed at the edges of the mounting instead of being secured in metal.

Invisible Setting Gemstone Engagement Ring: Invisible-set diamonds are placed tightly next to each other with the metal of the setting concealed underneath the diamonds, allowing them to form a continous surface.

Invisible Set Platinum Gold Engagement Settings Advantages: It enhances brilliance because there's no metal on top of the stone to impede the entry of light.

Channel Set Ruby Emerald Sapphire Promise Settings Disadvantages: If not properly set, small square stones may fall out with hard wear. It is usually more time consuming and expensive than prong and bead setting. It is risky setting method, in terms of damage to the stones, so it should not be used for fragile gems.

Flush Setting 14k Yellow Gold Gemstone Engagement Ring is a popular style for people who use their hands a lot in their professions; it offers good protection for their diamonds. Diamonds are sunk into the mounting until they are nearly level or flush with the surface. Only the table of the diamond and a bit of the upper pavilion facets show.

This technique seems to go against everything we know about diamonds in relation to light, but it's become quite a popular setting. It's a very subtle look, and one that appeals to the woman who likes the idea of tiny, glittering bits of light twinkling like stars in the sky.

Flush Set Engagement Settings Advantages: It protects the girdle area of the diamonds. Provides a smooth, tailored look. The flush setting is also used for larger stones, offering great protection and a modern look.

Flush Set Engagement Settings Disadvantages: It is usually more time consuming and expensive than prong and bead setting. It is risky setting method, in terms of damage to the stones, so it should not be used for fragile gems.

Platinum or Gold Bezel Setting Promise Antique Jewelry: A bezel is a band of metal that surrounds the diamond and holds it in place. They have become popular now as attractive settings for diamonds. The bezel may either fully or partially encircle the diamond. A bezel is a collar of precious metal that wraps around the diamond.

The bezel is attached to the top of the ring and stands up above it, adding height and another dimension to the setting. Although solid bezels have a very traditional look, the bezel may be 'split' into two sections, arcing around just part of the diamond.

Bezel Set Estate Filigree Engagement Jewelry Advantages: It provides good protection for girdle and pavilion areas of the diamond. It can be used to set almost all gemstones without causing damage to them. It accentuates the circumference of the stone, making it appear larger than in prong setting. It provides a smooth ring surface.

Bezel Set Vintage Antique Diamond Engagement Settings Disadvantages: It is usually more time consuming and expensive than prong and bead setting.