Lauren, Isabel (Esqueleto’s amazingly talented in-house jeweler), and I are traveling North up the California coast to take an intensive stone setting workshop at the Mendocino Arts Center. No doubt we will return with a plethora of new skills and inspiration for our designs. Below are some examples of different styles of settings, all of which you can find in the cases and online at Esqueleto!
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Pavé
Most commonly seen in wedding bands, the pavé style of setting is achieved by closely aligning small diamonds together and securing them with tiny metal beads or prongs. The term comes from the French verb “to pave,” and well, who wouldn’t want their jewelry paved with diamonds?
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Prong-set
Prong settings often refer to those basket-like design of traditional diamond solitaire engagement rings. There are many types of prong, or claw settings, however, such as this beautifully rustic approach from Lauren Wolf. Each of the claws hug the curvature of the stone, safely gripping it in place.
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Bezel Set
A bezel is a strip of metal that wraps around the perimeter of a stone, snuggly securing it in place.
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Flush Set
In flush settings, also known as burnished settings, the flat edge of the stone and the metal that surrounds it are on an even plane, sleek and clean with no prongs or beads.
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Channel Set
Like the pave style of setting, you’ll most often see channel-set stones in a band. A groove is carved into the walls of the channel and the stones glide into the groove in a neat, sparkling row.
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Star Set
The star setting is a beautiful style of setting that is both functional and decorative, with the gem nestled into the center of a hand-engraved star. Small beads of metal at the base of the star’s points secure the stone in place.
