All You Need to Know About Traditional Diamond Pave, U Pave and the French Cut Pave

This article will explain the key differences in these various types of diamond pave settings typically used in engagement rings.

When looking at engagement rings, you find yourself considering many details such as the band, the stone or stones, and the overall design. However, an often overlooked aspect by those shopping for or designing their own engagement ring is the varying types of diamond pave that are available to you.

Here we’ll be looking at the differences between the traditional (or standard) diamond pave, the U pave, and the French cut pavé engagement ring.

But before we get into all of that, let’s answer a very frequently asked question: What is diamond pave?

What is a Diamond Pave?

When talking about diamond pave, we’re referring to the small tiny diamond that are fixed on the shank of the engagement ring. The term can also refer to any small diamond found on the halo of the ring, in both the traditional diamond halo and the hidden diamond halo.

It’s important to point out however that diamond pave isn’t broken or ‘chips’ of diamonds. There are many who incorrectly label diamond pave as ice chips, diamond chips; this is misconception about what diamond pave actually is.

In reality, diamond pave are simply very tiny diamonds, all of which have been cut & polished just as you would larger diamonds. You can find diamond pave in a variety of shapes, but you’ll most commonly find it in a round shape.

A thing to keep in mind is that you want the colour of your diamond pave to match the centre diamond, so as not to it look a bit off. With larger online retailers, or chain retail stores, it’s common to mass produce premade settings. These settings have diamond pave on their shanks, and the centre stone is set afterwards. This isn’t the best way to do things, as you have little way of ensuring the diamond pave will be the same quality or clarity grade as the main central diamond.

That’s why we prefer to pick each diamond pave stone, making sure that it colour matches the centre stone. This treatment is applied to all of our French cut engagement rings, meaning you can rest assured that the diamonds are well matched to each other, and produce an overall appealing aesthetic.

So, now that we know a bit more about what a diamond pave is, let’s have a look at some of the most common types seen in engagement rings.

Traditional Diamond Pave

A traditional diamond pave looks like this from the front:

The side view better shows the flush nature of the traditional diamond pave setting:

The traditional diamond pave is described as the standard small diamond pave seen on engagement rings. The diamond pave is quite simply set in the engagement ring, and as a result is one of the more economical options too. The simplicity of the setting means this is perfect if you’re looking to save the majority of your budget for your centre diamond.

U Diamond Pave

When looking at the side-view of the traditional diamond pave & the U diamond pave, it’s easy to see the difference. In contrast to the simple, flush nature of the traditional pave, the U diamond pave has small notched metal on either side of the stone. This requires more labour to produce, but in exchange the U diamond pave exposes more of the diamond. Clients prefer the extra exposed diamond, with the added expense worth the elevated look of their engagement ring.

French Cut Diamond Pave

So traditional diamond pave sits within the shank of the ring, and the U diamond pave sits neatly inside a U shape in the setting. The French cut has yet another side profile look, with small v-shapes notched on either side of the stone. Although the aesthetic appeal isn’t for everyone, it is the most labour intensive of the diamond paves, and is revered worldwide for bringing a luxurious and elegance to all diamond engagement ring designs and is classically known as a French pave diamond ring.

Which Diamond Pave is Perfect for Your Engagement Ring?

Now that we’ve helped demystify diamond pave, take a closer look at the pave types side by side and decide which is right for you. The classic Traditional Diamond Pave? The greater exposure of the U Diamond Pave? Or the elegant & intricate French Cut Diamond Pave? If you’re looking for more information, or ready to embark of your own custom diamond engagement ring, feel free to contact us today!