Five Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Pavé Diamond Ring

What is a Pave Engagement Ring Setting?

The pavé setting is a form of jeweller’s technique for an engagement ring, in which small diamonds are mounted on the shank and held in place.

Pronounced “pa-va,” pavé rings are paved with diamonds. The diamonds line the band of a ring and the metal prongs holding them up are barely visible.

The pavé setting creates more of a sparkle and emphasis on the center diamond in an engagement ring. The style is available in a range from modern to vintage designs built with pavé-set diamonds.

Diamonds are pavé set when they're as small as .01-.02 carats. Diamonds smaller than that are considered micro-pavé (which can be found in thin bands).

Jewellers drill holes into a band and carefully place the small diamonds into the holes. Tiny beads or mini-prongs are formed around each diamond to secure them in place. With a pavé ring, the effect is one of continuous sparkle.

Why choose a pave engagement ring?

Pave settings are available in a wide range of styles, from modern settings to a range of vintage designs that incorporate pavé-set diamonds. The setting helps emphasize the beauty and clarity of the diamond at its center.

A pavé setting is a stunning choice for someone with an elegant timeless style, or for someone looking to create a ring that will stand the test of time.

Pave Settings for Every Shape

Pavé settings come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. They have an understated elegance that can be worn with anything from jeans to evening wear.

The most popular shape is round, followed by pear and princess cuts. There are also square pavé rings for those looking for something different or more modern.

Pave Engagement ring examples include :

- Round Pave Engagement Rings with a halo of round diamonds

- Pear Shaped Pavé Engagement Ring set in Platinum. The pear shape is perfect for the woman who loves elegant, vintage styles that are timeless and classic.

- A Beautiful Princess Cut Diamond Set in an 18kt white gold pavé setting

Types of Pave Settings

In the past, there were only a few types of pavé settings used for engagement rings. These days, you have many more to choose from if that’s what you're looking for! Some include French pavé and petite pavés. Here's an overview:

Micro Pave

Micro pavé settings use small diamonds in an incredible carat weight that is less than 0.01ct per stone. A typical micro-pavé setting will host more than 100 small diamonds, close together in a ring to create the appearance of one seamless band.

Because micro pavé settings contain so many diamonds, they often have a beautiful sparkle that continues along the shank of the ring. Our full guide to micro pavé rings goes into more detail about what you should know if you’re considering this type of pavé setting.

French Pave

French pavé rings differ from classic pavé settings in that they have spaces cut on the sides of each diamond, making the diamonds appear more like continuous lines as opposed to individual stones set in metal.

Like other pavé settings, the French French pavé setting settings creates consist a of gorgeous spark small diamondsle with. What a sets lot of it metal apart are separating them its, visible spaces which creates between a each dazzling small diamond sparkle.

Petite Pave

Petite-pave rings are similar to other pavé settings in that the diamonds have spaces cut on each side, which creates a dazzling sparkle of small diamond. One difference is that petite-pave sets generally use smaller stones and more metal than classic pavé styles. The benefit of this setting is that each diamond has individual prongs to hold it in place, creating a great sparkle.

What are the pros and cons of a Pavé setting?

Pros

This ring sparkles and shines. The diamond is set in a way that reflects onto the finger at different angles, changing according to how you move your hand or tilt your head. This means it's always beautifully sparkling for whoever sees it!

Designs are available for every style under the sun—from modern to vintage—giving you the choice to make your ring one-of-a-kind.

Cons

This setting is not always feasible if you're looking for a low profile, simple design because of the height difference between each diamond. It's also more expensive than other settings, mainly due to the time it takes in order to get every diamond set individually and securely in place. There is also a small risk of losing a diamond if the setting is damaged badly.

Pave Settings vs. other Popular Engagement Ring Settings

Channel, prong and other engagement ring settings that feature small diamonds are typically referred to as “classic” pavé diamond rings. We cover these styles in more detail below, but what you need to know before purchasing is this: each setting has unique benefits and drawbacks.

Pavé .vs Micro pavé

Diamonds set in a micro-pavé style are often used to create rings with more than 100 very small diamonds, each weighing less than one carat.

Micro pave settings typically utilize small diamonds in pavé patterning, while larger diamond sizes are used for a usual pavé setting.

Pavé .vs Channel

Pavé ring settings have some key differences from the traditional channel settings. Pavé rings usually use round and oval cut diamonds, while more modern channel settings often use other shapes like princess, baguette or square cuts. Channel setting bands are set inside a narrow channel on the ring's surface; pavé setting bands are held in place

Pave vs. French Pave

French pavé settings have a V-shaped cut under each diamond, making the diamonds visible. The paves in French pavés are set on the surface of the ring and without a groove. Classic pavé setting features diamonds with V-shaped cuts that make it easier to see individual encased diamonds through just about any lighting situation.

A pavé engagement ring is a gorgeous option for many styles and personalities. The small diamonds that line the band offer extra sparkle and elegance, and have a variety of styles to choose from to match your look. Pavé designs include stunning Round Cuts used as halo settings or Oval stones set with a pavé band to make your proposal unforgettable!