Diamond Pavé Engagement Rings

Pavé engagement rings are often at the top of every girl's list. After all, a diamond pave setting is all about encrusting a setting with diamonds and creating lots of bling!

Rings courtesy of JamesAllen

The most common style pave ring has small diamonds running along the band which makes the band look like it's made up of stones rather than metal—the metal (gold, platinum etc...) is literally encrusted or paved with diamonds, as the name pavé (pronounced pah-vay) suggests.

In order to create the illusion of a diamond band, the small diamonds are set with tiny prongs or beads so that very little metal shows and all you see are diamonds. A pave ring setting can come in a single band, a split-shank, multiple bands or any combination you can think of.

Pavé Diamond Ring Settings

There are two basic types of settings when it comes to pave. You can go for a 'full pave' which means that the diamonds run around the entire band or, a 'half pave' which means that the diamonds stop about halfway down the band.

We personally like the stones to go entirely around the band, just to provide coverage from any angle. There are times when we notice that a ring slips around the finger, and we find it more attractive to have diamonds showing no matter what area of the band is exposed.

We noticed that a co-worker was sporting a pave eternity band last month, and when we admired it, she spun it around to reveal the center stone. She said that when she doesn’t want her large stone showing, like if she’s traveling alone, the pave band is “showy” enough. This reminded us of women in the subways of big cities who turn their rings around for security.

Pavé Engagement Rings & Halo Settings

The center diamond in a pave ring is often a round brilliant or princess cut diamond since many believe that the sparkle and brilliance of the band itself looks best with a simpler shaped diamond.

Today however, many designers are incorporating a halo setting into their pave engagement rings as well as some of the fancier diamond shapes. The halo setting basically extends the pave and surrounds a center diamond with a 'halo' of smaller stones. The result can be breathtaking.

We love, love, love, this pave engagement ring! It's a contemporary yet classic Art Deco style in white gold with a beautiful Asscher cut diamond. It's so elegant and sophisticated, combining a halo, pave and channel setting and was recently purchased for some lucky bride !!!

We love the low profile stone in this design and the white on white of the diamonds and metal—it creates a sleek, timeless look.

Looking for a whimsical less expensive alternative?

Swap out the center diamond in your pave engagement ring for a birthstone like a topaz or amethyst and the pop of color against the backdrop of white diamonds will not only give you a stunning result but you'll save a ton of money because the smaller diamonds in a pave setting cost relatively little.

 

Micro-Pave Diamond Engagement Rings

Micro-pave is a term that describes the use of really small diamonds in the pave setting. It is a labor intensive setting and usually more costly. In fact, the diamonds used are so small that it is really hard to distinguish one from the other and gives the impression of one solid band of sparkle.

The downside with micro-pave rings is that because the diamonds are so tiny and because you don't want to see all the prongs holding them in place, they become less durable because the small stones cannot be set quite as securely.

Our advice if you're going this route: Don't wear it on days when you're going to be mucking around a lot with your hands. Inspect your ring often to check for loose or missing stones, and insure your ring with a low-deductible, if possible, so that replacing stones is simple.

Micro-pave engagement rings are undeniably beautiful. They can be a little more delicate than some of the other settings out there but for some girls an engagement ring is all about romance and style, and a micro-pave setting is the only way to go.

Next time you're out shopping for rings, do yourself a favor and try a diamond pave engagement ring on for size, you may just fall in love all over again!