Oval diamonds are very similar in appearance to the classic round diamonds, and although not as popular as them, oval diamonds are cheaper. But, if you’ve already decided to buy a ring with an oval stone, what setting should you have it mounted in?
The most popular setting choices for oval diamond rings are prong and bezel settings. Let’s see what the pros and cons of each of these options are.
A white gold ring with an oval diamond in a 4-prong setting
Prong Settings for Oval Diamonds
Prongs are a popular choice to hold oval diamonds in a ring mainly because these settings leave most of the stone visible.
The problem with prong settings is that they also leave a significant portion of the diamond’s surface exposed to accidental hits.
Also, depending on what the prongs are made of, they may be easy to bend, loosening their grip on the stone.
The most important question one needs to answer when selecting a prong setting is: How many prongs should there be?
For oval diamonds, the most common option is either four or six prongs.
Click here to see different options for ring settings and to construct a sample ring.
4-Prong Settings: The advantage of having only four prongs is that they will leave more of your oval diamond visible.
In addition, having fewer prongs means less money spent on rebuilding them when they wear down.
However, 4-prong settings leave more of the stone exposed to damage, and if one of the prongs bends or breaks, there will be fewer of them left to hold the stone.
6-Prong Settings: Having six prongs will make your oval diamond a little bit more secure and less likely to fall off if one of the prongs is bent or loose.
The additional prongs also cover a little more of the surface of the stone, but this is not likely to offer significant additional protection against direct hits compared with the 4-prong option.
In sum, having six prongs is somewhat safer than four prongs, but the most important factor for how secure your oval diamond will be is what the prongs are made of.
For example, platinum prongs are stronger and wear out much more slowly than gold prongs.
Bezel Settings for Oval Diamonds
Bezel settings hold a stone by encircling it with a metal band.
They are one of the safest solutions if you are looking to protect the surface of your oval diamonds and minimize the chance that they may fall out of the mounting.
The downside to bezel settings is that they hide a significant portion of the diamond. Only you can decide whether the additional safety is worth sacrificing some of the visibility of your stone.
There are two types of bezel settings: full and partial.
Full bezel settings gird a stone entirely, encircling it with metal from all sides. If you are concerned about the safety of your oval diamond, this is the most secure option you can choose.
Partial bezel settings, as their name suggests, hold a stone by covering it with a metal band only in some parts. Usually, this type of setting has only two components, each covering about one fourth of the edge of the stone, leaving about half of it exposed.
This option is recommended if you are not as concerned about safety but still want a setting that is safer than prongs while leaving a good portion of your oval diamond visible.
Where to Buy a Diamond Ring?
We recommend James Allen (read review) because you can take a 360-degree look at any stone before having it set in a ring.
Blue Nile is another reputable diamond retailer we recommend.
