Types of Prong Settings for Diamond Jewelry: A Guide

What Is a Prong Setting?

Prong settings hold diamonds and other gemstones in place by using metal projections called prongs.

Prongs are popular in jewelry because they are easier to make and repair compared with more complex settings, and also because they leave a significant part of the stone visible.

The black princess-cut diamond in this bridal ring set is held by round prongs.

Types of Prong Settings

Different types of prong settings are most commonly distinguished based on the number of prongs they have, but they can also be classified according to the prongs’ shape (e.g., round prongs, V-prongs, etc.).

Here you can take a look at a selection of diamond ring settings.

4-Prong Settings

4-prong settings are among the most popular variations of this type of setting.

They are recommended for diamonds of 1 carat or less, as bigger stones are heavier and might need more prongs to hold them securely.

The good thing about 4-prong settings is that they leave most of the diamond visible and are easier to repair because of the low number of prongs.

The downside to having a setting with only four prongs is that there are fewer of them to hold the diamond, especially if some of them become worn out or broken.

6-Prong Settings

6-prong settings are more secure than 4-prong ones simply because there are more parts holding the diamond and keeping it from falling off.

If you have a diamond larger than 1 carat, it is recommended that you opt for a 6-prong setting.

The downside to 6-prong settings is that they hide more of the stone compared with 4-prong settings, especially if the diamond is small.

It is also more expensive to repair and maintain 6-prong settings simply because there are more prongs to rebuild or replace if they wear out or break.

Should Your Ring Have 4 or 6 Prongs?

Here are the most important considerations you should take into account when choosing between 4 and 6 prongs: 

Gemstone Visibility

If you are more concerned about how much of your gemstone will be visible, get a four-prong ring.

One of the most important differences between four- and six-prong rings is in their appearance. A ring with four prongs leaves a bigger part of the gemstone mounted in it visible. If you have a diamond set in your ring, the fewer prongs it has, the more light will enter the stone and the more brilliance it will exhibit.

Four-prong rings also make diamonds mounted in them look bigger. Six-prong rings, on the other hand, make a stone look smaller as more of its surface is covered by the prongs. Settings with that many prongs also tend to block more of the light that falls onto the stone from entering it. As a result, a diamond set in a six-prong setting may look less brilliant and sparkly.

Round Stones Look Better in 6 Prongs

Although gemstones set in a four-prong setting are more visible, such a mounting also makes them look more angular and square as the prongs form a four-point configuration. This effect is more visible with stones that have a round shape; gemstones with a rectangular cut are not really affected.

In contrast, if you have a round diamond set in a six-prong setting, it will not change the look of the stone’s shape as six prongs won’t create the illusion of a square form.

Check out this selection of different diamond ring settings — with and without prongs.

6-Prong Settings Are Harder to Clean

When it comes to maintenance, the four-prong setting is the winner. Six-prong settings make cleaning the stones set in them harder, especially their lower part, where dirt tends to accumulate. Generally, the fewer prongs you have, the easier it is to clean the mountings in your jewelry.

4-Prong Settings Are Less Safe, 6 Prongs Offer Better Protection

Although six-prong settings do not show off your gemstones as well as four-prong mountings and are also harder to care for, there is one big advantage to having more prongs: They make your ring safer. Prongs wear down with time, and when they are too worn, they tend to bend and break easily. When one prong in a six-prong setting breaks, you have more intact prongs left to hold your stone than in a four-prong setting. With four prongs, your gemstone is at a higher risk of coming loose and falling out if a prong is damaged.

Another related advantage to a six-prong setting is that it protects your gemstones better from accidental hits. Since a stone mounted in such a mounting is covered by more prongs, the gemstone is at a lower risk of chipping or breaking if you accidentally bump your ring. Stones set in four prongs have less of their surface covered by metal and are thus more exposed to risks of damage.

Choosing Between 4 and 6 Prongs

If you are more concerned about how much of your gemstone will be visible, get a four-prong ring. This is an especially good choice if the stone’s shape is not round but rectangular, and if the gemstone is smaller as the four-prong setting will make it look bigger. If you decide to go with this type of mounting, don’t forget also to inspect it regularly for bent or broken prongs and have any problems fixed as soon as possible.

A six-prong setting is a better choice if you are not that concerned about the visibility of your gemstone. This is often the case when your stone is bigger. If it is also round, its shape will look better in six prongs. If you care a lot about safety and protection, a six-prong setting will give you more peace of mind.

If you want to get the best of both worlds and have a mounting that makes your stone more visible while being safe, get a four-prong setting made of platinum. This metal is very durable and wears a lot more slowly than gold or silver, so you won’t have to worry as much about bent or broken prongs.

Prong Settings with More Than 6 Prongs

Settings with more than six prongs are less common, but they are sometimes used to hold diamonds that are very big or shaped in such a way that additional support is needed.

In general, the more prongs you have, the harder and more expensive it is to maintain them, although they make the setting safer.

V-Shaped Prongs

Most prongs have a flat (incl. rectangular) or round profile, but the so-called V-shaped prongs deserve special attention.

These prongs are shaped like the letter V and are used to hold the corners of diamonds that have sharp ends.

For such stones, V-prongs provide additional protection by wrapping their vulnerable corners with metal and guarding them against hits, which could chip them.

So, if you have a princess-cut diamond, for example, a V-prong setting would be a better choice than one with regular prongs.

Another advantage of V-prongs is that they do not cover as much of the area at the top of the stone as regular prongs do, leaving more of the gemstone’s surface visible.

Disadvantages of V-prongs

Perhaps the biggest concern associated with V-prongs is that they don’t grasp the stones they hold at the top as well as round prongs do. That’s why some jewelry shoppers are afraid that the stone could slip more easily out of a V-prong setting. While this might be true for some V-prong models, there are a lot of designs that wrap the top edge of the stone pretty well.

Although V-prongs improve the visibility of the stone’s top, some people don’t like that these prongs cover more of the sides of the gemstone, thus detracting from the beauty of the ring’s side view.

There are V-prongs that have sharp edges, which some people consider unsafe. If that is also your concern, opt for a more rounded design.

When to Use V-prongs and When Standard Prongs?

V-prongs are most suitable for stones that are shaped in more angular forms and have sharp edges. The cuts that are recommended to be held by V-prongs are pear, princess, heart, marquise and sharp trillion cuts.

Round shaped stones, on the other hand, are not suitable for V-prongs. So, if you have a classic brilliant cut diamond, you will need to have it set in a standard prong setting.

In sum, you should decide on a prong setting by first looking at the shape of your stone. If it has sharp edges, a V-prong mounting may be a better idea from a safety standpoint.

However, make sure that the prong design doesn’t have sharp edges itself or it might snag your clothes and other things.

Finally, ensure that the V-prongs hold the stone securely and wrap around its top corners.

Prong Settings and Metal

One of the decisions you have to make when selecting a prong setting is the metal it should be made of. Here you need to consider two main factors: durability and color.

As far as durability goes, one of the best metals for prongs is platinum, followed closely by white gold. Yellow gold is soft and wears out more easily, so you would need to have prongs made of this metal rebuilt and repaired more often.

The color of the metal is another consideration.

In general, white gold or platinum is preferred over yellow gold because white metals do not add color to the diamond, whereas yellow gold tends to make the stone look more yellowish.

This is why yellow prongs are not recommended unless the diamond is of a lower color grade and has visible yellow tints – in such cases, a yellow gold setting may absorb the tint and make the stone look whiter.

Common Problems with Prong Settings

The most common issue with prong settings is that they can bend or break, making it easy for your diamond to fall out of the mounting. This is more likely to happen if the prongs are worn out.

That’s why it is important to have your prongs checked regularly and have them rebuilt or strengthened if they have become weak.

Another problem with prong settings is that they can catch on your hair, clothes, or other items, and when this happens, you can easily bend or break some of your prongs.

This is why some diamond rings with prongs, for example, should not be worn if you are doing something that requires a lot of work with your hands.

Prongs are more likely to catch on things when their tips have become thinned out from wear and tear, so if that starts to happen often, be sure to have them checked by a jeweler.

Prong Settings Compared with Other Settings

When compared with bezel or channel settings, it becomes obvious that prong settings make more of the diamond visible, letting more light enter the stone, thus improving its brilliance.

That improved visibility comes at a cost, however – the diamond’s safety.

Prong settings are less safe than some of the settings that cover more of the diamond with metal. This is especially true for bezel settings, which can hold a stone more securely than a prong setting can.

So, if you are concerned about safety, it is recommended that you choose a bezel setting over a prong setting for your diamond.