Have you ever heard of V-prong settings? If you are wondering whether they are a good choice for your diamond ring, read on. Let’s see what V-prongs are and how they are different from standard prong mountings.
What Are Standard Ring Prongs?
Prongs are used to keep you ring’s gemstones fixed in their mounting. Standard design prongs are curved at the end and hold the stones by gripping them from the top.
Silver amethyst ring with V-prongs
These prongs’ tips are often rounded and can be seen lying flat on the surface of the gemstone.
What Are V-Prongs?
V-Prongs, as you might guess, are shaped like the letter V – they grip your stone at its sharp ends and hold it along the edges, from top to bottom.
Depending on their design, these prongs can be sharp from the outside or more rounded.
How Are V-Prongs Better?
One of the good things about V-prongs is that they wrap around your stone’s edges and protect them from blows.
The edge is one of the most vulnerable parts of a gemstone – if hit a bit harder there, it can easily chip.
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.
Where to Buy a Ring?
For diamond, emerald, ruby, or sapphire rings, 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.
Also take a look at the vast selection of rings at Amazon and at GemsNY.
