If you were to choose a ring, the first thing you typically look at would be the gemstone. Then you’d end up looking at the precious metal, if it’s to your taste or not. For most jewelry owners, the ring’s setting takes last place when it comes to what you prioritize when making a purchase.
However, settings can be just as important. It ensures the security of the stones, as well as the overall style. Take a look at two of the all-time favorites when it comes to an intricate style: the pave vs micropave settings.
What is a Pave Setting?
This style comes from an array of different setting styles from the same family. Its style derives from the name, which means to cover or lay. This pertains to the way smaller gemstones cover the band.
A pave setting holds them securely together in a sparkling line. Securing these gemstones may change depending on the exact pave style.
Some may wonder, “Are pave diamonds worth anything?” especially since they play second fiddle to the main stone. But this is also what makes the pave setting more expensive compared to other types of rings.
What is a Micropave Setting?
If there was ever a dainty ring style, it would have to be the micropave setting. Some assume that it’s a pave vs micropave debate due to the similarities. But these styles differ in the size of the diamonds used. Smaller diamonds create a crusted ring effect. For those who want to do away with very minimalist styles in lieu of more intricate fashion, the micropave ring doles out the details and sparkles.
This can be quite the ingenious design trend, as some jewelry designers love to make use of the textured band to expand their style offerings. Some designers even love to use the intertwined plain band and pave ring setting band. The contrast it creates heightens the character of the ring even more.
What can hinder you from getting a pave set ring?
If there’s one major con that budget ring buyers may encounter, it would be the question, “Is pave setting more expensive?” While there are no hard or fast rules when it comes to costs, it’s safe to say that micropave rings can challenge your budget in different ways.
First, the design alone can be costly as these typically come handcrafted to incorporate all the small details. Next, resizing tends to be far more difficult and costly with pave settings, given the way each tiny diamond is set in the ring. Finally, you may require more professional maintenance and cleaning, especially if you use the ring every day. Getting into the small nooks may take quite the specialized cleaning that home remedies may not easily solve.
Pave Style vs. Other Settings
Just because the pave setting style is the most popular doesn’t mean it’s the only one you can opt to have. Sometimes, the setting can still be based on one’s ring use, style, and overall preference.
Before settling the pave vs micropave setting debate, or going for an entirely different style, consider how the pave style fares compared to others.
Pave vs prong
Many jewelry enthusiasts tend to put prong on a pedestal. When asking, “Is pave or prong better?” these two seem to be the most preferred of all setting types—and for a good reason.
Some jewelry enthusiasts may choose between the pave and the shared prong. A shared prong setting sees two diamonds lined up together, both held in place by two prongs. It differs from the pave setting mainly in the attempt to minimize the metals used in the setting.
In some cases, it’s not even a matter of choosing a style to use exclusively, but considering a combination. The common prong setting tends to be a favorite for single-stone rings. It’s the most traditional yet classical look, so you can balance more modern materials or choice of stones by using the traditional prong setting.
Pave setting tends to be used on the band itself. It works for rings that have a sparkling and of smaller diamonds. This accentuates the center stone in a different manner, making it the star of all the sparkling gems on your ring.
Pave vs bezel
Though the pave setting may be more generous with the metals used, bezel settings tend to make more use of metals in the overall ring design. Bezel settings tend to encase the stone in the metal setting before neatly forming into the ring’s band.
As unique as this style can make your ring design, it has one major downside: a smaller-looking gemstone. Bezel settings tend to wrap around the entire center stone and showcase only the top part of the gem. So in a diamond, this means that the pavilion to the cutlet of the stone gets hidden from view. Brilliant Earth’s Tiara Eternity Diamond Ring maximizes this style by forming the metal in different shapes to create a unique enclosure.
Larger diamonds can work well with bezel settings. Small ones, however, may be overpowered by the metal encasing. Make sure you take this into consideration, especially for those who already have a diamond stone they want to repurpose into a center ring.
Pave vs solitaire
If you believe that simplicity remains best even in jewelry, then you may love the solitaire setting. It’s a tried and tested setting because of its drama and durability. Despite its simplicity, a single stone set atop your chosen precious metal always exudes a classic and timeless vibe. Yet this simplicity also holds the key to long-lasting settings. While it depends on your jeweler’s talent, the solitaire setting remains the go-to style for those who have an active lifestyle.
Compared to the pave setting, however, solitaire settings may require a higher budget. Because you only have one gemstone to work with, a lot is riding on that one stone. Thus, clarity, grade, color, and cut all have to work to make that one stone the star of the show.
Pave vs halo
If the pave and the bezel setting somehow merged to create another setting style, then that would be the halo setting. It follows the bezel’s style of encasing the center stone in metal. But it also creates an extra layer of sparkle with a pave of smaller diamonds that encircle the center stone.
Since it seems to take the best of different settings, you may think that this is the best ring setting there is. It’s not quite easy to quantify it that way. For starters, if budget is your biggest concern, then you may not even want to include the halo setting in the first place.
Compared to pave and the other setting types, the halo setting has always been consistently more expensive. For starters, it creates an even bigger sparkle on your finger given the number of precious stones. But since it takes after the bezel, it’s undoubtedly even more grand to have a bigger center stone, hence driving up the price.
If that’s not enough, you also have to consider the additional metals used to securely set the surrounding diamonds through a pave setting. Still, if you have the means for this, the end ring style is definitely worth its price tag.
Other Pave Settings: Other Styles To Try
Based on the list, it appears that the pave setting in itself is not a bad choice. What’s even more interesting is that there are actually different types of pave settings. These styles differ in how they look and feel.
Before settling on the most popular or the most affordable, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the different pave styles. You can have interesting styles, from a traditional classic to a dainty finish that shows off your diamonds’ sparkle.
Scalloped Pave
If there’s something that the pave ring is known for, it would have to be the texture that it creates. First, it creates texture with the many smaller stones that sparkle along the band. Secondly, the scalloped pave type makes for an even more elegant addition: the uniquely shaped setting that lifts up the smaller stones. Brilliant Earth’s Ballad Eternity Diamond Ring showcases the scalloped pave setting in a beautiful way, allowing it to go all the way around the band.
With a scalloped pave ring, you get a daintier yet textured finish. And this little addition can be a big difference, especially for precious stones that boast a light tinge of color.
U-Cut Pave
The most common type of pave ring setting would have to be the U-cut. Its shape resembles the letter, thanks to the grooves on which the precious stones are set. From the side, these grooves look like the letter U.
Many jewelers make use of this style because they tend to use less metal. This puts the precious stones on the spotlight, and showcases more of the diamonds, especially on the side angle of the ring.
French Pave
If the U-cut already shows quite a huge ratio of the precious stones, the French pave setting extends even more the diamond-to-metal ratio. Also known as the fishtail pave, this style uses as little metal as possible. The diamonds follow a V-shaped setting, where the band has been cut into smaller grooves. Thus, the diamonds suit almost next to each other, while still being securely set on these little grooves.
As the name suggests, it remains one of the most beautiful and romantic pave settings. The endless row of diamonds does not appear broken by any metal holding them in place. At first glance, this makes an almost engraving-like pattern to the precious stones.
This setting seems very similar to the micropave, especially in appearance. However, the micropave makes use of smaller diamonds. So in a battle of micro pave vs French pave, the stones may matter most. Bigger stones shine more with the French pave, whereas micropave allows for daintier settings for smaller gems.
Bright Cut Pave
Classic always shines, no matter the season. If you want to give your ring a more retro but classic feel, the bright cut pave may do wonders. This style has been around for quite some time, and some even refer to it by the name channel set pave.
It’s quite different from all the other modern pave settings due to the metal walls that encase the row of precious stones. Tiny prongs secure these gems even further. This may be one of the more durable setting types, because the precious stones remain secure within the metal walls.
Yet of course, this has its own trade-off. Securing stones within the metal reduces the proportion of the diamond that stands out. This also reduces how much sparkle you can get from your ring. You can balance this with clearer and more premium diamonds, if you have the budget for it.
Pave vs Micropave: Your Choice
Make the brilliant choice today and go for a pave setting ring. With its intricate beauty and artisanal craftsmanship, it’s definitely a worthy addition to your jewelry collection. Just make sure to consider all the advantages and issues when it comes to owning a pave ring. If it’s a match, then this could be one of the most precious rings in your collection.
Want to know more about metal bands used in ring settings? Read “How Thick Or Thin Should Engagement Rings Be: A Practical Guide.”