One of the most popular diamond shapes that couples choose for their engagement rings is the oval cut. The main reason for the popularity of oval engagement rings is that the oval cut makes the diamond look bigger because of its elongated shape. If you have already decided to buy an oval diamond ring, you should choose the right setting for an oval cut diamond.
Prong Setting
This is one of the most popular ring settings for a number of diamonds, including oval cut diamonds. The main advantage of the prong setting is that it leaves most of the center stone visible. However, there is a slight drawback to a prong setting. Since the center diamond has more visibility, the chances of damaging the diamond due to accidental hits are high.
There are different types of prongs but for oval cut engagement rings, the best option is either a four-prong setting or a six-prong setting. Most people prefer a four-prong setting for an oval cut diamond because it makes the diamond more visible. If the setting is damaged, the rebuilding cost will be significantly lower because of the fewer prongs.
One of the biggest advantages of a six-prong setting is that it ensures more protection for the oval diamond than the four prong setting. Also, there is only a minimal chance of diamond falling out when one of the prongs is bent or loose. More and more people are now choosing six prong setting for their oval engagement ring because of its added protection to the stone.
Bezel Setting
The main feature of the bezel setting is that it holds the center stone by encircling it with a metal band. If you prefer the protection of the oval diamond over visibility, you should choose a bezel setting because it offers more protection than prong settings. However, there is a disadvantage to the bezel setting that it covers most of the diamond.
There are two types of bezel settings; full bezel setting and partial bezel setting. If you are concerned about the safety of the oval cut diamond, you should choose a full bezel setting because in this setting the diamond is encircled with metal from all sides.
As the name suggests, in the partial bezel setting the metal band that holds the diamond in place only covers a small portion of the diamond. If you are not so concerned about the safety of the stone, but still want a safer setting than prongs you can choose a partial bezel setting.