Pave and Micro-Pave Engagement Ring Settings 

Pave and micro pave settings, sometimes also called bead settings are made by fitting diamonds into tapered holes in the metal. Pave settings use numerous small diamonds put together in a cluster with little or no metal showing. The stones are set almost level with the surface on the ring and some of the surrounding metal is raised to form beads which secure the stones. This setting style is frequently used for women's wedding rings and can have a dome or flat shape. The name of the style come from French word pavй meaning paved like a cobblestone road. In order to give the impression of a continuous diamond surface, it is customary to use white gold or platinum to support the pavй-set diamonds even if the rest of the mounting is in yellow gold. Diamonds in a pave-set ring are well protected. When the pave design is spread around the top of the ring surrounding the center stone, it makes the center piece look larger and brighter. Some disadvantages of pave-set mountings are that they are not as smooth as channel and flush settings and the stones are not as secured as in channel settings. Pave settings are usually more expansive and time consuming to build especially for quality settings where stones are individually fitted in place by hand.