You’ve probably heard about Pavé diamonds, and because of the “funny letter” in the name, people always assume that we’re talking about a fancy thing, especially when you bring in the diamonds.
Those assumptions may be accurate, but then, they also may not. That’s why we’re here today, amongst other reasons, to tell you what information is accurate, and what is just a rumor. Besides that, we’re here to talk about Pavé diamonds in general, and to tell you all about these diamonds in a fun and amusing way that will definitely make you think about them and their uniqueness.
Now that you know what is in front of you, let’s dive deep into what Pavé diamonds are and everything you need to know about them. Let’s see what we have in store for you!
What Are Pavé Diamonds?
First, let’s take a look at how we would define pavé diamonds, and then we can talk about the specifics:
Pavé is a ring setting term that refers to how the diamonds are put in the ring. When looking at a ring with a pavé setting, you’ll see a line, or pavement, of continuous glitter created by multiple small diamonds firmly placed together.
Now that we know what we mean when we say “Pavé diamonds” let’s see how Pavé diamonds work, what they actually are, and what are we referring to in this definition.
Pavé diamonds are essentially multiple small diamonds in a cluster that represents one diamond closely set to another, and so on until they form a pavement-like formation on a ring.
This style of setting diamonds into a ring is quite popular and has been for a while. Maybe not as long as some other diamond settings have been, but it also wouldn’t be fair to say that their popularity is young.
These diamonds are quite small, so they have to be addressed with care and precision, which makes this setting quite hard to make.
But, that’s a part of their popularity and the luxury they give off. We’re going to talk about that a bit later on in the article, but it’s important to know that these are the key characteristics of this setting that make it so famous.
Where Do Pavé Diamonds Come From?
Pavé settings have been used for hundreds of years, with some of the most famous designs reaching back to the Georgian period. “You’ll see the diamond and other stones like turquoise pavé set in the design of rings, lockets, brooches, earrings, and precious goods from this time,” Sheffield explains.
When a hole (or divot) is carved in the material and the tiny gemstone is fitted, the procedure is completed. Sheffield says, “Next, a metal tool is used to form eensy beads, or another sort of prong, to press up and over the stone to keep it in place.”
“There are a few different ways to achieve this in terms of style, and they all look slightly different in the end.” The idea of it is that pavé gives a piece a diamond or gem outline or an all-over surface coverage.
These are all very important quotes that will help you understand how the Pave setting came to life and became the way that we know it now. Originally, the pave setting meant only one thing, but throughout the history of this setting, you’ll notice the new versions that have become popular later on.
We’re going to take a look at these variations of the pave setting later on, so make sure not to miss it!
How Big Are Pavé Diamonds And Why?
Pave diamonds aren’t usually big. The nature of this setting provides you with a lot of small diamonds that are closely put together to resemble a pavement of tiny diamonds. These small diamonds can weigh around 0.1 or 0.2 carats per diamond so they equal one or two carats when combined.
If you go for bigger diamonds that weigh 0.4 or 0.5 carats, you will either have to pay a hefty price or settle for a smaller number of diamonds on your pave setting.
This setting usually allows for a centerpiece (if there is one) to be a bit smaller since, in comparison to those 0.1-carat diamonds, everything looks big! People like to go for anything that’s between 0.5 carats and one whole carat for the centerpiece, and that’s the optimal approach.
There’s no real need to go any bigger, especially if you’re going for a minimalistic look. This doesn’t mean that you can’t go with a bigger centerpiece diamond, such as a 1.5-carat or even a 2-carat diamond. There’s one thing that you should take into consideration when it comes to pavé diamonds, and that’s the fact that they’re often looked at and weighed as one stone.
So, for example, if you’d like a 1-carat pavé ring with no centerpiece, that means that when the masses of all of the small diamonds are added together, they weigh one carat. That’s why when we talk about the size of pavé diamonds, we can’t only talk about the size of the small diamonds, but we have to factor in their total weight and then say how much they weigh.
In addition to that, you should also be introduced to the fact that if you go for a pavé setting that has fewer small diamonds in it, you can expect the total weight to be the same, but the diamonds to be bigger.
This all depends on your preferences and what you’re going for, but all in all – both choices are valid.
Best Rings For Pavé Diamonds
The pavé setting is native to rings and isn’t used in other jewelry very often. This is just an indicator of a trend, but you don’t have to follow these trends. Before we go on to talk about rings, let’s see what other jewelry can contain the pavé setting and pavé diamonds.
Bracelets and watches are both popular pieces of jewelry that are often decorated by the pavé setting. Both bracelets and watches do require a lot of pavé diamonds, so this is not a cheap project.
Watches have been gaining popularity, especially in the last couple of years. People tend to buy expensive watches and cover them in small diamonds to make them even more expensive. This is technically a pavé setting, and that’s why we’re putting it on top of our list of other pieces of jewelry that can be seen with a pavé setting.
Bracelets are a similar story, but with them, unlike with watches, you can have a bracelet that has a pavé setting that doesn’t cover the entirety of the bracelet. Usually the top part, which is in most cases the central part, is covered in pavé diamonds while the rest is left with only a shine from the precious metals.
And now, for the rings. Rings are definitely the most popular piece of jewelry when it comes to the pavé setting. They are small enough to house a moderate number of diamonds that will cover the entirety of a ring without costing a fortune.
This is one of the main reasons why rings are the most popular piece of jewelry with this setting. Besides that, the pavé setting has become quite popular when it comes to engagement rings, and that just further proves our point!
Engagement rings are some of the most beautiful rings you’ll see out there, and the pavé setting is an amazing choice for them. Affordable, good-looking, luxurious but casual, and everything else that comes with this setting is practically a match made in heaven with what people search for in engagement rings.
One more thing that makes rings the best pieces of jewelry for the pavé setting. It’s the fact that they’re worn on fingers that usually move around quite a lot. This allows for every single one of those small diamonds to get a lot of light and shine individually while maintaining the setting and shining collectively.
Now, let’s take a look at what types of rings are the best for a pavé setting and which rings you should avoid if you’re going for the previously mentioned setting.
First of all, the wider your ring, the better. Pavé settings are usually done in multiple rows, three, four, or five, and the ring should have enough space to house that many diamonds.
On the other hand, if you’re going for a ring that’s narrow, there are some pavé settings that will allow you to get only a row of smaller diamonds by each side of the centerpiece, but the only problem with that is that you should aim for a ring that has that centerpiece.
Also, platinum, silver, rose gold, and white gold all go amazingly well with the pavé setting, while regular gold isn’t as good. We’re not saying that regular gold doesn’t go well with the pavé setting, we’re just saying that there are better options.
If a ring is made from a precious metal that’s more silver-looking or lighter in color, it will allow for the diamonds to look even more together and shine even brighter in unison.
Also, if you’re looking for rings that have multiple bigger diamonds on them, and you want a pavé setting as well, look for rings that have one centerpiece, and two side pieces and the rest is the pavé setting. This is the best way to utilize multiple bigger diamonds in coordination with a pavé setting without a question.
Luckily, jewelers already know that, so if you’re in the market for a ring that has multiple bigger diamonds and a pavé setting, you’ll most definitely find a setting such as this without any trouble.
One more thing that is important to note is the fact that if you’re buying pavé diamonds, you should buy them from a well-known jeweler since there may be some problems with regard to falling out. These diamonds are extremely small and quite delicate to deal with, leaving jewelers quite limited when it comes to their options of gluing them down.
The amount of glue that’s used to hold pavé diamonds in place isn’t big but is actually rather small. So, if the jeweler that made the pavé diamond ring didn’t use enough glue, you will definitely experience some diamonds falling out.
Some jewelers will replace the diamonds that fell out if you have insurance and if it turns out it’s not your fault that these diamonds fell out.
Learn More: How To Prevent Pave Diamonds From Falling Out?
Pavé Diamonds – Price
When it comes to price, pavé diamonds aren’t exactly the easiest to put in a price bracket. These diamonds are small, and there are many diamonds involved in a pavé setting, meaning these small diamonds are rarely priced individually.
One thing that’s practiced when determining the price of a pave setting ring is the total amount of carats that was embedded in the ring. These rings usually have a specific mass of diamonds that was put into them in the process of making a pavé setting diamond ring.
If you’re making a custom ring, the best thing you can do, when it comes to the price, is to tell your jeweler how much money you’re willing or able to spend on a ring such as this, and they’ll tell you how big of a pavé setting you can afford.
The price for these diamonds starts at around $1,500 and can go up to tens of thousands of dollars, all depending on what is going on in the ring.
If a ring has a centerpiece that is also considered a piece of a pavé setting, then you’re looking at a higher price since that centerpiece diamond needs to be a lot bigger than the small diamonds in the pave setting so it stands out more.
In addition to that, if the ring is made from a more expensive precious metal, that brings the price up, especially considering the fact that this setting requires a lot of space for the small diamonds to be embedded.
As you can see, it can be a little tricky putting a finger on an exact price of a diamond ring that has the pavé setting. Usually, these rings are considered semi-affordable, depending on the luxury level of the ring in question and the total amount of carats of diamonds that went into that ring.
Pavé diamonds (the small ones) are usually kept simple when it comes to the cut and the embedding of the diamonds alone, so it doesn’t bump up the price drastically.
On the other hand, a lot can be spent on a pavé diamond ring, all depending on what you’re going for. If you’re going for a platinum ring with lots of small pavé diamonds that equals over two carats, you’re looking at a price tag that is most likely close to $15,000.
On the other hand, if you go for something more cost-efficient and not so luxurious, you will be left with a nice-looking minimalistic pave ring that will most definitely catch some looks and leave you feeling admired.
Fortunately for you, these small diamonds don’t have to have a high clarity grade since they’re small enough so the imperfections aren’t visible, meaning you can save up some money there as well.
The color grade is a bit more important, especially if you’re looking to spend an extra buck or two on a pave ring that has a centerpiece that’s a different color than the rest of the diamonds.
Champagne diamonds go amazingly well in this setting, and that’s where you can put those extra dollars that you potentially saved up when not getting the highest clarity diamonds for the pave setting.
Pavé Diamonds – Pros & Cons
Now that you know quite a lot about pavé diamonds, it’s time to take a look at their strengths and weaknesses and compare them so you have a better understanding of whether they’re worth your time or not.
These aren’t some dealbreakers or exceptional qualities that should sell you the idea of pavé diamonds or make you lose the interest that you had. These are simply some of the strong points of these diamonds, and the things that you should be careful of if you’re in the market for pave diamonds.
One more disclaimer – don’t feel obligated to agree with us, if you have a different opinion on these diamonds, it’s completely fine. On the other hand, we feel like we are helping some of you by stating our opinions on certain things, especially with regard to people that are new to this topic.
Pros Of Pavé Diamonds
There are a lot of strong sides to the pavé setting and the diamonds that it contains. Here, you’re going to have a clear overview of all the strong points that are characteristic of pavé diamonds.
They Are Affordable
These diamonds are quite affordable, regardless of how they look. The amount of money that you’re looking to spend on a piece of jewelry that has a pavé setting (most likely rings) is quite normal.
Regardless of how this setting looks, and how intense the feeling of luxury that comes with the pavé setting is, the price tag that’s hanging off of the pavé setting ring is unexpectedly balanced in comparison to what you’re getting.
Also, if you’re looking for a diamond setting that won’t look generic and will catch looks, this is the most cost-efficient way to find yourself in that situation.
They Look Authentic
The authenticity of pavé diamonds is undeniable. Rarely a setting comes even close to looking like something similar to a pavé setting.
Usually, diamonds are standalone gemstones on pieces of jewelry. But with pavé diamonds, it’s a bit different. The difference is that there can be a centerpiece diamond in a pavé setting, but there doesn’t have to be.
Otherwise, the pavé setting consists of many small diamonds, and that’s something that’s original and authentic. This may not be a strength of this setting to some of you, but we regard it as one since originality is something that’s hard to find in a world full of repetitive diamonds and diamond settings.
They Are Easy To Come Across
Some would think that because of the originality that we discussed right now, the pavé setting diamonds are hard to come by and find.
Well, luckily, this isn’t the case. As a result of being affordable and authentic, the pavé setting is quite popular amongst regular folks. This only leads to jewelers having more pavé setting rings in their stores, looking to sell as many of them as possible.
This also may be looked at as a con, but we’ll get to that when it’s time to discuss the weak points of the pavé setting.
They Are Easy To Fix
As we’ve previously mentioned, pieces of jewelry that have the pavé setting are easy to fix. There are even some jewelers that will allow you to ensure your pavé setting jewelry in case a diamond or two fall out.
Luckily, these diamonds are small and not overly expensive to fix and repair. Even if you get one of those diamonds when it falls out and save it – the majority of jewelers will glue it back in.
Also, the firmness of the precious metals that go into the making of a pavé setting ring provides stability and support to said diamonds while allowing for a ring to be sturdy enough to prevent it from breaking.
Cons Of Pavé Diamonds
As for the cons, there surely are some when it comes to pavé diamonds. But are those cons enough to make you change your mind about the pavé setting? We’re about to find out! Here, you’ll have an opportunity to take a look at some clear disadvantages of the pavé setting and the risks that comes with them.
The Pavé Setting Is Common
As we’ve mentioned in the pros list above, rings with pavé settings are quite common and are easily seen while walking around town. This may be a disadvantage to some of you that aim for your ring to be a unique occurrence that will have a breathtaking effect on people that lay eyes on your fingers.
But, there isn’t a setting that’s affordable, widely available, and rare. To find a setting that has all three of these is practically impossible, so what we recommend is to take a look at what are your priorities out of all of these three and settle for what matters to you.
The Diamonds From Pavé Settings Fall Out Easily
This is another thing that we previously mentioned briefly, but it’s time to take a closer look at the main problem that the pavé setting inevitably has. If the jeweler that is responsible for making your pavé setting ring doesn’t apply enough glue, there is a high possibility of a diamond or two falling out from your jewelry.
This is a common occurrence, and there isn’t much you can do to prevent this from happening. It may be frustrating, but just understand that the price of a pavé setting ring isn’t much different if you buy it from a cheaper jeweler and that you should consider buying your rings from a renowned jeweler.
If this does happen, make sure to find and save the diamond that has fallen out (if possible) and get it fixed straight away. This is a problem that is fixed for an affordable price, so you do not have to worry!
Conclusion
As you had an opportunity to see all there is to pavé diamonds and the pavé setting, it’s time to have a quick overview of everything we had an opportunity to learn about these diamonds and the setting alone.
First of all, we have to tell you that the pavé setting is one of the prettiest and most original settings, and everything you should know about pavé diamonds is that they leave quite an impression. Although they look quite luxurious, they are very affordable, and that’s why you see them on a regular basis.
This may cause problems for some of you, and that’s one thing to keep an eye out for. Otherwise, we highly recommend the pavé setting to anyone and everyone that don’t know what they’re going for, but want a diamond ring!
We hope we interested you in this setting, and that we made it easier to educate yourself about the pavé setting, and the pavé diamonds in it!
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