What Are Pave Diamond Ring Settings?

Pave diamond settings allow jeweler's and designers to produce high quality and beautiful settings using smaller stones. This is not just for economy's sake, though there can be a savings compared to a similar sized piece made from larger stones. It also allows the designer to produce dazzling effects impossible with a standard setting.

Pave diamond ring settings are produced by setting many smaller round diamonds close together on the piece, so that little of no metal backing is visible from the front. The technique is compared to paving a street with cobblestones.

This setting differs from other multi stone settings like the channel cut in that it is strictly used with round stones and the goal is to produce a surface where only the diamonds are visible.

When producing pave diamond ring settings, each stone is carefully set to produce the greatest total effect. Since you are using smaller diamonds, which are typically less flawed than the larger stones, you can produce a piece of extremely high quality.


But the advantage does not stop with the quality of the individual stones. By varying the size of the stones uses, you can produce intricate patterns and textures that add to the visual interest of your pave diamond ring settings.
Shapes like hearts, clovers, and twisted bands and rings with diamonds flowing around the finger are just a few of the possibilities with this technique. Any metal surface can be handled with a pave pattern.
You can also vary the cut style to maximize the optical effects of your piece. A skilled jeweler can produce jewelry with an overall effect much greater than the sum of the stones used.


Engagement rings and wedding sets are common pave pieces. The main center stone is surrounded by a pattern of smaller stones, which enhances the total appearance of the ring or ring set. Properly selected stones can produce a superior piece at a lower cost.