The Appeal of Pave Bands

The Beauty of Small Diamonds

Pave settings cover portions of a ring, pendant or other jewelry with many little diamonds. The ideal effect is to give the impression of jewelry paved with jewels. Pave settings are a popular decorative element which imparts added brilliance and luster to a piece. Other designs consist entirely of pave.

Diamonds used in pave settings are held in place with a series of prongs. These wires should be strong enough to keep the jewels secure, while subtle enough not to hide brilliance. Depending on the maker, pave setting may be molded directly into the diamond bands, or carved after the ring is cast. The number of prongs used to hold each diamond can vary, and must balance security with beauty.

On diamond bands, pave can be used on the shoulders in lieu of side stones. Other variants include jewels on the prongs or band itself. Tiny diamonds also highlight decorative pieces on the ring, such as floral motifs, crisscross bands or split shanks. Pave may also serve as halos to further add brilliance to larger stones.

Pave settings are beautiful enough to be used as the sole embellishment on wedding bands. Pave diamond bands may be as slender or thick as the wearer prefers. The gemstones may be set into staggered rows, two or more levels wide. Even the size of the diamonds may vary. Micro pave wedding bands are especially fine, using the smallest available jewels.