Jewelry Information: Quad Spacer, Jewelry Settings
See also our Jewelry Tips and Tricks page, or go back to our Jewelry Glossary index)
Quad Spacer:
A set of four small, metal, pierced beads joined by a tiny cord. Quads are used in sets as spacers for beads or pearls, serving both to separate the beads or pearls, and to cover the security knots in the necklace's cord.Rings: Over the years, different types of rings have come and gone in terms of "being in style", here are a few contemporary types:Chastity Ring: Also known as a Purity Ring, it is usually given by the parents to a young woman to encourage sexual abstinence until marriage. Many adults, both men and women, choose to wear such a ring as a proclamation of chastity until marriage. We carry rings for both sexes in our Purity & Chastity Rings section.
Engagement Ring: Traditionally, this is a "solitaire" diamond, meaning that it consists of a single diamond set in a simple band. However, this diamond can be augmented with smaller diamonds on each side, forming a popular "three stone" setting. We carry a line of traditional Engagement and Wedding Rings, as well as numerous Religious Engagement and Wedding Rings. Many couples opt to forego the engagement ring, and instead purchase diamond wedding rings.
Promise Ring: Recently popular, this type of ring usually displays a heart motif, and is used by couples wishing to express a commitment to each other, but without a traditional wedding engagement arrangement. We carry a line of Promise Rings which include plain, diamond and gemstone designs.
Pinky Ring: A ring worn on the little, or "pinky", finger. It can be any style ring, though one popular style is the signet ring--we offer a great selection of Men's and Women's Signet Rings in 14K and 10K yellow and white gold, and sterling silver.
Rosary Ring: For those who wish to pray the Rosary prayer, a helper ring is often sought to replace a more bulky rosary necklace or bracelet. The rosary ring consists of a single cross on the top of the ring, with the rest of the ring containing ten evenly-space raised beads, or "bumps", which correspond to each repetition of the prayer. Many Catholics also use these as wedding bands. See our selection of Rosary Rings in our Religious Rings section.
Signet Rings: This is a ring with an oval or square face on the top of the ring which can be engraved with the wearer's initials. Engraving is usually done in "monogram style", meaning that three letters are engraved, with the middle letter being the initial of the last name--it is larger than the other two letters, thus fitting inside an oval shape. Signet rings are also available in ornate and heart-shaped designs
Tapered Ring: Ring shape is often referred to as "tapered" when the lower portion of the ring is narrower than the upper portion. This serves to make the it more comfortable on the finger, and also allows a reduced amount of precious metal, thereby lowering it's cost. The narrower portion is also used for adding or removing metal when the ring is sized--therefore, any design on the upper portion of a tapered ring will only extend around to the sides, and will not usually wrap all the way around into the lowest section.
Chastity Ring: Also known as a Purity Ring, it is usually given by the parents to a young woman to encourage sexual abstinence until marriage. Many adults, both men and women, choose to wear such a ring as a proclamation of chastity until marriage. We carry rings for both sexes in our Purity & Chastity Rings section.
Engagement Ring: Traditionally, this is a "solitaire" diamond, meaning that it consists of a single diamond set in a simple band. However, this diamond can be augmented with smaller diamonds on each side, forming a popular "three stone" setting. We carry a line of traditional Engagement and Wedding Rings, as well as numerous Religious Engagement and Wedding Rings. Many couples opt to forego the engagement ring, and instead purchase diamond wedding rings.
Promise Ring: Recently popular, this type of ring usually displays a heart motif, and is used by couples wishing to express a commitment to each other, but without a traditional wedding engagement arrangement. We carry a line of Promise Rings which include plain, diamond and gemstone designs.
Pinky Ring: A ring worn on the little, or "pinky", finger. It can be any style ring, though one popular style is the signet ring--we offer a great selection of Men's and Women's Signet Rings in 14K and 10K yellow and white gold, and sterling silver.
Rosary Ring: For those who wish to pray the Rosary prayer, a helper ring is often sought to replace a more bulky rosary necklace or bracelet. The rosary ring consists of a single cross on the top of the ring, with the rest of the ring containing ten evenly-space raised beads, or "bumps", which correspond to each repetition of the prayer. Many Catholics also use these as wedding bands. See our selection of Rosary Rings in our Religious Rings section.
Signet Rings: This is a ring with an oval or square face on the top of the ring which can be engraved with the wearer's initials. Engraving is usually done in "monogram style", meaning that three letters are engraved, with the middle letter being the initial of the last name--it is larger than the other two letters, thus fitting inside an oval shape. Signet rings are also available in ornate and heart-shaped designs
Tapered Ring: Ring shape is often referred to as "tapered" when the lower portion of the ring is narrower than the upper portion. This serves to make the it more comfortable on the finger, and also allows a reduced amount of precious metal, thereby lowering it's cost. The narrower portion is also used for adding or removing metal when the ring is sized--therefore, any design on the upper portion of a tapered ring will only extend around to the sides, and will not usually wrap all the way around into the lowest section.
Settings:
The stones in jewelry must be securely attached to the jewelry metal. The main techniques used are:Bar Setting: Similar to channel setting. The stone is set with a supporting bar on either side of the stone. With multiple stone settings, each bar is shared between two stones.
Bezel-set: In this style, the stone is secured within a well of metal that is provided with a lip all the way around the stone. After the stone is set into the well, the metal lip is bent over and smoothed against the stone, securing it with a continuous layer of metal. This style is also well suited for stones subjected to heavy wear, such as rings--for example, see our Topaz Platinum Ring.
Bead and Bright set: This is a technique whereby the gemstone is mounted in a well in the metal which is surrounded by beads formed by cutting away portions of the surrounding metal. These beads are then bent over to secure the stone, and either polished or "faceted" so that they have multiple flat surfaces which reflect light as a gemstone does.
Channel-set: A channel setting provides the most secure and protective environment for multiple gemstones, since the stones are recessed in a metal channel, secured in notches or grooves in the side of the channel. This is typically a more expensive setting, since the labor and care involved in setting the stones is so great--for example, see our 1/2-Carat Channel-Set Round Diamond Bands.
Gypsy Setting: The stone is set into a solid piece of metal by drilling a recess into the metal, placing the stone in the hole and then forming the metal at the edge of the hole back over the stone to secure it.
Illusion Setting: Used for smaller diamonds, this setting supports one or more diamonds in prongs within a larger surface of white gold, which is in turn supported in a larger setting, thus giving the "illusion" of a larger diamond. If desired, the setting can be switched at a later date to set a larger diamond.
Inlay: Setting technique in which part of the surface of the jewelry piece is cut away, yielding a crevice into which a gemstone is imbedded and glued, setting it flush with the piece surface.
Open-back: This describes the construction of the metal under the setting of the ring, in which the inside of the top of the ring is "scooped" out. This serves to reduce the weight of the ring, and hence the cost, without affecting the outward appearance of the ring. Solid-Back: The underside of the top of the ring is not recessed, but flush with the inside of the ring. Only practical on rings with fairly shallow tops, such as signet rings and some wedding bands.
Prong-set: The most common setting, the prong setting allows the stone to be displayed prominently above the rest of the piece of jewelry. The prongs are notched to receive the girdle (the widest part) of the stone. The number of prongs varies according to the size and style of the setting, but four- and six-prong settings are most common. Here, the strength of the prongs is vital, since they can easily be caught on clothing or other objects, becoming bent and allowing the stone to be loosened. 14K gold and platinum provide the greatest strength--often a ring may be designed with a platinum setting and a gold shank (the part of the ring that encircles the finger). It is recommended that prong settings be examined every six months or so for signs of damage in order to prevent stone loss.
Pavé-set: Pavé, French for "pavement", is a technique whereby the surface of the jewelry is covered, or paved, with stones. Each stone is held in place by tiny beads, actually very small prongs, that are molded into the jewelry and bent over or flattened against the stones to hold them in place. This method is highly labor intensive, since it involves the setting of a large number of very small stones. Pavé settings can be rough to the touch if they are not finished properly, and are susceptible to stone loss due to the small amount of metal that secures them.
V-Prong setting: Typically used to mount cut styles which have a delicate point, such as marquis, to protect the points from chipping. The prong is formed with an indentation the same shape as the stone's point, similar to a cut-away bezel or channel mount.
Caring for your new diamond rings
Your diamond rings from ViridianGold.com are an investment that will last a lifetime with proper care. Diamonds are extremely hard, but pure gold is soft--that is why it is combined with other metals when used in jewelry, so the result is that 14K gold is even tougher than platinum, 18K or 22k gold! Even so, we recommend that you remove your rings when swimming, washing dishes, using tools or handling chemicals. This is because the diamond mountings, which are made of gold, can be loosened over time and some chemicals can cause the gold to discolor. If your rings also have black enamel accents, you should especially avoid contact with harsh chemicals and solvents, or soaps with abrasives (like Lava Soap®). After wearing your rings for 6 months or a year, we recommend that you take them to a jeweler for cleaning and to have the stones checked for tightness--this will ensure that your diamonds will not become so loose that they fall out of their settings. Black enamel on some rings will normally wear off over time, because of the natural resilience of the gold underneath--a jeweler can refresh these accents when he cleans the ring.Authored by: Bill Long
