There are several ways to set a gemstone in a ring. A larger gemstone may be the main part of a ring, and set accordingly. Smaller stones are often set in a different way. As such it is not uncommon for rings to have larger and smaller stones set in a different way.

Channel setting

This is most often used with smaller stones. Several gemstones can set in a row along the band of the ring, usually level with the ring’s surface.

It is not really appropriate to set a small stone with prongs. The prongs need to have a certain thickness in order to be strong enough to hold the gem in place, but with a tiny gem there is a risk that the prongs will be almost as large as the stone. A channel setting removes this issue.

As channel set gemstones do not protrude past the ring’s surface they will not snag on anything. This does not apply if there is also a larger, main gemstone. The setting style of the larger gemstone determines how easily the ring might catch on other items.

Pave Setting.

This is another method of setting smaller stones. The word ‘pave’ (pronounced ‘pa-vay’) has the same etemology as pavement, with the small gems  in a pave ring being set like paving stones on a path.

Pave set rings have most of their surface covered with the small stones, with minimal metal between them. The gems are partly held in place by holes beneath them, partly held by beads of metal between the stones.

Pave rings have more visible stone than metal setting; they almost look like the ring itself is made of gemstones rather than set with them. This is an effect that many people are fond of. The only disadvantage is that the predetermined size of the tiny gemstones makes sizing the ring slightly difficult; there must be an exact number of stones covering the rings surface.

Halo

Halo setting have several very small diamonds (or other gemstones) set around a larger central gem. This makes the centre gem appear larger and increases its sparkle.

There are many combinations of halo setting. A centre gem can be surrounded by one or two haloes of smaller stones. The colours can also be varied  greatly, with a centre white diamond surrounded by smaller coloured gems, or a centre coloured gem surrounded by white diamonds.

Halo setting are sometime combined with pave settings, to great effect.