Pavé (pronounced “pah-vay”) is the French word for “paved,” and the name is very fitting for this type of engagement ring setting. Rings that contain pavé settings have many small gemstones

fit closely together, the design creates the appearance of a surface paved in diamonds. The diamonds are held in place by small beads of metal, and the gems sit level with the surface of the ring. Pavé settings are beautiful because of the sparkle that occurs from so many diamonds placed together, it shimmers brilliantly when the light hits the gems. Some people refer to pavé settings as bead Setting because of the tiny metal beads that hold the diamonds in place.

Pavé settings use tiny holes to hold the diamonds in place, the holes are drilled directly into the ring. Usually, the diamonds are the same size and shape– they are placed very close together to maximize the available space. Each diamond is fully cut with the standard diamond cutting guidelines, ring will be more beautiful if the diamonds are more precisely cut. As each diamond is placed, small amounts of metal are placed to form small beads that hold the stones.

It is difficult for a jeweler to create a smooth pavé setting, the technique is very demanding and requires patience and practice. Often, the cost of the pavé settings are higher than other settings, because of the time invested to create the beautiful piece of art.

If the pavé surface is flat, the diamonds should be exactly the same size. If a portion of the ring curves, then the diamonds should get smaller in size to match the curve of the ring. Often, pavé settings use white colored metals such as platinum and white gold to accentuate the brilliance of the diamonds.

Read more about Engagement Ring Settings:

Ballerina Settings
Bar Settings
Bezel Settings
Channel Settings
Chevron Diamond Ring Setting
Diamond cluster Settings
Flush Settings
Illusion Settings
Invisible Settings
Pave Settings
Prong Ring Settings
Solitaire Engagement Rings
Tension Settings