Diamond settings

Diamond settings: The stage for your diamond.

Diamond settings are the platform – or stage -- in which the diamond sits. This is how your diamond will be shown to the world. The variety of diamond settings available is almost limitless. Where do you begin?

Begin at the beginning by first selecting your diamond. Most fine diamond retailers encourage you to select a loose diamond, which means a diamond that has not yet been set – or mounted, as they say. The benefit of buying a loose diamond is that you can focus on the quality and beauty of the stone alone, then select an appropriate setting knowing that your diamond purchase is exactly what you want. See the 4Cs for more information about how to buy diamonds and determining their fair market value.

Once you've decided on a diamond, the shape of the stone will narrow the field in terms of diamond settings, since settings are designed with a particular shape of stone in mind . You want the setting to show off the beauty of your diamond. You'll need to make a series of decisions about your diamond setting.

• Will it be yellow gold, white gold or platinum?
• Will the band be simple or adorned with smaller stones?
• Do you prefer a solitaire or a three-stone setting?
• Or, would you like your diamond to be set with additional stones, whether more diamonds, or perhaps sapphires or emeralds?
• Does your taste run to modern, vintage, floral, romantic or more contemporary?

There's a lot to think about when choosing diamond settings!