The
pave setting uses very small
diamonds and
sets them closely together, in the way cobblestones are
set. There is something called
micro-pavé, which can only be set while viewing under a magnifying glass, with the
melee diamonds used in this being no bigger than 0.005ct.
Micro-Pavé
This is a very popular
setting choice when it comes to
engagement rings. However, there are some very obvious durability concerns that come with it. With
melee diamonds, there is the chance of them falling out of pave
shanks, which means the wearer can lose
diamonds at any time that they are not looking. This makes the use of handmade
prongs a sensible choice, although it would not require hand fabricating the entire
ring. For instance, the cups holding the
melee diamonds can be CAD-casted, and the
pave beads can be added by hand after that.
Bright Cut Pavé
This is one type under
micro-pavé, where the durability is boosted by securing
each
stone with two or even four
beads. Either choice allows the jeweler to come up with the look you have in mind.