Pave Engagement Ring Settings

Pavé (pronounced ‘pah-VAY’) engagement rings are those that incorporate a diamond setting technique involving the use of tiny, fully faceted diamonds positioned very closely together. The effect is to create a solid surface of diamond sparkle. Pavé (commonly written ‘pave’) comes from the French word for ‘paved’ as in a road paved with sparkling cobblestones.

The small diamonds used in pavé are called melee (pronounce ‘MEH-lee’ or sometimes ‘meh-LEH’), another French word meaning mixture. They can be as small as a quarter of a point. That is, 0.0025 carats!

Some of the most intricate engagement ring styles feature diamond pave in which many small diamonds are packed together. Each one is secured with nearly invisible metal beads that act as tiny prongs. The term ‘bead setting’ is used in association with slightly separated melee or when the stones are set in single lines. If the diamonds are extremely small, the jeweler works under a microscope to set the diamonds. This highly specialized technique is referred to as micro-pavé.

For more information on pavé and other diamond setting techniques and their characteristics, please see our Diamond Ring Setting Guide.

Pave settings are my personal favorite and are an increasingly popular choice for dramatic and beautiful wedding rings, right hand rings and other diamond fashion jewelry. From a value standpoint pave set diamonds greatly increase the beauty of the piece of jewelry, but not necessarily the price. The cost of many small diamonds is much lower than if the total carat weight was in a single stone. To achieve the full breathtaking effect that pave settings will produce, each little diamond is intricately placed into tiny prongs or beads. Very little metal will show and the diamonds look encrusted over the entire glittering surface.

For an even more dramatic and refined look, many opt for Micro Pave Engagement rings. This involves a high level of skill in setting the tiniest possible diamonds ranging from 0.005 carts to 0.01 carats very close together in the mounting. To execute micro pave a jeweler must work under a microscope! Imagine the patience and expertise needed for this painstaking task.

Pave is a setting technique applied across a broad range of styles. Pave Engagement Rings are made in every possible design for every possible lifestyle and taste. They range from the very subtle to the most flashy and flamboyant. Some designer rings are adorned with wide areas of pave for maximum “bling” while others are understated for a subtle and sophisticated look. Many of the intricate and delicate designs found in Verragio Engagement Rings feature pave settings that are likes works of art.

The focal point of all diamond engagement rings is of course, the center diamond. No matter what the size or shape, the center diamond is in full glory when sitting in a lovely sparkling pave nest. Pave engagement rings can be found with round, princess, asscher, pear and many other shaped center diamonds. But these beautiful rings are most exquisite when set with Whiteflash A CUT ABOVE® Super Ideal diamonds. A CUT ABOVE® round and princess cut diamonds are hailed throughout the industry as the finest cut diamonds in the world. For a wide selection of pave diamond rings and jewelry, follow the sparkling pave trail to the Houston area Whiteflash Showroom in beautiful Sugar Land, Texas. And you may of course view our extensive collection of pave jewelry in our online catalogue with beautiful pictures of these sparkling little treasures!