Invisible Set Engagement Rings

What is an Invisible Setting?

An invisible setting is just that – diamonds set into a stunning ring where the mounting is completely hidden and the gem appears to be held by nothing at all. Invisible settings are created by carving a slit into each diamond just beneath its girdle. The metal that secures the stone into the ring sits in that slit, but because the girdle is the stone’s widest point, it effectively covers the metal, making the actual setting invisible.

Because of the precision necessary to create invisible settings, each ring must be fashioned for specific stones and cannot easily be adjusted for alterations or upgrades. The beauty and luxury of different invisible settings, however, make them such stunning pieces of jewelry that they rarely need to be upgraded at all.

Styles of Invisible Set Engagement Rings

The vast majority of invisible settings use princess cut stones because their flat edges and sharp corners can fit together smoothly without any gaps to reveal the setting. Other diamond shapes that may be used for invisible designs may be trapezoids, emerald cuts, baguettes, or any unique shape that can be closely fit to neighboring stones.

While it may seem that the nature of the invisible setting naturally limits design options, there are actually many choices for couples interested in these elegant settings, including:

• Invisible set accents to any larger engagement ring setting, similar to channel settings but using far less metal.
• Illusion solitaires that set several princess stones together to create the appearance of a single, larger carat weight stone.
• Invisible set men’s engagement rings or wedding bands.
• Pave settings that use invisible settings for a richer surface.
• Invisible set eternity rings or other anniversary jewelry.
• Semi-mount diamond rings with invisible set accents for incomparable elegance.
• Invisible set cluster rings that create geometric patterns such as flowers, hearts, or other shapes out of many small stones.
• Alternating color designs where colorless diamonds are paired with different gemstones or fancy colored diamonds for a brilliant contrast.

Finding Invisible Set Rings

Despite the wide range of different invisible settings, it can be difficult to find these rings at basic jewelry retailers. Specialized engagement ring stores are more likely to carry the unique designs, or interested couples can investigate online retailers for hard-to-find ring styles.

Because of their relative rarity and the fact that they cannot be easily altered, invisible set engagement rings are generally more expensive than traditional designs. At the same time, however, because they create the illusion of larger carat sizes, an invisible setting may actually be more affordable than a single large carat stone, bringing grandiose styles into the budget range of many more couples. For a high quality ring, couples should carefully examine the diamond color of each gem to be sure they match appropriately – one stone slightly darker than the others will stand out easily.

Caring for Invisible Settings

Because invisible settings grip stones below their widest dimension, the settings are more fragile than their bolder counterparts and they must be treated carefully to ensure their security. Most jewelers offer reasonable warranties contingent on regular inspections of the stone and setting, and couples may also be able to purchase repair plans to cover the loss of a stone in the invisible set accents.

Invisible set engagement rings are a brilliant and sophisticated design, with each stone gently kissing its neighbors for a tight surface of sparkle. With no metal obscuring the stones’ surface, more light can reflect within each jewel, making these rings just as brilliant as the glittering relationship they represent.