Tiffany Settings
From LoveToKnow EngagementRings
Tiffany settings are the classic, simple prong engagement ring settings that are continually popular for both contemporary and traditional designs. With simple sophistication, this modest setting highlights the enduring beauty of the gem and creates a stunning focal point for any diamond engagement ring.
About Tiffany Settings
First created in 1886, these prong settings quickly became the signature design of Tiffany & Co., the noted jewelry design company that focuses on the stunning clarity and precision of beautiful gems rather than overwhelming the eye with elaborate styles and settings.
The Tiffany mount is simple: four or six prongs securely hold the diamond around its girdle (the thickest portion of the stone), elevating it above a plain metal band. The prongs are spaced equally around the circumference of the stone, mimicking the symmetry of the diamond’s cut.
Today, Tiffany-style settings are the most popular option for brides-to-be, particularly for solitaire rings. Many jewelers offer “trial” rings in classic tiffany arrangements for grooms to use for the proposal, and the couple can then return later to choose the bride’s preferred setting, though many brides opt to keep the simple solitaire with its understated elegance.
Setting Benefits
Despite its outward simplicity, the tiffany mount has many benefits when displaying a high quality diamond. Because the setting is elevated and open between the prongs, it allows the maximum amount of light into the stone, emphasizing its refractive and reflective properties that create the distinctive diamond fire and sparkle. With multiple prongs, the setting is relatively secure, and properly spaced and finely crafted prongs are strong and durable without detracting from the beauty of the stone.
Tiffany settings are the best option to highlight a stunning diamond, which is why the famed designer first created the open setting. Because Tiffany & Co. uses only the most perfect gems in their designs, simple, open settings are useful to highlight the startling beauty of those gems. The openness of the setting can also create the illusion of a larger carat size, giving couples the option of choosing a higher quality though smaller stone without losing the appeal of an immaculate ring.
Finding Tiffany Settings
Because of the setting’s popularity, nearly all jewelers offer some variety of tiffany-style setting. Most tiffany mounts are constructed of platinum because of its superior strength, yet the white metal will not add a tint to the stone’s color. In addition to plain tiffany rings, jewelers also offer a wide range of variations on the tiffany style, including:
- Cathedral settings, where the sides of the tiffany mount are supported by curving arches.
- Wrap settings that include channel set accent stones beneath the tiffany mount.
- Pave settings that include an encrusted band beneath the prong setting.
- Bridal sets with a tiffany-style engagement ring paired with a more elaborate wedding band.
Check for Quality
Simple settings tend to show flaws more easily, and it is important to check for quality when choosing a tiffany style ring because there are no elaborate details to detract from minor imperfections. When examining tiffany settings, be sure to check for the following details:
- Evenly spaced, symmetrical prongs that match up with the ring band as well as the stone’s symmetry.
- Balanced prongs that are thick enough to provide adequate security but thin enough not to detract from the stone’s beauty.
- The stone should be level in the prongs and securely held by small rims in each prong.
- The prongs should be rounded and smooth to lessen the chances of snagging on clothing, hair, or other items.
Because the tiffany type setting is so open, the diamond’s color and clarity are of utmost importance when choosing a quality ring. Even small imperfections may be noticeable without a concealing setting or additional accent stones to distract the eye, because the simple setting immediately draws attention to the center stone.
Setting Cost
With its inherent simplicity, tiffany-style settings are among the least expensive options for engagement rings. At the same time, however, because most simple settings hold stones of exceptional quality, the ring itself may cost significantly more than a more elaborate design that can utilize lower quality, cheaper diamonds. Official settings from Tiffany & Co. begin around $2,000 for a simple setting with a stunning stone.
Tiffany settings are the most popular type of engagement ring setting available. With classic simplicity, these open styles highlight the beauty of the ring, symbolizing the innocence and purity of the romance that brought the ring into existence.
For More Tiffany Jewelry
For more about the Tiffany Company and their jewelry, visit the Tiffany Jewelry article at LoveToKnow Jewelry.
Comments
Interesting idea, Lynn; thanks for sharing. I agree that there seems to be a real lack for unique solitaire settings, but you might be on to something with the idea that more diamonds equals more money for the jewelers and the industry. Many, many brides today prefer more accent stones and more elaborate settings, but in part that may be because of a lack of solitaire options!
-- Contributed by: MayntzPerhaps someone who is in the jewelry trade can answer this question: Why is it that there are so few variations on the simple solitaire setting — meaning a greater selection and variation of ring mounts of the type that do not include side stones? Almost everything on the market is shoved to one extreme or another. On the one side of the coin we have the classic solitaire with a handful of variations on the prongs (X-prong, Tiffany, etc.), and only the same few shank options (knife edge, domed, cathedral). On the other side of the coin, meanwhile, consumers have a whole host of creative setting configurations that contain side stones to choose from among. Yet with the sole exception of the classic wheat grass pattern (engraving), what is missing from the solitaire setting selections on the market are catchy looking shank designs that do not contain side stones (Stuller continues to produce a few designs, but they are the exception).
For the designers out there, why not borrow some solitaire design inspiration from the unique and gorgeous wedding bands on the market — woven, braided, tri-color, rope, antiqued, filigree/openwork, textured, hammered, fluted, scalloped, etc.?
There would appear to be a need for additional solitaire setting design choices on the market because while classic, the traditional six-prong Tiffany-style solitaire, while certainly no less elegant, is nevertheless so common that it has become almost cliché. On the other hand, settings with a lot of side stones are not only more expensive, but require more maintenance because without a setting check every three to six months, there is a high likelihood that eventually a stone, particularly the popular pavé types, will fall out when subjected to daily use (as most bridal rings are). The other risk in selecting a setting with side stones is that in addition to being more delicate, it is possible that the side stones will overshadow, detract or compete with the center stone.
So it would seem like an idea whose time has come: A greater variety of settings that keep a sharp focal point on the center stone in the tradition of the classic solitaire setting, while at the same time pairing a single-stone focal point to the added visual draw that a unique or more ornate shank design can provide. As it stands, however, those design elements can be found in wedding bands, but not, for the most part, in solitaire settings.
Perhaps market demand isn't there, or perhaps it simply isn't as profitable to offer the public a greater selection of solitaire ring mounts that do not include profit-increasing side stones.
-- Contributed by: LynnThis page has been accessed 23,907 times. This page was last modified 00:02, 18 October 2007.
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