Bezel Set Engagement Rings - A Quick Guide

Bezel describes a gemstone setting style. A bezel is a soft, thin frame of metal that secures a diamond or gemstone - unlike prongs, which are more like little tiny fingers of metal holding a gemstone in place.  Aside from the striking visual beauty of a bezel, they are also built for comfort. The bezel setting is smooth and won’t catch on your cashmere sweater as easily as a prong set ring.

Bezel settings are often considered the darling of bold and jewelry design. However, bezels are extremely prevalent in ancient jewelry design - more so than prong settings. Roman, Byzantine and Etruscan designs feature bezels. So while you often see bezel-set rings filed under “Modern”, the concept is old as time.

There are lots of different ways to use a bezel setting in fine jewelry. A bezel setting can encompass a single central gem, or you can find multiple bezel settings all in a row that compose an eternity style band. You’ll also see small bezel-set diamond details in many Art Deco style rings.

No matter how you bezel-it-up, it’s good to know these main points about this setting style:

• Contrary to popular belief, bezel settings rarely affect the sparkle and brilliance of diamonds. This is because that the light that comes back at you is the same light that comes into the gem through the top. 
• Some people still feel the bezel blocks their view of the diamond, even once they understand that it isn’t harshing the diamond’s sparkle game. If you want to see more of your gem from all angles, then go for a “semi-bezel” or an “open gallery full bezel”.
• One cool approach is to add a matted texture to a bezel-set ring. Bezel-set rings can be utterly stunning in their sculptural appeal. To put it plainly, it just works.
• Try a yellow gold bezel on a white metal band. The two-tone look is also pretty clutch for a bezel setting.
• If you want an Art Deco vibe, add some milgrain up on that bezel and viola! Romance.

If you are going for a ring with diamond accents, we recommend channel-set, or flush-set accents. However, if you want to incorporate a different setting style such as pavé, it can look fabulous as long as it is executed extremely well. It can be tricky to balance all these elements, so feel to drop us a line.

​You can also head on over to the Little Bird TOOL BOX where you can peruse libraries of images curated by Little Bird engagement ring consultants in order to help bolster your visual vocabulary.

Best wishes!
- LITTLE BIRDS

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