ring setting

The prong setting or claw setting is the most commonly used gemstone setting and is the popular choice for solitaire engagement rings. In a prong setting, the diamond is inserted into three or more metal prongs that form a basket-like base, and then the ends of the prongs are shaped and bent over so that they rest against the crown, just past the stone's girdle, holding the diamond in place.

The prong setting or claw setting is the most commonly used gemstone setting and is the popular choice for solitaire engagement rings. In a prong setting, the diamond is inserted into three or more metal prongs that form a basket-like base, and then the ends of the prongs are shaped and bent over so that they rest against the crown, just past the stone's girdle, holding the diamond in place.

The visible ends of the prongs are often rounded, but they can also be shaped into ovals, points, V-shaped arrangements, left flat or formed into decorative elements. Prongs have advantages such as their size which is small, so more of the diamond can be highlighted; they can be achieved with ease and are thus less expensive as compared to more intricate settings and they have ease of cleaning. The claw settings are disadvantageous in the way that do not offer much protection for the diamond, and that they tend to snag clothes and other items which they touch. But they do offer protection for pointed edges, such as in marquise and heart shaped diamonds, which are protected at the edges by V-shaped prongs.