Micro pavé engagement rings have been all the rage for the past 6 years, they are beautiful, and they have a certain appeal about them. In fact, 90% of all engagement rings sold today are set with micro pavé diamonds. That being true, there are certain things you should know before making a final selection or choosing one. The techniques used to set diamonds are what make these rings so interesting, but they can also cause problems down the road.
What is Micro Pave?
Micro pavé is a type of setting or technique to secure diamonds in a wedding or engagement ring. Pave means that the diamonds are set edge to edge while attempting to cover the entire metal surface of the ring. The goal is to create a wall of glitter by removing the amount of visible precious metal. To secure the diamonds, the jeweler uses a small tool called a graver to lift a bead-shaped point.
When creating micropave, the jeweler uses the smallest of diamonds, so small that all work must be done under a high-powered microscope. This is how the technical environment gets its name. The advantage of using micropave is the acquired skill it takes to place diamonds in places that couldn’t be done in the past.
Ancient mounting techniques did not allow jewelers to enhance the beauty of engagement wedding rings in the way that today’s micropavé does.
What are the pitfalls of Micro Pave?
There are 2 reversals for wedding bands and engagement rings made with micro pavé. The first is the limited range of resizing or adjusting rings down. Most rings made with micro pavé have diamonds that go down their shoulders. When reducing the size of a ring, the jeweler must cut a small piece of metal at the bottom of the ring. After removing the part, there is a gap that needs to be closed. The jeweler pulls each side of the ring down and around to close the gap. By doing this, the tips can separate from the diamonds and cause them to fall off. In many cases, they may only loosen, but may not be detected until after you receive the ring and start wearing it. This can cause the diamonds to fall off and you can have problems for life.
How to prevent future problems
There are 2 precautions you need to take to ensure that you have chosen a ring that is flawless. The first is to make sure you do not increase or decrease the size of your ring too much. Pave setting rings generally cannot be larger than 1 size down or 2 sizes up while avoiding problems. More than that can virtually guarantee future stone loss problems. If you are ready to buy a ring and the jeweler needs to measure it more than this, you should request that a new ring be made from scratch. Taking the stock ring and forcing the size of your finger will surely cause you a lot of pain. The second precaution is to choose a jeweler who is willing to offer a lifetime warranty and guarantee that the ring will always be free from defects.
Micropavé jewelry can look amazing, but always be careful and choose a jeweler who knows how to work with and repair it.
