Pave Engagement Rings

Pave means small diamonds set into the band itself, held by tiny beads of metal raised with a graver rather than by claws. Done well it reads as a continuous line of light. Done badly the beads sit unevenly, the line wavers, and stones work loose. It is the most skill-dependent thing we do, and it is all done by hand under a microscope.

Our twenty-one pave settings differ mainly in how the weight is divided. The Chiara sets twelve large stones carrying 0.34 ct, so each accent reads as its own diamond. The Martina sets thirty-two small ones carrying 0.28 ct — less weight, more stones, a finer and more continuous line. The Camila goes furthest with fifty in a double row. Fewer, larger stones look more expensive; more, smaller stones look more delicate. Neither is better, and they are easy to tell apart in person and almost impossible to tell apart in photographs.

One practical note: any extensively paved band should be checked every couple of years, because a lifted bead is cheap to fix and a lost stone is not. We do that free for any ring we have made, for as long as you own it.

Made and hallmarked in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, in 9k to 18k gold or 950 platinum.