Which metal should I use for my pave set diamond engagement ring?

Platinum hands down. It’s stays white always. It would be better to get less diamonds and platinum if you cannot afford the platinum. Really, you cannot not afford to go platinum.

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You most certainly can. Though it is true that platinum is a highly sturdy, increasingly durable metal, it will not necessarily ensure that your diamonds and/or precious gemstones will not fall out of their setting. The reason why diamonds are at a higher risk of loosening and falling out when mounted into a pave setting is due to this particular setting's unique design. Pave set diamonds are fitted into small pores, which are carefully drilled into the band's metal. After being securely placed within the drill-holes, the diamonds are then held in place by tiny metal chips or miniscule metal prongs, which are fitted in between the precious gemstones, and secure them down. The diamonds may loosen and fall out of this setting for a number of reasons:


1. The drill holes were not measured properly, or were drilled too shallowly. A diamond placed into a shallow or narrow drill hole will most likely loosen and pop out of its setting.
 2. The number of drill holes does not match the amount of diamonds mounted into the pave setting. A common short-cut used in pave settings, is mounting diamonds into the ring's metal band without first securing them into the drill holes. This may result from faulty planning. A jeweler could have miscalculated the number of drill holes needed to accommodate the multitude of diamonds he is planning on mounting into the pave setting. Instead of melting down, re-casting and then re-drilling the band, he may set the excess diamonds without the use of a drill hole. The idea behind this technique is that the diamonds will be held in place by their close fit, and the tension they exert on one another. A diamond which is not set into a drill hole will be at a higher risk of falling out of its setting.

3. The diamonds and/or precious gemstones were mounted too closely together in the pave setting. If the diamonds are mounted too snugly, they may exert an increasing amount of tension on one another, tension which may cause diamonds to pop out of the setting.

4. If the small metal beads or metal claws holding the diamonds in place are defective in some way. If some of the claws or beads are broken or warped, a diamond will likely shift in its setting.



Your choice of metal will only affect the durability of the claws or metal beads used in the setting, but will not affect the other reasons which may contribute to a diamond popping out of a pave setting. Although, a sturdy, durable metal may minimize the chance of the prongs or beads used in the pave setting, warping and breaking. Therefore, it would be wise for you to choose a relatively durable precious metal in the making of this particular setting. As such, I would suggest you avoid malleable precious metals, such as high karat gold. Stick to strong, sturdy metals. Platinum is not the only durable metal out there. If platinum is not in your budget then perhaps you should consider less luxurious yet highly durable metals such as stainless steel, brass or sterling silver. Stainless steel, brass and sterling silver are great alternatives to platinum since these particular metals are more common, and therefore more affordable, and since they are similar in appearance to the platinum (all of these metals share an appealing silvery-white luster). Personally, I would recommend you consider having your engagement ring made out of stainless steel, rather than brass or sterling silver. Stainless steel is highly durable, it does not corrode or oxidize as easily as other metals (especially sterling silver, whose unique chemical compound causes it to be more susceptible to oxidation and tarnish), and, perhaps most importantly, stainless steel is hypoallergenic (if your skin is sensitive it will in no way cause your finger to turn green, or cause a rash to spread over your delicate skin). If, however, you do plan on going with sterling silver make sure that the metal is stamped with the regulated 925 mark which denotes that the silver is genuine sterling silver (since many base metals can be made to look like silver, but are of a lower quality, you should make sure that you are getting the metal you paid for). Also, you should be aware that, since we have already established that sterling silver can easily oxidize and tarnish, this particular metal will need constant care and attention. If you decide on having your pave set engagement ring made out of sterling silver you should be prepared to periodically clean and maintain your sterling silver band. Since, with a pave setting, the diamonds are fitted so closely together, and are secured by delicate metal prongs and beads, you would need to take extra care in cleaning your pave set engagement ring. You could not use regular silver polish or other metal cleaners to clean a pave set sterling silver engagement ring, and you most certainly should avoid trying to clean this delicate setting by using sharp objects such as needles or toothpicks to clean in-between the precious gemstones. Sharp objects may damage the fragile metal beads and claws incorporated into the setting, damage which may eventually result in the diamonds loosening and falling out of the pave setting. Consequently, if you do decide on a pave set, sterling silver engagement ring, it would probably be best if you take your engagement ring to a local jeweler and have him professionally clean the ring. He will make sure not to damage your delicate pave set engagement ring. If the idea of using less-luxurious, semi-precious metals in your engagement ring is less than appealing to you, then perhaps you should consider choosing titanium for your engagement ring. Titanium is considered to be as luxurious as platinum or white gold, yet can at times be more affordable, since it is an artificially made, relatively impure metallic alloy. And not to worry, you can't get any sturdier than titanium, just ask NASA!

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