A popular wedding ring and engagement ring trend has been pave diamonds, pronounced pah-vay. It is named for the pavement style which the diamonds are set. They are clustered very closely together giving them the appearance of a shiny and shimmering pavement. These types of bands appear more expensive than other diamond rings because of their appearance, but they usually aren’t due to the smaller pieces of diamonds used for the glittering effect.
Pave diamond rings are made from smaller pieces of diamonds that are set inside smaller holes that are drilled within the band, or ring shank. Tiny metal prongs mold over each diamond to hold it in place. When they are all set together, you see a beautiful continuous row of diamonds that shine in every angle.
There are two different styles of pave settings– single band with one row and wide band with several rows. With single band pave, there is one single row of the pave diamonds and are all the same size and luster. The single band can be thin or wide, with the wide band accommodating larger diamond pieces. The wide band with several rows may have the diamonds set at different angles. Pave diamonds bands that do not have a center stone are referred to as anniversary bands or eternity rings.
The most popular metal for pave styles are white gold or platinum and they tend to have a more contemporary look than the traditional solid band and solitaire style engagement ring.
