Pavé Diamonds

A popular wedding and engagement ring trend has been pavé diamonds, pronounced "pah-vay". It is a French word named for the style in which the jewels are set. They are clustered very closely together giving them the appearance of a shiny and shimmering pavement. Though these types of bands may appear to be more expensive than others due to their appearance, these are in actuality less costly since smaller stones are used to create the glittering, "paved" effect.

Pavé rings are made from smaller diamond pieces that are set inside smaller holes that are drilled within the band, or ring shank. Tiny metal prongs mold over each gem to hold it in place. When they are all set together, you see a beautiful continuous row of shimmer from every angle.

There are two different styles of pavé settings - a single band with one row and wide bands with several rows of stones. With a single band pavé, there is one single row of diamonds that are all the same size and luster. The single band can be thin or wide, with the wideband accommodating larger gem pieces. The wideband with several rows may have the diamonds set at many different angles. Pavé diamond wedding bands that do not have a center stone are referred to as anniversary bands or eternity rings.

The most popular precious metal in pavé style is white gold or platinum. These two metals are often selected for this style of shank or band since the look is more contemporary than a traditional solid shank or band, often seen in ring settings such as the timeless favorite signature solitaire style engagement rings.