What are Pavé Diamonds | Rare Carat

If you are one of many who are on the hunt for a diamond ring, chances are you’ve stumbled across some jewelry jargon. There are what seems to be an endless amount of confusing terms and abbreviations that we use to describe jewelry. While searching styles of diamond rings and engagement options, you probably happened upon the term “pavé” to describe a ring. So let me tell you all about it and you’ll leave this article a pavé expert!

What are Pavé Set diamonds?

Contrary to popular belief, pavé isn’t a type of diamond. Pavé refers to a style of ring or the way a diamond is set. It also isn’t exclusively diamond, pavé can include sapphires, rubies, and emeralds (oh my!). Pavé is basically very small diamonds set into the band of the ring or piece of jewelry to add some extra glitter. They can either surround and highlight a center stone or can stand alone as a way to jazz up a band.

Why Choose Pavé Set Diamonds?

Pavé is a well known and popular style amongst rings. What I would say is the number one reason for choosing pavé is the price. You get way more bling for your buck than you would by adding larger stones. It costs less to add 10 small diamonds than it does to add 4 medium-sized stones.

What are Melee Diamonds?

These tiny diamonds that jewelers use to Pave set into rings are referred to as melee (sounds like belly). Melee are usually a fraction of a point (-0.01ct) up to 5 points (0.05ct). However, lots of jewelers use this term to describe a wide range of sizes under a carat, just to confuse us more, I think. They are bought and sold in parcels (bags of hundreds). Melee aren’t something you need to worry about when you are choosing a Pave ring, the bench jeweler will choose the cuts and colors that will best match the main rock or match the others, depending on the ring.

Are Pavé Set Diamonds Secure?

Although pavé set diamonds are small and look as if they’re just floating on the band, they are securely held in place by small balled up beads of metal or mini prongs. These baby diamonds normally sit flush, or nearly flush with the band. Although one of your tiny diamonds may fall out of its mounting, it is uncommon and easily replaceable. Additionally, it doesn’t cost much to get replacements and if you're kind to your jewelry, it shouldn't happen often at all.

While these diamonds may be small, pavé settings add tons of character to any kind of ring, no matter your style. While constructing your personalized ring and searching on the Settings Page, be sure to click the “Pavé and Side Stones” icon to browse what options are available through Rare Carat retailers. If you don't see what you want, ask a gemologist about custom!