Settings in Jewelry - 4 Prong Settings Post 150

Settings in Jewelry - 4  Prong Settings  Post 150. 

   #7513 solitaire                                             diamond engagement ring.

Gorgeous as gold is, gold mounts will cover up and hide parts of a gem, preventing light from entering and exiting from multiple locations in the stone and therefore diminishing the shine, glitz and gleam that we love in our antique jewelry. 
For the last few weeks, we talked about the efforts jewelers made to liberate gems from their metal mounts or settings. 

#6891 peridot held in prongs.  

The most common metal setting for jewelry to date is the prong or claw setting. The names 'prong' and 'claw' are used interchangeably.  In this jewelry, the metal claws grip the stone at the girdle, holding it securely while allowing light to enter, exit and reflect from as many angles as possible. 

Remember our simple sketch of the gem?

Prong or Claw Settings:  Initially, claws were sometimes used to hold a collet-set gem in place. The claw eventually became liberated from the collet, liberating the gem altogether.  This new form of claw flies up from the surface of the jewel, like an arm with a little bent-over 'hand' at the crown, holding the gem in place. The ‘arms’ of the prong are bent to the shape of the stone and form a little basket or seat for it. The part of the ‘arm’ that goes above the girdle is tightened on the gem, thus securing it in place. Light hits the stone from almost every angle and surface, thus showing it off to best effect. This is still the most popular setting for single stone jewelry made today.

  #4997.

During the late Victorian and Edwardian period, a row of arching claws, like a wave of gold, held the stones, often in a row. This was known as a CROWN Setting. 

The number of prongs used can give us clues to the origin and era of antique jewelry.  The most popular number of prongs are 4 and 6. The more prongs, the more secure, but the less of the gem is exposed. 

Four prong — classic, lets in most light, shows most of the stone
Six prong — the "Tiffany setting" being the most famous six-prong solitaire was patented by Tiffany & Co in 1886 and has become a generic term for a 6-prong solitaire, regardless of who made it. 
Eight prong — used for larger stones requiring extra security
Double claw / split prong — each prong splits into two at the tip, decorative as well as functional, common in Edwardian work
Pointed prong — prongs shaped to a point rather than rounded, common in Art Deco
Coronet / crown setting — a ring of prongs forming a crown around the stone, common in Victorian solitaires.

#4093 jl-ring118-1-6

Questions and comments: Please email antiques@brendaginsberg.com
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The full series of metal settings are in the following order:
151 introduction to metal settings
123 pulled gold 
148 collet
150 prongs                                              
120 pave
121 channel
277 invisible 
149 gypsy /flush
278 others