Setting a solitaire diamond. 6 prong or 4? Your preference

La française;13929202 said:
Is this a double 4?

Yes, this is a "double 4", though I usually calle it "4 split prongs". Another poster mentioned she has "4 split claws", which I assume to mean that the tip of the prongs are more elongated (like a claw) wherease my prong tips are more round.

"prong tips" just sound wrong... sorry, can't think of a more appropriate phrase!
 
Ok here's some pics of my double 4 taken with my camera phone. the tip of the prongs are sharp, i'm not sure if you can tell from the pics.
 

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Yes, this is a "double 4", though I usually calle it "4 split prongs". Another poster mentioned she has "4 split claws", which I assume to mean that the tip of the prongs are more elongated (like a claw) wherease my prong tips are more round.

"prong tips" just sound wrong... sorry, can't think of a more appropriate phrase!

thanks!
would you say that a double 4 is as secure as a 6? I want to reset mine as it is a thin 4 and it got loose just after I received it :s
 
Me Too! But I don't know if I can handle dealing with the diva.

I didn't think that he was a diva at all! DH and I had a small stone (compared to what he normally works with) and we were budget-conscious with the setting. I found Leon to be totally professional... he just doesn't oooh and ahhh over everything, which I appreciated. I really wanted double claw prongs and a cathedral setting, but since my stone was only 1.3 ct., he suggested single claws and a lower setting to fit in with my lifestyle (and the need to wear latex gloves at work). This pic doesn't do it justice, but the prongs are basically invisible IRL:

http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=431

Here's my old pricescope thread... best pics are on page 3.

http://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=75981&pageNo=3

I do think that 6 prongs makes the ring stand up higher and thus look bigger. As far as security goes, I have a friend with a 7-ct. diamond that's secure with 4 prongs. It's all relative.

Edited to add: Another reason that I chose 4 prongs was because I loved my stone. It's an AGS ideal cut and I didn't want to cover up any of the arrows. If you have a great stone with no flaws and an excellent cut, don't cover it up too much!
 
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La française;13942795 said:
thanks!
would you say that a double 4 is as secure as a 6? I want to reset mine as it is a thin 4 and it got loose just after I received it :s

Hmmm... unfortunately I don't have another solitaire to compare it to. I can say that I wore my ring everyday for 5 years with no issues. When I finally brought it to my jeweler to get checked (after 5 years - I know, I know, I should get it checked every year), he barely needed to tighten it. A close friend has a Tiffany & Co classic 6-prong ring, and she's had to take hers in once a year because she regularly notices her stone is loose. So... go figure... I think it has less to do with the number of prongs and more to do with the actual structure of the ring. A sturdy 4-prong will probably be more secure than a thin 6-prong.

(BTW, not saying Tiffany's 6-prong setting is flimsy... just passing along my friend's experience.)
 
I have a little under a carat and I was told that I should go with 4 prong not to detract from the diamond. I do have insurance, but I hope to never have to use it.

I absolutely love that fourth Leon Mege setting...
 
I have a 1.28 and I feel the 6 prong made the diamond look smaller, kind of 'hid' it.So I switched to 4 prong. If I had a huge diamond, I would do a 6 or a split 4 like some of the nice one I have seen here.