Claw Set or Bezel Set Gemstones – Which is Better?
With most gemstones set in jewelry whether it be a ring, pendant, earrings or other you have a choice as to how the stone will be set in the piece. There are several ways to hold a stone in place but the two most commonly used are claw set, called prong set in the USA, and bezel set. Claw set is where usually three or more pieces of metal stick out from the piece and bend over the stone slightly and hold it in place. Bezel set is where the metal goes all the way around the stone. Let’s look at bezel settings first and get an understanding of why they are used. Bezel setting can be used for any type of stone but it suits some more than others. Firstly, there are two type of cutting of a stone which is important to understand: facet cutting, where you see all those different angles on the stone such as in a diamond and the other is cabochon cutting, where the stone is a shiny looking dome. You see cabochons, which is a mediaeval French word for hat, in nearly all opal jewellery. Cabochon
