The center diamonds of these rings are better protected than diamonds set in high prongs. Plus, one diamond has a protective partial bezel setting, and the mounting style of the other ring protects the edges of its center diamond.
The small diamonds are each held by 4 prongs, making them more secure than diamonds set with shared prongs, a common practice in bargain-priced jewelry.
It is especially important to consider ring craftsmanship, comfort, and practicality in addition to appearance when selecting an everyday ring.
I chose one of Mark Schneider’s rings for the front cover of the 8th Edition of my “Diamond Ring Buying Guide” (www.reneenewman.com/diamond.htm) because his rings satisfy all these requirements in addition to looking attractive from all viewing angles.
Based in Long Beach, CA, Mark Schneider is an award-winning designer who specializes in contemporary designs and custom jewelry. His jewelry is known for its simplicity and clean, fluid lines and is considered wearable art. You can see more of his jewelry designs at www.markschneiderdesign.com
Even though my “Diamond Ring Buying Guide” book offers a lot of information on evaluating and selecting diamonds, in addition to selecting metals, settings, and mountings, my “Diamond Handbook” (www.reneenewman.com/handbook.htm) goes into more depth on judging diamond quality and detecting imitations, treatments, and manmade diamonds.
My latest book, “Diamonds, Their History, Sources, Qualities and Benefits” is a larger-format, hardbound book with more info on diamond sources. History and the evolution of diamond cuts and qualities in period jewelry over the last two thousand years. www.reneenewman.com/diamonds.htm
Guest articles by Renée Newman:
https://gem-spectrum.com/category/renee-newman
About the author:
Renée Newman is a gemologist (GG, GIA), lecturer, writer and author of 15 books on gems and jewelry. Her goal is to provide consumers and jewelry professionals with unbiased, affordable information on how to buy, evaluate and appreciate gems and jewelry. She can be reached through her website:
