Bezel is more than just a fun word; it’s also a jewelry setting that can make your stones more secure—particularly good for active people who like jewelry—and protect the edges of softer stones (opal, turquoise, e.g.), or even hide small chips. If you’ve never seen a bezel setting, it’s one that features a metal rim that surrounds the gem so that the stone almost appears to be sitting in a metal nest. Bezels can be high or low, and stones can also be set in partial bezel. Bezel is second to prongs as a most popular setting. We can show you examples when you stop into Loudoun Jewelry on Maple Avenue.
Bezels were the earliest method of setting stones, as they allowed jewelry makers to place the stone, then bend a metal lip over it to hold it in place. It works similarly today, although the bezel is custom-made for the stone. Bezel settings are also frequently seen in watches.
Well-designed bezel settings are also very attractive, though the increased metal can make them more expensive. They tend to be a better choice for opaque stones, because covering part of the stone reduces the amount of light that can pass through it—something important to maximize the dazzle of transparent stones like diamonds. You can compare and contrast prong and bezel settings when you shop for jewelry in the DC area.