A tension set ring is one where the entire ring acts as one large spring holding the diamond in place. Since there is no metal bridging the gap where the diamond is being held the diamond appears to float in air and you get a beautiful unobstructed view of the stone.
Furthermore, because of the placement of the two solid ends, as opposed to the four or six and up to twelve claws or prongs you see in traditional settings, tension set wedding rings for women allow much more light to enter the diamond or other precious stone, thereby increasing the brilliance of the stone.
Tension rings, therefore, need to be designed with not only with heavy gauge metal, but also special alloying, hardening and treatment processes for the necessary strength to hold the stone in place. Common metals used in tension set rings include titanium due to its strength and durability as well as platinum, white and yellow gold of around 18 or 14 karat.
Pure 22 karat gold would likely not be suitable due to its softness. Because of the pressure of the tension setting, stones need to be hardness on the MOS scale of 8 or more, which means that only the very hardest stones such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires can be used in this setting style.
Additionally, stones used in tension settings must be of excellent quality with absolutely no cracks, fractures or faults. The classic designs are often the simplest and a round diamond held within the band is considered the best by many but other options such as angled settings are becoming more popular.
Disadvantages
If you are planning to buy wedding rings online, you will notice that tension rings in general a more expensive than traditional rings, as tension rings use two to three times the amount of metal. At the same time there is less protection to the girdle of the stone so if the tension setting is not properly set the stone may not hold.
Therefore, tension settings are recommended for less active people or for special occasions only but not every day wear. Another downside is that a tension set rings cannot be effectively re-sized. This is due to the inherent properties of any metal with a spring characteristic.
It’s the spring property of the metal that literally squeezes against opposing sides of the stone, thus the term tension set. To alter the size of such a ring by conventional methods creates in the metal a portion that will not be capable of imparting the force needed to effectively hold the stone in place. Finally, tension setting rings are not something any jeweler can just make; they have to be customized for a specific diamond as well as finger size and are usually only obtainable at exclusive jewelry designers.
