Prongs are the small metal arms that hold your gemstones securely in place on your jewelry. They can come in a variety of types and styles, adding important aesthetic accents to a jewelry piece.

Through wear and tear, over time the tip of a prong can become compromised structurally, leading to a weakened grip on the gemstone it holds in place. To retip a prong means to add fresh metal to the prong’s tip to restore its ability to hold the gemstone securely in place.

Prongs that are broken altogether cannot be retipped. In these circumstances, we would replace/rebuild the broken prongs on your jewelry.

Settings in jewelry refer to the method by which a gemstone is held in place on a piece of jewelry. There are various types of settings available, such as channel, pave, and illusion settings.

A Prong Setting is a style of setting that uses prongs to securely hold a gemstone in place. This setting is especially popular in engagement rings, as it allows maximum light to enter the gemstone, resulting in an exceptional level of brilliance and radiance.

Yes, while the function remains the same, there are a wide variety of prong types that exist. To name a few, there are:

Round Prongs: This type is the most popular. For these prongs, the tips are essentially circular stubs. When viewed from above, they appear as tiny dots. 

Claw Prongs: Another popular type, claw prongs have “sharp tips”, that look like claws when holding a gemstone. The tips of these prongs typically cover less surface area over the gemstone they hold, so they’re great for highlighting the gemstone of a piece and maximizing the amount of light that enters it

Flat Prongs: These prongs are flat shaped and linear. Given their dimensions, they’re generally used for square or rectangular shaped stones since they can fit snugly against the surface. 

V Prongs: As the name suggests, these prongs are “V” shaped, and are typically used in settings that make use of gem shapes that have “Vs” in them – marquise, pear, or princess shapes. 

At Kosmima, we can retip and repair all different styles of prongs. If you’re unsure about what can be done to repair your particular piece, we invite you to our local showroom in Brookline for a complimentary consultation.