# Prong setting

> The prong setting holds the stone with 4 or 6 metal claws that let light through; the classic solitaire, like the Tiffany.

- Source: https://www.711grados.com/en/prong-setting/
- Language: en
- Note: This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.
- Published: 2026-07-26
- Updated: 2026-07-30
- Translation (es): https://www.711grados.com/es/engaste-de-garras/
- Author: Sandra Sánchez
- Site: 711 Grados (https://www.711grados.com/)

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In the prong (or claw) setting, four or six small metal claws close over the edge of the stone. It leaves almost the whole stone exposed and lets light in.

![Steps of the technique: Measure the stone, Prepare the prongs, Make the seat, Place, Close, Round off](https://www.711grados.com/media/diagrams/garras-steps.en.svg "Summary of the steps")

## Types of prong

Round, flat, V-shaped (to protect points, as on pear and marquise) and leaf-shaped prongs. Four prongs show more of the stone; six offer more security.

## The “Tiffany”

The six-prong setting with the stone raised, popularized in 1886 as the “Tiffany setting”, is the classic solitaire model.

## How it is done

1. A seat is cut in the prongs with a bur.
2. The stone is placed and the prongs are pressed over the edge (girdle).
3. The tips are rounded and polished.

## Care

Prongs wear and can snag fabric: have them checked once a year ([prong repair](https://www.711grados.com/en/prong-retipping/)).

## Step by step

1. **Measure the stone.** Check girdle and height.
2. **Prepare the prongs.** File and cut the notches.
3. **Make the seat.** Cut a notch for the girdle.
4. **Place.** Seat the stone between the prongs.
5. **Close.** Push each prong over the girdle.
6. **Round off.** File the tips and polish.

## Tools and materials

- Seat burs
- Prong pusher
- Needle files ([files](https://www.711grados.com/en/jewelers-files/))
- Ring clamp

## Common mistakes

- Prongs too thin.
- Seat too shallow: the stone moves.
- Closing one prong without balancing the other.
- Leaving tips that snag clothing.

## See also

- [Stone settings: types and how to choose](https://www.711grados.com/en/stone-settings-types/)
- [Bezel setting](https://www.711grados.com/en/bezel-setting/)
- [Halo, cluster and three-stone settings](https://www.711grados.com/en/halo-cluster-and-three-stone-settings/)