Diamond Pendants

Diamond pendants are beautiful ornaments suspended from a necklace, bracelet, brooch or earring. The classic diamond solitaire pendant is a single quality diamond, suspended on a chain from a women's neck. It is simple and elegant and can be worn with everything from jeans to evening wear. Once she puts a diamond pendant on, she will never want to take it off.

The tradition of diamond pendants is derived from the primitive practice of wearing amulets or talismans around the neck. The practice dates from the Stone Age, when pendants consisted of such objects as teeth, stones, and shell. Of course jewelry has come a long way since the Stone Age and the diamond pendants available worn today are exceptionally beautiful.

There are several popular ways to set the diamond in the pendant.

Bale Set Diamond Pendants

Two loops called bales which have the appearance of rabbits ears, are the most popular form of diamond pendant. The two bales have big enough openings to accommodate different chains since the chain and hook at the end can easily be slide through the bales. Being able to use the same pendant on different chains provide great flexibility by allowing different lengths of chains for different styles of clothing as well as different styles of chain that can provide variety in appearance.

The diamond is usually prong set in a basket with a flat back so that the pendant will lay flat and not roll or twist to one side. Because pendants do not take the physical abuse like a ring on a finger, the prongs and basket for a pendant can be much smaller and less noticeable. This results in a net effect of a beautiful, sparkling diamond floating at the end of the chain.

Some diamond pendants have a single bale holding the diamond and basket. With a single bale there is more likelihood that the pendant might flip or twist to one side but the single bale is a popular choice for smaller stones since it is less noticeable than a double bale. On some diamond pendants, the bale is used for more than a fastening device as it is either pave set or bead set with diamonds to be an extension of the diamond pendants sparkle.

Bezel Set Diamond Pendants

With bezel set diamond pendants, the diamond is surrounded with a collar of metal called a bezel. If the bezel is white gold or platinum, it tends to make the diamond even larger than its real size. If the bezel is yellow gold, the contrast between the yellow metal and the white diamond provides a beautiful look. The bezel can also be pave or bead set with small diamonds which give the appearance of a large disk of sparkling diamond.

Bezel set diamonds pendants often have an opening in the back that allows the pendant to slide on the chain. This type of pendant, called a slide, ensures the pendant will always be positioned at the bottom of the chain.

Another way bezel set diamonds are attached to a chain is that the chain is cut in half and the pendant is permanently soldered to the cut ends of the chain.

Three Stone Diamond Pendants

The 3-stone diamond pendant has three diamonds of graduated sizes that sometimes resembles a snowman shape. The diamonds are usually prong set and attached bar of metal with either a rabbit ears bale or a hidden bale behind the top diamond.

The three-stone diamond pendant, like the three-stone ring, has a special meaning as the symbol of "past, present, future" love and devotion. The round and princess cut diamonds are the most popular for the three-stone diamond pendant.

Horseshoe Shaped Diamond Pendants

The horseshoe shape has long been a symbol of good luck and used in jewelry. In recent years the diamond horseshoe pendant has become even more popular because it was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker on the hit show, "Sex and the City." We find this diamond covered pendant is particularly enjoyed by those who have a business or hobby related to horses.

As with all types of jewelry, there is a wide range of diamond horseshoe pendants so you need to pay attention to the total carat weight of diamonds, the type of metal use and particularly the quality of workmanship and skill used in the setting process.

Pave Heart Diamond Pendant

The diamond pave heart pendant is one of the most popular because of it romantic shape and shimmering sparkle diamond finish. These heart shaped pendants come in a variety of styles but all take advantage of the beauty of pave set diamonds that are economical compared to a solitaire diamond the same size.

Pave setting is especially popular with diamond pendants where they add a carpet of brilliance to the surface of jewelry. The idea here is that you should see the stones and not really the metal. Diamonds are often pave set in white gold to increase the illusion that the piece is all diamonds.