Rub-Over Settings: A Guide

A rub-over setting holds a stone in a smooth collar of metal rather than claws. It is one of the oldest ways of setting a gem, and one of the most practical, and it is the setting of some of the most characterful Victorian rings we see.

What is a rub-over setting?

In a rub-over setting, a thin wall of metal surrounds the stone and is pressed, or “rubbed”, over its edge to hold it in place. In Britain we call it a rub-over or collet setting; in America it is usually called a bezel setting. Nothing projects above the stone, so the metal frames it like a picture, as in this Victorian gold ring with a rub-over set old mine cut diamond.

How a rub-over setting is made

The jeweller makes a collar of metal to fit the exact size and shape of the stone. The stone is dropped in, and the top edge of the collar is burnished inwards over it with a steel tool until it grips the stone all the way round. It takes skill: too little pressure and the stone is loose, too much and it can crack.

Why choose a rub-over setting?

Security. The stone is held all the way round, so it cannot easily work loose.

Protection. The metal protects the edge of the stone, the part most likely to chip, which makes rub-over settings ideal for softer stones such as opal.

A clean look. With no claws, the ring has a smooth, sculptural outline that looks as modern today as it did 150 years ago.

Everyday wear. Nothing snags on clothing, so a rub-over ring is ideal for anyone who uses their hands a great deal.

Victorian 18ct Gold Five Stone Old Mine Cut Diamond Rub Over Set Ring

A Victorian rub-over ring is the one I’d give to someone who’s hard on their jewellery. Nothing snags, nothing works loose, and the gold frames the stone like a little picture.
Olly Gerrish, AJC Founder

The drawbacks

Less light. Because the metal covers the edge of the stone, a little less light reaches it, so a rub-over diamond can look slightly smaller and less sparkling than the same stone in claws. Many people prefer the softer look.

Metal and weight. A rub-over uses more metal, so rings can be a little heavier, and resetting a stone is more work.

Who should consider one?

Anyone who wants a ring for everyday wear, anyone choosing a softer stone, and anyone who loves a smooth, sculptural look. It is also a lovely choice for a first antique ring: robust, understated and easy to wear.

An ancient technique with a Victorian heyday

Rub-over settings are thousands of years old; ancient and medieval rings used box and collet settings long before claws were common. But the setting’s great period in British jewellery was the Victorian era, when three- and five-stone rings in heavy 18ct gold, often called gypsy rings, set their stones deep into the shank. See our gypsy rings and three-stone rings.

Ancient gold ring with stones in box settings — An early gold ring with its stones held in box settings, a forerunner of the rub-over. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

What we look for

We check that each stone sits tight in its collar and that the rubbed-over edge is even and unbroken. On old rings the metal can wear thin over time, and on gypsy rings the stones should sit flush with the gold, without gaps or cracked edges.

Our view

A Victorian gold rub-over ring, three or five old-cut diamonds set deep in 18ct gold, is one of the most satisfying antique rings you can own: tough, handsome and completely without pretension. It is the ring we recommend most often to people who want to wear their jewellery every day, and never take it off.