Need help on crown specifics for sapphire setting

[PursuitOfBling]

Hi there, had a particular query about setting design for oval sapphires. My question is, on the underside of the setting, the crown, is it better to have it open or narrowed in. Examples of what I mean below.

Open crown.










Narrower crown.










What do you guys think? Which of the above crown opening styles is recommended for coloured stones, especially sapphire? Does it even make much of a difference?

 

[Lula]

I think you're referring to the underside of the ring or the gallery. The size of the opening is a matter of personal preference, and depends on the size of the stones and the angle of the gallery (does it angle in toward the finger, e.g.). But regardless of the size of the opening, for a ring that's going to be worn everyday, I think a closed gallery is more comfortable on the finger. Here's a picture of the underside of a ring I used to own:

ETA: Forgot to add -- you want the gallery open enough, though, to make it easy to clean the underside of the ring. Rings where the underside of the stone is completely covered by solid metal can slowly accumulate dirt inside the setting that is nearly impossible to remove. So you want some sort of opening underneath the stone.

 

[chrono]

I perfer an open gallery to allow for easy cleaning access. It is also a personal choice. If your stone is too dark to begin with, you might want to allow an open gallery to let light in from the sides.