Pavé takes its name from the French for paved, and that is exactly what it describes. Small diamonds are set close together with minimal metal showing between them, so the surface reads as continuous diamond rather than as individual stones.This collection includes Bella, Carson, Harper and Venice.The technique is bench work of a high order. Each tiny stone sits in its own seat, held by beads of metal raised from the surface with a graver. Done well, the metal all but disappears and the band appears to be made of light. Done badly, the stones sit at different heights and the effect is lost entirely.Pavé is the most efficient way to add brilliance to a ring without adding a large stone. A pavé band beneath a solitaire will make the centre stone appear brighter by surrounding it with light, and a pavé halo does the same job around the outside.The one thing to know is maintenance. Small stones in bead settings should be checked periodically, particularly on a ring worn daily, since a lost pavé stone is easy to miss until the gap is obvious. We check and tighten pavé work in our Hatton Garden workshop as part of routine servicing.Our ring styles guide covers pavé alongside the other settings, and halo rings use the same technique around the centre stone.