Hi Guys!
Bezel Versus Prong
Conventional wisdom might indicate the bezel is safer.
This is not necessarily always the case.

Which protects, and holds the stone better

In terms of impact protection, the bezel might be safer in certain instances- but in other hits it might be worse.
The bezel has a far greater surface area- there's simply more square footage of diamond versus metal, as compared to a prong setting. In some impacts, the bezel can damage the diamond.

Bezels should be lower than prongs offering less "snagability"- this in itself, would make a bezel safer.
Yet, really well done prongs don't snag all that much. Plus, if you did snag one prong, the diamond rarely falls out. Generally you'd need to pull at least two.
Of course, if one prong was damaged, and the wearer did not notice, pulling the second might result in a lost diamond.
Then again, it's more difficult to notice damage or wear on a bezel.
To the question of which is safer, Bezel versus Prongs
Advantage: pretty much dead heat.


Which shows off the diamond, and looks better

In terms of design, it's clearly a question of taste.
I love a well done bezel. It's a work of art.
I also love the way a great setter can make the prongs an intricate part of the design. Sometimes emphasizing the metal- other times making the metal of the prong blend with the diamond.
Stylistically, it's a question of taste.

Which makes the diamond look better?
Prongs allow more light into the diamond. Prongs work well with diamonds of all shapes in all qualities. Prongs hide less of the diamond.
The bezel can offer advantages with an imperfect diamond, hiding some imperfection.
A bezel can "bluff" color as well.
Sometimes setting a light yellow diamond in a bezel makes it look more yellow- even more so than yellow prongs.
Setting a slightly tinted ( M-N-O-P) color in a white bezel might help it look white- but white prongs might be just as good, if trying to hide body color was what one was trying to achieve.

In the question of which makes the diamond look better
Advantage: prongs- because they allow more light through, and hide less of the diamond.
Still, the advantage is small enough that we encourage bezel lovers to go in that direction.


Durability, and ease of manufacture

The bezel is harder to get just right, with certain shapes more difficult than others.
Shapes with points and corners ( princess, pear shape, marquise, etc) come to mind as tough to get "just so".

Although the bezel is tougher, we've seen screwed up prongs too.....
That being said, if either bezel or prong is done just right, they're both fairly durable in the short term. If we're talking long term (10 year+) wear, I'll go with prongs.
I say this because prings are easier to inspect- and repair compared to bezels.
Durbillity:Advantage : Prongs- with a note that well done bezels can be worn well for many years well


Note: It's a great idea to have your diamonds inspected periodically- or do it yourself- to make sure all the prongs, or bezel are intact.