The technique is best described as the highly precise setting of very small diamonds using a microscope.
Micro pave diamond setting.
Because of the added shimmer a pavé setting can make a diamond look larger than it actually is allowing you to save money by choosing a smaller center stone.
The tiny diamonds also known as diamond melees used in micro pave settings are commonly round as this is easier for jewelers to work with and tend to fit into the setting with ease.
Micro pavé or micro setting uses smaller stones than traditional pavé and is a relatively modern technique.
A typical micro pavé setting may contain more than 100 of these diamonds set close to one another to create the appearance of a continuous band of diamonds.
A pave setting is called a micro pave setting when the diamonds used are ultra small typically with diamonds that are smaller in size than 01 carat.
According to an article in the financial times which quoted jeweler jessica poole the setting type was fashionable during the 1940s.