Asscher Cut Lab Grown Diamond Bezel Set Solitaire Engagement Ring on a Tapered Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An Asscher cut laboratory grown diamond held in a full bezel, sunk into a wide band that tapers sharply from the setting down to a slim shank at the back. There are no claws and no accent stones. The whole ring is one piece of gold with a square diamond set into it, closer to a signet than to a traditional solitaire.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Asscher cut laboratory grown diamond
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat
• Colour and clarity: E colour, VVS2 clarity
• Certificate: IGI, included free
• Setting: Full bezel on a wide tapered band
• Accent stones: None, the centre stone stands alone
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

The Asscher cut

An Asscher is a square step cut with cropped corners, so its outline is really an octagon. Its facets are cut in concentric squares that draw the eye straight down into the stone, an effect jewellers call the hall of mirrors. It was first cut in Amsterdam in 1902 and it is still the most architectural diamond shape there is, which is exactly why it suits a setting this plain.

Why a full bezel

A rim of metal runs all the way round the girdle, holding the stone from every side at once. Nothing projects, nothing can snag, and the corners of the cut are completely enclosed. It is the most secure setting in jewellery and the most practical for daily wear, and on a step cut it has an additional benefit: the unbroken frame of metal echoes the square geometry of the facets instead of interrupting it.

The tapered band

The shank is at its widest where it meets the bezel and narrows steadily toward the back of the finger. That keeps the weight and the visual mass at the top where the stone is, while the ring stays comfortable and slim underneath. Seen from the side it reads as a solid wedge of metal, which is what gives this design its heavier, more modern feel.

Why the grade is fixed at E and VVS2

A step cut with a large open table hides nothing. Any tint or inclusion is visible straight through it, and a bezel does not distract from the stone the way pave does. That is why we do not offer a range on this ring. Every centre stone is E colour and VVS2 clarity.

What laboratory grown means here

A laboratory grown diamond is a diamond. It is crystallised carbon with the same cubic structure, the same 10 on the Mohs scale, the same refractive index of 2.42 and the same dispersion as a mined stone. Ours are grown by chemical vapour deposition and high pressure high temperature methods, then cut and polished by hand. This is not moissanite, not cubic zirconia and not a simulant. A gemmologist testing it will read diamond, because it is diamond.

Metals

Choose 925 sterling silver, or 10K, 14K or 18K gold in yellow, rose or white. Yellow gold is photographed here, and on a bezel design with no accents the metal is half of what you are looking at, so the colour choice matters more than on almost any other ring we make. 18K gives the deepest yellow, 10K the hardest wearing surface, 14K the balance between them. White gold is rhodium plated and will want replating every one to two years.

Every centre stone arrives IGI certified

The centre diamond is graded by IGI, the International Gemological Institute, and the certificate comes with the ring at no extra charge. It states the carat weight, the E colour grade, the VVS2 clarity grade, the measurements and the girdle inscription, and confirms in writing that the stone is laboratory grown.

Made to order in our own workshop

Mapple Gems is a family run workshop in Surat, India, where most of the world's diamonds are cut and polished. A bezel is built around one particular stone rather than cast to a standard size, and the rim is burnished down onto the girdle by hand until it sits flush all the way round. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. This is the easiest kind of ring to keep clean, since there are no claws or pave to trap anything, but do brush around the outside edge of the bezel. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming.

Questions we are asked

What colour and clarity is the diamond? Every centre stone is E colour and VVS2 clarity, on every metal and every carat weight.

Is the certificate really free? Yes. The IGI report for the centre stone is included in the price on every variant.

Will a wedding band sit flush against it? Yes, and unusually well. The bezel sits low and the band is straight, so a plain wedding ring lies flat against it on either side.

Can it be resized? The back of the shank is plain, so yes, though a tapered band takes a little more work than a uniform one. One or two sizes either way is straightforward.

Does a bezel make the stone look smaller? It covers the girdle, so the visible outline is very slightly smaller than the stone itself. In exchange the diamond is protected on all four corners, which on a step cut is the trade most people want.

• All payments are processed securely through PayPal, one of the world's most trusted payment gateways
• Pay with your PayPal balance, or with any major credit or debit card through PayPal's secure checkout
• No PayPal account required — guest checkout available
• PayPal Purchase Protection applies to eligible orders