Asscher Cut Lab Grown Diamond Wrap Bypass Solitaire Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An Asscher cut laboratory grown diamond set corner up, with the band sweeping around two opposite corners and passing itself beneath the stone. Two corners are wrapped in metal, two are left completely bare. Nothing about the ring is symmetrical.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Asscher cut laboratory grown diamond, set corner up
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat
• Colour and clarity: E colour, VVS2 clarity
• Certificate: IGI, included free
• Setting: Wrap bypass shank gripping two opposite corners
• Accent stones: None, this is a true solitaire
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Turned on its corner

An Asscher is normally set square to the finger. Rotated forty five degrees it becomes a diamond shape rather than a box, which lengthens the hand and gives the wrap something to grip: the two corners now sit at the top and bottom of the setting, exactly where the band arrives.

The wrap

Rather than a head soldered to a shank, the band itself rises, folds over the two exposed corners and continues round. Where the two arms meet under the stone they pass rather than join, which is what gives the ring its flowing, slightly off balance profile.

Corners covered where it counts

An Asscher already has its corners cut off, which is what makes a step cut wearable. This setting covers two of them completely in metal. The remaining two are left open so light can enter the pavilion from the sides, which a step cut needs rather more than a brilliant does.

Why clarity matters on a step cut

An Asscher's facets are large, flat and arranged in concentric steps down to a small table. Look into one straight on and you see the hall of mirrors effect the cut is famous for, and any inclusion in it. Our stones are VVS2, clean under ten times magnification. On this cut the grade is not a technicality.

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 a heavy warm fold against a colourless step cut is the contrast this design is built on. On a bypass shank we would suggest 10K or 14K, which hold the shape better than 18K. 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. The wrap is formed around your individual stone, and on a square cut the angle of the fold has to match the corner exactly or it shows from every direction. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Clean the table often, since a step cut shows any film immediately, and work the brush into the point where the two arms cross beneath the stone.

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 stone secure with two corners open? Yes. The wrapped corners hold the stone along its full depth, which is a firmer grip than four claws give.

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? No, not flat. The shank sits at different heights on each side, so this ring is designed to be worn alone.

Can it be resized? Only slightly, since resizing changes where the two arms cross. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

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