Asscher Cut Moissanite Marquise Accent Cluster Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An asscher cut moissanite in four claws with a small cluster of accents gathered tight against each side of the stone, a marquise set outward with two little rounds beside it, and nothing at all on the rest of the band.

We make it to order in our workshop in Surat, India. Family run, every ring finished and checked by hand.

All the decoration in one place

The accents on this ring occupy a very small area. They sit immediately beside the centre stone, three per side, and then stop. The band beyond them is plain polished metal all the way round.

Concentrating the stones like that has a specific effect. Rather than drawing the eye along the shoulders, as a row of pave does, the accents push inward and frame the centre. Your eye goes to the middle of the ring and stays there.

It also means the ring reads as a solitaire with a detail, rather than as a set band. On the hand it is much quieter than the stone count suggests.

How this compares with our other cluster asscher ring

Our Marquise Leaf Cluster ring uses similar shapes, marquise and round together, but arranges them as sprigs of foliage running down each shoulder at varying angles, spread over a much larger area.

This one is tighter, smaller and symmetrical. The marquise points outward in a straight line from the centre rather than tilting, and the two rounds sit neatly against it. It is a geometric arrangement of the same shapes, not a botanical one.

Choose the leaf cluster if you want the ring to look grown. Choose this if you want a compact, tidy accent that lets the band stay clean.

Why the marquise points outward

A marquise has a direction, and which way it faces changes the ring. Pointing outward, away from the centre, it acts like an arrowhead extending the stone sideways, which makes the whole head look a little wider and more substantial.

Turned the other way it would point at the centre and draw attention inward instead. Both are legitimate; we chose outward here because the band is plain and the ring benefits from a head that reads as slightly larger.

The stone

An asscher is a square step cut with cropped corners, so its outline is an octagon that reads as a square. The facets are cut in concentric squares that draw the eye down into the stone, an effect jewellers call the hall of mirrors. It flashes in broad blocks rather than sparkling, so the small brilliants beside it supply a different kind of light.

Every centre stone is Colorless in body colour and VVS in clarity, and every accent is Colorless and VVS too. The accents sit directly against the centre, so they are matched to it carefully; at that distance any difference in colour would be obvious.

Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond, which in a step cut shows as depth rather than fire, and at 9.25 on the Mohs scale it stands up to daily wear.

Choose the centre from 2 carat up to 5 carat. The clusters scale with the stone, and because the band stays plain this design carries a large centre comfortably.

Metals

Choose 925 sterling silver, or 10K, 14K or 18K gold in yellow, rose or white. Shown in yellow gold, where the small claws holding each accent read as gold points among the white stones and the cluster has visible structure. White gold merges the accents into a single bright shape either side of the centre, which is cleaner but less detailed. Rose gold sits between the two. Silver is the most affordable route. 10K is the hardest, 14K is the everyday balance, 18K is the richest but softest. White gold is rhodium plated and needs replating every one to two years.

Made to order

Nothing is taken off a shelf. We cut seats for each accent, set the marquise with both points covered, set the two rounds against it, then set the centre and polish for your metal, centre size and finger size after your order arrives. Small clusters set tight against a centre stone are fiddly work, because there is very little room to get a tool in without touching the main stone. That is how we offer twenty one ring sizes and forty combinations.

Care

Warm water, a drop of mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. The clusters are the only places dirt collects, so this is an easy ring to keep clean. Do clean under the centre, since a step cut shows anything trapped below. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming pools, and keep it away from bleach.

Questions we are asked

Will a wedding band sit flush? Yes, well. The accents sit high, beside the stone rather than down the shoulders, so the lower band is completely plain where a second ring meets it.

Can it be resized? Yes, easily. There are no stones anywhere on the shank.

Are the marquise points secure? Yes, both points of each marquise are covered by metal, which is the correct way to set one.

Will inclusions show in a step cut? Not at VVS. That grade is what makes a step cut worth doing.

• 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