Asscher Cut Moissanite Twisted Vine Hidden Halo Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An asscher cut moissanite in four claws on a petite twisted vine band where one strand carries micropave along its whole length and the other stays plain polished metal, with a hidden halo of small stones set around the basket beneath the centre.

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

One strand set, one strand plain

This is the detail that makes the ring, and it is easy to miss in a photograph taken from directly above.

Both strands twist around each other the whole way. Only one of them is set with stones. The other is left as smooth polished metal.

The result is that as the strands wind past one another, the sparkle appears and disappears rather than running continuously. Turn your hand and the paved strand rolls out of view while the plain one rolls into it. A fully paved twist cannot do that, because both strands look the same.

It is also the more practical construction. Half as many stones sit on the underside of the band where wear happens, and the plain strand gives the ring somewhere to take knocks.

The hidden halo

Beneath the centre, around the basket that holds it, runs a ring of small stones facing outward rather than upward. You do not see them when you look down at the ring. You see them from the side, and other people see them when your hand moves.

A hidden halo does something a visible halo cannot: it adds light around the stone without widening the ring or interrupting the outline of the centre. From above this remains a clean solitaire with a twisted band. From the side it is considerably more elaborate.

It also fills the space under the stone, which on a step cut is worth having, because an asscher sits high and an empty basket beneath it reads as a dark gap.

How this compares with our other twisted asscher rings

Six of our asscher rings use a crossing or twisting shank. They are genuinely different.

The Twisted Vine Pave ring has pave along BOTH strands, open crossings and a cathedral head.

The Milgrain Twist is a closed twist with pave bordered by beading, antique in character.

The Plain Crossover has no stones on the band at all.

The Open Crossover has a short run of pave near the head only.

This one is the only twist with one set strand and one plain, and the only one with a hidden halo. If you like the twist but find a fully paved version too uniform, this is the one that solves it.

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.

Every centre stone is Colorless in body colour and VVS in clarity, and every accent, on the band and in the hidden halo, is Colorless and VVS too.

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 band is petite, so the centre dominates at every size and this design flatters a large stone.

Metals

Choose 925 sterling silver, or 10K, 14K or 18K gold in yellow, rose or white. Shown in white gold, where the paved strand and the plain strand read as one continuous bright ribbon and the alternation is subtle. Yellow gold is the opposite and, for this particular design, arguably the better choice: the plain gold strand is unmistakably gold and the paved strand unmistakably white, so the winding alternation is obvious from across a room. Rose gold does the same, warmer. Silver is the most affordable route. 10K is the hardest and holds fine beading longest, 14K is the everyday balance, 18K is the richest but softest, and on strands this fine we would steer you toward 14K or 10K. White gold is rhodium plated and needs replating every one to two years.

Made to order

Nothing is taken off a shelf. We form both strands, true the twist, set the pave along one strand only, set the hidden halo around the basket, then set the centre and polish for your metal, centre size and finger size after your order arrives. A hidden halo is set facing outward on a curved surface you cannot see while working on the top of the ring, which is why it takes longer than its size suggests. 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. Pay particular attention underneath the centre, because a hidden halo sits exactly where hand cream and soap collect, and it stops working the moment it is dull. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming pools, and keep it away from bleach.

Also in this family

Other crossover and twisted band designs we make, so you can see the whole choice in one place:

• Full Circumference Twist, one strand paved and one plain, running the whole way round, no hidden halo

Other designs with a hidden halo we make, so you can see the whole choice in one place:

• Pave Bezel, stones set into the bezel rim wall itself, plus a hidden halo
• Fine Pave Hidden Halo, half coverage scalloped pave on an ultra fine band with a hidden halo, the lightest and easiest to resize
• Full Eternity Pave, pave the whole way round plus a hidden halo, the most sparkle but barely resizable
• Three Quarter Pave, pave around three quarters of the band with a hidden halo collar, the middle option
• Plain Band Hidden Halo, a plain rounded band with the hidden halo as the only decoration, the cheapest way into one

We would rather point you to a different ring of ours than sell you the wrong one. If none of these is quite right, tell us what you are after and we will say so plainly.

Questions we are asked

Will a wedding band sit flush? Not perfectly. The twist gives the shoulders an uneven lower profile and the hidden halo sits low beneath the stone. A contoured band fits properly.

Can it be resized? Within a moderate range. The pave runs the length of one strand, which limits how much plain metal we have to work with.

Is a hidden halo worth it if nobody sees it from above? That is a fair question. It is a detail for you and for close quarters rather than for photographs. If you want visible impact, our Pave Halo ring is the better spend. If you like the idea of the ring being more than it first appears, this is exactly that.

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

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