Bezel Set Cushion Cut Lab Grown Diamond Split Shank Solitaire Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A cushion cut laboratory grown diamond in a smooth, unbroken bezel, carried on a band that divides just below the stone and rises to meet it as two slim arms. There are no claws and no accent stones. What you see from the side is a small piece of engineering, a single wire splitting into a fork and closing around a diamond.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Cushion 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 cushion on a split shank, no claws
• 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

The split shank

A plain shank runs straight into the setting and the join is the weakest point on any ring. Splitting it spreads the load across two arms instead of one, so the ring is stronger exactly where it takes the most pressure. It also opens a gap under the stone, which lets light in from below and stops the bezel looking heavy.

A bezel around a cushion

Because a cushion has curved sides and rounded corners, its bezel is a continuous soft rectangle with no straight runs and no sharp turns. That is harder to make than a bezel around a round stone, and it is the reason this outline looks so resolved. The metal covers the girdle, the most chip prone part of any diamond, and nothing sits proud to catch on clothing.

Who this ring suits

If you work with your hands, wear gloves, have long nails, or have caught a claw setting on a jumper once too often, this is the shape to look at. The profile is low, the outline is smooth, and there is nothing on it that can bend out of position.

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. A bezel shows more metal than any claw setting, so the alloy colour does real work here. Yellow gold, as photographed, gives the warm sculptural reading. White gold and silver make the same ring look cooler and more architectural. 10K is the hardest alloy, 14K is the everyday balance, and 18K is the richest colour but the softest metal. 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 bezel is formed around your individual cushion and burnished down by hand without marking the polish, and the split arms are filed to match each other exactly. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Push the brush up through the opening in the split shank, which is where dust settles. 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.

Does a bezel make the diamond look smaller? It covers the very edge of the girdle, so a bezel set cushion reads slightly smaller than the same stone in claws. Most people find the trade for protection and the cleaner outline worth it.

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. The shank is straight where it meets the finger and the setting is low, so a plain band sits right alongside.

Can it be resized? Yes, though a split shank takes longer than a plain band because both arms have to stay true to each other afterwards.

• 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