Cushion Cut Lab Grown Diamond Ring with Marquise Cluster Shoulders in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A cushion cut laboratory grown diamond held in eight fine claws, with marquise and round accents clustered around each shoulder like leaves on a stem. The marquises fan outward from the centre and the small rounds fill the spaces between them, so the shoulders read as growth rather than as a row of set stones.

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: Eight claw centre with clustered marquise and round accents
• Accent stones: Marquise and round brilliant laboratory grown diamonds, E colour, VVS2
• Band: Slim shank, plain at the back
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Marquises used as leaves

A marquise is a pointed oval, and set on its side it reads as a leaf. Fanning three or four of them out from each shoulder, at slightly different angles, gives the ring a botanical shape without any of the literal flower and vine work that usually comes with that idea. The small rounds sit in the gaps between the marquises and stop the fan from looking sparse.

Eight claws on a cushion

A cushion is a square with heavily rounded corners and curved sides, so there is no flat edge for a claw to grip the way there is on an emerald or radiant cut. Eight fine claws spread the hold evenly around the curve, and because each is thinner than a four claw setting would need, they take up less of the stone from above.

Why a cushion looks warm

Cushion cuts have larger facets and a deeper pavilion than a modern round, which gives them broad flashes of fire rather than fine glitter. It is the closest modern cut to the old mine cuts of the eighteen hundreds, and it suits candlelight and low light better than a round does. On a colourless E stone that fire stays white rather than tinting.

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. This ring was photographed in white metal, and every metal is made to order and priced above. 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. Every marquise and round accent is matched to the same E and VVS2 grade.

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 marquises are laid out on each shoulder and adjusted by eye before any seat is cut, because a fan that is measured out symmetrically stops reading as leaves. Each accent is individually claw set rather than bead set, which is slower and holds the small pointed stones far better. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. There are a lot of small gaps between the clustered stones and they hold hand cream, so brush both shoulders properly rather than just rinsing. The points of the marquises are the vulnerable parts, so take the ring off for the gym, gardening and swimming.

Questions we are asked

What colour and clarity are the diamonds? The centre cushion and every marquise and round accent are E colour and VVS2 clarity, on all metals and all carat weights.

Does the carat weight include the accents? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre cushion. The marquise and round accents are in addition.

Is a cushion cut as bright as a round? Not in the same way. It has fewer, larger facets, so it throws broad flashes of fire rather than fine sparkle. Many people prefer it for exactly that reason.

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? Not quite. The marquise fans come down onto the shoulders, so a straight band meets them. A contoured band nests into the cluster, and we make those to match.

Can it be resized? Yes, at the back where the shank is plain. One or two sizes either way is straightforward.

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