Cushion Cut Lab Grown Diamond Pave Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A cushion cut laboratory grown diamond held above a band set with small round diamonds along both shoulders. The centre stone is the whole point of the ring and the pave is there to lead your eye up to it, not to compete with it.

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: Four claw head over pave set shoulders
• Accent stones: Round brilliant laboratory grown diamonds, E colour, VVS2
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

The cushion cut

A cushion is a square with rounded corners, which is where the name comes from, and it is one of the oldest shapes still in regular use. Its facets are larger and fewer than a modern round brilliant, so instead of fine glitter it throws big soft flashes of light, the effect people usually describe as crushed ice or a candlelit look.

It is also a deep cut. More of a cushion's weight sits below the girdle than in a spreading shape like an oval, which means a cushion faces up slightly smaller than its carat weight suggests but returns more light from directly above. If you want a stone that glows rather than sparkles sharply, this is the shape that does it.

Pave that knows when to stop

The shoulders carry small round diamonds set into beads raised from the metal itself, each seat cut by hand under a microscope. The run stops partway down the shank rather than continuing all the way round, and that is deliberate for two reasons.

The first is practical. A plain lower shank can be resized freely for the rest of the ring's life, with no heat going near any small stones. The second is visual. Pave that runs the whole way round makes a ring read as a band with a stone on it. Pave that stops makes it read as a solitaire with decorated shoulders, and the centre stone stays the subject.

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 stone pulled out of the ground. The only difference is where it grew. Ours are produced by chemical vapour deposition and high pressure high temperature growth, then cut and polished by hand. This is not moissanite, not cubic zirconia and not a simulant of any kind. 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. Pave reads differently against each. In white metal the small stones and the band merge into one bright line. In yellow or rose gold every stone is outlined by warm metal, so you count them rather than see a continuous glitter. A cushion's soft light sits particularly well against yellow gold. 10K is the hardest of the gold alloys, 14K is the balance most people choose for daily wear, 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 in this ring is graded by IGI, the International Gemological Institute, and the certificate travels with the ring at no extra charge. The report states the carat weight, the E colour grade, the VVS2 clarity grade, the measurements and the laser inscription on the girdle, and it confirms in writing that the stone is laboratory grown. You are not asked to take our word for any of it. Every certificate is included free with every metal and every carat weight, and it is the same document an independent appraiser or an insurer will ask to see.

Made to order in our own workshop

Mapple Gems is a family run workshop in Surat, India, the city where the majority of the world's diamonds are cut and polished. Nothing here is pulled off a shelf. When your order arrives we cut the seat for your centre stone, build the head around it, then raise every bead on the shoulders by hand before setting the accents and polishing the whole ring for your carat weight and your finger size. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, a drop of mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush will keep it bright. Pave holds more soap than a plain band, so run the brush along both shoulders as well as underneath the head, where hand cream collects and dulls the light coming back through the pavilion. A deep cushion shows that dulling faster than a shallow stone. Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth. Take it off for the gym, for gardening and before swimming, and keep it away from bleach and chlorine, which attack the alloys in gold rather than the diamond itself.

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. The pave diamonds are matched to the same grade. The IGI report in the box states both grades for the centre.

Does a cushion sparkle less than a round? It sparkles differently. Bigger facets give broader, softer flashes rather than the fine scintillation of a round brilliant. Many people prefer it, particularly in low light.

Does the pave make the ring look bigger? It makes the ring look wider, not the stone look larger. For apparent stone size you want a halo instead.

Will a wedding band sit flush? Yes. The head is raised on claws and the shoulders taper, so a straight band sits close against it.

Can small pave stones fall out? It is uncommon when the beads are raised properly, which is a hand operation and the reason we do it in house rather than buying in cast settings.

Can it be resized? Yes. The pave stops partway down and the lower shank is plain, specifically so it can be.

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