East West Emerald Cut Lab Grown Diamond Bezel Set Engagement Ring on a Plain Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An emerald cut laboratory grown diamond set across the finger in a full bezel, on a slim polished band. A rim of metal follows the whole rectangle, corners included, and nothing else is added. It is the quietest way we make a step cut and the most practical one to live in.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Emerald cut laboratory grown diamond, set east west
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat
• Colour and clarity: E colour, VVS2 clarity
• Certificate: IGI, included free
• Setting: Full bezel around an east west emerald cut, on a thin plain shank
• Accent stones: None, the centre stone stands alone
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Why a bezel suits a step cut

An emerald cut is built from long straight lines, and a bezel is a straight line drawn around it. Claws interrupt that geometry; an unbroken rim completes it. The setting also covers the cut corners, which are the only vulnerable points on the stone, and leaves nothing projecting to catch on a sleeve.

Turned across the finger

Upright, an emerald cut runs up the finger and reads formally. Turned east west it lies within the width of the hand and sits low, so the ring looks more like a piece of modern design than a traditional engagement ring. It is also less likely to spin on the finger, because the weight is distributed sideways rather than piled at the top.

The plain band

A slim polished shank leaves the bezel as the only shape on the ring. It resizes freely, never needs stones checked, and lies flat against a wedding band.

Why the grade is fixed at E and VVS2

An emerald cut has a large open table and long unbroken step facets that hide nothing, and on a bezel set ring there is no pave to distract the eye. That is why we do not offer a range here. Every centre stone is E colour, VVS2 clarity.

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. Yellow gold is photographed here, and on a bezel the metal frames the stone completely, so the colour choice matters more than on a claw setting. 10K is the hardest alloy, 14K the everyday balance, 18K the deepest colour. 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. A bezel is built around one particular stone rather than cast to a standard size, and the rim is burnished down onto the girdle by hand until it sits flush along every side and corner. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. With no claws or pave to trap anything this is the easiest kind of ring to keep clean, but do brush around the outside edge of the bezel. 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.

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, unusually well. The bezel sits low and the shank is straight, so a plain band lies flat beside it on both sides.

Can it be resized? Yes, freely. The band is plain all the way round.

Does a bezel make the stone look smaller? It covers the girdle, so the visible outline is very slightly smaller than the stone itself. In exchange all four corners are protected, which on a step cut is the trade most people want.

Do emerald cuts sparkle? They flash rather than sparkle. A step cut returns light in wide mirror like planes instead of scattering it into small points, which is exactly the effect a plain bezel is designed to show off.

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