East West Emerald Cut Lab Grown Diamond Split Shank Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An emerald cut laboratory grown diamond set across the finger, sunk into a heavy band that splits open on both sides and arcs around the stone. The two arms rejoin underneath, leaving a window of daylight on each side of the diamond. It is a solid, architectural ring with no accent stones anywhere on it.

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: East west emerald cut in a heavy split shank with open side windows
• 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

Turned sideways on purpose

Worn upright, an emerald cut points up the finger and reads as formal. Turned east west it lies across the knuckle, sits lower, and stops competing with the length of the hand. On a wide band like this one it also gives the ring a horizontal axis to match the weight of the metal, which is why the sideways setting is not a styling choice here but a structural one.

The split shank

The band is at its heaviest at the back of the finger and divides as it comes forward, each arm curving out and around the stone before meeting the setting. Those two openings are what stop a ring this solid from looking like a lump of metal: they let light through, they make the diamond appear to float in the gap, and they cut the weight of the ring substantially without making it look thin.

No accents, and why

Pave on a split shank fills both windows and defeats the design. Leaving all the metal polished means the only thing catching light on the top of the ring is the emerald cut itself, and on a step cut, which reflects in broad clean planes, that reads as deliberate rather than plain.

Why the grade is fixed at E and VVS2

An emerald cut has a large open table and long unbroken step facets. It shows colour and inclusions more readily than any brilliant, and with no accent stones on the ring there is nothing to distract the eye. Every centre stone is E colour and VVS2 clarity, on every variant.

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 ring where the metal is most of what you see, the alloy matters: 10K holds a polish hardest, 14K is the everyday balance, 18K gives 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 split shank is carved from solid rather than assembled, so the two arms are part of the same piece of metal and the openings are cut and finished by hand. It takes considerably longer than building a head onto a shank. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Work through both side windows and underneath the stone. There is no pave to worry about, so this is a straightforward ring to keep bright. 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? The shank widens toward the front, so a straight band sits against the narrow back section rather than flush along the whole side. Many people wear this ring on its own.

Can it be resized? Only slightly. A split shank is shaped to a specific finger size and altering it changes where the arms divide. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

Is it heavy? It is a substantial ring, more so than a plain solitaire, but the two openings remove a good deal of the metal that would otherwise be there. In 10K or 14K it wears comfortably all day.

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