East West Emerald Cut Lab Grown Diamond Ring with Tapered Baguette Sides in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An emerald cut laboratory grown diamond set east west, lying across the finger rather than along it, with a tapered baguette on each side. Everything in this ring is a step cut, so the whole thing is made of long straight planes and there is not a round facet 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: Four claw east west centre with tapered baguette sides
• Side stones: Tapered baguette laboratory grown diamonds, E colour, VVS2
• Band: Slim plain shank
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Turned sideways on purpose

Almost every engagement ring sets its stone north south, running up the finger. Turning an emerald cut ninety degrees changes the ring completely. It sits wider, it looks lower and more modern, and it takes up the width of the finger instead of its length. People who find a traditional solitaire too formal usually respond to this one immediately.

Tapered baguettes, not rounds

The side stones are tapered baguettes, which are step cut like the centre, so they continue the same flat planes outward rather than interrupting them with small sparkle. They narrow as they run toward the shank, which draws the eye back into the centre stone. Baguettes are also unforgiving to set, because the straight edges have to line up exactly with the girdle of the centre or the mistake is visible from a foot away.

Why clarity matters more on a step cut

Step cuts have no brilliance to hide behind. You look through the long facets straight into the diamond, so inclusions and any tint of colour show clearly. Every stone in this ring, the centre and both baguettes, is E colour and VVS2 clarity, which is the grade this style actually needs rather than the grade that merely sounds good.

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 with a yellow gold band and a white metal head, and any single metal is available. 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. Both baguettes are 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 baguettes are cut to the length of the particular centre stone so their outer edges finish level with its girdle, and the claws are set at the corners of the emerald where the stone is most at risk of chipping. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush, brushing under the centre through the basket. Step cuts show soap film faster than brilliants, so clean it more often than you would expect to. The corners of the emerald and the tips of the baguettes 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 emerald and both tapered baguettes are E colour and VVS2 clarity, on all metals and all carat weights.

What does east west mean? The long axis of the stone runs across the finger instead of along it. Nothing about the diamond changes, only the way it is set.

Does the carat weight include the baguettes? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre emerald. The two baguettes are in addition and are cut to suit whichever centre you choose.

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? Yes. An east west setting sits low and the baguettes run level with the shank, so a straight band meets it cleanly. This is one of the easier designs to stack.

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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