East West Marquise Lab Grown Diamond Twisted Pave Bypass Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A marquise laboratory grown diamond laid across the finger on a band that crosses over itself beneath it. One arm of the crossover is plain polished metal, the other is set with pave that continues past the stone and tapers away. The two points of the marquise break out of the curve at opposite ends, so the whole ring is one long diagonal line.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Marquise 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 marquise on a twisted bypass shank, one pave arm and one plain
• Accent stones: Round 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

Why the marquise lies sideways

Set the usual way, a marquise runs up the finger and makes a strong vertical statement. Turned east west it lies within the width of the finger instead, sits lower, and follows the direction the crossover band is already travelling. The result is a ring that reads as one continuous movement rather than as a stone mounted on a shank.

The crossover

The two arms of the band do not meet head on. They pass each other beneath the stone and carry on, one above and one below, which is what gives the ring its twist when seen from the side. Making the two arms different, one bright with pave and one plain, means the eye travels along the ring instead of stopping at the diamond.

Both points are guarded

A marquise is thinnest where its curves meet, and this setting leaves both of those tips exposed at the ends of the ring. Each sits inside a v claw that wraps the two edges meeting at the point rather than pressing down from above, so the metal takes any knock before the diamond does.

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 the contrast between a warm polished arm and a colourless pave arm is the point of the design. 10K is the hardest alloy, 14K the everyday balance, 18K the richest 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. The pave diamonds are matched to the same E and VVS2 grade.

About the bow tie

Every marquise can show a bow tie, a dark band across the waist of the stone caused by the proportions of the cut rather than by colour or clarity. It matters more on an east west setting, because the bow tie then runs the same way as the finger and sits in plain view. No certificate grades it. We check every marquise by eye and reject the ones that show it.

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 crossover is formed to your finger size, because the point where the two arms pass under the stone cannot be changed later, and the pave is set by hand along a curve that moves in two directions at once. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Work the brush into the crossing point under the stone and along the pave arm. 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. The pave is matched to the same grade.

Does the carat weight include the pave? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre marquise. The pave is in addition.

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? No, not flat. The crossover puts the shank at a different height on each side, so this ring is designed to be worn alone.

Can it be resized? Only slightly, since resizing changes where the two arms cross beneath the stone. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

Does an east west stone catch on things? Less than an upright one. The stone lies within the width of the finger rather than standing above it, and both points are covered by v claws.

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