East West Pear Cut Lab Grown Diamond Claw Set Solitaire Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A pear cut laboratory grown diamond turned on its side, so the point runs across the finger instead of up it. Fine claws, a v claw guarding the tip, and a straight band with nothing on it. Set this way a pear stops looking like a teardrop and starts looking like a sail, which is the entire reason to do it.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Pear 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: Claw set horizontal pear with a v claw over the point, thin plain band
• Accent stones: None, this is a true solitaire
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

What turning a pear sideways changes

North south, a pear points at the fingertip and lengthens the hand. East west, it spans the finger and the ring reads wider, lower and distinctly more modern. The asymmetry also becomes the point of the design rather than a detail of it, because now you see the whole silhouette head on rather than foreshortened.

Where the point sits

Worn sideways the tip sits towards the edge of the finger rather than up towards the knuckle, which for most people means it catches less. It still sits inside a v shaped claw that wraps both edges, because the tip of a pear is the thinnest part of the stone whichever way you orient it.

The plain band

No pave, no halo, no shaping. With a stone set this way the outline is the whole idea, and anything on the shank would compete with it. A narrow polished band also makes the diamond read larger, since the eye has nothing to measure it against.

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 gives the warm, gallery like contrast this design suits. 10K is the hardest alloy, 14K is the everyday balance, 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 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. An east west head has to be built to the exact length of your individual pear, and the v claw has to be positioned on the horizontal axis rather than the vertical one, so this setting is made around your stone. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Brush underneath the stone through the open basket. Check the v claw at the point now and then, as it is the part that takes the knocks. 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.

Does an east west pear look smaller? No, it is the same stone. It reads wider and less tall, which on a shorter finger is often more flattering than a long north south pear.

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, and better than with a north south pear. The band is straight and the stone sits across it, so a plain band meets the ring cleanly on both sides.

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

• All payments are processed securely through PayPal, one of the world's most trusted payment gateways
• Pay with your PayPal balance, or with any major credit or debit card through PayPal's secure checkout
• No PayPal account required — guest checkout available
• PayPal Purchase Protection applies to eligible orders