Elongated Cushion Cut Lab Grown Diamond Four Claw Solitaire Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An elongated cushion cut laboratory grown diamond in four claws on a thin plain band. A cushion is a rectangle with its corners and sides softened, and stretched like this it sits somewhere between an oval and a radiant, with the edges of neither.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Elongated cushion cut laboratory grown diamond
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat
• Colour and clarity: E colour, VVS2 clarity
• Certificate: IGI, included free
• Setting: Four claws on a thin plain band
• Accent stones: None
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Between an oval and a radiant

People who like ovals but find them too soft, and people who like radiants but find them too sharp, usually end up here. The elongated cushion has the length of an oval with slightly flatter sides, and the rectangular presence of a radiant with the corners rounded off. On the hand it reads longer than a square cushion of the same weight.

Plainly set on purpose

No halo, no pave, no detail at the shoulders. A cushion has more going on inside it than most shapes, with a wide table and large soft facets that move as the hand moves, and adding small stones around it only competes with that.

Crushed ice or chunky

Cushions are cut two ways. Crushed ice faceting gives a fine shimmering sparkle, like light on broken glass; chunky, or antique style, faceting gives fewer, larger flashes. We cut ours towards the chunkier end, which holds up better at larger sizes and looks less busy on a plain band. Tell us if you would prefer crushed ice and we will select for it.

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 in yellow gold, but 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. With no accents on the ring, that report covers all of 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 head is made to the measured stone so the claws sit on the corners rather than across the curved sides, and the band is polished as one continuous surface. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

About the photographs

The photograph on the hand shows this ring worn with another ring set with a coloured stone. That ring is a separate piece and is not included.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush, brushing underneath the stone from both ends. A cushion has a deep pavilion, so there is more space behind it than you would expect for hand cream to collect. 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.

How elongated is it? We cut to roughly 1.3 to 1.4 to 1, which keeps the cushion character while reading clearly long. Say the word if you want it closer to square or longer still.

Is the certificate really free? Yes. The IGI report is included in the price on every variant.

Does a cushion look bigger or smaller than a round of the same weight? Slightly smaller face up, because cushions are cut deep. That is why we recommend judging by millimetre measurements rather than carats, and we will send them before you order.

Will a wedding band sit flush? Yes. The band is plain and straight, so a straight band meets it cleanly.

Can it be resized? Yes, at the back. One or two sizes either way is straightforward.

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