Elongated Cushion Cut Lab Grown Diamond Bypass Wave Shank Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An elongated cushion cut laboratory grown diamond held between two arms of a band that never quite meet. The shank divides well below the stone, sweeps up on either side in opposite directions and passes behind it, so the ring reads as a wave with a diamond caught in the middle.

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: Claw set cushion on a bypass wave shank
• 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

The wave

Rather than rising symmetrically to a head, the two sides of the band travel in opposite directions and cross behind the stone. From the side you see two curves moving past each other; from above, a clean rectangle floating on metal that appears to have flowed around it. There is no visible join, and no conventional basket.

Why it suits a cushion

An elongated cushion is a soft shape: curved sides, rounded corners, nothing sharp. A bypass shank is the only setting geometry that is equally soft, so the two agree. On a stone with hard corners, such as an emerald or an Asscher, the same shank would look like an argument.

What an elongated cushion is

A rectangle with rounded corners and gently curved sides, faceted as a brilliant. The facets are larger and more open than a round brilliant's, giving a slower, broader glow rather than fast white flashes, and the elongation makes it more flattering on the finger than a square cushion.

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 a warm flowing curve under a colourless stone is the effect the design is built for. On a bypass shank we would suggest 10K or 14K, which are harder alloys and hold the shape of the wave better than 18K. 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. The two arms are formed to your finger size so they cross at the correct point behind the stone, which is a matter of a degree or two and cannot be corrected later. 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 behind the stone, which is the one place on this ring that will not rinse clean by itself. 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 a bypass shank secure? Yes. The arms are joined behind the stone where it does not show, and the claws hold the cushion at all four corners as in any conventional setting.

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 shank is at a different height on each side, so this ring is designed to be worn alone.

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

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