Emerald Cut Lab Grown Diamond Hidden Halo Engagement Ring on a Thin Plain Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An emerald cut laboratory grown diamond in four claws with a hidden halo set into the basket beneath it, on a band left completely plain. From above it is as clean a step cut solitaire as we make. Turn your hand and there is a row of small diamonds running under the stone that nobody else was meant to see.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Emerald 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 claw emerald cut with a hidden halo under the basket, on a thin plain shank
• Accent stones: Round laboratory grown diamonds in the hidden halo, E colour, VVS2
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Hidden halo, plain band

Most hidden halo rings pair the halo with a paved shank, which gives you two bright elements and one quiet stone. Leaving the band plain reverses that. The only accent diamonds on this ring are in the gallery, facing sideways, so the ring reads from above as pure geometry: a rectangle of still light on a line of polished metal. The halo is there for the wearer.

What the halo does from the side

Sitting below the girdle and facing outward, the halo lights the shadow under the basket. On a step cut that matters more than on a brilliant, because an emerald cut works by reflecting light through long open planes and a dark gallery beneath it flattens the whole stone. The halo puts light back where it was missing, and the emerald appears lifted rather than seated.

Why the grade is fixed at E and VVS2

An emerald cut has a large open table and long unbroken step facets. It shows colour and inclusions more readily than any brilliant, and on a plain band there is nothing else on the ring to look at. That is why we do not offer a range. Every centre stone is E colour, VVS2 clarity, and the halo is matched to 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. Yellow gold is photographed here, and a warm plain band against a colourless step cut is about as classic as this style gets. On a band this narrow, 10K and 14K hold their shape better over the years 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. The hidden halo diamonds 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 hidden halo is set from underneath before the centre stone goes in, and the claws are drawn onto the cut corners of the emerald rather than onto its long sides, which is where a step cut is strongest. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Brush up into the gallery from below, because the hidden halo is where dust collects and the one part you will not notice going dull. The plain band needs nothing but a wipe. 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 hidden halo stones are matched to the same grade.

Does the carat weight include the hidden halo? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre emerald cut stone. The halo 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? Yes. The shank is straight and thin, so a matching plain band sits neatly beside it with no gap.

Can it be resized? Yes, freely. The whole band is plain metal, which makes this one of the easiest rings we make to resize.

Do emerald cuts sparkle? They flash rather than sparkle. A step cut returns light in wide mirror like planes instead of scattering it into small points. The hidden halo adds the only fine sparkle on the ring, and only from the side.

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