Emerald Cut Lab Grown Diamond Engagement Ring with Marquise Cluster Halo and Pave Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An emerald cut laboratory grown diamond ringed by marquise and round diamonds that fan out from its corners like a sunburst, with a pave band running on below. The marquises sit at the four corners and along the sides, so the cluster frames the straight edges of the emerald cut without ever repeating its shape.

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: Claw set emerald cut with a marquise and round cluster halo on a pave band
• Accent stones: Marquise and 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

A cluster halo, not a plain one

An ordinary halo is a single row of identical round stones. This one is built from marquises and rounds of different sizes, angled outwards, so the outline is scalloped rather than smooth. Against the hard rectangle of an emerald cut that contrast is the whole point. The straight stone looks straighter, and the cluster looks softer, than either would alone.

Brilliant against step cut

The centre is step cut, which gives long calm flashes through its big open facets. Every accent around it is brilliant faceted and scatters light in small quick points. The eye reads the still centre and the busy frame as two different materials, which makes the emerald cut appear larger and more deliberate than it would in a matching surround.

Why clarity matters on the centre stone

Step cuts hide almost nothing. That wide flat table shows any inclusion or cloud in plain view, which is why every centre diamond here is VVS2, a grade at which nothing is visible even under ten times magnification.

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, as photographed, gives the cluster its vintage warmth. 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. Every marquise is angled individually and every point guarded by its own claw, so the halo alone takes longer than most complete solitaires. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. There are many small seams in a cluster halo, so brush from underneath as well as on top. Wipe the table of the emerald cut, which shows fingerprints more than a brilliant. 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 marquise and round accents are matched to the same grade.

Does the halo make the ring look bigger? Considerably. A cluster halo adds width in every direction, so a 2 carat emerald cut here covers about as much finger as a larger solitaire would.

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? The halo overhangs the shank, so a straight band leaves a gap. A contoured band is the right partner here.

Can it be resized? Within a size or two. The pave stops before the back of the band.

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