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

An emerald cut laboratory grown diamond in four claws, standing upright on a band set with small round diamonds down both shoulders. No halo, no hidden halo, no side stones. The pave is there to give the shank a line of light and nothing more.

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 on a pave set band
• Accent stones: 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

The case for a plain head

An emerald cut is a large, open, transparent stone. Ringing it with small diamonds gives it something to compete with, and on a step cut that competition is never fair, because the small stones sparkle faster. Leaving the head bare and putting the accents on the shank instead means the centre stone is the only thing at the top of the ring, which is how a step cut looks best.

The pave band

Round diamonds run down both shoulders in shared claws with very little metal between them. The band narrows slightly as it travels, which makes the finger look longer and the centre stone look larger. The pave stops before the back of the shank, leaving plain metal there for sizing.

Why clarity matters on an emerald cut

Step cut facets are long, flat and parallel, arranged in rows down towards a large open table. They behave like mirrors rather than scattering light, which is the appeal and also the difficulty: there is nowhere for an inclusion to hide. Our centre stones are VVS2, clean under ten times magnification, and that is why we do not offer lower clarity grades on this cut.

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 and rose gold are photographed here, and a warm band under a long colourless step cut is one of the oldest and best combinations in jewellery. White gold makes the pave disappear as metal and read only as light. 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 pave 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. Every pave stone is set by hand under a microscope, and the claws are shaped to sit on the corners of your individual stone without covering any more of the table than necessary. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Clean the table of the centre stone often, since a step cut shows any film immediately, and work the brush along both shoulders between the pave stones.

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 pave stones are matched to the same grade.

Does the carat weight include the pave? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre emerald cut. The pave is in addition.

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

Does an emerald cut sparkle less than a brilliant? It sparkles differently. A brilliant gives fast small flashes; a step cut gives long broad returns of light and dark. The pave band supplies the quick sparkle if you want both on one ring.

Will a wedding band sit flush against it? Yes, very well. The head sits low and the shank is straight, so a plain or pave straight band meets it cleanly.

Can it be resized? Within about one size. The pave covers the shoulders and the back of the shank is left plain for exactly this reason.

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