Marquise and Round Cut Lab Grown Diamond Toi et Moi Engagement Ring on a Plain Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A marquise cut and a round brilliant laboratory grown diamond set beside one another on a closed, slim polished band. The marquise is angled outward and the round sits level, so the two lean together and the top of the ring reads as one soft asymmetric shape rather than two stones in a row.

At a glance

• Stones: One marquise cut and one round brilliant laboratory grown diamond
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat total between the two stones
• Colour and clarity: E colour, VVS2 clarity
• Certificate: IGI, included free
• Setting: Two stone toi et moi, claw set side by side on a closed plain shank
• Accent stones: None, the two centre stones stand alone
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

Toi et moi

French for you and me. The design is usually traced to 1796, when Napoleon proposed to Josephine with a pear diamond set beside a pear sapphire. Two stones, two people, one ring. It is one of the few engagement ring designs that carries a specific meaning rather than simply signalling expense.

A point against a circle

The marquise is long and comes to a point at each end. The round is the most symmetrical shape there is. Set together the contrast does the work: the eye reads the round as still and the marquise as directional, and the ring gains a diagonal it would not have if both stones matched.

The points are guarded

Both tips of the marquise sit in v claws that wrap the two edges meeting at each point rather than pressing down from above, and the stone is angled so its outer point tucks toward the shoulder instead of standing proud at the edge of the ring.

A closed band

Many toi et moi rings are built on open shanks with the stones at the two ends. This one closes in the usual way, with both stones together at the top. It sizes easily, wears comfortably every day, and a wedding band will sit against it, none of which is true of the open versions.

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. On a band this narrow, 10K and 14K keep their shape better over the years than 18K. White gold is rhodium plated and will want replating every one to two years.

Both stones arrive IGI certified

Both diamonds are graded by IGI, the International Gemological Institute, and the certificates come with the ring at no extra charge. Each 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. Sitting side by side in the same light, the two are compared directly, so they are matched for colour before they are set.

About the bow tie

Every marquise can show a bow tie, a dark band across the waist of the stone caused by the proportions of the cut rather than by colour or clarity. Beside a bright round brilliant it would be more obvious than usual. No certificate grades it. We check every marquise by eye and reject the ones that show 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 pair is chosen together, and the two heads are built at slightly different heights so the long marquise and the compact round sit level to the eye. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Work into the join where the two stones meet and underneath through both galleries. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming.

Questions we are asked

What colour and clarity are the diamonds? Both stones are E colour and VVS2 clarity, on every metal and every carat weight, and they are matched to each other.

Does the carat weight cover both stones? Yes. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options are the combined weight of the marquise and the round, split so the two read as a balanced pair.

Is the certificate really free? Yes. IGI reports for both stones are included in the price on every variant.

Will a wedding band sit flush against it? Yes. The band is closed and straight, so a plain or curved band sits neatly beside it.

Can it be resized? Yes, easily. The shank is plain all the way round.

Can I swap which stone sits on which side? Yes. Tell us when you order and we will set the marquise on the other side.

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