Marquise Cut Lab Grown Diamond Engagement Ring with a Graduated Marquise and Round Accent Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A marquise laboratory grown diamond set lengthwise, flanked by two marquise accents lying across it, and then a line of alternating marquise and round diamonds running away down both shoulders, each one a little smaller than the last. The band does not stop being interesting where the setting ends.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Marquise 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 marquise with east west marquise flanks and a graduated accent 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

Graduated, not uniform

A conventional accent band uses stones of one size, repeated. Here every stone along the shoulder is slightly smaller than the one before it, and the pattern alternates between marquise and round the whole way. The effect is of the ring narrowing towards the back of the finger by degrees, which pulls the eye towards the centre stone and makes the shank look finer than it measures.

The two flanking marquises

Immediately either side of the centre stone sits a marquise turned ninety degrees, points outward. They widen the head across the finger and they echo the centre stone at a smaller scale, so the transition from the big stone to the small ones is a gradual one rather than a jump.

Claw set, not channelled

Each accent is held in its own claws rather than buried in a channel, with metal visible between the stones. That is more work and it is the reason this band reads as a sequence of individual diamonds rather than a continuous glittering strip.

Why the marquise centre carries it

A marquise has the largest face up area of any common cut at a given carat weight, because very little of its weight sits in depth. That spread is what allows a busy band to sit under it without overwhelming it. On a rounder, deeper stone the same shoulders would compete.

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 the warm metal showing between each accent is what makes the graduation legible. In white gold the stones run together into one line and the effect is softer. 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. Every accent is matched to the same E and VVS2 grade, which matters more here than usual, because a line of stones shows any variation in colour immediately.

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 graduation is calculated from the width of your centre stone, so a 5 carat marquise gets a longer, more gradual run of accents than a 2 carat. Every stone is set by hand under a microscope. 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 along both shoulders between the accents, and up into the basket from underneath. 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. All accents are matched to the same grade.

Does the carat weight include the accents? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre marquise. The flanking marquises and the band accents are 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? Not flat, because the accents run well down the shoulders. A contoured band follows the line properly, and many customers wear this ring on its own.

Can it be resized? Only slightly. The accents cover a good part of the shank, so we would rather make it to the correct size than resize it later. Send us your size and we will build to it.

• All payments are processed securely through PayPal, one of the world's most trusted payment gateways
• Pay with your PayPal balance, or with any major credit or debit card through PayPal's secure checkout
• No PayPal account required — guest checkout available
• PayPal Purchase Protection applies to eligible orders