Marquise Cut Lab Grown Diamond Sculptural Swirl Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A marquise laboratory grown diamond held inside a band that leaves the shank, sweeps up into an S curve, catches the stone at each end and drops away again. There are no claws in the usual sense and no accent stones. The metal itself is the setting, and the ring is as much a piece of sculpture as a mount for a diamond.

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: Sculptural swirl, the band curving up to hold the stone at both points
• Accent stones: None, the centre stone stands alone
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

How it holds the stone

Each end of the swirl curls over a point of the marquise, so the metal wraps the two tips rather than gripping the sides. That is the strongest place to hold this shape, because the points are the thinnest and most exposed part of a marquise, and it leaves the long edges of the stone completely clear. Nothing crosses the face of the diamond.

A ring with a front and a back

Seen from above the swirl reads as a single asymmetric line through the stone. From the side it lifts and falls. From behind it closes into a rounded shank. Very few rings change this much as the hand turns, which is the main reason to choose a design like this over a conventional solitaire.

Why the marquise suits it

The marquise is the longest of the fancy shapes, pointed at both ends, and it gives the swirl two places to catch. A round or a cushion would need claws added. Here the shape of the stone and the shape of the metal are solving the same problem, which is what makes the ring look inevitable rather than styled.

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 on a design this dependent on the line of the metal, the alloy matters: 10K holds a polish hardest, 14K is the everyday balance, 18K gives the deepest colour. 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.

About the bow tie

Every marquise can show a bow tie, a dark band across the waist of the stone caused by the cut proportions rather than by colour or clarity. No certificate grades it, and with no pave on this ring there is nothing to distract from it. We check every marquise by eye and reject the ones that show it.

About the photographs

One image shows the ring worn with a curved pave band. That band is a separate piece and is not included here.

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 swirl is formed and polished before the stone goes anywhere near it, because a curve like this cannot be corrected afterwards, and the two ends are closed over the points of your particular marquise by hand. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Follow the inside of the curve where it passes behind the stone. There is no pave, so this is a simple ring to keep bright. 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.

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? No, not flat. The swirl crosses the band at an angle. A curved or open band nests against it, which is how it is photographed, or wear this ring alone.

Can it be resized? Only slightly, because the curve is shaped to a specific finger size. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

Is the stone secure with no claws? Yes. The metal closes over both points rather than resting on them, which grips the stone at its two strongest anchoring positions. It is a more involved setting to make than claws and at least as secure.

• 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