Marquise Cut Lab Grown Diamond Three Stone Star Outline Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

Three marquise laboratory grown diamonds, one running along the finger and two lying across it, arranged so their six points form a four pointed star. It covers as much of the hand as a halo ring twice its stone count, and it does it with three stones instead of forty.

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 centre with two east west marquise side stones
• Accent stones: Marquise cut 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

Three stones instead of a halo

A halo buys presence by surrounding one diamond with a crowd of very small ones. It works, but it commits you to forty odd settings, forty odd places for dirt to lodge, and forty odd stones that can loosen. This ring reaches roughly the same footprint on the finger with three diamonds and six claws. Fewer things to go wrong, and every stone large enough to be worth looking at on its own.

Wide rather than tall

Because the side stones spread outward instead of upward, the ring has almost no height. The whole head sits close to the hand, passes under a glove, and does not snag on a jumper. For a ring that occupies this much of a finger, it is remarkably undemanding to wear.

Six points, six v claws

Three marquises means six tips, and a tip is the thinnest and most vulnerable part of any marquise. Every one of them sits inside a v claw that wraps around the edges either side of the point rather than pressing down on it. The outer points of the two side stones sit at the widest part of the ring, so those are the ones we build heaviest.

Why marquise sides and not another shape

A marquise tapers to a point at both ends, so it meets the curve of the centre stone with no gap and no filler metal. Pear sides leave a rounded end that has to be masked. Trillions sit flat and blunt. The marquise is the only common shape that mirrors the centre exactly, which is what lets the star outline read as one deliberate shape rather than three stones near each other.

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. White gold is photographed here, which lets the three colourless stones merge into a single continuous outline. Against yellow or rose gold each stone is separated by a warm line and the star becomes more graphic. 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. Both side marquises are matched to the same E and VVS2 grade, which is essential here: with only three stones on the ring, a mismatch has nowhere to hide.

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 of side stones is selected to match the centre in colour and in how sharply it tapers, then the head is built around all three at once so the six points line up. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. With only three stones there is very little to clean, but do brush underneath the head where the three meet. Check the outer points occasionally.

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. Both side marquises are matched to the same grade.

Does the carat weight include the side stones? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre marquise. The two side stones are in addition and are scaled to suit it.

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? Yes on most fingers. The side stones sit low enough that a straight band tucks underneath them.

Can it be resized? Yes. The shank is plain metal, so one or two sizes either way is straightforward.

• 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