Marquise Old Mine Cut Lab Grown Diamond Sculptural Bezel Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A marquise cut laboratory grown diamond, cut in the old mine style with a high crown and chunky faceting, set in a heavy matte bezel that flows straight into an open split shank. The metal is brushed rather than polished, so the stone is the only bright thing on the ring.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Marquise old mine cut laboratory grown diamond
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat
• Colour and clarity: D to F colorless, VS1 to VS2
• Certificate: IGI, included free
• Setting: Heavy sculptural bezel, matte brushed finish
• Band: Open split shank
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

The marquise, cut the old way

A marquise is a long boat shape with a point at each end. The story attaches it to the court of Louis XV, and whether or not that is true, it has been a shape associated with drama ever since. Cut as a modern brilliant it is sharp and glittery. Cut in the old mine style, as this one is, it has a taller crown and fewer, larger facets, so it throws slower and broader light and the outline reads softer.

A marquise also covers more finger than any other shape of the same weight, because its length is doing the work. Set north to south, as here, it visibly lengthens the hand.

Sculpture rather than jewellery

The bezel is not a thin collar. It is a thick, rounded wall of metal that rises from the shank, wraps the stone and returns, and the shank splits into two open curves that meet it from either side. There is a deliberate asymmetry in the way the two curves meet, so the ring looks drawn by hand rather than turned on a lathe.

The matte finish matters. A polished bezel this heavy would compete with the diamond and the ring would read as a lot of shiny gold. Brushed, the metal goes quiet and matte and the only thing that moves in the light is the stone.

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 stone pulled out of the ground. The only difference is where it grew. Ours are produced by chemical vapour deposition and high pressure high temperature growth, then cut and polished by hand. This is not moissanite, not cubic zirconia and not a simulant of any kind. 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. It is shown here in brushed 14K gold, which is the finish the design was drawn for. 10K gold is the hardest of the three alloys and the most resistant to knocks, 14K is the balance most people choose for daily wear, and 18K is the richest colour but the softest metal. White gold is rhodium plated and will want replating every one to two years to stay bright. Sterling silver is the most affordable route into the design and takes the same certified centre stone.

Every centre stone arrives IGI certified

The centre diamond in this ring is graded by IGI, the International Gemological Institute, and the certificate travels with the ring at no extra charge. The report states the carat weight, the colour grade, the clarity grade, the measurements and the laser inscription on the girdle, and it confirms in writing that the stone is laboratory grown. You are not asked to take our word for any of it. Every certificate is included free with every metal and every carat weight, and it is the same document an independent appraiser or an insurer will ask to see.

Made to order in our own workshop

Mapple Gems is a family run workshop in Surat, India, the city where the majority of the world's diamonds are cut and polished. Nothing here is pulled off a shelf. When your order arrives we cut the seat for your centre stone, build the setting in the metal you chose, then file, set and polish it by hand for your carat weight and your finger size. That is how we can offer twenty one ring sizes across ten metals and four carat weights without holding a warehouse of stock. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, a drop of mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush will keep it bright. Pay attention underneath the stone, because that is where hand cream and soap collect and dull the light coming back through the pavilion. Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth. Take it off for the gym, for gardening and before swimming, and keep it away from bleach and chlorine, which attack the alloys in gold rather than the diamond itself.

Questions we are asked

Are the points of the marquise protected? Yes, and this is the main practical argument for a bezel on this shape. Both points are completely enclosed in metal, which is where a clawed marquise is usually chipped.

Will a wedding band sit flush? The split shank is shaped, so a straight band will not sit tight against it. A contoured band made to follow the curve is the right answer and we can make one.

Will the matte finish wear shiny? It softens gradually with wear, particularly on the underside. We refinish it free of charge for the life of the ring, and it is a quick job.

Does a bezel make a marquise look smaller? It adds a visual outline, so the stone reads slightly smaller than the same one in claws, but the ring overall reads larger and bolder.

Can it be resized? Within a size or two. The split shank means resizing is more involved than on a plain band, so we recommend confirming your size first with a free sizer.

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