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

An oval cut and an Asscher cut laboratory grown diamond set beside one another on a closed, slim polished band. One stone is all curve and the other is a stepped square with cropped corners, so the two read as opposites sitting together rather than as a matched pair.

At a glance

• Stones: One oval brilliant and one Asscher cut 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 beside a pear sapphire. Two stones, two people, one ring. It is one of the few engagement ring designs that means something specific rather than simply signalling expense.

A brilliant against a step cut

The oval is a brilliant: dozens of small triangular facets scattering light into fine sparkle. The Asscher is a step cut: concentric square facets that return light in broad, calm mirror flashes, the effect jewellers call the hall of mirrors. Putting them side by side is the whole design, because the two never behave the same way in the same light. Turn the hand and one flares while the other goes quiet.

A closed band

Many toi et moi rings sit 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.

Why the grade is fixed at E and VVS2

An Asscher has a large open table and long step facets that hide nothing. Set beside a brilliant, any tint in it would be obvious by direct comparison. That is why we do not offer a range: both stones are E colour and VVS2 clarity, and they are matched to each other before they are set.

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.

About the bow tie

Every oval can show a bow tie, a dark band across the middle caused by the proportions of the cut rather than by colour or clarity. No certificate grades it, and next to a clean step cut it would be more obvious than usual. We check every oval 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 curve of the oval and the flat top of the Asscher 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 between the two stones 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 oval and the Asscher, 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 oval on the other side.

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