Oval Cut Lab Grown Diamond Marquise Sunburst Halo Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An oval laboratory grown diamond at the centre of a burst of marquise and round diamonds radiating outward, so the head reads as a star or a snowflake rather than a ring of stones. It is a halo in the technical sense and nothing like a halo to look at.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Oval brilliant 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 oval inside a radiating marquise and round sunburst halo
• 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

Why it reads as a sunburst

A conventional halo sets identical round stones shoulder to shoulder in a closed ring. Here the marquises point outward, away from the centre stone, with smaller rounds filling the gaps between them at a shorter radius. Because the accents have length and direction, the eye follows them outward instead of around, and the head appears to radiate. It is the difference between a wreath and a firework.

Where the design comes from

Cluster rings built from marquise and round stones around a larger centre were made throughout the Georgian and Victorian periods, when they were called cluster or spray rings. This one keeps that geometry but sets it on a clean modern shank rather than a pierced gallery, so it reads as antique in shape and contemporary in finish.

It wears larger than the stone

The radiating accents extend well past the centre stone in every direction, so even a 2 carat oval covers a substantial part of the finger. If you want maximum presence for a given centre stone, this is the design in the catalogue that delivers it.

Why colour matching matters here

There are a great many accent stones in direct sight of the centre diamond. If any of them were warmer in colour the centre would read grey by comparison, and with this many stones the effect compounds. Every marquise and round accent is matched to the same E colour and VVS2 clarity as the centre.

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 and rose gold are photographed here, and warm metal between the rays is what separates them into individual points. In white gold the whole head merges into one bright shape, which is a different and quieter effect. 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 oval has the potential for 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. We check each 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 rays are laid out around your individual oval and each one is set by hand under a microscope. A sunburst that is mathematically perfect looks stiff, so the angles are adjusted by eye. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. There are a lot of joints in this head, so work the brush right into the spaces between the rays and underneath the centre stone. 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 oval. The sunburst 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? No, not flat. The rays extend over the shank on both sides. A contoured band shaped to the outline is the right answer, and many customers wear this ring alone.

Can it be resized? Yes. The shank itself carries no stones, so resizing does not disturb the head.

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