Oval Cut Lab Grown Diamond Hidden Halo Engagement Ring with Marquise and Round Accent Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

An oval laboratory grown diamond with a hidden halo set into the basket beneath it, on a band where marquise cut accents alternate with round ones all the way along each shoulder. The rhythm of pointed stone, round stone, pointed stone is what gives this ring its vintage character, and it is a far more involved piece of setting than a plain line of pave.

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: Four claw oval with a hidden halo, on a band of alternating marquise and round accents
• 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

The alternating band

Instead of a uniform row of round pave, the shoulders carry east west marquise stones separated by small rounds, each in its own setting with a little polished metal showing between them. The marquises lie across the band so their points touch the rounds on either side, making a continuous chain rather than a solid strip. It is the sort of shoulder work found on Edwardian and art deco rings, and it is why this design does not look like a modern pave ring despite the contemporary oval.

What the hidden halo adds

The halo sits in the gallery under the girdle, facing outward rather than upward. It does not widen the oval, so the outline above stays clean. What it does is light the shadow beneath the stone, so from the side the diamond appears to hover over the chain of accents rather than sit on it.

Why an oval

An oval brilliant spreads its weight along the finger rather than down into the stone, so at a given carat weight it covers more of the hand than a round and lengthens the finger while it does it. A 2 carat oval here measures roughly 9 by 6.5 millimetres, and a 5 carat closer to 13.5 by 9.5 millimetres.

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 and white. Both white and rose gold are photographed here, because this design reads quite differently in each: white gold makes the whole band look like one continuous line of diamond, while rose gold shows the small bridges of metal between the settings and brings out the vintage character. 10K is the hardest alloy, 14K the everyday balance, 18K the richest 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. The marquise and round accents and the hidden halo are all matched to the same E and VVS2 grade.

About the bow tie

Every oval can show a bow tie, a dark band across the middle of the stone caused by the proportions of the cut rather than by colour or clarity. No certificate grades it. 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. Every marquise on the shoulders is individually seated and its points tucked under the beads of the rounds beside it, which is slow work and the reason this shank costs more to make than an ordinary pave one. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Work the brush along the chain of accents from both sides and up into the gallery where the hidden halo sits. 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. The marquise accents, the round accents and the hidden halo 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 band stones and the hidden halo 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? The accents sit proud of the band, so a straight wedding ring will not lie perfectly flat against them. A contoured band, or wearing this ring alone, works better.

Can it be resized? Only a little. The accents run most of the way around, so there is limited plain metal at the back. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

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