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

A pear cut and an emerald cut laboratory grown diamond facing each other at the open ends of a plain polished band. There is no pave anywhere on this ring. Two stones, a narrow band of metal and a gap between them, and nothing else at all.

At a glance

• Stones: One pear cut and one emerald 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: Open ended toi et moi, one stone on each arm, plain polished 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, stripped back

Toi et moi is French for you and me, and the design is usually traced to 1796, when Napoleon proposed to Josephine with a pear diamond set beside a pear sapphire. Two stones for two people. This version takes the idea as far toward plain as it will go: no halo, no pave, no shoulder stones. If you want the meaning without the ornament, this is the one.

Why plain metal suits two stones

Accent diamonds on a two stone ring compete with the stones they are meant to support, because the eye is already moving between two focal points and small stones add a third. Leaving the band polished gives the pear and the emerald cut a clean field to sit in, and it makes the gap between them read as deliberate rather than as a place where something is missing.

Two cuts that behave differently

The pear is a brilliant cut, faceted to scatter light into many small points. The emerald is a step cut, faceted in long parallel planes that return light in wide flashes. Side by side they never sparkle at the same moment, which is what gives this ring its movement as your hand turns.

The open band

The two arms stop short of meeting, which lets each stone sit on its own rather than as half of a cluster. The ring is still made to your finger size. It should not be pulled open or squeezed closed to adjust the fit, since that is what distorts an open shank over time.

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 keeps the focus entirely on the two stones. On a ring with no accent diamonds the polish of the metal is the only surface you see, so a harder alloy holds its finish longer: 10K scratches least, 14K is the balance, 18K is the deepest colour. 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. With nothing else on the ring the two stones are compared directly against each other, so they are matched for colour before they are set.

The pear point is guarded

The tip of the pear sits in a v claw that wraps around both edges of the point rather than pressing down on it, and it is angled inward so it stays within the profile of the ring.

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 arms are shaped so both stones sit at the same height with an even gap between them. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. This is a simple ring to keep clean, since there is no pave, but do clean both baskets from underneath. Bring it back to us for any resizing rather than adjusting the open ends yourself.

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 pear and the emerald cut, 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? Not flat, because the arms sit at different heights. Most people wear this ring on its own.

Can it be resized? Only by us, and only slightly, since the open ends are set to a specific gap. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

Can I swap which stone sits on which side? Yes. Tell us when you order and we will set the pear on the other arm.

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