Pear Cut Lab Grown Diamond Solitaire Engagement Ring with Pave Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A pear cut laboratory grown diamond in slim claws on a band set with small round diamonds. The pave runs down both shoulders and carries on around the shank, so the ring reads as a continuous line of light with a teardrop at the top of it.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Pear cut 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 pear with a v claw at the point, on a pave set band
• Accent stones: 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 pave band

Round diamonds sit in shared claws with very little metal between them, so from a normal distance the shank reads as a solid line of light rather than as individual stones. It is the simplest way to add brightness to a ring without putting anything near the centre stone.

Why a pave shank rather than a halo

A halo adds apparent size but it also rings the centre stone with small diamonds, and on a pear that means the outline of the teardrop is broken. Putting the accents on the band instead leaves the shape of the stone completely clean, which on a pear is the whole reason to choose the cut.

The point is protected

The tip of a pear is the thinnest and most fragile part of the stone. It sits inside a v claw that wraps around both edges of the point rather than pressing down on it. The rounded end is held by two further claws, kept narrow so they interrupt as little of the outline as possible.

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 lets the pave read as light rather than as metal. In yellow or rose gold the individual stones separate more and the band looks warmer and busier. 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 pave diamonds are matched to the same E and VVS2 grade.

About the bow tie

Every pear 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 pear 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 pave stone is set by hand under a microscope, and the v claw is formed to the exact angle of the point on your individual stone. 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 pave on both sides and underneath the centre stone. Pave holds more dirt than a plain shank, so clean it more often than you think you need to.

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 pave stones are matched to the same grade.

Does the carat weight include the pave? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre pear. The pave is 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? A straight band sits close, though the point of the pear extends over the shank. A band with a shallow V notch nests under the point properly.

Can it be resized? Within about one size. The pave covers much of the shank, so there is limited plain metal to work with.

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