Pear Cut Moissanite Braided Rope Band Solitaire Engagement Ring in Sterling Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A pear cut moissanite in six claws on a band made of two broad ribbons braided tightly around one another, the braid running continuously the whole way round the finger, rising into a smooth solid shoulder that lifts the setting. There are no accent stones anywhere on this ring.

We make it to order in our workshop in Surat, India. Family run, every ring finished and checked by hand.

A closed braid, not an open twist

This is worth being precise about, because we make two plain twisted pear rings and from a photograph they can look alike.

On this ring the two ribbons are broad and flat and they wrap tightly, so the braid is closed. There is almost no gap between the strands, the band has real weight, and running your thumb round it feels like a continuous rope rather than two separate wires. The braid also continues all the way round the shank, not just at the shoulders.

Our Entwined Vine ring is the opposite. Its strands are slender round wire, they separate widely, you can see daylight through the crossings, and the twist happens only at the shoulders while the rest of the band stays a plain round wire. That ring reads as a growing vine. This one reads as woven rope.

If you like the idea of a twisted band but want something substantial that will take daily knocks without looking delicate, this is the one. If you want light and botanical, the Entwined Vine is the one.

Why there are no stones

Pave along a braid would fill the grooves that make the weave visible. The whole effect of this band depends on the shadow line where one ribbon passes under the other, and a set stone in that line would flatten it.

So this ring puts everything into the metalwork and one large pear cut moissanite above it. Nothing on the band can loosen or fall out, there is no pave to clean, and the ring will look the same in thirty years as it does now apart from a softer polish.

The stone

The centre is a pear cut moissanite, sometimes called a teardrop. It is a brilliant cut, so it returns light as sharp flashes of white and coloured fire, and its point elongates the finger. With a plain band beneath it the pear reads at its full size, with nothing beside it to give the eye a smaller point of comparison.

Every centre stone is Colorless in body colour and VVS in clarity.

Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond, which is why it fires so hard, and at 9.25 on the Mohs scale it holds up to daily wear.

Choose the centre from 2 carat up to 5 carat. A braided band is a substantial base, so it carries a large centre well. If you are undecided between two sizes we would take the larger here.

Metals

Choose 925 sterling silver, or 10K, 14K or 18K gold in yellow, rose or white. Shown in white gold, where the braid reads as a bright silvery cord and the whole ring looks contemporary. Yellow gold makes the weave far more obvious, because the shadow between the ribbons is deeper in warm metal, and gives the ring an older, almost Celtic feeling. Rose gold sits between the two. Silver gives the white version affordably. 10K is the hardest and holds the braid edges crispest, 14K is the everyday balance, 18K is the richest but softest. White gold is rhodium plated and needs replating every one to two years.

Made to order

Nothing is taken off a shelf. We cast, shape and tighten the braid, set the stone, file and polish each ring for your chosen metal, centre size and finger size after your order arrives, which is how we can offer twenty one ring sizes and forty combinations. The polishing on a braided band takes far longer than on a plain one, because every groove has to be reached separately.

Care

Warm water, a drop of mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush worked along the grooves of the braid, following the direction of the weave. Polish residue and hand cream collect in those grooves and a filled braid loses its definition, which is the one thing that can make this ring look dull. There are no stones to worry about. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming pools, and keep it away from bleach.

Questions we are asked

Will a wedding band sit flush? Not against the braid, because the outer surface is not flat. A contoured band follows it, or many people wear this one alone since the band is already a statement.

Can it be resized? Within a moderate range. There are no stones in the shank, which helps a great deal, but the braid pattern has to stay continuous across any join, so we would rather get the size right first time.

Is it comfortable? Yes. The inside of the band is smooth and rounded. The braid is only on the outside.

Is it heavy? Heavier than our slim bands, and that is the point. It is the most substantial plain band in our pear range.

Is the point of the pear protected? Yes, it has its own claw.

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