{"product_id":"pear-cut-moissanite-braided-rope-band-solitaire-engagement-ring-61","title":"Pear Cut Moissanite Braided Rope Band Solitaire Engagement Ring in Sterling Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe make it to order in our workshop in Surat, India. Family run, every ring finished and checked by hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eA closed braid, not an open twist\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is worth being precise about, because we make two plain twisted pear rings and from a photograph they can look alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy there are no stones\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePave 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe stone\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery centre stone is Colorless in body colour and VVS in clarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoissanite 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoose 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMetals\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoose 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMade to order\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNothing 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarm 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eQuestions we are asked\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill a wedding band sit flush?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan it be resized?\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it comfortable?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. The inside of the band is smooth and rounded. The braid is only on the outside.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it heavy?\u003c\/strong\u003e Heavier than our slim bands, and that is the point. It is the most substantial plain band in our pear range.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the point of the pear protected?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, it has its own claw.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mapple Gems","offers":[{"title":"925 Sterling Silver \/ 2 Carat","offer_id":55369062088844,"sku":"MG-PER-061-925-2CT","price":109.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"925 Sterling Silver \/ 3 Carat","offer_id":55369062121612,"sku":"MG-PER-061-925-3CT","price":129.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"925 Sterling Silver \/ 4 Carat","offer_id":55369062154380,"sku":"MG-PER-061-925-4CT","price":149.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"925 Sterling Silver \/ 5 Carat","offer_id":55369062187148,"sku":"MG-PER-061-925-5CT","price":169.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10K Yellow Gold \/ 2 Carat","offer_id":55369062219916,"sku":"MG-PER-061-10KY-2CT","price":628.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10K Yellow Gold \/ 3 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