Pear Cut Lab Grown Diamond Infinity Loop Toi et Moi Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

Two pear cut laboratory grown diamonds, one large and one small, set nose to tail inside a ribbon of metal that crosses over itself into a figure of eight. Each stone sits in its own loop. The band emerges from the crossing point and carries on round the finger, so the whole ring is one line folded twice.

At a glance

• Stones: Two pear cut laboratory grown diamonds, one larger and one smaller
• 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: Infinity ribbon loop, one pear held in each half
• 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

An infinity that means something

The figure of eight is the oldest symbol for endlessness, and it is also the natural shape a ribbon makes when it crosses itself. Here it does both jobs at once: it carries the meaning and it is the structure that holds the stones. Neither loop is decorative, because without the crossing there would be nothing to set the diamonds into.

Two pears, pointing opposite ways

The larger pear sits in the larger loop with its point toward the crossing; the smaller one sits in the other half, pointing away. Setting them nose to tail rather than side by side is what makes the figure of eight read as continuous rather than as two rings stuck together. It is also a toi et moi, two stones for two people, arranged so neither one is simply the accent to the other.

How it holds the stones

The metal is rolled inward against the girdle of each pear along the inside of its loop, with the points enclosed in the fold rather than gripped by claws. Nothing crosses the table of either stone, and there is nothing projecting to snag.

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. All three golds are photographed here, and because the ribbon is most of what you see, the alloy is worth choosing carefully: 10K holds a polish hardest, 14K is the everyday balance, 18K gives 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. The two are matched for colour before setting, since they sit inches apart in the same light.

About the bow tie

Every pear can show a bow tie, a dark band across the widest part of the stone caused by the proportions of the cut rather than by colour or clarity. With two pears on one ring a mismatch would be obvious. No certificate grades it. We check both stones 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. The figure of eight is formed and polished before either stone goes near it, because the crossing cannot be adjusted afterwards, and each loop is closed onto its particular pear by hand. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Work along the inside of both loops and through the crossing point, which is the tightest space on the ring. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming.

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 two pears, weighted toward the larger one so the proportions of the figure of eight stay correct.

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. The loops sit at an angle to the band. Most people wear this ring on its own.

Can it be resized? Only slightly, because the loops are formed relative to a specific finger size. Please measure carefully and we will build to your size.

Is the stone secure without claws? Yes. Each loop grips its pear along a long contact area rather than at four points, which spreads the hold and leaves nothing to bend.

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