Round Cut Lab Grown Diamond Double Rail Split Shank Engagement Ring in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A round brilliant laboratory grown diamond in claws, raised above a band that divides into two fine rails running parallel around the finger. Both rails are left plain. From the side the ring looks like two slender bands worn together, but it is a single piece of metal that happens to split.

At a glance

• Centre stone: Round brilliant 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 round on a double rail split shank
• Accent stones: None, the centre stone stands alone
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

One ring that looks like two

The band separates into two rails and holds them apart with a visible gap, so the ring gives the stacked look people usually build from a solitaire and a plain wedding band, without the two ever rubbing, spinning out of line or wearing grooves into each other. Everything is one piece, which is why the rails stay evenly spaced for the life of the ring.

Why both rails are plain

The gap between them is the feature. Pave on either rail would fill that line with light and the ring would read as one wide glittering band instead of two clean ones. Left polished, the rails frame the empty space and the diamond sits above it.

The round brilliant

Fifty seven facets, proportioned by calculation rather than by eye since Tolkowsky published in 1919, arranged to send as much light as possible back out through the top of the stone. On a design this restrained it is the right choice, because the diamond is the only thing on the ring that moves.

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. Two fine rails carry less metal than one solid band, so a harder alloy holds its shape better over years of wear: 10K or 14K rather than 18K, particularly at 4 and 5 carat. 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. On a ring with no accent stones the certificate is the whole specification.

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 rails are cut from a single piece and the inside edges are filed and polished by hand, because on this design you see the gap from every angle. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. Run the brush through the gap between the rails, which is where lotion collects and the one place a cloth will not reach. Take it off for the gym, gardening and swimming.

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.

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? It can, but many people find the ring already gives them the stacked look and wear it alone. If you do want a band, a slim plain one sits neatly against the outer rail.

Can it be resized? Yes, at the back where the rails rejoin. One or two sizes either way is straightforward.

Do the two rails move independently? No. They are one piece of metal joined at the head and at the back, so they cannot twist apart or catch on each other.

Is a split shank weaker than a solid band? Not when it is made this way. The two rails share the load and the joins are solid metal.

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