Round Cut Lab Grown Diamond Solitaire Ring on a Pave Band in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A round brilliant laboratory grown diamond in six claws, on a band pave set down both shoulders. The head is a plain solitaire with nothing around the stone, so all the added sparkle sits on the band where it frames the centre rather than competing with it.

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: Six claw solitaire on an open basket
• Accent stones: Round brilliant laboratory grown diamonds pave set in the shoulders, E colour, VVS2
• Band: Pave set shoulders, plain at the back
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

A solitaire with a lit band

This is the most requested variation on a plain solitaire. The centre stone is set exactly as it would be on a plain shank, six claws and an open basket, and the only change is a line of small diamonds running down each shoulder. It reads as one continuous line of light from the finger up into the stone, and it makes a modest centre look better placed than it does on bare metal.

Pave that stops halfway

The shoulder stones run about halfway down each side and then the band goes plain. Pave all the way round photographs well and wears badly, because the stones under the finger take the abrasion and the ring cannot be resized without cutting through set metal. Stopping the pave where it does keeps the sparkle where you see it and leaves solid metal at the back.

Six claws on the centre

Six rather than four, evenly spaced around the girdle. On a round brilliant six claws hold the stone more securely and spread the pressure, and on a large stone they stop it reading as slightly square. They are filed low so the diamond is not interrupted from above.

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. This ring was photographed in white metal, and every metal is made to order and priced above. 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 cut grade, the measurements and the girdle inscription, and confirms in writing that the stone is laboratory grown. Every pave accent is matched to the same E and VVS2 grade.

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 pave is bead set by hand, one grain at a time, and both shoulders are matched to each other before the shank is closed so the two lines end at the same point. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush, brushing along the pave from both sides and up into the basket from underneath. Pave traps hand cream between the beads, so brush rather than rinse. Take the ring off for the gym, gardening and swimming.

Questions we are asked

What colour and clarity are the diamonds? The centre round and every pave accent are E colour and VVS2 clarity, on all metals and all carat weights.

Does the carat weight include the pave? No. The 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat options refer to the centre round brilliant. The shoulder stones are in addition.

Will the pave stones fall out? Bead setting is secure when the beads are raised properly, which is why we set by hand rather than casting them in place. As with any pave ring, have the beads checked every couple of years.

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? Yes. The head sits above a narrow basket and the pave is level with the shank, so a straight band meets the ring cleanly.

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

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