Round Cut Lab Grown Diamond Tulip Basket Solitaire Engagement Ring with Hidden Halo in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A round brilliant laboratory grown diamond in a four claw head where the claws do not simply rise from the basket, they open out of it like the petals of a tulip. Underneath, set into the collar and visible only from the side, runs a hidden halo of small round diamonds. The band itself is left perfectly plain and fine.

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: Four claw tulip basket with hidden halo, plain fine band
• Accent stones: Round laboratory grown diamonds in the hidden halo, E colour, VVS2
• Metals: 925 silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Made: To order in Surat, India

The tulip basket

A plain basket is a ring of metal with four posts. A tulip basket is shaped, so that each claw widens as it leaves the collar and tapers again as it reaches over the stone. From the side the head reads as an opening flower rather than a mechanical setting. It is the detail that turns a very classic round solitaire into something with a personality.

Why a round brilliant still wins

The modern round brilliant has 57 or 58 facets arranged to return as much light as possible straight back at the viewer. No other cut is as forgiving of a careless angle or a dim room. If you want the stone that simply sparkles the hardest under any lighting, this is it.

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. Yellow gold, as shown, throws the warmest contrast against a colourless stone and suits the floral head. 10K is the hardest alloy, 14K is the everyday balance, and 18K is the richest colour but the softest metal. 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.

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 petals of the basket are pierced and filed by hand, which is why no two heads are quite identical under a loupe. Allow two to three weeks for making, plus shipping.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. An open tulip basket rinses out easily, but do brush the hidden halo underneath. 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. The hidden halo stones are matched to the same grade.

Does the open basket make the diamond brighter? Yes, measurably. Light entering from below the girdle has somewhere to go, which lifts the stone compared with a closed back setting.

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? Yes. The shank is straight and plain, so a matching band sits neatly beside it.

Can it be resized? Yes, easily. No stones are set in the shank.

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