Serena Williams Inspired Oval Cut Lab Grown Diamond Three Stone Engagement Ring with Half Moon Side Stones in Silver, 10K, 14K and 18K Gold

A big, confident oval set between two half moons, their straight edges facing outward and their curved sides fitted against the centre stone. It is a wide, statement three stone that reads as one bright oval shape on the hand.

At a glance

• Inspired by: The style Serena Williams has been photographed wearing
• Centre stone: Oval Brilliant laboratory grown diamond, CVD grown
• Carat options: 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat, centre stone
• Colour and clarity: E-F colour, VS1 clarity
• Certificate: IGI certificate for the centre stone, included free
• Setting: Claw set oval centre with a claw set half moon on each side
• Side stones: Two, half moon laboratory grown diamonds
• Band: Plain band, approximately 2 mm
• Metals: 925 sterling silver, 10K, 14K and 18K gold in yellow, rose and white
• Ring sizes: 1.5 to 13, including half sizes
• Made: To order by hand in Surat, India

The Serena Williams inspired look

The oval and half moon three stone Serena Williams has been photographed wearing is one of the most talked about statement rings of recent years. This ring takes that silhouette, a dominant oval with close fitting half moons, and makes it with an IGI certified laboratory grown diamond at its centre, in the metal and carat weight you choose.

This ring is designed and made by Mapple Gems and is inspired by a style Serena Williams has been publicly photographed wearing. It is not the same ring, and Mapple Gems is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Serena Williams. The centre stone is a laboratory grown diamond.

Half moons make the oval look even bigger

A half moon is exactly what it sounds like: a stone with one straight edge and one curved edge. Set with the curve against the oval, the two side stones follow the outline of the centre stone so closely that the three read as a single, larger shape. The straight outer edges then square off the head and give the ring its strong, architectural look.

Because the half moons add width rather than length, this design has real presence from the front. It is the three stone to choose if you want the ring to feel bold and substantial.

The band is plain and slightly sturdier than our finest shanks, which balances the visual weight of a wide head and keeps the ring sitting straight on the finger.

Why the oval cut

The oval cut is an elongated brilliant cut with about 56 to 58 facets. It carries roughly 10 per cent more face up surface than a round of the same weight, so it reads larger on the finger and lengthens the look of the hand. It is one of the most requested engagement shapes of the last decade.

Is this style right for you?

Pear side stones add length along the finger. Half moons add width and a crisp, squared outline instead, so this design looks bolder and more graphic for the same centre stone.

What laboratory grown means here

A laboratory grown diamond is a real diamond. It is pure crystallised carbon with exactly the same chemical composition, crystal structure, hardness and optical properties as a diamond mined from the ground. The only difference is where it formed. Since 2018 the United States Federal Trade Commission has defined a diamond by what it is, not by where it came from, so a laboratory grown diamond is simply a diamond.

The centre stones in this ring are grown by chemical vapour deposition, known as CVD. A thin slice of diamond is placed in a sealed chamber, carbon rich gas is heated into a plasma, and carbon atoms settle onto the slice layer by layer until a rough diamond has grown. The rough is then cut and polished exactly as a mined diamond would be.

Here is what that means for a ring you will wear every day:

• Hardness 10 on the Mohs scale. Diamond is the hardest natural material known. It will not scratch from everyday wear.
• Refractive index of 2.42 and dispersion of 0.044. These are the numbers that give diamond its brilliance and its fire, and they are identical in laboratory grown and mined stones.
• It tests as diamond. Standard diamond testers read it as diamond. Only specialist laboratory equipment can tell how a diamond was formed.
• Traceable origin. Every stone is grown in a controlled facility, with no mining involved, and its IGI report states that it is laboratory grown.

Every centre stone arrives IGI certified

The International Gemological Institute, IGI, was founded in Antwerp in 1975 and is one of the largest independent diamond grading laboratories in the world. Every centre stone in this ring comes with its own IGI report, and there is no extra charge for it.

The report records the shape, measurements, carat weight, colour grade and clarity grade of your diamond, together with its polish and symmetry and the fact that it is laboratory grown. The report number can be checked on the IGI website, so you can confirm independently that the stone you receive is the stone described.

The centre stones are graded E-F colour, which sits at the top of the colourless range on the D to Z scale, and VS1 clarity, which means very slightly included: any inclusions are minor, difficult to see even under ten times magnification and invisible to the naked eye.

Choosing your metal

This ring is made to order in ten metals, so the version you choose is the version we build. There is no plating over a base metal and no filled or bonded gold anywhere in the range.

• 925 sterling silver is the most affordable way to own the design. It is 92.5 per cent pure silver, bright white, and it takes a high polish. Silver is softer than gold and will pick up fine surface marks with daily wear. It can also tarnish, and a soft polishing cloth brings it straight back.
• 10K gold is 41.7 per cent pure gold. It is the hardest and most scratch resistant of the three gold alloys, a sensible choice for hands that work. The colour is a little paler than 14K.
• 14K gold is 58.5 per cent pure gold and it is what most engagement rings sold in the United States are made from. It balances a warm, convincing colour against real everyday durability.
• 18K gold is 75 per cent pure gold. It has the deepest, richest colour and the most weight in the hand. It is also the softest of the three, so it marks a little more readily.

Yellow gold is gold alloyed with silver and copper. Rose gold takes more copper, which gives the warm pink tone. White gold is alloyed with palladium or nickel and finished with rhodium plating, which gives it a bright white face. Rhodium wears thin over time and wants redoing roughly every one to two years, which any jeweller can do quickly. Every gold ring is stamped with its karat mark.

Choosing your carat size

This ring is offered with 2, 3, 4 and 5 carat centre diamonds. Carat is a unit of weight, not of width, and the photographs may show a different size from the one you choose. The version you select is the one we make, and its IGI report confirms the weight.

• 2 carat is already a substantial diamond, clearly a statement stone, and still easy to wear every day.
• 3 carat is a clear step up in presence and photographs beautifully. This is where most people land when they want the ring to be the first thing anyone notices.
• 4 carat covers the finger generously and suits longer fingers and larger ring sizes particularly well.
• 5 carat is a red carpet diamond, the closest to the celebrity look. It is the size people ask about across a room.

Laboratory growing is what makes these sizes realistic. A mined diamond of the same size, colour and clarity would typically cost many times more.

Made to order in our own workshop

Mapple Gems is a family run jewellery workshop in Surat, in Gujarat, India. Surat is where roughly nine out of every ten diamonds in the world are cut and polished, and the bench skills that grew up around that trade are what this ring is built on. We do not hold finished stock. When your order comes in, a goldsmith casts your metal in your size, a setter places every stone by hand under a microscope, and the piece is polished, checked and photographed before it leaves us.

Making takes ten to fourteen working days for most orders. Shipping is free worldwide and fully insured, and it is normally three to seven working days once the ring has left the bench. Your IGI report travels with the ring.

Caring for your ring

Diamonds attract skin oil and hand cream, and a film of it is the single most common reason a ring looks dull. Soak the ring for ten minutes in warm water with a drop of washing up liquid, brush gently behind and underneath the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse and pat dry with a lint free cloth. Once a fortnight is plenty.

Diamond is hard but not unbreakable, and a sharp knock on the edge of the stone can chip it. Take the ring off before the gym, gardening, swimming pools and hot tubs, and before using bleach or oven cleaner. Chlorine attacks the alloys in gold over time and does nothing good to sterling silver. Store it on its own, because diamond will scratch other jewellery. Have the claws or setting checked by a jeweller once a year. White gold will want its rhodium refreshed every one to two years.

Questions people ask about this ring

Is this the same ring Serena Williams wears?

No. This is our own ring, made in our workshop and inspired by a style Serena Williams has been publicly photographed wearing. It is set with an IGI certified laboratory grown diamond, and Mapple Gems is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Serena Williams.

What does the carat option refer to?

The carat option is the weight of the oval centre stone. The two half moon side stones are set in addition to it.

Is a wide three stone ring comfortable to wear every day?

Yes. The head sits across the finger rather than high above it, and the plain band is comfortable all the way round. As with any statement ring, take it off for the gym and heavy work.

Can this ring be resized?

Yes. The band is plain metal, so resizing is straightforward for any jeweller.

Is a laboratory grown diamond a real diamond?

Yes. It has the same chemical composition, crystal structure, hardness and sparkle as a mined diamond, and it is graded by the same laboratories on the same scales. The only difference is that it was grown in a controlled facility rather than formed underground.

Does the ring come with a certificate?

Yes. Every centre diamond comes with its own IGI report at no extra charge. It records the carat weight, E-F colour, VS1 clarity, measurements and the fact that the stone is laboratory grown, and the report number can be verified on the IGI website.

What colour and clarity is the diamond?

The centre diamonds are E-F colour, at the top of the colourless range, and VS1 clarity, which means any inclusions are minor and invisible to the naked eye.

Will a jeweller be able to tell it is laboratory grown?

Not by looking, and not with a standard diamond tester, which reads it as diamond. Identifying the growth method needs specialist laboratory equipment. The IGI report states openly that the stone is laboratory grown.

What ring sizes can I order?

We make sizes 1.5 to 13, including every half size. Choose your size at checkout. If you are unsure, measure a ring that already fits the correct finger, or ask a local jeweller to size you, and remember that fingers run slightly larger in hot weather and late in the day.

How long will it take to arrive?

Every ring is made to order in our workshop in Surat. Allow ten to fourteen working days for making, plus three to seven working days for insured worldwide shipping. If you have a proposal date, tell us when you order and we will confirm whether we can meet it.

Is the metal solid, or is it plated?

It is solid throughout. 925 sterling silver is 92.5 per cent pure silver, and the gold options are solid 10K, 14K or 18K alloy stamped with the karat mark. Nothing in this range is gold plated, gold filled or gold bonded. White gold carries a rhodium finish on the surface, which is standard for all white gold.

Is the wedding band included?

No. The price is for the engagement ring alone. Wedding bands are sold separately, and we are happy to advise which of ours sits best beside this design.

Do you offer engraving?

Yes, and there is no charge for it. Tell us the wording when you order and we will engrave the inside of the band. Most people choose a date, a set of initials or a short phrase. Allow up to about twenty five characters.

What is your returns policy?

Returns are accepted within thirty days of delivery on an unworn ring in its original packaging with its IGI report. Because every piece is made to order, engraved rings and rings made to a non standard specification are handled case by case. Write to us and we will sort it out.

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