Toi et Moi Yellow & White Lab Grown Diamond Ring | 9ct Yellow Gold

A pear cut fancy yellow lab grown diamond paired with a pear cut white lab grown diamond, set claw-and-claw in a toi et moi design on a 9ct yellow gold band.

Why this ring works

The toi et moi setting is the whole idea. Toi et moi means "you and me" in French, a two-stone design where two gems sit side by side, sometimes touching, sometimes wrapped together. It dates back to 1796, when Napoleon proposed to Joséphine with a toi et moi ring set with a pear sapphire and a pear diamond, the two stones standing for two souls coming together. It's lived quietly in fine jewellery ever since, and has had a real resurgence in the last few years.

Here it's a warm fancy yellow pear beside a bright white one, the two turned to face each other. The yellow brings the colour and the white brings the sparkle, and the warm yellow gold ties them together. A modern, romantic piece with a genuinely old story behind it.

For fancy yellow diamonds especially, lab growing has made a saturated colour like this far more accessible. A natural fancy yellow at this size and colour would cost several times as much, so lab growing keeps the look without the price.

The diamonds

Yellow diamond: Pear cut fancy yellow lab grown, 0.56ct
White diamond: Pear cut lab grown, 0.16ct, E–F colour, VS clarity
Total carat weight: 0.72ct

A note on lab grown diamonds

A lab grown diamond is a real diamond. It's identical to a natural diamond chemically, optically, and physically. The only difference is how it formed: a natural diamond grew in the earth over billions of years, while a lab grown diamond was created in a matter of weeks under the same conditions of heat and pressure. Once they're cut and polished, only a gemmologist with specialised equipment can tell them apart.

The setting

Metal: 9ct yellow gold (stamped 375)
Style: Toi et moi (two-stone), pear cuts facing, claw-set