So, you’ve decided you want to go a different route than a traditional diamond for your unique engagement ring. Maybe you’re craving something ultra-unique, you want to represent you or your partner’s birthstone or maybe you just really love color and were meant to wear the rainbow! Whatever the case may be, gemstones exist in a wide variety and there is one to represent nearly every color across the spectrum. Here is a guide explaining the main factors that go into selecting a gemstone to help navigate the best stone choice for you based on style, practicality, and more.
SHOW ME COLOR
Gemstones are often chosen over the go-to diamond due to their vibrant colors, so the first order of business is determining what colors and hues you love, like and don’t like, and what stones are available in those colors. There are quite a handful of stones out there that offer a multitude of color options, like sapphires! Some other gemstone options that are often mega-saturated and emulate the colors of the rainbow are rubies, emeralds, spinel, and tourmaline.
BIRTHDAY SUIT
Not everyone gets the diamond for their birthstone, and that is just fine by us! Birthstones are a fun way to add sentiment to your own unique engagement ring. Represent your partner, a family member, or your own birthstone for a meaningful or playful touch or make said birthstone front and center, showing off her color as a statement-making solitaire. Unsure of what your birthstone is? Find out here, along with the history behind it!
GIA MOHS Ranking
DURABILITY
Selecting a gemstone as opposed to a diamond comes with a bit more responsibility, as diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring mineral on earth and all gemstones fall behind that. This does not mean you need to rule out a gemstone for your special ring but we recommend choosing wisely based on how you wear your ring.
On the MOHS Ranking scale, Corundum (sapphires and rubies) ranks a 9 coming right after diamonds (a 10 on the scale), making them essentially wearable without stress. After that comes Topaz and Quartz (ranking 7 and 8) which are also durable enough for a lifetime of happiness on your finger, provided that proper care is taken of the stones. This means no extreme sports while wearing, please! 😉 After these gemstones, they get softer and more susceptible to scratches or other damage and wouldn’t be recommended for an everyday engagement ring.
We are always here to chat about specific stones and are happy to guide you in terms of safety and wear! Contact us at any time for more info on what’s a safe option for your unique engagement ring!
Brown and Champagne Zircon
PUT IT IN NEUTRAL
If bright colors don’t tickle your fancy, not to fret. There are a plethora of gemstones that come in neutral colors like off-whites, beiges, tans, champagnes, and greys! Brown Zircon is a fabulous example of a way to get the neutral look of lighter stone while still honoring your desire for a gemstone. Zircon (shown above) comes in a wide variety of colors including red, green and blues, but also in much lighter and more pale versions as well.
And if you decide to come back to the dark side… Champagne diamonds and salt and pepper diamonds are always here… 😉
COLOR PALETTE (WEAR THE RAINBOW)
Now for the fun part… The mixing, matching, pairing, and designing of the colors of your chosen stones! Because who says you can only have one? Get creative and play with color! Love the rainbow? Go with an arrangement of multi-colored stones. Obsessed with one color in particular? Try an ombré effect from light to dark, like this Three Stone Pink Sapphire Claudette Ring! Can you imagine this in blues, greens or purple? Because we certainly can!
