A diamond’s sparkle and durability make it a top choice for engagement ring center stones.
Moissanite is a synthetic gemstone developed after the natural crystals found in a meteorite in the early 1900’s. Moissanite is extremely durable, but is more refractive than diamond – resulting in a more colorful and less white sparkle in low light.
The blue sapphire is the second most popular stone that my customers set in engagement rings. Sapphires are extremely durable, and are distinguished by their color rather than sparkle. We can use natural or lab-created sapphire. Sapphires are available in many colors, the most popular being blue, pink, and padparadscha.
Rubies are similar to sapphires but with different color. They are a little more expensive, and we can obtain either natural or lab-created ruby.
Alexandrite is a beautiful stone that changes color from teal to purple depending on the light. Often you can see both colors, although only a small sparkle of teal is visible in this photo. We can use natural or lab-created alexandrite, however natural alexandrite is extremely expensive.
Emerald is a form of beryl and is defined by its royal green color. We can use natural or lab-created emerald.
White sapphire is sometimes used as a diamond alternative in engagement rings. Sapphires are defined by their beautiful color and their strength. They do not sparkle the way diamonds do, hence we rarely use white sapphire in engagement rings.
Padparadscha sapphires are a beautiful coral color, and are one of the most difficult gemstones to spell. While padparadscha sapphire earrings are popular, few customers choose this color for engagement ring center stones.
The distinctive coloring in opals is caused by water trapped inside the stone. Opals are very soft and are better for jewelry that will be treated delicately. Read: not engagement rings.
