Choosing A Stone For Your Engagement Ring

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When shopping for engagement rings, there are a lot of things that you need to consider. What styles do you look at? What size do you need? What metal should you go for?  But perhaps the most critical decision of all is what stone you choose. 

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When it comes to engagement ring stones, there are literally hundreds of different precious and semi-precious gemstones to choose from but really, the list boils down to just six - diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, and opal. 

Diamond

‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,’ and so it’s unsurprising that they are now the most popular gemstone chosen for engagement rings. The first lucky recipient of a diamond engagement ring was Mary of Burgundy in 1477, which started a diamond trend among the wealthy. Nowadays, diamond engagement rings come in all shapes and sizes and smaller diamond chips have made diamond engagement rings more accessible for everyone. 

Ruby

The color of love, rubies are a gorgeous engagement ring gemstone that truly lasts the test of time. They have a Moh’s Scale rating of 9 which makes them a very durable stone that is as tough and hard-wearing as a diamond. Coming in many cuts and colors, rubies can vary in price significantly depending on their clarity with some ruby gemstones even costing more than diamonds.

Sapphire  

Before diamonds stole the top spot as the most wanted engagement ring stone, sapphires ranked highly among those looking to add a little bit of jazz to their engagement band. Sapphires are typically blue; however, you can also find yellow, purple, green, and orange variations of this classic gem, and with a hardness rating of 9, your ring will be durable and scratch-resistant too. 

Emerald

Green emeralds symbolize love and new beginnings, which makes them a very popular gemstone alternative to a diamond, ruby, or sapphire. Vivid in color and standing out from the crowd, an emerald looks beautiful with both a silver or gold band and can be stacked with diamond jewelry for some extra sparkle. 

Aquamarine 

Aquamarine is a gemstone that is growing in popularity thanks to its beautiful and unique turquoise green-blue coloration. Depending on the aquamarine gemstone that you choose, the color can vary from a deep sea-green to a much lighter hue that looks almost like a tinted diamond. Although a slightly cheaper stone alternative to a conventional diamond, ruby, sapphire, or emerald, aquamarine still has a hardness rating of 8 and will glisten and shine for many years to come. 

Opal 

And last but by no means least, we come to the opal. Opals are a great affordable engagement ring stone that still looks magical thanks to their translucent rainbow hue. Although not as hard as a diamond or other gemstones, opals mask surface scratches very well and so are long-wearing and durable for many years. If you are looking for a more affordable central stone but still want to add a touch of luxury, then why not try a central opal surrounded by some diamond chips?

So there you have it - a quick look at the six most popular engagement ring stones to help you choose an engagement ring for your partner.

Which would you choose?