Diamonds have long been the traditional choice, and they are a great one for an engagement ring due to their durability and fierce sparkle (nothing sparkles quite like a diamond) but, more and more couples are choosing coloured gemstones to express their individuality, to create something more unique, or to capture hidden meanings in their engagement rings.
From timeless blue sapphires to rich, vivid garnets, the right gemstone can make your ring truly individual and personal to you.
So, how do you choose the perfect gemstone for your engagement ring? We’ll go through the points to consider when finding the perfect central gemstone for your engagement ring.
Your ring should reflect you. Do you gravitate toward cool blues, rich greens, vibrant reds, soft pinks, or bright whites?
If you’re after a classic and elegant look, traditional engagement stones such as emeralds, rubies, blue sapphires or white diamonds never go out of style.
For a modern, fresh and feminine aesthetic, pastel stones like peach sapphires, muted green sapphires or light blue aquamarine are stunning choices.
For a bold and creative style, a bi-coloured sapphire or watermelon tourmaline would make an excellent centrestone!
For edgy and off-beat, a black or grey sapphire or diamond would make a really unusual engagement ring.
If you just love the bright white sparkle you get from a diamond, but want something a little more unusual, consider alternative cuts that you don’t see as often, such as shield, assher, pear and marquise. You can also get coloured diamonds inlcuding, champagne, yellow, pink and blue, that still have that fierce diamond sparkle!
The colour of your gemstone can subtly mirror your personality, a really fun thing to consider when designing your own jewellery!
Some gemstones are harder than others. An engagement ring is usually worn every day, so it’s really important to think about the durability of the gemstones in your ring, to ensure they can withstand everyday wear over the years, it’s inevitable a ring will get the odd knock and bump as it’s worn.
The Mohs scale of hardness is a 10 point scale that ranks how well a gemstone resists scratches and breakages. Gemstones with a Mohs hardness below 7 are generally considered bad for an engagement ring, as they can easily scratch and chip from daily wear.
Diamonds score a 10, sapphires and rubies score a 9, so these are excellent choices for everyday wear. Also the great thing about sapphires is that they come in such a variety of colours, so you will have an array of shades to choose from. These are our top three choices for an engagement ring gemstone, when considering durability and wear over a lifetime.
Some other gemstones that score a little lower but are still a good choice to consider are emeralds and aquamarines (7.5-8), morganites (7.5), Tourmalines (7.7.5) and Topaz (8). There are also garnets, but the specific type of garnet will determine the individual hardness so it’s important to look into this if opting for a garnet, the hardest types are almandine, pyrope, rhodalite and tsavorite (7-7.5). If opting for one of these gems, it would be better to set them with a little more protection, like a bezel setting.
Some gemstones, although absolutely stunning, are not ideal for daily wear. This is because they are too soft or brittle to handle the knocks and bumps a ring would take being worn daily. The softer gemstones that we generally don’t recommend (unless used as a small detail in the design for sentimental reasons) include amethyst (7), citrine (7), peridot (6.5-7), tanzanite (6.5-7), opal (5.5-6.5), pearl (2.5-4.5) and moonstone (6 6.5). These gemstones are great for other pieces of jewellery like necklaces, earrings, or occasion rings, but these stones shouldn’t be in an engagement ring.
An engagement ring is an investment piece that you want to be able to wear every day without worrying about damaging it easily. If you live an active lifestyle or rarely take your ring off, choosing a hard, resilient stone like a sapphire, ruby or a diamond will probably be your best option for a ring that will stand the test of time.
Each gemstone carries its own unique symbolism, which is perfect for any bespoke jewellery design! Choosing a gemstone with meaning that resonates with your relationship can make your engagement ring feel even more personal and heartfelt.
Diamond – Symbolises strength, purity, and eternal love, its brilliance and durability representing a bond that lasts a lifetime.
Sapphire – These colourful gems symbolize loyalty, wisdom, sincerity, and faithfulness, and are a beautiful symbol of lasting love.
Ruby – These fiery red stones represent passion, love, protection, vitality, and success.
Emerald – These stunning green beauties symbolise renewal, new beginnings, hope and and love.
Aquamarine – These sea-coloured stones represent calm, courage, and clarity. They used to be a good luck charm for sailors.
Garnet – These represent love, friendship, loyalty, vitality, passion, and protection. They are a great choice for a gift for a lover or a friend.
You could also think about incorporating your birthstones into the design, or finding a gemstone to symbolise the month that you met!
More couples are prioritising sustainability and transparency when it comes to planning their wedding, and the rings shouldn’t be any different. This is personally something that is very important to us in our jewellery business, we will always prioritise Fairtrade, traceable and sustainable options when it comes to sourcing materials.
You can design an engagement ring or wedding bands with recycled precious metals and ethically sourced gemstones- either lab-grown or with Fairtrade and traceable origins, this is for diamonds as well as coloured stones. You could even incorporate your old unworn jewellery into your final design!
If you are searching for ethical jewellers that create pieces that align with your values, we do everything in our power at India Mee to ensure our jewellery is crafted consciously with care and honesty.
If you are on a budget when it comes to your engagement ring, coloured gemstones can offer more value when compared to natural diamonds and sapphires. You can achieve a larger centre stone that’s vibrant and eye-catching. Explore options like garnets, tourmalines, and topaz if you have a dream ring in mind but need to stick to budget.
Another amazing option to keep costs low is choosing lab grown diamonds, they are the same quality as a real diamond, just grown in a lab over a few short months, which means you can get a pretty big diamond for a fraction of the cost.
With all the options available for style and setting, choosing the right engagement ring can sometimes be a daunting and overwhelming task. This is especially true if you’re choosing one for someone in secret! Working with a bespoke jeweller means that you can design a ring with expert guidance throughout every step of the process. We’re more than happy to talk through different gemstone options with you, and sourcing a selection for you to view in person or via video. Designing a bespoke engagement ring with us is a very collaborative process, we work together with you to design a ring that perfectly captures you and your love.
Your engagement ring is one of the most important pieces of jewellery you will own. It’s something that holds the story of your love, that you will enjoy wearing everyday and will pass down through generations. It’s a reflection of you and it’s important to find something that feels authentic.
Join us for a cup of tea and a chat in our Stokes Croft jewellery studio! Jack and I (India) created India Mee Jewellery to specialise in crafting bespoke, ethical jewellery and we’d love to meet you and chat about all things engagement rings.
Get in touch with us via our enquiry form to chat about the best stone for your dream ring!