Historically, diamonds have been the most popular choice when choosing a stone for an engagement ring – as the song goes – they’re a girl’s best friend after all. However, it seems that today’s brides-to-be might have a new best friend in the form of coloured stone engagement rings.
Spurred on by a host of celebrities and royals who have opted for colourful gems over clear diamonds in recent times, coloured stone engagement rings have become one of the hottest jewellery trends of 2020.
Notable names that have worn coloured stone rings include Princess Diana, who had a sapphire encircled by diamonds on her ring. The ring was then given to Kate Middleton when she joined the royal family.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about coloured stones, from qualities to look for and how to care for your gem.
Advantages of Coloured Stone Engagement Rings
Coloured stone rings are great for a number of reasons. Firstly, coloured gems give a piece of jewellery a special character that makes it unique to you.
You can obtain beautiful stones of almost any colour imaginable. Coloured gems also have various meanings and symbolisms that make them all the more personal to their wearers.
Another advantage of choosing coloured gemstones is their affordability. Compared to a diamond, coloured stones cost significantly less – so you can have a gorgeous ring with a bigger stone on your ring at a lower cost.
Qualities to Look For
The durability of coloured stones is measured in hardness, toughness, and stability. Diamonds are the hardest with a score of 10 on the Mohs scales, while ruby and sapphire are at 9.
Toughness indicates a stone’s resistance to cracking, chipping, or breaking, whereas stability indicates how well it can resist chemicals, sunlight, humidity, and temperature changes.
While the quality of a gem in your coloured stone ring is still determined by the colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight; its colour is the most vital criteria. Sometimes, only the colour is considered when naming a gem – for instance, whether to call it ruby or pink sapphire.
The clarity and cut of coloured stones are less often considered as there’s no set system to evaluate clarity, whereas cut is a subjective matter.
Setting Styles
A jeweller considers numerous factors when setting the stone in a ring. The setting has to secure the stone while also allowing light to dance off the stone in dazzling colours.
A halo setting is a popular setting style, especially with diamonds surrounding a coloured stone, as it highlights the centre stone and makes it look larger.
A cluster setting is another favourite style as you can arrange the stones in various patterns including floral and even heart-shaped.
Caring for Your Coloured Stone Ring
To care for your coloured stone ring so it looks like new, just cleaning it with warm, soapy water is usually all you need. Although, since some coloured stones are quite delicate, you can opt to use specially formulated gentle cleaning solutions.
Alternatively, you can always ask your local jeweller for advice on how to take care of your precious stone.
If you’re looking for your ideal engagement ring, just get in touch with us at Ecali Fine Jewellery. We have years of experience designing amazing coloured stone rings and can help you find exactly what you need.