Coloured gemstone engagement rings aren’t a new thing and the act of giving a coloured gemstone engagement ring, such as sapphire, ruby or emerald has been around for centuries.

What I love about rare gemstones is how unique they are and give the wearer the opportunity to celebrate their own uniqueness but for many it can seem like uncharted territory and diamond would be the safer bet. According to De Beers, around 50% of engagement rings are actually coloured gemstones.

The three obvious choices would be Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald but your choice doesn’t end there. If you have a particular colour in mind, then there is probably an option for you.

Check out my article on pink engagement rings here!

Colour Choices

So, for your coloured gemstone engagement ring, like I mentioned you have many options including the three main choices but even within Sapphire, you can choose from pink sapphire, yellow sapphire, green and even orange or purple.

Then there are other gemstones that are lesser known such as Morganite or Tourmaline. Morganite has a wonderful pink-peach hue and Tourmalines come in many colours including pink and green.

If budget is not an issue, then let’s not forget about coloured diamonds. Diamonds again can be found in many colours such as blue, yellow and rarely pink or red.

Meaning of Coloured Gemstones

One of the things I find magical about coloured gemstones is the meaning found in these gems. Some say Diamond is the ultimate symbol of love, but I think other coloured gemstones meanings and folklore can have a more suitable resemblance for our relationships.

Let’s take Ruby for example, it’s a protective stone that can bring happiness or passion to the wearer and resembles power and love, the perfect mix for the powerful feelings you have for your partner.

If you’re interested in learning more about the meanings behind gemstones, then contact us or have a look at some of our gemstone pages from the main menu.          

Practicality

We do need to remember though that an engagement ring is worn every day, so we need to be mindful that we are buying something suitable, we need to consider their hardness and toughness.

Hardness means scratch resistant and is measured on the Mohs scale of hardness. Toughness is different and measures the durability of a stone, so its resistance to chipping, breaking and fracturing.

All gemstones (apart from diamonds) will potentially scratch over time but you need to choose a gem that is tough enough to withstand everyday wear and not shatter at the slightest knock.

I recommend choosing a gem that is over 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness and has a good toughness rating. It’s very important to speak to an experienced bespoke jeweller you trust when choosing the gemstone for your engagement ring as they can give you the proper care advice for the coloured gemstone of your choice.

This makes Sapphire a great choice because they are rated 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness and have ‘excellent’ toughness because of their resistance to breaking (although they aren’t unbreakable!) – not to mention their extensive variety of colours.

I hope this ‘quick guide to buying a coloured gemstone engagement ring’ has been of some help to you but if you have any further questions then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our gemstone specialists or jewellery designers.