While a vast majority of engagement rings in the United States sport diamonds as the only stone, there is a wide variety of beautiful stones to choose from.
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A cultured diamonds' sparkle and durability make it a top choice for engagement ring center stones. On rollover, you can faintly see the "hearts-and-arrows" of this round brilliant cut blue cultured diamond. |
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Moissanite is a synthetic gemstone developed after the natural crystals found in a meteorite in the early 1900's. Moissanite is extremely durable, and more refractive than diamond - resulting in a more colorful 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. |
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| 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. |
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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. |
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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. Without the color, this stone only features durability. |
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| Padparadscha sapphires are a beautiful coral color, and are one of the most difficult gem stone to spell. I like that the light reflection in this photo forms a heart. |
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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. |
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Cubic Zirconia looks just like diamond, although its over-use in gaudy jewelry has given it a bad reputation. While I don't recommend CZ in an engagement ring, some customers bring home a spare engagement ring for when wearing an expensive ring is inappropriate. |
While I am happy to obtain any of the above gemstones for an engagement ring workshop or custom jewelry, I do not sell loose gemstones, except for cultured diamonds. More gemstone photos will be up soon!
make her engagement ring - buy her engagement ring |
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