The engagement ruby ring is one of those unusual pieces of jewelry that seems quite out of the ordinary when it comes to bridal jewelry. When most people think of engagement rings, they think of diamonds and not the other precious stones like Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire. This would be a mistake because although no stone is as durable as diamond, each of these three precious stones have their own appeal.

When it comes to precious colored stone, it is more of an emotional response to the beauty of the color than the perfection of the cut. Ruby is a part of the Corundum mineral family is second only to diamond in hardness. It is also called the Lord of gems for a reason. This is because it is practically priceless if it is a clean stone in the pure pigeon blood red color in sizes larger than 2 carats. You are not likely to see very many five carat and above sizes in a relatively inclusion free, nice colored Ruby. This is why you don’t see many women with plus size ruby engagement rings.

This makes it an ideal precious stone to be used as a center stone in a beautiful engagement ring. You may remember when the late Princess Diana got engaged to Prince Charles and her engagement ring had a beautiful oval blue sapphire center stone surrounded by diamonds. This was no ordinary sapphire. It was a prized, untreated , and fabulously rare Kashmiri sapphire of the purest cornflower blue. This rare sapphire would be astronomically priced today, but if you can imagine an equally clear and pure colored Ruby of the same size you’d be talking about a price many times that of the sapphire simply because such rubies are quite rare.

The antique ruby ring has a rather sordid role in history as being one of the most misidentified gemstones important pieces of jewelry. The gemstone spinel with its orangey red color and hardness close that of the ruby was often inadvertently used in ruby and diamond rings in antiquity. These pieces were later identified in modern times as having a spinel center stone rather than a ruby. Now that we can identify rubies as rubies and even clear up confusion with ruby treatments and synthetic rubies, there is no need to fear that when we buy ruby jewelry from a reputable store that we are buying the genuine gemstone.

A ruby and diamond ring is the natural combination of stones to be used in a ruby engagement ring. The most common style in this type of ruby diamond ring is that of an oval ruby center stone with either a matched pair of diamond side stones or smaller diamonds studding areas of the mounting or combination of both.

Oval rubies are the most common shape that you will find in a diamond and ruby ring. This is the shape that saves the most weight for the Ruby cutter. Other cuts that you will commonly see our emerald cut, cushion cut, marquis cut, round and pear. Oval however gives you the most bang for the buck. To the right this is a round ruby ring with two matched pear shape diamonds. An oval or cushion would look slightly better with the diamonds if you can imagine that.

The trilliant shaped diamonds offer a nice contrast to the softness of the cushion shaped Ruby or in this case an emerald cut . If the side diamonds are especially white, then this helps to bring out the beautiful red color of the ruby.The other common shapes of matched side stone diamonds that you will find in a ruby ring our rounds, pears and baguettes. Round diamonds have better optics than the other shapes and are a good contrast to the subdued red of most medium to higher quality rubies.

Chocolate diamonds have been in vogue for the past 5 years now and was popularized by the promotion of brown colored diamonds to precious stone status. Prevously, about a decade ago, no one looked at champage, cognac and brown colored diamonds. They were considered non gem material and highly flawed. Today that has changed with Argyles constant promotional efforts to present these earth colored diamonds as being beautiful and desirable diamonds.

I would say that they exceeded their ambition because nowdays even uncut diamonds of all colors are being used in jewelry and can be actually more expensive than white faceted diamonds.Chocolate diamonds have fed off the promotion of colored pearls notably the chocolate and pistachio colored variety from Tahiti. Check out the chocolate diamond wedding ring to the left. There are now many designers that design chocolate diamond rings and chocolate diamond earrings in a multiple of styles.

Most notable is The brand called Eddie Levian. I would say this brand has single handedly pursued colored diamond jewelry and has brought it to a point where earth colored diamonds are now being combined in many different ways with white diamonds. A chocolate diamond is set in prongs that are typically black rhodiumed because this brings out the true color of the chocolate diamond as it scintillates. White prongs reflect a lot of light and so would compete with the minimal amount of light return coming out of chocolate diamond jewelry.

Remember, it is the deep hue of the diamond that is of interest in colored diamonds and not so much the fire and brilliance as is the case with white diamonds. True, you need your chocolate diamond ring to have well cut diamonds so that the chocolate hue comes bursting out but you’re still also interested in the purity of color and how well the chocolate diamonds match and blend together. This is important because in most colored diamond jewelry the beauty of the design comes fom the juxtaposition of the chocolate diamonds in their black prongs against the bright white diamonds in their brightly rhodiumed prongs.

For instance in a chocolate diamond engagement ring the design usually calls for a richly hued chocolate diamond center stone. This is only possible if the stone is cut well enough so that there is good reflection on the pavilion facets for nice even light return. This will give the true hue of the diamond and bring out the beauty of the mounting as well.

In the case of a cocktail brown diamond ring (like the one to the right) or also known as a chocolate right hand ring, the chocolate hue is created with multiple small round diamonds set in rows or patterns and immediately juxtaposed by white diamonds of similar size. This brings out the pattern and design of the ring as well as the rich chocolatey color of the brown diamonds.

As far as popular blue gemstones go, tanzanite second only to blue sapphire is very well known in the Western world.

It is often termed as a semi precious gemstone which is a bit of a misnomer because a nice quality tanzanite ring with just a few carats of tanzanite as a center stone can cost in the thousands at retail.

What is most attractive about tanzanite is its deep purplish blue velevety color that looks great in combination with other accent gems as you would find in tanzanite diamond rings and tanzanite engagement rings.

The bright background of white metal and diamonds that you find in a white gold tanzanite ring is the best backdrop for the color of tanzanite.

Tanzanite’s Exotic Color
Also called blue green zoisite, (yes, it does come in green as well albeit more rarely) its deep color is a great match for sparkly diamonds of all sizes.

Yes, as you have heard, the beautiful color is the result of heat treatment that is used on the gemstone. It normally comes out of the ground in a brown color and then the purplish blue or bluish purple color is coaxed out of it by heat.

You will find it used in mens tanzanite rings since men prefer white metals and this gemstone, especially in a aaa tanzanite ring is simply to die for.

Because tanzanite is a class 3 gemstone, meaning it generally comes clean without inclusion, it typically is graded on quality based primarily on the carat weight, cut, hue, tone and color saturation.

Clarity is generally assumed to be acceptable in top grade stones that get set in a high quality tanzanite and diamond ring.

The Rise Of the Tanzanite Engagement Ring
Among tanzanite rings that are most popular among women these days is the tanzanite engagement ring.

It is basically a tanzanite gold ring or even platinum ring with a top quality tanzanite center stone usually surrounded by accent diamonds or in a three stone configuration with a matched pair of side diamonds flanking the tanzanite.

Today women are beginning to use colored stones a bit differently than from in the past. Engagement rings are one category of jewelry that was previously restricted to white diamonds and white metals for the most part.

Most young women that you see getting married would be shopping for a white diamond engagement ring. However, a small minority now prefer a colored stone as the center stone in their engagement ring.

First, there was the craze for a fancy yellow diamond as the center stone which then progressed to other diamond colors like blue, pink and then on into the earth color diamonds like champagne diamonds, cognac diamonds and brown diamonds.

Tanzanite Vs Sapphire Ruby and Emerald
This set the stage for the use of other precious colored gemstones as center stones in a diamond engagement ring.

Initially high quality sapphire, emerald and ruby were the gemstones most commonly used because they were the most well-known on this side of the world.

Then more and more women became attracted to tanzanite 15 years ago because it’s bluish purplish color was so velvety and intoxicating and could not be found in any other gemstone.

Tanzanite became the first semi precious stone to merit serious consideration for use as a center stone in an engagement ring.

Tanzanite is also a gemstone that comes in a wide range of sizes and with slight deviations to its hue with some stones exhibiting a more blue color while others showed a more purplish color. This was always a great conversation piece with any tanzanite piece of jewelry.

The debate always was whether it was more blue or more purple. This fueled the attraction for tanzanite as an actual gemstone worthy of being mounted in a woman’s engagement ring. It had character, beauty and a story.

The Best Cuts and Shapes For Tanzanite Rings
stone shapes. The beauty and versatilty of tanzanite was in the many different shapes that the rough could be cut into.

The trilliant shape became one of the most popular tanzanite shapes to be used as an engagement ring center stone. It was very different from the traditional round diamonds that most other women had.

Also, this tanzanite shape was available in sizes larger than 5 carats at a reasonable price and the gemstone was very clean to boot.

Tanzanite is a gemstone like aquamarine that generally comes clean from the ground. So women had it all in this gemstone. They had a clean, beautifully colored gemstone in an exotic color and shape that signaled a fashionable departure from the traditional norm in engagement rings.

Aquamarine engagement rings are a great choice whether you are getting engaged for the first time or not. Normally you see this sea foam blue green member of the beryl family of gemstones (which also includes emerald) in cocktail gemstone rings or birthstone rings.

Do not be afraid of using this great gemstone as your engagement ring’s center stone. If you are not too hardwearing on your rings and love the serene, tranquil look of aquamarine, then you need to ignore all the naysayers that insist you follow tradition’s dictates.

This is also suitable for women born in March who wish to use their birthstone as their engagement ring center stone.

Aquamarine Engagement Ring Costs

An aquamarine engagement ring does not have to be expensive even thought the better qualities do cost upwards of $100 per carat at retail.

Better quality gemstones that you see in expensive looking aquamarine diamond engagement rings generally have a deeper color whose hue is on the bluish side rather then the sea foam green that you are used to seeing in cheap birthstone jewelry.

The price also goes up dramatically in this higher quality as the size goes up. If you’re comparing engagement rings with aquamarine vs those with diamonds then it makes sense for you to go for the deeper colored stones that are distinctly blue in color. Diamonds cost way more per carat than aquamarines so you would not be overspending.

Aquamarine Gemstone Characteristics

Aquamarine is considered a class 3 stone in that it generally comes clean unlike its sibling emerald which generally comes included and needs to be treated with oil to hide the many surface reaching fissures and fractures.

It also will be found in bigger sizes of 3 carats or more without becoming unduly expensive unless the color is truly top notch. In any case the cost never approaches that of diamonds of the same quality expectation.

This being the case, you can expect to find a tremendous variety of shapes available in aquamarine. From a stylistic point of view this is good because your choice is limitless in terms of the style of mounting that can be used.

Antique Aquamarine Engagement Rings

Aquamarine never comes in a saturated hue the way emeralds, rubies, sapphires and countless other gemstones do.The color is always reminicent of light ocean colors that you see close to the shore of an island.

Nevertheless it is still a compelling color that appeals to many women because this allows for the mounting to shine as well. This is why antique aquamarine engagement rings and vintage aquamarine engagement rings are so popular.

With a deep colored gemstone like emerald or even tanzanite, often the stylistic subtleties and themes in a hand fashioned mounting gets lost because the attention getter is the gemstone rather than the ring.

This is even true of diamonds because although generally engagement ring diamonds are colorless, they are the center of attention because of their head riveting optics and light return capabilities when cut right. However when it comes to aquamarine and diamond engagement rings, you see the style of the mounting as well.

Best Metals For Your Aquamarine Engagement Ring

Aquamarine goes with white metals the best. With yellow gold the subtle blue hue tends to not show up as well against the dominating hue of yellow gold.

This is not to say that aquamarine does not look good in yellow gold. It does hold its own even in as saturated a yellow gold as 22k.

However for engagement ring purposes I would go for white gold, platinum, palladium and even sterling silver. The neutral backdrop allows the beautiful soft nature of aquamarine’s color to come forth.

This is what you want in an engagement ring. You are not attempting to make a grand stylistic statement with your aquamarine engagement ring. You want the important qualities that aquamarine is symbolic of like faithfulness, courage and friendship to shine through.

It also has a reputation for having a rather soothing effect on a couple that has just been married and are going through teething pains in making adjustments to the marriage. It is also the birthstone of Pisces along with bloodstone.

Many people feel that aquamarine is very characterstic of Pisces people in general because Pisces people often have that sensitive dreamy quality about them that is hard to decipher. They are a water sign and so aquamarine is an apt birthstone.

Most people have been educated to look for diamonds with little or no color. When you go to the bridal section of a jewelry store the first thing they want to show you is the color range chart from D-Z. They explain the colorless and near colorless range in great detail so most diamond shoppers never get to understand that diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow.

However those that follow celebrity fashion would heard of pink diamonds and the pink diamond engagement ring that Ben Affleck gave to Jennifer Lopez many moons ago. Check out this pink diamond to the right above. ?It is close in color to the ring that formerly belonged to J Lo.

The four Cs is what most people usually think of when talking about diamond quality criteria but with pink diamonds what is important is the color. The actual carat weight of the stone whether set in a pink diamond ring orpink diamond necklace is of course important to setting the value but is still secondary in importance.

Cut also is secondary in importance since the diamond cutter contracted to cut the natural pink diamond rough will try to retain the carat weight and depth of color. All things being equal a larger stone with the same level of color saturation as a smaller stone will undoubtedly show more color face up.

Cut can affect the body color of a pink diamond because it can change the apparent color of a stone in the face up position. It is certainly possible to have two pink diamonds with identical carat weight, cut, clarity and body color but yet the one with the superior cut and optics will have the better quality of light return that enhances the apparent color.

The apparent color that is seen from a fancy pink diamond whether in pink diamond earrings or pink diamond engagement rings will always be the color seen from the face up position.The body color seen from the pavilion is important from a color grade point of view but it is the face up color impression that counts when it comes to dollars per carat.

A pink diamond collector knows that the face up view is the only one that matters when it comes to pricing a fancy pink diamond for use in pink diamond rings or other types of jewelry. Check out the mix of pink diamond melee stones to the left. The purplish tinge of these diamonds indicates that these may of Australian origin. Pink diamonds are rarely seen in this quality and quantity unless they are quite small or treated.

Of course all pink diamonds are not created equal. There is considerable variation in terms of the type of pink hue in a fancy pink diamond. The Argyle mine in Australia is known for its purplish pink diamonds that can be quite deep in color. In fact one of the most famous auctions in the diamond world is conducted by Rio Tinto, the mining company that conducts its annual pink tender which is an auction of their prized pink diamond production for the year. South Africa produces pink diamonds as well but its pink diamonds tend to be paler and have an orange component in the hue that can give it a padparadscha sapphire look.

Faint pink is the term used to describe a pink diamond that is so barely pink that its pink hue is only visible through the pavilion but cannot be seen face up. A slightly darker pink than this is described as very light pink and light pink which is visible face up as a pale icy pink. It is only when the pink hue of the diamond is obvious in the face up position that it can be prefixed with the term “fancy”.

So starting from the very dark type of pink diamond that tend to originate from Australia you will have this hue termed fancy dark pink. This color range will go all the way down to fancy light pink. The in between colors are called fancy deep pink, fancy vivid pink, fancy intense pink and fancy pink.

Emeralds have always been a mixed bag when it comes to jewelry. Emerald is one of the few precious stones that are expected to contain wisps, tiny fractures and fissures in the affordable quality and so most consumers had to accept that their emeralds would always have a multitude of inclusions. However, today many consumers of fine emerald jewelry have come to expect clean emeralds ever since 1976 when a very different type of emerald was discovered in Zambia. Stones that were cut from Zambian rough material was so clean that many gem dealers first thought that these emeralds were lab grown. Their saturated greens with a tinge of gray were in stark contrast to the softer and sweeter green colors from Colombian and Brazilian stones.

This Zambian discovery offered the opportunity for genuine emerald jewelry to be accepted not only for color but also for clarity and brilliance. No doubt there was a clash in the market place between these completely different looking type of emeralds and the Zambian gems were often relegated to second place status because they lacked the definitive coloration of The South American emerald and the pedigree of the Colombian Emerald.

However in time they radically changed the expectations of consumers with regard to emerald clarity and ended up taking over a large share of the affordable emerald market. For the first time emerald jewelry sets could be made with emeralds that were not only matched for color but clarity as well. An emerald jewelry set of matching emerald ring, earrings and pendant could be put together without the the difficulty of trying to match for clarity.

Emerald jewelry rings and pendants could now be made with eye clean stones on a regular basis without the pitfalls of Colombian emerald jewelry that although matched for color would often be mismatched because of each stone’s different set of inclusions. No longer was it necessary to forage through antique emerald jewelry on a desperate search to match emerald stones. It also became possible to use small clean Zambian emeralds in silver emerald jewelry because of the lower cost for clean goods and the way the higher luster of these emeralds complimented the soft whiteness of polished silver.

Emerald and diamond jewelry looked better with the higher luster Zambian material because the brilliance of these emeralds complimented the high refractive index of diamond. Emerald diamond jewelry rings in the traditional three stone setup with emerald in the center flanked by a matched pair of diamonds now looked more stunning than ever.

Emerald has been known in the ancient world as the greenest of green stones. It was a revered gem in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and India. In fact Cleopatra was famous for wearing emeralds as much as Elizabeth Taylor was known for wearing some of the most collectible diamonds ever to come to market. The standard bearer as far as green gems go, emerald has been associated with the color green for much of history. Emerald being the birthstone for the month of May has always symbolized the eternal hope and promise of Spring.

The emeralds that you see in today’s emerald rings more than likely come from three major sources. Colombia is still the most famous emerald producing country in the world. Other major sources for emerald include Zambia and Brazil. Colombian emeralds have the highest reputation for color. There is even a chain of stores in the Caribbean that is named “Colombian Emeralds International” and is world famous for carrying the biggest selection of emerald jewelry including emerald earrings, emerald engagement rings, emerald and diamond rings and mens emerald rings.

The most sought after cut in emerald is of course the octagonal emerald cut. This cut has such an elegance to it. It is referred to as a step cut because facet junctions run parallel to each other rather than meeting at a point. This type of cut is also found on emerald cut diamond rings. Some women prefer the subtle elegance of emerald cut engagement rings because when the center diamond gets to be over 3 carats a round diamond will tend to look too much like a headlight. In this size range the emerald cut engagement ring has much more class to it as long as the shape appeal and cut are aesthetically pleasing.

The beveled corners on an emerald cut stone protect the stone and make it more easier to set than an emerald cut that has narrow or missing corners. Ideal sized beveled corners also enhance the faceting arrangement and gives the effect of dynamic visual movement instead of the static, motion stopping , sharp turn effect of squared off corners that are too narrow. Narrow corners makes an emerald cut stone look odd and can be hard to mount in a way that makes it look attractive.

This can be particularly important if a woman is contemplating an emerald engagement ring rather than a diamond engagement ring. Apart from the basic requirements such as pure green color with minimal inclusions, shape appeal becomes very important because she will wear this ring more often than others and she would perhaps want this ring to be perfectly shaped to symbolize her marital commitment. Not only should her emerald cut ring be symmetrical and well finished it should also be graceful and pleasing.

Certain length to width ratios are psychologically and aesthetically more pleasing than others. This ratio also will affect durability and practicality depending on the type of stone involved. When you divide the length by the width measurements of an emerald cut emerald, this will give you the length to width ratio. The ratio is represented by the value for length which is a number greater then one and is to the left of the colon. The value of width on the right of the colon is always going to be one.

The preferred ratio for emerald cut emeralds is in the range of (1.50-1.75):1.  Who is to say what the most attractive length to width ratio is. But generally speaking if the ratio is longer than 2.00:1, then the emerald cut will be looking a bit lean. If the ratio is something like 1.1-1.25:1 , then the emerald cut will be looking rather squarish. The impact of length to width ratios can be more plainly seen in an emerald and diamond ring because the white diamonds will always highlight the darker emerald and make obvious any cutting mistakes in the emerald cut emerald center stone. The effect of length to width ration can not only be quite obvious in an emerald ring but also in an emerald cut diamond ring where diamond will be even more revealing in the quality of the cut.

Pearls are some of the most versatile gems around. They come in myriad qualities, colors, shapes and sizes. What’s there not to like about pearls? Although technically an organic gem, pearls have a more feminine appeal then fossil gems and can be worked into most any design. The range of qualities is so vast in pearls that even though lay people can quickly pick up the 4 Cs, pearl grading is something entirely different, yet oh so obvious to the eye.

Pearl rings are some of the most feminine pieces of jewelry around. They are quite different from gemstone rings in that they have a more organic look to them. Whenever you need to lighten up the hard edges of a ring design you might want to think of how you can mount a pearl on the ring. Pearls are not the most durable of gem materials in comparison to gems that are minerals. Pearls have a soft layer of nacre that can be damaged if given a blow.

Pearls are also affixed differently to a ring. They are actually glued on like this pearl ring on the left and can come off with repeated exposure to water. They are also sensitive to perfumes and other astringents that would not affect other gems. So what is it about pearl rings that makes us want to own them?

One of the qualities of pearls that is a tad bewitching is the pearly luster that you can see in the ring to the left that most women find quite beguiling. The clearer and more mirror like, the better the pearl. The second is the range of colors that pearls come in. A black pearl ring is one of the most beautiful jewelry pieces around and has quite a bewitching quality about it.

Pearls no matter the color pair up very well with all precious metals whether platinum, yellow gold, rose gold, or some of the newer metals like titanium. Pink and peach colored pearls have been quite popular in recent years especially in combination with rose gold. Black pearls on the other hand go very well with white metals like palladium, platinum or white gold.

Then you have the exotic colored pearls like pistachio, chocolate and cinnamon colored Tahitian pearl rings that look quite regal when mounted in a well designed ring. Mother of pearl rings round out the budget end of the pearl family which although not technically nacre is still considered pearl material. Mabe pearl rings are what are called cultured blister pearls that are actually formed on the inside of the shell by affixing a “seed” to the inner shell.

A Tahitian pearl ring is in the higher price range as far as pearls go because of their quality, rarity and size. The gold pearl ring is more popular in the far East where skin tones better compliment the golden color of this pearl. Tahitian pearl rings although from the far east have taken up residence in the Americas and Europe as the most popular organic gems mounted in rings.

There are many brides that would prefer a pearl engagement rings but this is simply not practical because of durability issues. Most women who would like a pearl in their engagement ring will typically have it mounted on the shoulders instead of the center and keep their center stone as a diamond. Then there is the pearl diamond ring which has elements of design that marry the hard brilliance of diamonds with the soft elegance of pearls.

Pearls and diamonds have been ideal companions for a long time since they bring their very different qualities to the design table. pearls are organic and flowing and add a sense of openness to ring designs. Diamonds must be positioned carefully and symmetrically so that their game with light can be played to the fullest advantage.

You would be hard pressed to find a woman or girl that did not like pink as a fashion color. Pink rings have to be up there as women’s’ all time favorite fun jewelry. Many years ago pink jewelry took off as a fashion statement when every woman started wearing pink ice rings. Women no longer wear pink CZ in their pink ring as they used to because other pink gems that look better and don’t have that fake look have become better liked. Pink diamond rings again became popular as a bridal look when Ben Affleck in 2003 proposed to Jennifer Lopez with this 3 carat pink diamond ring. Since that time pink engagement rings became the look for bridal jewelry.

Although regular women could not afford natural pink diamonds, the look stuck and soon they were using all manner of pink gemstones to replicate the look. Pink diamond rings became all the rage while pink sapphire became one of the most popular gemstones because of its similarity to the pink hue that exists in pink diamonds. Pink sapphire was way less expensive and came in some fabulous shades. Added to this was the fact that the stone was durable and even though sapphires were treated to get this color, the pink never faded.

Pink tourmaline rings also became popular. This is not the bright pink hue that pink sapphire is known for but it is more of a “dirty” pink with some hints of rust in it. It is also a much softer stone than sapphire and somewhat less expensive in the lower qualities. Pink tourmaline does have its own enthusiasts and collectors who like fine pink tourmaline. The more saturated and brighter pink tourmaline is known as rubellite and is prices higher than regular pink tourmaline and bi colored tourmaline.

Pink gold rings have been slow to take off because of its association with tri color gold and black hills gold. However pink gold is now being combined with gemstones in unusual ways and has experienced something a resurgence. Women like the soft look of pink gold when combined with stones such as smoky quartz. The pink amethyst ring is also frequently combined with pink gold. Pink gold goes particularly well with softer and paler colored stones that are pink in color like morganite and kunzite.

Pink pearl rings came in late to the pink ring scene because previously pink freshwater pearls were not round enough for use. Over time pink pearls have improved in quality and are quite popular also in the pink earrings category fulfilling the need for dangling pearl earrings in a pink hue.

The soft pink of freshwater pearls is a great match for color saturated gemstones like pink sapphire and pink tourmaline like the ring to the right which sports a beautiful 10mm pink pearl with matching pink tourmalines on the sides. Pink gemstone rings now encompass a wide range of new semi precious stones that add different textures and hues to the overall pink rings category.