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.

Tanzanite earrings are a popular choice for gemstone earrings because the color is a pretty violet that is a bit more feminine than the inky dark sapphire. the color goes well with casual wear whether it be with denims or brief summer dresses. It is a playful color that invites all sorts of accessorizing and also goes well with every one’s favorite color black.

A tanzanite earring can be a simple stud whether round, trilliant or oval. Tanzanite studs are popular in the trilliant shape because they look so contemporary. In white gold they are quite the fashion statement and the ideal size for this tanzanite stud earring is usually the 5mm trilliant which has a combined weight of 0.75 to 0.80 carats per pair. Most sizes below this tend to be on the lighter side.

The darker colors are the more desirable colors in tanzanite as long as they are not tending towards the gray side of the spectrum. Tanzanite color can be dark and at the same time still desaturated, grayish and unattractive. These stones lack the color and sparkle of the brighter colored stones and will sell for a good deal less. Tanzanite white gold earrings are the most popular because the stone’s color shows up quite well against the white gold. Yellow gold tanzanite earrings also look good but not as dramatic as earrings in white gold.

Tanzanite and diamond earrings come in a variety of styles from the on ear type which is basically a stud with diamonds surrounding the stone. These are more formal and can be quite expensive since jewelers are careful to find only the best colored matched pairs for diamond earring mountings.

Tanzanite huggies are a good pick because they can be worn with formal and casual wear. They are not as casual as hoops and not as formal as diamond encrusted button earrings. They form a nice in between range that many women can wear for any occasion but they can also be made super formal if they are tanzanite diamond earrings with a particularly wide huggie profile with lots of bigger round diamonds.

Tanzanite drop earrings are some of the most dramatic earrings around because of the fact that tanzanite can be found in large sizes in almost perfectly matched pairs. Usually this type of earring starts out as a regular diamond dangle with prong or bezel set diamonds on a flexible link structure punctuated at the end by a fairly large tanzanite of a carat or more set in what would would look like a diamond jacket. So what happens is that this earring will swing and dangle a lot which is of course what you want. That way the tanzanite and diamonds catch the light and look spectacular. Tanzanite hoop earrings can also be dramatic but more than likely huggies will be a better option because tanzanite round stones of 5-10 points get extremely light in color to the point where they really don’t look like tanzanites any more when spread out over a hoop.

A tanzanite ring is the most popular type of blue stone ring second to blue topaz and blue sapphire. Although technically not a precious stone, its beauty and color signify its entry into the world of big and expensive colored gemstone rings. Its deep velvety violet color is a natural match for the sparkle of diamonds and each enhance the other. Accent diamonds always enhance the look of a tanzanite ring as well as tanzanite earrings. Some women are so smitten by the beauty of this stone that they wear it as an alternative tanzanite engagement ring often with a diamond and tanzanite wedding band to match.

The tanzanite and diamond ring looks good in either white or yellow gold. Often this depends on the color of the tanzanite. If the color is slightly warm leaning towards a more purplish hue then yellow gold will often compliment that stone quite well. If the stone is more blue in color then white gold will compliment that stone better then yellow gold.

A tanzanite diamond ring will often follow the contours of the tanzanite shape so a trilliant stone will often be mounted in a more geometrically shaped mounting with diamonds that follow a line parallel to the edges of the stome giving it a brilliant framework so to speak and emphasizing its symettry and shape. These trilliant rings would often be worn as a tanzanite engagement ring because of how the unusual shape would call attention to itself on the ring finger.

When tanzanite became popular back in the late eighties, yellow gold was the metal of choice so many early tanzanite rings were set in yellow gold. This type of tanzanite gold ring had more of the bluish colored tanzanites that were prized for their high color saturation and many of them were bought up and the prized tanzanite removed and mounted in more modern white gold and diamond mountings.The white gold tanzanite ring blazed a trail of fashion as it was the perfect compliment to white gold engagement rings. The tanzanite would often be worn on the right hand as a right hand ring while the engagement ring with a big diamond would sit on the ring finger.

Tanzanite and diamond rings come in all sizes and shapes but recently they’ve been seen with more pave diamond work as opposed to channel set diamonds or invisible set diamonds. Also since the price of fine tanzanite has gone up in price, it has become more appealing to high end designers who wish to make a bold statement piece. Larger tanzanite gemstones are more used now in elaborate designer pedants and brooches. At the other end of the price spectrum a tanzanite silver ring is more a fashion ring than a fine jewelry ring but nevertheless it does have its place in the low cost fashion segment. Typically the lower quality, lighter colored and more included tanzanites are used for tanzanite silver rings.

Tanzanite has been a popular gemstone in the US for the last 15 years or so. It is a velvety bluish purplish stone that is trichroic, meaning it will show 3 different colors from 3 different angles. Sometimes it appears more bluish and at other more purplish. Tanzanite comes in all amnner of sizes and is normally a very clean stone with no inclusions. It comes out of the mine as brown colored and with some heat treatment gets that beautiful violet to blue coloring. It will then end up in a tanzanite gold ring or a white gold tanzanite ring

One of the nice things about tanzanite is that it is readily available in large sizes with good color saturation and almost no inclusions to muddy its beauty. The other major popular blue stone  blue sapphire does not come in sizes upward of 4 carats except for a very high price. Fine blue sapphire with great color and clarity above 4 carats can easily be priced for between $2000 to $15,000 per carat depending on the type of treatment it has undergone. So if you want a big beautiful blue/purple gemstone in a ring for a reasonable price then a tanzanite ring is your best bet.

Tanzanite rings have much more pop to them because large tanzanites are frequently mounted in larger rings in various configurations with diamonds. The most popular cuts that you will see in tanzanite rings are usually ovals, trilliants and cushions in sizes upwards of 1 carat. Trilliants became popular simply because cutting tanzanite this way saved a lot of rough so trilliant cuts would actually run cheaper per carat than the other cuts. Many manufacturers designed some very different geometric rings to showcase tanzanite trilliants because this shape of tanzanite stone was extraordinarily good looking and required the finesse of a well designed mounting to showcase it properly.

Tanzania engagement rings became an overnight sensation during the 1990s since there were a lot of women who like Princess Diana’s sapphire ring but could not afford a sapphire of that beauty or size. Tanzanite came to the rescue since big round oval tanzanites more in the blue range of color were readily obtainable from 4 carats to 15 carats and beyond for $250 – $800 per carat. Many women ende up sporting this type of ballerina tanzanite ring as a tanzanite engagement ring with matching tanzanite earrings.

This set the stage for big tanzanite diamond  rings coming into the fashion consciousness. Usually the format was a large oval, trilliant or cushion shape tanzanite sitting up high in a prong, half bezel or channel setting with all manner of accent diamond layouts from pave to invisible set. This type of tanzanite diamond ring designed to elicit oohs and ahhs became the de facto standard in womens colored stone rings for the new millenium. White gold tanzanite rings took of in popularity after the turn of the millennium when white gold began to dominate the fashion ring scene.

Space age metals are showing their stylish side in jewelry items crafted out of titanium and other exotic metals that were previously considered high tech industrial.

Check out these titanium earrings to the right with a section that has been anodized red. This metal is very well suited for jewelry and especially earrings because it is naturally hypoallergenic which makes it safe for anyone.

In fact, titanium is one of the only metals used for substitute body parts like heart valves because it will not provoke a negative reaction from the body nor be rejected by it as a foreign object. In addition it is stronger than steel yet much lighter and so is ideal for making titanium jewelry pieces like earrings.

Its hypoallergenic quality makes it user friendly as titanium body jewelry because some of the very sensitive skin areas that men and women pierce requires that body jewelry not cause infections by tarnishing nor react with the skin to cause an allergic skin reaction in a sensitive area. Check out these colored titanium navel rings to the left.

A massive wholesale titanium jewelry industry has sprung up to serve retailers who have discovered the benefits of carrying not only Edward Mirell titanium jewelry for men but also other manufacturers that cater to womens titanium jewelry like Stratabands and Spectore Corp.

Titanium is especially loved by men because of its charcoal steely gray good looks and undeniable resistance scratches and dents. Men find black titanium jewelry particularly attractive, especially when black titanium rings are combined with gold, platinum and diamonds. The matte black or polished black finish contrasts beautifully with gold and diamonds giving the precious metals and stones more visibility and attractive power.

Titanium jewelry for men is a big part of  the jewelry market because women on the whole prefer softer looks to that provided by traditional titanium rings. Men on the other hand are attracted to jewelry titanium rings for the variety of looks that can be achieved with since it can be colored from a light steely gray to charcoal grey all the way to a jet black. The variety of finishes available from brushed to satin to polished finishes provide an array of options for men to get a titanium ring, titanium dog tag, titanium cuff links or pendants to suit their individual style.

At the other end of this jewelry is anodized titanium jewelry which is basically titanium that has had an oxide layer applied to add surface color to the jewelry for items like titanium navel jewelry,titanium piercing jewelry and titanium nose jewelry where color is important to the light unfettered look of body jewelry.

Even in rings the use of colored titanium has opened up a whole new level of appeal for women who want to wear something colorful but not fragile like enamel.

Some manufacturers like Stratabands manufacture a pink mokume titanium band (Topmost ring in picture to the right) with colorful striations and high style.

The ring is at once gorgeous, feminine and playful while still being a well styled piece of jewelry.

The other colored women’s rings are colored titanium rings with the color part in grooves for added protection. Center stones like pink and yellow sapphire are added to complete the look that is chic and colorful but does not look like children’s jewelry.

Jewelry titanium rings, earrings and brooches can now be colorful and big because of this metal’s light weight and ability to show a variety of colors on its surface when anodized. Designers like La Reina and their blue titanium and 18K white gold butterfly brooch with diamonds is one stunning example of titanium’s foray into the world of couture jewelry.

The asking price on this piece is $60,700. Then you have Alfieri and St John’s colored titanium and 18k gold flower rings that have wonderful color and texture treatment on the titanium flower petals that simply cannot be duplicated with enamel work.