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SO and I were discussing rings yesterday and I informed him that I really love gemstones for these reasons...
1) It is unique and will stand out from a lot of rings & 2) the cost is better, and the idea of spending that much on a diamond makes me uncomfortable when we could put that money towards a house.
I know this tends to be a topic of debate, but that is in no way what I am after. I am just curious why many of you wanted gemstones? Was it it a money reason? A personal preferance? Or more to do with the controversy over how diamonds are excavated (which I haven't looked into much, but still kind of scares me)?
Let me know! I'd love to hear your opinions, and share photos of your ring!
I chose to have a sapphire center stone for the same reasons as you. I like having something a little different and I liked the fact that a sapphire e-ring would cost less. I'm a very frugal person so I specifically told FI not to spend too much on the ring.
My FI always tells me that I am like no other girl that he has every met before so it made perfect sense to him that I didn't want a diamond engagement ring. I wanted a Tanzanite more than anything in the entire world! :) When I was 17 my Mom bought me the most beautiful Tanzanite ring and I bought myself a Tanzanite necklace to match. I think they are more beautiful than any diamond I had ever looked at (no offense to anyone who likes diamonds, they just aren't for me). Tanzanites unfortunately aren't any cheaper than diamonds, in some cases they can actually be much more expensive. But I love my ring and the fact that my FI picked it out all by himself :)
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Here is the epic, long winded story of how I ended up with a gemstone engagement ring. Sorry, it got waaaaay long. I actually didn't want a ring at all - I never wear any jewelry besides my watch, and stop at the gym after work almost every day... it'd be a pain to have to worry about it on weight-lifting days. Anyway, he talked me into a ring in the first place.
I think diamond engagement rings are GORGEOUS (and durable for a klutz like me!), but the story behind them becoming traditional (basically, big targeted marketing scheme) really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I also love being non-traditional about stuff like this. My fiance HATE HATE HATES the diamond engagement ring tradition. Way more than I do. He was happy to use an heirloom ring because he adores his family and mine and liked the link to our grandparents, but there was no way he was plunking down money on a diamond. Not because he's cheap... I think his mindset was more along the lines of having to give hundreds of dollars to a political candidate you hate.
We actually were going to use an heirloom diamond ring from my grandmother, but it was locked in the safe at my parents house and we wouldn't be able to get to it until a week or so after we planned to tell his family we were engaged. Not to mention sizing and apprisal, during the busiest time of year (we were only planning to be home visiting family for two weeks around Christmas).
So we decided to get some sort of token ring just to have something to show people. But we ended up falling in love with an emerald ring that was very affordable for an actual ring, but definitely more than we were planning on spending on costume jewelry. We ended up deciding that it was more "us" and just what we wanted after all.
I have a sapphire and diamond engagement ring. I knew all along that I wanted sapphires in my engagement ring since both my husband and I have September birthdays and I thought that would be a good way of making the ring more symbolic of us as a couple. I also have a thing about deep royal blue (in my mind, I visualize it as being the color of love, so naturally I wanted it in my engagement ring). I had planned to have a center diamond with two sapphires but I found myself drawn to the sapphire center stones more than diamonds. I fell in love with my ring and the gorgeous blue stone in it and we knew that it was right for us. It also made us feel better about the conflict aspect of diamonds. And though my ring was about the same price as the diamond rings we looked at, if we had picked a diamond the same size as my sapphire (which is about 2.5 carats), it would have been MUCH more expensive.
I absolutely love my ring and think it's beautiful, but just a warning that you may not get a lot of support from others on the choice of your ring. I don't expect validation for my choice from others, but it makes me angry that people don't approve of it for the sole reason that it's not a diamond.
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It's funny. When I was younger, people kept asking me if I would get an emerald engagement ring because I loved green and emeralds so much. I found it a little annoying, actually, because I did want a diamond to define it as a wedding ring and not any old ring.
So a decade and more later when I actually got engaged, I initially was looking at diamonds. (I did my own ring-shopping.) But I looked and didn't find anything that sang to me. I found nice rings, sure. But when I spotted a particular setting with sapphires in it, it sang. It does actually have a diamond for a centerstone that we took from my grandmother's ring, but it's really the sapphires that stand out and what garner all the comments. I know it's the sapphires that "make" my ring. And if I'm honest with myself, I love color and it only makes sense (and my friends were speaking from their knowledge of me) that I would prefer a gemstone. Sapphires work well for me because blue goes with so much of my wardrobe and is one of my favorite colors (along with green and purple, but the blue coordinates best).
And yes, it kept costs down (as did using an heirloom diamond). So I'd say it's a combination of many things.
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My reasons are basically the same as yours; however, mine probably cost about the same as all diamonds would. Mine is an orange sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds. My FI and I actually went ring shopping together, and the ring we ended up getting is the best one for us. When I first saw it it practically jumped out of the display and placed itself on my ring finger. It just kept saying "Pick me!!! Pick me!!!". We tried other rings that were just diamonds, but they didn't even register with us.
@namarie: Thank you for your response. That ring is beautiful! I understand that a lot of people won't approve, but I really don't care. In my mind, I am the one wearing it so my SO and I should be the only ones who need to improve it.
My biggest concern is the money. Even though SO told me a budget that would buy a really nice diamond, I can't help but love the yellow sapphires at 1/2 the price of a diamond for double the carat.
This is the one I am in love with :)
I love the idea of getting a yellow sapphire, and then replacing it with a yellow diamond later in life, maybe on a big anniversary like 25 years. I think it is just so beautiful! It still looks very traditional to me, but with it's own originality.
Let's not forget that diamonds are gemstones. They're not in their own special category. :P
I didn't ask for my emerald for particularly noble reasons. It cost just as much, if not more than, a comparable diamond. Non-diamonds are still mined to the detriment of the environment, and it's quite possible the sapphire/ruby/emerald/etc. miners live less than wonderful lives. But I've always wanted an emerald, so that's what I got! It's simply gorgeous and suits me to a T. I don't like jewelry that doesn't have any color, and a diamond/white gold e-ring would have looked blah and run of the mill to me.
I just love the look of them! I like diamonds too, which is why they are all around my sapphire and on the band, but its just something about the color that gets me every time. I have gotten a couple of 'ohh, is that what you wanted...?!' comments, but most people LOVE my ring. I've been engaged for 8 months and still get caught staring at my ring!
ps: @pumpkinptch: that yellow sapphre ring is GORGEOUS!
Because I knew we couldn't afford a one-carat diamond and I have always loved sapphires. Now, my ring is very modest compared the blue sapphires in this thread (gorgeous rings ladies :) but it has a lot of meaning because of the symbolism of love, friendship and loyalty of the Claddagh. It's not a great photo (good luck locating it with all the sea glass lol) but I love this ring so much and I doubt I'll see it on anyone else.
P.S. It's a lot prettier and sparklier in real life :)
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@octopus: GORGEOUS!! If I didn't go for a yellow sapphire, I would definitely want a beautiful blue like that! Is it an aquamarine?
I wanted something unique and special (and big) but I didn't want FI to break the bank. I'm in nursing school and he's thinking about going back to school. I also lose things easily and I'd feel really really really bad if I lost something super expensive. We're having a rather modest wedding so I figured we should have more of the money go to that rather than a ring.
My mom always tells the story about how she got an "engagement microwave" instead of a ring. In the 70s they were new and exciting and thats what she wanted more. So traditional engagement rings have never been big on my priority list.
We picked it out together and I absolutely love it!
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I'm obsessed with pink. Absolutely, totally obsessed. I wanted something a bit different than all my other friends, and honestly, I can't stomach spending that much on a 1 carat diamond when my beautiful sapphire is 1 carat and a hell of a lot less. Plus, I actually don't really like pink diamonds because they're not really all that pink! My ring makes me smile :) I keep posting pictures of it, sorry, it's just so fun!
Now that Princess Di's amazing sapphire e-ring is back in the public eye, maybe people will stop being so snobby toward non-diamond rings?
I think they're gorgeous and I love these pictures! Keep them coming!
Yay gemstones! If you are still thinking about what kind of stone you want, I highly recommend a sapphire! You can get FANTASTIC quality sapphires at a reasonable price from http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/ which is where M got ours. Here are my reasons for not wanting a diamond, and why I specifically wanted a sapphire:
1. Diamonds are SOOO expensive! And they aren't even expensive for a good reason. If you did not know, diamond prices are heavily inflated because they are mined in bulk, but then millions of them are stockpiled so that they can be released slowly into the market--and their prices will go sky high. Sapphires are thought to be about four times rarer than diamonds, but are at least HALF the price!
2. It is almost impossible to get a conflict-free diamond. The website that M got our ring from has a section discussing the effort they put into helping the miners and mining companies that supply them with sapphires. If you get a diamond, it will almost surely be from a mine owned by the DeBeers Cartel--and if you buy a diamond from them, you are supporting the blood diamond industry.
3. Sapphires are unique! They come in literally every color of the rainbow. If you get a sapphire that is natural and untreated (like the ones from the above website) you are literally getting something totally rare and irreplaceable. Untreated sapphires are thought to make up about 1% of all mined sapphires--and since they are untreated you are getting something that is totally unique. To me, all diamonds look the same. NOT true with sapphires! Plus, how many women do you know who have a diamond, and how many do you know who have a natural sapphire?
4. Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, and while diamonds beat them (they're a 10), what a lot of people don't know is that diamonds are actually a relatively brittle stone. Sapphires may be barely softer than diamonds, but they are definitely more durable.
5. The last reason I did not buy a diamond is because of this website right here: http://diamondssuck.com/ They really convinced me that buying a diamond is not only a bad idea, but actually a huge ripoff (if your future FI is still unsure about getting gemstones, I'm betting this website will change his mind).
I wish you all the luck in finding your dream ring. I highly recommend the Natural Sapphire Company! Congratulations on your future engagement, and welcome to the community of non-diamond girls!
You know a diamond is a gemstone right?
So I LOVE my diamong because it is sparkly and casts rainbows and most of all, because my fiance picked it out on his own with me in mind :)
You know a diamond is a gemstone right?
So I LOVE my diamond because it is sparkly and casts rainbows and most of all, because my fiance picked it out on his own with me in mind :)
@katiebobatie: I also lose things really easily! The thought of wearing something that cost several thousands of dollars on my finger makes me nauseous. I've already misplaced the gold heart pendant FI gave me for our first Christmas. Note that I said "misplaced"... I refuse to believe that it's actually lost for good. :( So yeah, I'm much more comfortable with a stone that cost just a few hundred.
"My mom always tells the story about how she got an "engagement microwave" instead of a ring. In the 70s they were new and exciting and thats what she wanted more. So traditional engagement rings have never been big on my priority list."
I told FI he could either propose to me with a ring or a new motorcycle. To be honest, I was kind of hoping for the motorcycle!
@pumpkinpatch: Yeah, it's an aquamarine. I really had no reason other than the fact that I thought colored gemstones looked so amazingly beautiful set in a diamond halo. When the Mr. and I were doing some exploratory browsing, I tried on the Tiffany Legacy with an aquamarine and my heart jumped into my throat and it was a done deal. (My ring is not a Tiffany Legacy, but I knew I wanted an aquamarine in a square-ish halo after that.)
People often ask me if it is an engagement ring, which I don't mind at all because it isn't a traditional engagement ring, so I can't blame anybody for not knowing. I've only gotten a few actual snippy comments.
@octopus: I'm insanely jealous. I LOVE aquamarine! Beautiful ring! All these rings are gorgeous!
@Belle2Be: Yes, I know diamonds are gemstones. I just labed it so because I know a lot of women identify the word 'gemstone' with a colored stone.
@octopus: I think most of the comments really just come from people who don't really know that colored rings are becoming popular in place of engagement rings. It is so beautiful! Everytime I see a picture of them, it makes me want a diamond less and less.
@jayce: hahaha that bike would have been great! I had bought FI a new TV we found on super sale the weekend we got engaged (not knowing what was coming) so I told my mom we'd gotten the traditional engagement appliance
Yay gemstones! If you are still thinking about what kind of stone you want, I highly recommend a sapphire! You can get FANTASTIC quality sapphires at a reasonable price from http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/ which is where M got ours. Here are my reasons for not wanting a diamond, and why I specifically wanted a sapphire:
1. Diamonds are SOOO expensive! And they aren't even expensive for a good reason. If you did not know, diamond prices are heavily inflated because they are mined in bulk, but then millions of them are stockpiled so that they can be released slowly into the market--and their prices will go sky high. Sapphires are thought to be about four times rarer than diamonds, but are at least HALF the price!
2. It is almost impossible to get a conflict-free diamond. The website that M got our ring from has a section discussing the effort they put into helping the miners and mining companies that supply them with sapphires. If you get a diamond, it will almost surely be from a mine owned by the DeBeers Cartel--and if you buy a diamond from them, you are supporting the blood diamond industry.
3. Sapphires are unique! They come in literally every color of the rainbow. If you get a sapphire that is natural and untreated (like the ones from the above website) you are literally getting something totally rare and irreplaceable. Untreated sapphires are thought to make up about 1% of all mined sapphires--and since they are untreated you are getting something that is totally unique. To me, all diamonds look the same. NOT true with sapphires! Plus, how many women do you know who have a diamond, and how many do you know who have a natural sapphire?
4. Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, and while diamonds beat them (they're a 10), what a lot of people don't know is that diamonds are actually a relatively brittle stone. Sapphires may be barely softer than diamonds, but they are definitely more durable.
5. The last reason I did not buy a diamond is because of this website right here: http://diamondssuck.com/ They really convinced me that buying a diamond is not only a bad idea, but actually a huge ripoff (if your future FI is still unsure about getting gemstones, I'm betting this website will change his mind).
I wish you all the luck in finding your dream ring. I highly recommend the Natural Sapphire Company! Congratulations on your future engagement, and welcome to the community of non-diamond girls!
Yay gemstones! If you are still thinking about what kind of stone you want, I highly recommend a sapphire! You can get FANTASTIC quality sapphires at a reasonable price from http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/ which is where M got ours. Here are my reasons for not wanting a diamond, and why I specifically wanted a sapphire:
1. Diamonds are SOOO expensive! And they aren't even expensive for a good reason. If you did not know, diamond prices are heavily inflated because they are mined in bulk, but then millions of them are stockpiled so that they can be released slowly into the market--and their prices will go sky high. Sapphires are thought to be about four times rarer than diamonds, but are at least HALF the price!
2. It is almost impossible to get a conflict-free diamond. The website that M got our ring from has a section discussing the effort they put into helping the miners and mining companies that supply them with sapphires. If you get a diamond, it will almost surely be from a mine owned by the DeBeers Cartel--and if you buy a diamond from them, you are supporting the blood diamond industry.
3. Sapphires are unique! They come in literally every color of the rainbow. If you get a sapphire that is natural and untreated (like the ones from the above website) you are literally getting something totally rare and irreplaceable. Untreated sapphires are thought to make up about 1% of all mined sapphires--and since they are untreated you are getting something that is totally unique. To me, all diamonds look the same. NOT true with sapphires! Plus, how many women do you know who have a diamond, and how many do you know who have a natural sapphire?
4. Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, and while diamonds beat them (they're a 10), what a lot of people don't know is that diamonds are actually a relatively brittle stone. Sapphires may be barely softer than diamonds, but they are definitely more durable.
5. The last reason I did not buy a diamond is because of this website right here: http://diamondssuck.com/ They really convinced me that buying a diamond is not only a bad idea, but actually a huge ripoff (if your future FI is still unsure about getting gemstones, I'm betting this website will change his mind).
I wish you all the luck in finding your dream ring. I highly recommend the Natural Sapphire Company! Congratulations on your future engagement, and welcome to the community of non-diamond girls!
Yay gemstones! If you are still thinking about what kind of stone you want, I highly recommend a sapphire! You can get FANTASTIC quality sapphires at a reasonable price from www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com which is where M got ours. Here are my reasons for not wanting a diamond, and why I specifically wanted a sapphire:
1. Diamonds are SOOO expensive! And they aren't even expensive for a good reason. If you did not know, diamond prices are heavily inflated because they are mined in bulk, but then millions of them are stockpiled so that they can be released slowly into the market--and their prices will go sky high. Sapphires are thought to be about four times rarer than diamonds, but are at least HALF the price!
2. It is almost impossible to get a conflict-free diamond. The website that M got our ring from has a section discussing the effort they put into helping the miners and mining companies that supply them with sapphires. If you get a diamond, it will almost surely be from a mine owned by the DeBeers Cartel--and if you buy a diamond from them, you are supporting the blood diamond industry.
3. Sapphires are unique! They come in literally every color of the rainbow. If you get a sapphire that is natural and untreated (like the ones from the above website) you are literally getting something totally rare and irreplaceable. Untreated sapphires are thought to make up about 1% of all mined sapphires--and since they are untreated you are getting something that is totally unique. To me, all diamonds look the same. NOT true with sapphires! Plus, how many women do you know who have a diamond, and how many do you know who have a natural sapphire?
4. Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, and while diamonds beat them (they're a 10), what a lot of people don't know is that diamonds are actually a relatively brittle stone. Sapphires may be barely softer than diamonds, but they are definitely more durable.
5. The last reason I did not buy a diamond is because of this website right here: diamondssuck.com They really convinced me that buying a diamond is not only a bad idea, but actually a huge ripoff (if your future FI is still unsure about getting gemstones, I'm betting this website will change his mind).
I wish you all the luck in finding your dream ring. I highly recommend the Natural Sapphire Company! Congratulations on your future engagement, and welcome to the community of non-diamond girls!
i think i picked a colored gemstone because i like being difficult, and to me a big ole' diamong plonked down in some gold is just too easy. i'm not knocking any other lady here for having their preference, it's just not mine for that piece of jewelry. there is something about that deep, rich color; to be found in the ground with that brilliance inside, it's a very romantic idea for me. i just never bought into that whole 'diamonds are so rare'...'symbolizes the purity of love'...blah blah blah. to be fair i have clear diamond stud earrings that i adore, and a lovely dessert quartz pendant that everyone thinks is a big ole' diamond.
when hubs asked what i would want i said "just no diamond center stone." we had discussed just getting matching bands and no engagement ring, but the more i went along the more i wanted a little something, a little sparkle. i dropped subtle hints.
he shocked the hell out of me the night before the wedding with the beautiful set he picked, i started crying. true story.
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@j.grossman13: Oh.My.God that set is gorgeous. And he picked it out?? I would have cried out of happiness too :) Like you I kind of wanted to order the e-ring only because I wasn't sure how my matching wedding band would look (the reason is too long and boring to relate here :) and then when the ring was put on my finger, I was instantly sorry I hadn't requested both. I'm going to have to wait until next summer to get the wedding band but in the meantime, I'm going to solve the problem by just flipping the Claddagh around and have the crown face my heart to signify "married".
You are a lucky, lucky girl. And the other rings on this thread are drool-worthy too :)
I love all the colored gemstone rings! When we were ring shopping, we looked at diamonds, but none really stood out to me. We were on a budget, and I was open to colored gemstone rings--my two top choices came down to a blue sapphire ring or a green sapphire--but I just knew the blue one was the right one. I LOVE it--it's really sparkly, it's different than everybody else's, it looks somewhat antique, and suits me really well.
I DO love diamonds (and I had always assumed that's what I'd get, until I put on the ring i have haha!) but I don't like how expensive they are. When we were looking, we saw a 1/3 carat diamond that was the same price as a 1.something carat green sapphire. I wish that people felt more free to choose what speaks to them--colored stones, bands, necklace, non-jewelry item, or nothing. I don't like that society tells us that we must have a diamond.
First time posting, so I hope I get the pictures sized right. My ring is four small blue sapphires with a diamond halo and diamonds on the band. There is also filigree and diamonds on the sides, but I didn't get a good picture of that.
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@JaneEyre: Your ring is very pretty! I love the setting! Halo's are so pretty.
I am another member of the 'obsessed with pink club'. Since I was young I always thought I would have a pink diamond E-ring... now that I realize how much a pink diamond actually costs, Pink Sapphire rings became my first choice.
I struggled with wanting a diamond, but i knew the size of ring I wanted was not in our budget and was not a good use of our money. I looked at the simulants and at moissanite and ultimately decided that I didn't want something that was 'pretending' to be a diamond. I wanted a stone that was beautiful it its own right and would make it's own statement.
This is one of the CAD renderings of my ring ( I don't have any actual pics on this computer). Pink a white sapphires and two little 'surprise diamonds on the sides.
Edit: I try to resize the picture but it never comes out smalller in my post. Sorry!
@LovingMyMisterBarger: I have a tanzanite e-ring too! It's very rare I've seen others with it.
I just said that my ring didn't necessarily have to be a diamond. My friend had a ring lined with sapphires and it didn't even LOOK like an e-ring, and I just realized in that moment that it could be whatever I wanted.
In retrospect though I've often been nervous about my e-ring because the gem is not as strong as a diamond gem and so it's much more susceptible to scratches and fading over time. Something you might want to consider when picking the exact kind of gemstone that you want :)
@xx_ambyrr_xx: Moissanite is not pretending to be a diamond. It's a gemstone in it's own right with it's own properties. Just because it is colorless does not mean it's pretending to be a diamond. Are white sapphires also pretending to be diamonds too? :P
I see where you are coming from though. I did not want to go the route of Asha/CZ for that reason. In my opinion, CZ really is just an imitation diamond (it's purpose is to look as much like diamond as possible) but moissanite is a stone which should be admired for it's own unique qualities, like it's crazy sparkle!
My center stone is a diamond and the two stones on the side are rubies. I diamond is my birthstone and ruby is his. I like the idea that we were both "represented" on my wedding ring :)
I chose a gemstone because I wanted a ring that was different. And I love color! Mine is a 1.3 carat yellow sapphire.
P2061041.jpg (1160.2 KB, 48 downloads) 1 year old You must log in to post.
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