More than ever, women feel the need to be unique and express their individuality putting the traditional colorless diamond engagement rings to the side and going for more natural fancy colored diamonds or ruby engagement rings. From royalty to celebrities to your every-day-bride, the beloved red stone is replacing some of its colorless diamond counterparts.
Still, the magnificent assortment of engagement rings in antique and vintage jewelry online stores reveals the countless options that women have to accessorize themselves for their wedding day and the rest of their lives. Here are some of the most coveted stone options for engagement rings.
Ruby Engagement Rings
Ruby engagement rings have shown us the need to go beyond custom and make room for other charming and sophisticated colorful options in engagement rings. Sarah Ferguson and Scarlet Johansson, among others have accessorized with elegant deep-ruby rings in their weddings with excellent results.
But before you take the plunge, try to consider different kinds of rubies since their appearance varies widely; some are heat-treated to have a clearer finish and deeper color, while other rubies are admired for their imperfections.
Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings
It’s impossible not to smile when you see a yellow sapphire. Happy, bright, and beautiful, they are a bold choice for an engagement ring, but they make a great addition to any jewelry collection. One of the most popular sapphire colors, yellow sapphires sparkle from every angle and look lovely in white or yellow gold and accompanied by diamonds on its side.
Tanzanite Engagement Rings
Millions of years in the making, tanzanite gemstones are relatively new to the gemstone world but a daring choice for an engagement ring. Discovered in 1967, in Tanzania, they were immediately prized for their mesmerizing hues and color-changing effect. Tanzanite gems are deeply rich in color and when treated with heat and cut, they display two colors: sapphire blue and deep purple.
Black Onyx Engagement Rings
Onyx is a great stone to compliment or accent other high quality gemstones or precious metal, like diamonds. Even though Onyx comes in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, black onyx is one of the most popular. Onyx is a fairly strong stone and has a hardness measured by Moh’s hardness scale of 7.0. This means that it will stand up to the daily grind and will usually last for many years, or even many generations if kept well.