When you think ‘engagement ring’, your mind automatically turns to diamonds. But the truth is, diamonds aren’t every girl’s best friend, despite what TV ads may have taught you.
If you and your partner are shopping for your engagement ring together or they’ve asked you what you like, consider one of these stones instead – from the colour to the texture, you’ll find one that captures your personality to a tee.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a variety of the mineral zoisite and varies in hues from blue, to violet, or purple. These incredible blue stones are one thousand times more valuable than diamonds. Why, you ask? Discovered in Tanzania, it’s estimated that there’s only a 30-year supply left in the world.
Morganite
Morganite is a semi-precious stone in the beryl family, making it related to emerald and aquamarine. While it is typically light peach in colour, it can range in shades from orange to pink. Besides being unique, morganite is also way more affordable than diamond, making it a great choice for an engagement ring.
Pearls
Nothing beats the classic look of pearls and in an engagement ring, it becomes a timeless memento of your love. The only problem? Pearls are quite soft and easily become scratched or tarnished. This can be countered somewhat by using smaller pearls in your setting surrounded by harder stones to protect it.
Opal
Another classic stone, opals come in black, white and crystal. Their most striking feature is the ability to reflect the rainbow depending on how they are held up in the light. This, coupled with the fact that each opal is unique, makes for a very special ring.
Emerald
Dubbed the “Stone of Successful Love,” emeralds are particularly symbolic for romance. The stone is said to open and nurture the heart and embody unity, compassion and unconditional love. The distinct deep green colour gives it a sense of timeless luxury while an ornate setting can give it a vintage feel to stand out in a sea of modern designs.
Ruby
Not only are rubies gorgeous, but they’re sturdy too. As one of the four precious stones (the others are diamonds, emeralds and sapphires), it comes with quite a price tag. Some of the finest rubies will cost more than a diamond.
Garnet
Garnets are often a rich pink-red colour similar to that of rubies. However, you can also find these gems in different hues. They are softer and less expensive than rubies, and also work well when paired with other stones. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate was a gift given as a symbol of love and eternity. Hades gifted his love Persephone with a pomegranate before she left to ensure she returned home fast and safe.
Amethyst
Amethyst is an ancient semi-precious gemstone and a purple variety of quartz. The stone ranges in purple-tinged shades, from deep violet to lavender. Amethyst is slightly softer than diamonds but they’re still very durable so you know your ring will last a lifetime.
Onyx
Onyx is a semi-precious gemstone, a sub-variety of the microcrystalline quartz called chalcedony. This gemstone is typically black with white lines, although can sometimes also be green or reddish-brown. The stone is perfect for fans of the art deco or Victorian style as that’s when it was most popular.
Sapphire
We all know that sapphires are blue but did you know you can get them in peach, pink, yellow, green and white too? That means if sapphires are your birthstone but you’re not a fan of blue, you can find a colour that matches your personality.
Moissanite
If the diamond look and feel is what you want, but you’re wary of using actual diamonds (conflict diamonds are still an issue) then moissanite is the stone for you. They are not as expensive as diamonds and are almost as hard.
Lapis lazuli
This semi-precious stone is simply gorgeous! A deep matte-blue stone with gold flecks, they make for striking jewellery. It’s best set in gold and may need replacing every few years.
Topaz
Topaz is one of the stones where imperfections are welcome. While pure Topaz has no colour, you can find this stone in hues of blue, orange, red, green and pink. The imperfections on each stone also create beautiful settings.
Moon- and sunstones
Moonstone is a white cloudy gemstone that looks as if it is emitting light. This incredible optical phenomenon makes the stone quite popular and will make for a mesmerising ring. Its counterpart is the lesser-known sunstone, which is more peachy in colour and makes for wonderful cluster combinations.
Rose quartz
As the name suggests, this stone is available in different shades of pink, ranging from pale to deep rose. It can be transparent or opaque, so all you have to do is choose the colour and clarity that works for you.
Picture: Unsplash
