Today’s brides are unique, and deserve a ring to match. Rather than going for the expected diamond, modern brides are turning to alternative stones to adorn their ring fingers. For a sweet, soft look, why not consider going for morganite? This pink gemstone has become a trendy alternative in recent years.

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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.

The stone was discovered in Madagascar in 1910. It was named after famous financier J.P. Morgan, who was well-known for his love of gemstones. Today, the majority of morganite comes from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

According to Crystal Vaults.com, morganite “cleanses the emotional body of stress and anxiety, old wounds and hidden traumas, and enkindles lightness within the spirit, as if a burden has been lifted.”

The stone also encourages and maintains loving thoughts.

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The stone has slowly grown in popularity over the years.

“While diamonds are still the most popular gemstone used in engagement rings, other gemstones, including morganite, are becoming increasingly sought after,” Brilliant Earth co-founder and co-CEO Beth Gerstein told Vox. “We continue to see an increasing interest in pink engagement rings following the rise of millennial pink in 2017.”

Morganite scores 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale, making it softer than diamond yet still quite durable. However, it is more susceptible to scratches and damage.

Besides being unique, morganite is also way more affordable than diamond, making it a great choice for an engagement ring.

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Feature image: Pinterest

Diamonds are forever, yes, but they’re also a bit…expected. If you want to make a statement with your engagement ring, why not opt for a unique stone? From ruby to sapphire, there is no end to colourful stones to say yes to.

Another unique option is onyx, perfect for someone wanting to take a walk on the darker side of life.

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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.

The name is derived from the ancient Greek word for claw. Speaking to Brides, New York City-based fine jeweler Ashley Zhang explains the mythology.

“The story is that while Venus slept, her fingernails were trimmed, and the gods turned these clippings into the stone known as onyx,” she says.

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Its beautiful striped appearance symbolises the various phases of the planet. Black represents the night, gray is dawn and white is day. Together, these colours stand for the interconnectedness of the world and the yin-yang of the universe, helping to restore balance to life.

The transformative power of onyx is what makes it perfect for an engagement ring. Onyx is said to stamp out fear by absorbing and transforming negative energy, thus helping to prevent the drain of personal energy. Onyx also helps develop emotional and physical strength and stamina, especially when support is needed during times of stress, confusion or grief.

Seems like the perfect stone to have on hand, literally.

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Feature image: Pexels

When you hear the words “diamond ring”, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably an engagement ring, right? These days, the gems are closely connected to love and romance. However, as with many wedding traditions, it has a not-so-romantic beginning.

According to Marie Claire, the first recorded bride to have received the sparkling surprise for her engagement was Archduke Maximillian of Austria’s bride-to-be in 1477. However, this was not the inception of the diamond ring proposal.

That achievement is attributed to the jewellery giant, De Beers. Insider reports that diamonds have become the world’s most popular choice for engagement rings as a result of a marketing ploy by De Beers.

Early in the 1900s, diamond production was low. Engagement rings were often given to women for the purpose of marriage, however for the most part the gem was not a diamond. By 1938, the diamond had become more popular for this purpose. But, as its value dropped with the Great Depression, their popularity dropped once again.

In 1947, De Beers launched a clever advertising campaign. The slogan for the campaign was “a diamond is forever”.  De Beers built their marketing around the idea that diamonds – with their brilliance, unbreakable character, and everlasting nature – are symbolic of the commitment of marriage, which is forever.

De Beers’ tactics were elaborate, as they targeted the psychology of human beings. In 1982, an investigating journalist named Edward Jay Epstein wrote an exposé in The Atlantic about the campaign.

In this tell-all, 20 000 word piece, Epstein revealed shocking truths about the advertising campaign. “Even though diamonds can in fact be shattered, chipped, discolored, or incinerated to ash, the concept of eternity perfectly captured the magical qualities that the advertising agency wanted to attribute to diamonds,” he wrote.

According to Epstein, part of the advertising strategy included sending lecturers to schools to ensure children knew the value of diamonds. He said that they also created a weekly service called “Hollywood personalities” which  “provided 125 leading newspapers with descriptions of the diamonds worn by movie stars.”

The campaign was so rigorous and aggressive that it spread across the ocean to other countries. It may, however, not be that surprising as they had spent millions a year on the campaign which even reached Japan, a country that had not included engagement rings in their traditions prior to this. The campaign lasted about 4 decades, and remnants of it can still be seen today in some advertisements.

These days, however, diamonds are falling in popularity. Many refuse to participate in the diamond business for ethical reasons. De Beers is a massive, powerful company though. Who knows what their next ad campaign will achieve.

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For those ethically opposed to the diamond trade, there are a multitude of alternative stones to choose from to centre your engagement ring. If you like the look of diamonds but desire something more sustainable and affordable, why not consider a moissanite stone?

Moissanite stones finely resemble diamonds, and only experts can tell a difference between the two.

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Made from meteorites from outer space, natural moissanite is much more rare than diamonds. It was first discovered in a meteor crater in 1893 by scientist Henri Moissan. Moissan mistakenly thought the crystals inside the crater were diamonds because of its extreme likeness.

Today, the majority of moissanite stones are lab grown and it takes about 2-3 months to make a single stone.

To tell a moissanite and a diamond apart, one would have to look very closely at its fire and brilliance. With a refractive index of 2.65, moissanite is much more brilliant and is known for its “disco ball” effect in which rainbow light quickly flashes from the gem.

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The main differences are not visible, they are technical. With a 9.25 rating, moissanites rank lower on the Mohs scale of hardness than the diamonds hardy 10. Moissanites also typically weigh about 15% less than diamonds. As a result, moissanites are sold by their length and width in millimeters rather than carat size like diamonds are.

Since the majority of moissanite stones are lab grown, it’s a much more ethical choice than natural diamonds. The reality of diamond mining is anything but romantic. Environmental devastation and human rights abuse has been synonymous with the trade for decades, leading many modern couples to avoid going for ‘blood diamonds’.

Of course, the biggest difference is often the price point. Moissanite is much cheaper than diamond. Gem Rock Auctions estimates that a moissanite stone of a similar size in appearance can cost up to 90% less than a diamond would.

Opting for a moissanite over a diamond is down to preference. The differences are miniscule, so it is reallythe production of the stone and the price of the stone that sways buyers.

Feature image: Pexels

If you’re in the market for an engagement ring, you need to remember to keep the setting options in mind. It may seem trivial, but it makes a huge difference to the look and style of the ring.

Each setting has a different way of securing the diamond. Here is a cheat sheet to some of the most popular setting styles:

Halo 

Additional diamonds are ordered in a circle or square around the main stone. This makes the centre gem look larger and increases the sparkle of the ring overall.

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Prong 

This is the most common and classic setting. It features a metal claw, which grips the diamond. The setting can be round, pointed, v-shaped or flat. The setting does well to elevate the stone, bringing it to the attention of anybody looking towards your hand.

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Tiffany 

Of course, you can’t talk about rings without a mention of Tiffany. The Tiffany setting features six prongs, and is distinguished from the prong setting by the knife-like edge of its shaft and the design of its prongs.

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Cathedral 

Taking inspiration from what it’s named after, this setting uses arches that resemble those of a cathedral to hold the diamond in place. It’s defining characteristic is how the diamond is mounted with the arches on top of the rest of the shank.

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Channel 

The channel setting secures other diamonds in the band, creating a row of sparkling gems that leads to the main stone. The one is great for those who love a little extra sparkle.

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Bezel

With its modern appearance, this one is quite popular too. The Bezel setting holds the diamond by encircling it with a metal rim. This setting holds the stone tightly in place and therefore is great for anybody who lives an active lifestyle.

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Tension 

Named aptly, the tension setting holds your gem in place with tension of the metal band. The diamond seems to be suspended between the two edges of the band.

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Buying a diamond is a huge decision. It can get very expensive and for that reason you want it to last a lifetime. It’s best, then, to ensure you’re buying a real diamond before you make the purchase.

If you’ve already bought it, and are having some doubts about its authenticity, worry not because there are some way you can determine this.

Don’t get caught out by diamond replacements such as cubic zirconia or moissanite, and ensure you don’t have a fake on your hands using these tests:

– The water test

A diamond has high density, so it shouldn’t float in water. All you need to do is fill a glass with water and drop the diamond in. If it floats, it’s fake.

– The fire test

Use a lighter to heat the gem for no less than 30 seconds, then drop it into ice-cold water. If the stone remains unharmed then it’s real and if not then it’s fake. Weaker materials cannot handle the rate of expansion and contraction that’s provided through this test. A diamond, however, will withstand it.

– The fog test

This one is quick and easy. Hold the diamond close to your mouth and try to fog it up. If it stays fogged for more than 4 seconds, it’s likely that it’s fake. This is because diamonds disperse heat easily, which means it’s quite difficult to fog up.

For this test to work, your stone has to be completely clean with no oils covering it.

– Black light test 

Of course you’ll need a black light for this test. Turn off the lights, shut the curtains and hold the stone in front of the black light. Most diamonds will reveal blue fluorescence. If you see slight green, yellow, or grey, your diamond is fake. It’s important to remember that for this test, that not all diamonds will reveal blue fluorescence.

– Imperfections test 

Look at your gem through a magnifying glass. If you don’t find imperfections, you have a fake on your hands. A real diamond will have imperfections, referred to as inclusions.

– The dot test

Draw a small dot on a white piece of paper and put the stone onto the dot, with the flat side down. Looking through the pointed side of the diamond, try to see the dot. If you see a circular reflection, the diamond is fake.

Diamonds have strong refractive qualities. Therefore, light bounces around in all directions instead of in a straight line. Because of this, you won’t be able to see the dot through a real diamond.

It’s important to remember that these tests are not 100% conclusive. If you’re still unsure by the end of these tests, then the best option is to head over to a diamond expert who will have the necessary equipment to investigate.

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