A guide by our experts for finding the perfect stone

It is quite normal to feel a sense of indecision when you are about to ask the biggest question of your life. “Will you marry me?” is not only the most important question you will ask your soulmate, it is also the moment to make a lifelong statement – and your engagement ring is the centerpiece of this special occasion.

Finding the perfect stone to symbolize a lifelong commitment to your partner can be a stressful experience to most, but we at Gemdaia are here to help your decision making process easier with some expert insights. Not only will we explain the types of choices you will encounter in your search for the perfect jewel, we will share some expert tips to help you find a gemstone that fits your budget, while sparing no compromises on beauty.

We will share our list of choices of best gemstones for engagement rings further into this blog, but to start you off

Here Are Some Important Things To Consider When Looking For The Perfect Stone

Durability & Hardness

Just like your love, your gemstone too has to stand the test of time. Gemstones are used in engagement rings to symbolize everlasting love, and it is very important to consider the durability and hardiness of the stone when making an informed decision. Minerals are classified by hardness according to the Mohs scale of hardness. The higher the hardness rating, the more durable the stone. “Soft” stones like moonstone and opal may be trendy and fashionable, but are susceptible to chipping, eroding, or breaking over long periods of everyday wear. Hard stones are ideal for daily wear, are resistant to scratches, and also appreciate in value over time.

Diamonds, being the hardest mineral substance on earth, has a rating of 10 in the Moh’s scale. Only stones that rank 7.0 or higher on the Moh’s scale are fit enough to resist events that will blemish, scratch, or damage the stone with everyday use. As such, gemstones such as sapphire (9.0 Moh’s), ruby (9.0 Moh’s), emerald (8.0 Moh’s), spinel (8.0 Moh’s), and alexandrite (8.5 Moh’s) are popular alternative choices to diamonds when selecting a jewel fit for the gesture of a lifetime. At Gemdaia, we only recommend gemstones that rank at 8.0 or higher on the Moh’s scale for your engagement ring.

Beauty & Sparkle

What’s a gemstone without a sparkle? The beauty and sparkle of any gemstone is what makes them precious and valuable. The optical characteristics of gemstones vary according to each mineral. The appeal and value of a gemstone are determined in the gem-industry by inspecting three factors: brilliance, luster, and fire.

• Brilliance, as the word suggests, is the term used to determine the amount of light returned to the eye from a gem’s interior. Cutting and polishing techniques can be applied to increase a gemstone’s brilliance.
• The luster of a gemstone refers to the property of reflectiveness on its surface. Prized gemstones reflect light better, as opposed to absorbing light, which gives stones a duller appearance.
• Finally, the quality of light refracting throughout the stone is referred to as the “fire” of a gemstone. We encourage our clients to look closely into these properties when selecting their perfect stone . After all, a gemstone’s sparkle is a representation of the light of love, and it’s only fitting that you find the most beautiful sparkle to tell that story.

Is It A Good Match?

Think about the kind of jewel that personifies your partner. Not only should your engagement ring signify an everlasting love, it should, most importantly, win your partner’s admiration. Finding the perfect match for your better half is something that requires you to consider many factors such as style, gemstone type, hardness scale, color, cut, and price-range etc. before arriving at a decision. The task may sound daunting to many, but our helpful 12-step buying guide will simplify some of the most frequently occurring questions when choosing the ideal stone for the love of your life.

Investment Value

The value of gemstones is timeless. Besides being a beautiful embellishment that symbolizes your love for one another, a gemstone is an investment that appreciates in value over time. This makes it a valuable treasure that can be passed on through generations. It’s no secret that jewelry and gemstones make for great heirlooms. Make your choice the perfect representation of an undying love story that can be passed on from generation to generation.

Impress With Ingenuity

Just one glance is all it takes for an engagement ring on a finger to impress. Not only are they a deeply personal accessory, engagement rings are also a powerful social statement. The perfect balance of style, materials, and personality emanates a persuasive sense of confidence and character in an engagement ring. Achieving a luxurious look and feel for the ideal ring shouldn’t be something that intimidates you. At Gemdaia, we can help you design your own custom engagement ring to find the ideal balance between beauty, affordability, and the ability to impress at every social setting – including those with your in-laws!

Our Ratings of The Best Gemstones

Rarity, elegance, brilliance; some gemstones have it all. While there are various options for engagement rings with gemstones, there are some gemstones that stand apart from the rest. At Gemdaia, we only consider gemstones with a hardness rating of over 8.0 on the Moh’s scale to be suitable for engagement rings. Not only should your choice of stone be beautiful, it should also be durable enough to stand the test of time.

Here is our list of best gemstones ranked from the best and most exclusive, to choices that offer great value for money while being beautiful, unique, and long-lasting, no matter what.

1.Padparadscha Sapphire

The hypnotic pinkish-orange color and extreme rarity of padparadscha sapphires make them some of the most sought after and prized gemstones in the world. Its exotic sounding name has been derived from the Sanskrit/Singhalese word padmaraga, which loosely translates to “sensuous lotus” owing to its delicate blend of pink and orange hues. These jewels are known to be found primarily in Sri Lanka, but have also been uncovered from Madagascar, Vietnam’s Quy Chau district, and Tanzania’s Tunduru district.

Padparadscha stones make for one-of-a-kind engagement rings and its 9.0 rating on the Moh’s scale make them second to only diamonds in terms of durability. These jewels are usually cut to oval and cushion cuts to accentuate its delicate colors. Take a look at our in-depth guide and learn more about padparadschas.

2. Ruby

Rubies are gemstones of royalty. Not only is the “king of gemstones” coveted for its rarity, rubies have been in vogue for centuries, and show no sign of taking any steps down from its regal pedestal anytime soon. The deep, blood-red color of the ruby is often associated with intense desire and is held sacred by some cultures for representing the power of life. Rubies were highly sought after by European royalty and upper classes since medieval times and are often associated with nobility, power, and success to this day.

Rubies possess a 9.0 rating on the Moh’s scale. The color, durability, and rarity of ruby allows it to command the highest per-carat price among all colored stones in the world. Learn more about these amazing gemstones in our comprehensive guide.

3. Blue Sapphire

The unmistakable hue of blue sapphires has mesmerized the world for centuries. These elegant and elusive stones are a favorite of royalty and is a classic choice for engagement rings. Thanks to its versatility, blue sapphire can be cut in many different shapes. They are used in a variety of ring setting styles and are one of the hardest minerals known to man with a 9.0 rating on the Moh’s scale.

There are varying hues of blue sapphires that fall within the spectrum of blue ranging all the way from an azure sky-blue to the intense midnight-blue, and are valued based on a combination of several factors such as hue, tone, and color saturation. We at Gemdaia pride ourselves in sourcing exquisite and ethically mined blue sapphires direct from local mines. Learn more.

4. Color Diamond

Yes, colorless diamonds are the most sought-after gemstones in the world for engagement rings, but did you know that diamonds also come in a variety of colors? Not only do diamonds in hues of red, pink, blue, and green actually exist, they are rarer and are valued much higher than colorless diamonds. Yellow diamonds can be considered a more affordable alternative among the range of different colored diamonds.

Regardless of color differences, diamonds are the hardest known mineral substance on the face of the earth with a rating of 10 on the Moh’s scale. They are known to symbolize purity, love, and eternity, and colored diamonds introduce a fresh twist to the traditional colorless diamonds used in engagement rings.

5. Emerald

Emeralds have been jewels that have been prized by royalty and nobility since ancient times. In the first century A.D. Rome’s Pliny the Elder wrote in his book Natural History “… nothing greens greener,” reflecting on the stunning beauty of emeralds. They come in different shades of green ranging from deep, dark greens to near transparent, and are primarily valued based on the even distribution of its color.

Emerald’s hardness ranks 7.5 – 8.0 on the Moh’s scale, making it more sensitive than the other gemstones mentioned in this list, and should be handled with some degree of care. Despite this, emeralds are highly sought after for their beauty and are a popular alternative choice to diamonds in engagement rings with gemstones. Our guide on emeralds will give you an in-depth understanding of this remarkable and iconic jewel.

6. Diamond

Diamond is the undisputed preference among all jewels for engagement rings with gemstones. The iconic image of diamonds in today’s society was created by a 1948 advertising campaign for diamond company De Beers which popularized the slogan “A Diamond Is Forever.” Several decades later, diamonds have earned a mass appeal around the world largely in part due to appearances in movies, songs, books, and celebrity fashion over the years.

Rated 10 on the Moh’s scale of hardness, diamonds are incomparable in their toughness to any other gemstone or mineral on earth. Diamonds are generally colorless, but colored diamonds do exist, as mentioned earlier in this article. We at Gemdaia pride ourselves in the procurement of ethical diamonds directly from partner mines. Read more about diamonds in our informative guide to the most coveted gemstone in the world.

7. Spinel

Vibrant, rare, and dazzling, spinel is a type of gemstone that has been historically underappreciated, but has begun to earn the recognition that it deserves in more recent times. Spinel appears in a variety of dazzling colors including pink, red, blue, and violet and interestingly, appears fluorescent under UV light. They are a more affordable alternative to sapphires and rubies and possesses a character that hardly compromises beauty over its more expensive alternatives.

Spinel is one of the most durable gemstone types in the world and ranks 8.0 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. These vividly colored jewels have been traditionally associated with qualities such as joy and revitalization. Read more about this underappreciated beauty here.

8. Fancy Sapphires

Fancy a gemstone that exudes playfulness and excitement? Then fancy sapphires can be your calling. Found in vivid colors such as pink, yellow, orange, green, violet, and purple, fancy sapphires are from the same family of minerals as blue sapphires and are only set apart from color. These dazzling and colorful gemstones make for unique, custom engagement rings that make great personalized statements suited to people with outgoing and colorful personalities.

Fancy sapphires demonstrate versatility just like their blue counterparts, and can be fashioned into a variety of different cuts. They also rank 9.0 on the Moh’s hardness scale, making them perfect for everyday wear with a touch of vivaciousness. Learn more about these dazzling gemstones in our guide to sapphires.

Conclusion

Making a meaningful choice of gemstone for the perfect engagement ring for the most important person in your life should be a well-informed experience that strikes the perfect chord. Choosing a jewel that is a sound investment and gives you value for money requires some research and we hope our guide for choosing the best gemstone for your engagement ring has been a useful resource for you.

We at Gemdaia create exquisite, custom engagement rings using the finest, ethically sourced gemstones. Speak to us to find the best approach to making an everlasting statement within your preferred price range, and we can help you make a one-of-a-kind engagement ring that does that in style.

Your soulmate deserves something special. Are you ready to make the perfect statement?