Things
to Know About Stones
What
kind of stones are appropriate for an engagement ring?
Does it have to be a diamond?
The most typical
responses to these questions are diamonds and yes.
Ricco's answers are many kinds and no.
Diamonds are a
traditional choice, and they have many qualities that
make them desireable, but it's wise to at least consider
some other options.
As the slogan goes,
"A diamond is forever". A diamond symbolizes
durability, and this is what a marriage should have--it
should last forever. In truth, a diamond may not be
forever at all. Although diamond is the hardest substance
on the planet, it is also quite brittle, so that diamonds
can and do break apart if they are struck hard enough.
Aside from that, however, yes, it's true that diamonds
do not wear out or degrade.
Another feature of
a diamond with great symbolic resonance for a wedding
ring is its purity. A diamond's value is based on
how free it is from color and flaws.
Finally, the brilliance
of a diamond is hard to surpass when it comes to expressing
a feeling of love. In sum, it is no surprise that
diamonds represent a standard for bridal jewelry. Even
so, it is worthwhile to at least consider some
other possibilities.
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Sapphires and other choices.
An engagement ring should have stones
that are durable, so sapphire, being the next hardest stone
to diamond, is an obvious choice. A sort of milestone was
established when Prince Charles presented Lady Diana with
a beautiful sapphire and diamond engagement ring. You can
see a few of the designs that I have made with this combination here.
The contrast of the dark blue sapphire with brilliant white
diamonds is striking and enhances the qualities of both
stones.
Are there other choices besides sapphires?
Well, there are rubies. But ruby is really
the same material as sapphire, namely corundum. Something
not generally known about corundum is that it comes in
a rainbow of colors. Besides blue (sapphire) and red (ruby),
it comes in purple, orange, yellow, green, as well as colorless,
or "white".
[add links to colored sapphires here]
Another choice might be spinel, which
is related to corundum. Though not as hard, it shares
many of its properties and comes in similar colors.
There are some other possibilities like taaffeite (which
is another relative of sapphire that is even harder than
spinel), and chrysoberyl (alexandrite).
If you
would like to find out more about these alternatives, contact
me .
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