Gemstone Engagement Rings and Promise Rings
What is the world
without color? Without flowers, without the rainbow, or without beautiful gemstones, the world would be a very
different place.
Gemstone engagement rings are becoming an increasingly popular
alternative to diamond engagement rings. Gemstone engagement rings add a brilliant splash of color and allow more individual
expression then ever before. MyJewelrySource offers a beautiful selection of truly unique precious and
semi-precious gemstone engagement rings and birthstone promise rings,
most of which are exclusively sold here.
Tips for Choosing a Gemstone Engagement Ring
Tip #5- Mellow Yellow: If yellow is her favorite color, consider yellow sapphire or pale citrine.
Yellow sapphire is available in many shades of yellow from banana to lemon to
butter to sunshine yellow. Citrine can be a soft and delicate golden yellow but
it can also be more of an intense yellow orange. Yellow is a neutral color that
will look great on many skin tones. The yellow gemstones often are more striking
in a white metal because there is a subtle contrast between the yellow and the
white. When yellow gemstones are set in yellow gold, the beautiful color of the
gemstone becomes less noticeable because it is competing with the yellow metal.
Yellow sapphires are commonly found in sizes up to 2 carats, but fine stones in
sizes over that are quite rare. And if you love the look of yellow diamonds,
yellow sapphire rings are a fabulous engagement ring alternative.
Tip #18 -Pricing: As much as you might like it to be, the sky often is not
the limit when selecting a gemstone engagement ring. At MyJewelrySource.com, we
have fine quality gemstone engagement rings ranging in price from about $500 to
$15000. Just because the budget isn't unlimited, it doesn't mean you can't find
a truly exceptional, even a one of a kind engagement ring. Since we are a small
company and hand select nearly every gemstone we offer, we have many
eye-catching designs that you will find nowhere else. The most affordable gemstones are some of the semi precious gemstones
including amethyst,
blue topaz,
citrine, and
garnet. Other semi precious
gemstones which generally price just a little higher are
peridot,
aquamarine,
tourmaline and blue zircon.
Tanzanite is a step up from there. Gemstone prices
are directly related to the rarity of the gemstone. The most expensive gemstone
rings would include
rubies and emeralds with various shades of
sapphire right
behind.
Sapphire: Although
sapphire means
blue in Latin, sapphires can be found in a
rainbow of colors. Kings once
believed these stones offered protection form harm and envy. Sapphires are calm and relaxing. Until the
discovery of extraordinary stones in Kashmir in 1880, Sri Lanka (formerly known as
Ceylon) was the standard
bearer of sapphire. The Kashmir supply was essentially exhausted by 1930, leaving
Sri Lanka as the location of
the world's most beautiful sapphires. Sapphires are also mined in Madagascar, Australia and Thailand. Sapphires
come other colors such as red,
orange, yellow, green,
blue, purple and
pink. Colors other than blue are
referred to as "fancy sapphires".
Sapphire is the traditional gift for the fifth and forty-fifth wedding anniversaries and the
birthstone for September.Enhancements: Although cutting is the most basic enhancement method necessary to display the beauty of
a gemstone, there are many
fascinating methods by which man has demonstrated his ability to draw maximum color, luster, clarity and
brilliance from nature's earthbound treasures. A basic understanding of these enhancement techniques will add to
your appreciation of the beauty, durability and value of the
gemstone jewelry you already own,
or plan to purchase in the future. Most sapphires are treated with heat after being mined. Heat treatment of
sapphires is a permanent, industry accepted treatment requiring no additional care over that of unheated
sapphires. There are other treatments used to enhance the color of sapphires which are not industry accepted, may
not be permanent, and therefore not sold by our company. Approximately, 99% of sapphires used in jewelry are
heated, leaving 1% which are unheated and considered very rare. You should assume
that the sapphires sold at MyJewelrySource are heated unless stated otherwise.Buying a Sapphire: All in all,
sapphire can be considered
the ideal colored gemstone. Besides excelling in color selection,
sapphire excels in durability
with a rating of 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Sapphires in sizes of 1 carat and over are considered to be important. Some inclusions are accepted although
certainly not as many as with
ruby or emerald. Nearly
all of the sapphires at MyJewelrySource.com are eye clean and most important, all are pleasing to the eye. We
offer a wide range of colors from a traditional Ceylon blue, to rich lustrous
royal blue, to many styles with pink,
orange, and yellow sapphires.
Care of Sapphires: Since sapphires are tough and durable, they can withstand most cleaning methods.
While steaming and ultrasonic cleaning will not damage the gemstone, these methods are not recommended by MJS as
they may loosen the setting, and subsequently, stones may fall out. Your
sapphire jewelry may be
cleaned with a soft-bristled brush or a cloth with plain or soapy water. Sapphires must not be put in boiling hot
water. Avoid exposure to hairspray, perfume and chlorine, which can dull gemstones. |