The Ultimate Guide to Shop Alluring Sapphire Engagement Rings

Nearly two million people get married every year, and if you want to join that number next year, you need the perfect engagement ring. You want to pick a ring that your partner will love and that will stand up for all the years of your life together. While diamonds are traditional, you may want a stone with a little more color or one that comes with fewer ethical questions. 

Sapphires can be a great option for the perfect engagement ring. Read on to discover the benefits of a handmade sapphire engagement ring and what you should look for when you’re shopping.

Why Sapphires? 

There are lots of fantastic reasons to choose a sapphire engagement ring, ranging from historical precedent to personal meaning. Sapphires are one of four precious gemstones, with the other three being diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. They’re tremendously valuable and in fact have been associated with royalty for centuries.

Many royal jewels include sapphires, and Prince Charles proposed to Diana using a sapphire engagement ring. In Persian culture, sapphires were believed to be the reason the sky is blue. And if your partner happens to have a September birthday, a sapphire engagement ring can have a special meaning for them, since sapphire is the September birthstone.

How Durable Are They?

One of the biggest reasons diamonds are so popular as engagement rings is that they’re so durable. Diamond is the hardest substance known to man, so diamond rings symbolize the long-lasting nature of your love. So how durable are sapphires, and will they stand up to wear and tear for the rest of your lives?

You might be surprised to learn that sapphires are actually just below diamonds on the Mohs scale. The Mohs scale runs from 0 to 10, with diamonds coming in at a 10. But both rubies and sapphires rank at a 9 on the Mohs scale, meaning they’re harder than anything other than diamond!

Different Types of Sapphire

Most of us think of sapphires as being blue, and that is the most common color for the stone. But did you know that sapphires come in a wide rainbow of colors? This means that you can get your sapphire engagement ring in any color that your partner likes.

In fact, you could get them a rainbow ring made with entirely sapphires if you like!

In addition to the traditional blue, sapphires come in pink, orange, yellow, green, purple, and black. We are big fans of the padparascha sapphire, the most perfect peachy pink that compliments all skin tones. You can even get clear sapphires that mimic the look of diamonds if you like that, but don’t want to deal with the ethical questions. And you might be surprised to learn that there are red sapphires – we just call them rubies.

Ethics of a Sapphire

Sapphire mines are generally smaller operations owned by families, rather than large corporations. This means that their labor practices tend to be less exploitative than many of the diamond mines do. You can have a natural stone while still being confident that your stone isn’t contributing to oppression. 

How to Choose a Good Sapphire 

When you’re choosing a sapphire for your engagement ring, there are a few things you’ll want to look out for. Sapphires use the same rating scale diamonds do – color, cut, clarity, and carat. But the most important factors when choosing your sapphire are the color and shape, or cut, of the stone.

While sapphires can look gorgeous in any shape, ovals allow the most light to travel through the stone and show off its stunning color. You may also want to consider getting platinum or white gold to contrast against the color of the stone, particularly if you choose a blue gem. And although beautiful sapphires come from all over the world, the most famous sapphire mines are in Thailand and Sri Lanka. 

Cost of a Sapphire Ring

Of course, another major question when you’re buying an engagement ring is how much it cost. Given the reputation diamonds have, it may come as no surprise that sapphires are more affordable. And as with any other gemstones, the price you pay will depend on the overall size and quality of the stone.

Sapphires generally cost about a quarter of what a diamond of the same size and quality would. This means that you may be able to get a larger or nicer stone for the same amount of money that you would have spent on a diamond. 

Find the Perfect Sapphire Engagement Ring

A sapphire engagement ring can be the perfect way to start your life with your partner. These gemstones have been the prized possessions of royalty for centuries and today symbolize loyalty and trust. You may also be able to get a larger or better quality stone in your sapphire engagement ring than you would be able to get with a diamond.

If you’d like to find the perfect sapphire engagement ring, check out the rest of our site at Emily Amey. We create lovingly handmade jewelry in the lower Hudson Valley in New York. Shop our sapphire engagement rings today and discover the perfect one-of-a-kind engagement ring for you.