Upon closer look the stone appears far more brilliant and has higher luster.
Alternative engagement ring stones.
The words diamond and engagement ring have gone hand in hand for almost a century.
The cost of this is 0.
The moissanite is equally as durable and costs significantly less.
Below we present 16 unique alternatives to your run of the mill diamond engagement ring.
Additionally 10 percent of all rings exchanged included a precious gemstone instead of a diamond indicating that alternative engagement rings are slowly but surely growing in popularity.
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Below we ve rounded up popular diamond ring alternatives for the modern couple from synthetic diamonds to unique precious gemstones.
Sapphire and 14k gold.
If you plan to wear your engagement ring all the time day to day in the shower doing housework or manual labour at the gym etc it s always a good idea to look for.
Needless to say the moissanite is a very popular stone choice for alternative engagement rings.
Diamonds are a 10 on the mohs scale this means they re the hardest gemstone they re even used in drill bits and will weather a lot of wear and tear.
At 5 5 to 6 5 on the mohs scale opals are not as hardy as other gems but do make beautiful engagement ring stones if you don t mind a little tarnish or if you plan to wear your ring only occasionally.
Because sapphires are such durable stones they re perfect for an engagement ring making a white sapphire ring a flawless and nearly identical alternative to a white diamond ring.
Advice for choosing an alternative gemstone for an engagement ring.
Here is something i ve noticed after a few years a lot of women don t wear their engagement ring anymore.
The reasons run the gamut.
Marquise ruby engagement ring by capucinne.
Diamonds have long been the obvious choice for engagement rings but other types of gemstones are growing more popular among brides to be whether for budget reasons or simply personal preference these unique alternative engagement rings offer a pop of color and value that has become increasingly more attractive.
Avoid choosing a dull stone and look for gems with pretty patterns and antique settings.
Click through as we dissect the five biggest trends in alternative engagement rings.
Obviously the most affordable alternative to a diamond engagement ring is to have no ring at all.
It gets better especially for pragmatic couples.
I m not saying all women do this but it s something that s more prevalent than i expected.