Gemstone rings always make fabulous presents and although they can be very expensive, there are also some things you can look out for to make them more affordable. Sterling silver is a precious metal used in jewelry-making which is very reasonably priced. It is also in fashion these days as more people turn away from yellow gold jewelry. So if you are trying to find a gemstone ring that is on the cheaper end of the scale, try one made from sterling silver, and you can then concentrate on the gem itself, and perhaps get a bigger or better one than you would otherwise have chosen, had you opted for a gold or platinum metal band.
The jewelry market is full of exotic gemstones these days; something for all tastes and all budgets. Nevertheless, it is the big four stones that always captivate people, because of their value and their timeless beauty. The fab four are diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.
Diamonds look better and cleaner in silvery white colored rings compared to a yellow gold ring for example, where often the reflections from the gold color can make the gem look somewhat “dirty”. Diamond rings are classics in whichever type of ring style and gemstone cut. They are synonymous with the engagement rings, but are also great as birthday gifts to somebody born in April; diamond is the birthstone for April.
In the past, ruby rings were often given at an engagement, the deep sparkling red color believed to symbolise love. This is a fashion that is reappearing nowadays, but normally out of a couple’s wish to opt for something different or unique.
Sapphire rings feature the beautiful blue gems which are the birthstones of September. They are closely related to rubies in terms of their chemical structure, and like rubies are very hard and durable stones; of course, diamond is the hardest substance known and is very hard wearing.
The delicate sister of diamond, ruby and sapphire is emerald. Emerald rings need to be looked after more than the others. They are great as gifts and emeralds can even be seen featured in mixed stone engagement rings. This stone is for May birthdays. It is much softer than the other three and can be scratched or chipped quite easily, so be extra careful, especially as forever replacing broken emerald engagement rings can be an extremely costly business!
