11 replies to this topic

[Chip Martin]

Hello,

I am just wondering if a different stone can be an engagement ring. Does it always have to be a diamond ring?

I am asking because my brother's fiance is very fond of rubies and a big ruby that is diamond cut would make her go crazy! I just know that she would prefer the ruby as the engagement ring over a diamond as the main stone.

I for one am an "outside of the box" person and I have never been married so I say that it is okay to get something different. But I do not want to use my own lack of experience to convince my brother that he should get a ruby ring when it would be the best to get a diamond ring.

Thanks for any input!

[StonesRock07]

Chip Martin, on Monday, Jul 9 2007, 02:12 PM, said:

Hello,

I am just wondering if a different stone can be an engagement ring. Does it always have to be a diamond ring?

I am asking because my brother's fiance is very fond of rubies and a big ruby that is diamond cut would make her go crazy! I just know that she would prefer the ruby as the engagement ring over a diamond as the main stone.

I for one am an "outside of the box" person and I have never been married so I say that it is okay to get something different. But I do not want to use my own lack of experience to convince my brother that he should get a ruby ring when it would be the best to get a diamond ring.

Thanks for any input!

I am newly engaged!!!! I waited along time for the moment were my now fiancé would be down on his knee with a ring asking for me to spend the rest of my life with him. I was so excited when he opened the box to find a sapphire opposed to the traditional diamond. I had hinted at a sapphire instead of a diamond but figured that since everyone around us friends/mothers/sisters were diamond people he would just get me a diamond, but to my surprise he took note of my feelings about diamonds and got me a beautiful ring from a company in New York called The Natural Sapphire Company. [url="http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/index.aspx"][url]http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/index.aspx[/url][/url]
My fiancé said he had a very good experience with them and I was even more excited when i found out that he sat with the sales person and they designed a ring for me I thought that was soooooo sweet! I have a good man and a beautiful ring to show the world how great he is!!!

Edited by StonesRock07, 23 July 2007 - 11:01 AM.

[iceforever.diamonds]

personally as a woman it doesn't really necessary that my guy will be buying a diamond ring or any expensive ring available in the market beside he can even propose without a ring..... the idea of his letting me know that i am the one whom he choses to live with his entire life is the most flaterring part of all....

[shelby]

Yes, its true that diamonds are more popular than any other gemstone for engagement ring but you can see ruby and Sapphire are also been used for long.

[z4cadpro]

Chip Martin, on Monday, Jul 9 2007, 01:12 PM, said:

Hello,

I am just wondering if a different stone can be an engagement ring. Does it always have to be a diamond ring?

I am asking because my brother's fiance is very fond of rubies and a big ruby that is diamond cut would make her go crazy! I just know that she would prefer the ruby as the engagement ring over a diamond as the main stone.

I for one am an "outside of the box" person and I have never been married so I say that it is okay to get something different. But I do not want to use my own lack of experience to convince my brother that he should get a ruby ring when it would be the best to get a diamond ring.

Thanks for any input!

- Chip

No, an engagement ring does not have to be a diamond but why wouldn't you want a diamond. I can understand that she is not like the typical girl in wanting all the shiny things in life but you have to consider the down fall of not having a diamond. A sapphire, such as a Ruby will not have the long lasting beauty as a diamond. They scuff, chip, crack and are easily damaged losing beauty, value and sparkle. Yes, diamond also crack and chip but they are far more durable than a sapphire. I suggest buying a semi-mount with two rubies on either side of the diamond, which is typical nowadays. Simon G. made a semi-mount for this type of mounting.
Getting a Ruby as a center stone is much like giving her an sterling silver engagement ring. The metal is much to soft to ensure tight prongs to hold a precious stone such as a diamond. That is why they do not make silver engagement rings, only silver PREVIEW rings for you to view prior to making a custom order. Hopes this helps but I wouldn't stray from a diamond center stone unless you want to spend more and more money out of pocket to replace a damaged sapphire year in and year out, especially if she is going to wear it for the rest of her life. THE REST OF HER LIFE! don't forget that part.
Theres a reason that diamonds, gold, platinum are used to make engagement rings. They will last you the longest with a reasonable amount of service and maintenance.

[HeartAndStone]

Let my share my thoughts on this useful thread.
Technically, no. But you can always be creative, you can settle for a .35 carat diamond with some precious gemstones.
It's about giving her the best which equates to a diamond.
Giving your girl a real diamond is something a guy shoul really think about.

[gemgalga]

you can totally go non-traditional with this one, i think. i know some folks that don't even LIKE diamonds (*GASP* i know!). I think what matters most is that the gal has a ring that she loves and will love looking at for the rest of their lives. Sapphire and Ruby are both members of a species of stone called Corundum--it's the second hardest thing to Diamond, being a 9 on the Moh's scale of hardness. Now being a 9 and diamond being a 10 doesn't mean that they're super close in hardness, as it's all relative, and diamonds are WAY harder, but Ruby and Sapphire will stand up pretty good over time.

Here's the thing--yes, it will scuff and the facet junctions will wear down eventually, esp if she's rough on the ring, but, if it's what she wants, it's what she wants. The center stone can always be replaced--with a diamond or another ruby--down the line if that's what she wishes to do, but it will hold up reasonably well if she takes good care of the ring. i've seen people have EMERALDS as center stones, even, which is just NUTS because of how fragile they are, but it's the stone they love, and it makes them happy. but i don't think ruby or sapphire are unreasonable to use for engagement rings because they will hold up pretty well over time and ARE in the "precious" category, which as far as i'm concerned, makes them perfectly acceptable for engagement rings

and for those that go "well diamonds are more valuable" rubies can be nearly as valuable as diamonds, depending on their origin, quality and cut. i think in the longrun, diamond is more "wearable" b/c it "goes with everything", sapphires are the next so, hence their popularity. but it's really a matter of personal choice--some people like heart shapes, some like emerald cuts. as long as the ring is beautiful and she loves it (and the guy who gave it to her) that's what's most important. people can think whatever they want--and they will--regardless of what the ring looks like and is made of, but the only thing that matters is that the wearer is happy!

[mattyt]

one of my best friend's favorite gemstones is ruby, and when we were in college, he told me about how he had plans for the engagement ring he would present to the woman he decided he'd marry--not that this person was in the picture yet--would be a ruby and *maybe* have small diamonds with it. i suggested maybe he might wait and see what she would like rather than making that decision for her. he said whoever he would propose to would be happy with whatever he gave her or wouldn't really be "the one". never did find out how that all turned out.

[theheartbandits]

There is no right or wrong answer here. This comes down to your brother really knowing the girl he will propose to and if she would like something besides a diamond. If he is confident that she will love a ruby, he should go for it. Hiring a Proposal Planner could help as well. www.theheartbandits.com

[alvina]

theheartbandits, on 19 November 2010 - 10:48 PM, said:

There is no right or wrong answer here. This comes down to your brother really knowing the girl he will propose to and if she would like something besides a diamond. If he is confident that she will love a ruby, he should go for it. Hiring a Proposal Planner could help as well. www.theheartbandits.com

[alvina]

alvina, on 19 June 2011 - 06:14 PM, said:

theheartbandits, on 19 November 2010 - 10:48 PM, said:

There is no right or wrong answer here. This comes down to your brother really knowing the girl he will propose to and if she would like something besides a diamond. If he is confident that she will love a ruby, he should go for it. Hiring a Proposal Planner could help as well. www.theheartbandits.com

[alvina]

why to do that everyone around do...... be different dude. give her something unique as girls loves to look separate from the crowd. if she loves rubies then gift her one... her liking is more important than tradition. happy shopping