Non-diamond engagement ring?
Q.I just wanted to get some opinions on a non-diamond engagement ring. I am not a big fan of mafia organizations, and DeBeers is one the worst. Its amazing to me that they managed to not only kill the rest of the diamond miners in South Africa, but now have engineered society so that you're expected to hand them 2 months of your salary. I don't have a problem with buying an expensive ring for my fiancee, but I would like to buy her an emerald instead (it would match her eyes a million times better). I find the beauty of a fine emerald stone to be un-paralleled, and would much prefer this as a symbol of my love for her. Is there any sort of modern society protocol for an _emerald_ engagement ring?
A.Emeralds are generally a soft stone, as soft as glass they are also easy to damage. So any intentions to reset an Emerald are at high risk. Emeralds have lots of inclusion, looking much like a forest under a micsoscope. The can be much more expensive than diamonds when they pass the Three Test Dark, Bright and Clean - Its tough to get all three When buying an emerald, most jewellers set it in 18k white or yellow gold as it has more flexibilty during setting. Bezel settings would protect for the longest term, or at a minimum choose a ring that protects the stone. Emerald is a gorgeous stone when high quality, and my own birthstone, Being a jeweller, I Hesitate to suggest I would only purchase an emerald as a pendant or earrings as they are hard to damage I think it's only recently that diamonds got so fashionable for engagement rings. Pick a nice stone that you both like, and if it makes you feel better, good quality emeralds are much rarer than diamonds. You can also save a fair chunk of money by choosing a non-diamond stone. The price of my ring dropped by a fifth when we replaced a very small diamond surrounded by a band of white gold with a ceyelonese sapphire as large as the diamond and white gold combined, despite the extra labor. I can't think of any protocul that differs between diamond and non-diamond rings.
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