Aquamarine engagement ring?

[agumen]

Does anyone have aquamarine as their engagement ring gemstone? In terms of "meaning" and appearance it would be perfect, but I've read conflicting things about durability. Some sources say it's very durable, others say the exact opposite and hence don't recommend it as an engagement ring. Google is not helpful and I'm worried a jeweler will give any answer that results in a sale, so asking here! Thank you!

I have an aquamarine engagement ring. 23 years now. And a aquamarine and diamond half eternity, 11 years. Bloody love them both. Still get complements

I clean the back of the ring sometimes with an old toothbrush and also have a cheap vibration water bath cleaner thing!

This is the first time I have heard this about aquamarine. I've been wearing my aquamarine ring most days for 17 plus years, no damage. Although looking at it closely has made me realise it badly needs a clean 😳

@ChocolateHelps those are really beautiful!

Check the Mohs hardness scale. You can compare stones.

www.gemsociety.org/article/select-gems-ordered-mohs-hardness/

@wheresmymojo rubies and sapphires are essentially the same mineral. Corundum. Corundum comes in many colours. Usually called sapphire: pink, yellow, green, clear (doesn't have the fire of diamond). When it's red it's called a ruby

Mine is an antique aquamarine ring and it is absolutely fine. I garden in it, wash everything in it, never take it off.

If I had my way again, I would have had an aquamarine or Montana (blue-green) sapphire engagement ring. Probably the sapphire now I know aquamarine isn’t as resilient. Here is a link to a US-based company with lots of pretty sapphires (You can obviously get them elsewhere) in shades of blue, teal, green, lavender and yellow. There are so many pretty colours!
Link

Why the hell did I look at them? Just fell for a $12,000 USD stone. (Married 20 years and broke. No hope.)

Just gorgeous absolutely gorgeous

Mine was. After a few wears it looks like a dirty diamond. It's been hardwearing though. Not that I needed it yo be as we were divorced 19 years later.

My new one isn't aquamarine. I can't remember which stone it is.

I’ve got a tanzanite engagement ring and it’s held up well for 10 years so far! Better than my wedding ring which I lost a year after getting married 😂

That is a stunning ring.

@Alarae Gorgeous ring… I suspect it’s a blue topaz.

I have an aquamarine engagement ring and I do everything in it, washing gardening whatever. Rarely take it off except in the sea (only so I don’t lose it) and it looks great 16 years later. Never had an issue with it. But perhaps it depends on the cut.

Oh my @Fraaahnces those Montana sapphires are beautiful. I've never heard of them.
Similar to family member's eye colour - pale blue/pale green

Hi @agumen

I'm a gem cutter who cuts bespoke gems and sets them in jewellery for clients.

If you plan on wearing your ring everyday then you should be ideally looking to get a stone that is 9 or above on the Mohs hardness scale. The Mohs hardness scale is a chart which is used to compare the hardness, abrasion and scratch resistance of different minerals.

It's important to note that it is not a linear scale. So ruby/sapphire which is a 9 on the scale is actually twice as hard as topaz which is an 8. To put this further into context, diamond is a 10 on the scale and is 4 times harder than ruby/sapphire which is a 9.

Aquamarine is only 7.5 on the scale, so is considerably softer.

The best options for engagement rings which would be worn everyday are: diamond, moissanite, sapphire/ruby.

Sapphires come in all sorts of colours, from pale Aquamarine colour, cornflower blue, royal blue to green, pink and yellow etc.

The downside is that natural sapphires of good quality are extremely expensive. The alternative is to buy a lab grown sapphire. Similar to lab diamonds they are physically and chemically the same as their natural counterparts. They come in a huge array of colours and are extremely affordable with outstanding colour, clarity and cut.

For these reasons, out of all the stones I cut, lab grown sapphires for engagement rings are now the most popular. I do have natural aquamarine, citrine and tourmaline in stock, but I am finding that most people want sapphire.

If you still really have your heart set on an Aquamarine then I would advise the following:

1. Choose a design with the most protected setting e.g bezel setting so all edges are protected and less likely to chip.

1. Always remove for physical activities, e.g gym, gardening, lifting etc

1. Be prepared that the stone may need replacing sometime in the lifetime of the ring.

1. Maybe look into insurance options?

Recently had a ring set with a teal sapphire which was an amazing colour

The different coloured sapphires on this website mesmerise me...

aardvarkjewellery.com