Diamond alternative engagement rings?

[Becky9191]

Hi everyone,

This is a really weird topic that I've tried speaking with my normal friends about but its gone down like a right lead balloon!

I'd really like a big shiny engagement but don't really want my other-half to spend a fortune on a diamond ring and realistically our budget wouldn't stretch to a big ring!

I've found some second hand diamond rings but I don't like the idea of it being connected with another story (or broken marriage!) and the negative ethical mining practices do concern me.

I've started to look at lab diamonds which look brilliant but are still pretty expensive, also theres a few moissanite suppliers in the UK which look really good but I'm not sure if these will look like actual diamonds?!

I've spoken to a few friends who are really dismissive about anyone not buying diamond rings but they all have diamond rings so its difficult for me to be critical at all. A fe of them consider anything not diamond related fake which seems really unfair!

I'd love to know everyones thoughts, has anyone opted for a non diamond ring?

Bec

Mine is second hand (well, antique if you want to sound posh!) and I love it. I think it's nice that it's got a history before me and I hope someone else will wear it after I'm gone.,

What about a 2nd hand diamond, reset In a band designed for you. Best of both worlds

Surprising what you can get for your money on here too

www.jamesallen.com/?a_aid=recommended

I have a moissanite ring from lily Arkwright and I highly recommend, I've compared it next to a diamond and they look exactly the same. It was 1/3 of the price that it would cost for me to get a diamond ring and I'm absolutely in love with it 😍😍

What horrible ‘friends’! There are some beautiful rings about. My engagement ring is diamond but not large. I also wear my DM’s engagement ring which is/was worth far less but gets so many compliments because it’s a pretty pale blue sapphire and larger than my diamond ring.

Wowza, thanks for eveyones advice, I certainly think I'm over thinking the friend diamond thing, why does anything wedding/engagement related take on this whole new stigma?! Friends start talking about the 4c's and I just glaze over!

Just give me a huge big shiny rock and I'll be happy, my mum says I'm a magpie!

😂

Lily Arkwright seem to be the main go to place for moissanite in the UK, I've spent hours going over the website and have a shortlist of three rings so far!

I like the Lillie one as its really classic and looks a bit like the Tiffany ring and its 420 pound which is well within our budget. The diamond rings I've found are all above 6 thousand pound 😂

lilyarkwright.com/collections/shop-all-moissanite-jewellery-collection

Sorry, wrong link

lilyarkwright.com/collections/shop-all-moissanite-jewellery-collection/products/lillie-6-prong-knife-edge-9k-white-gold-brilliant-round-moissanite-solitaire?variant=29679629893699

WwfLeopard - the james allen ones look lovely but they don't do a diamond alternative engagement ring. I do love their style though.

Do you want an engagement ring that looks like a diamond?

aww, thanks for everyones recommendations, loads of new websites to look at, I didn't even think about ETSY for engagement rings. I've just made a cuppa and going to have a look now.

Jinglebulls - that MOHS scales is sooo useful, its says Moissanite is a 9.5 just behind a diamond which is a 10, I'm usually really careful with my jewellery in anycase but i hate to damage something so fancy.

i'm neither engaged nor married, but i got a moissanite solitaire from india on ebay and bloody love it. bezel set in silver cos i'm rotten to my rings and wanted to give it the best chance of staying put. £100.

as i understand it the main visual difference to diamond is that moissanite gives you more of a rainbow sparkle. it's also very easy to identify with a loupe because of the double refraction, so no danger of passing it off as anything than what it is to a jeweller, to the untrained eye though ymmv :)

Moissanite is lovely. I like the fact that’s it’s natural. Just in case you didn’t realise it but the MOHs hardness scale isn’t linear - Moissanite is very hard but a lot less hard than diamond iyswim.
If you buy one I would ask if it’s had any ‘enhancements’ such as chemical, heat or lazer - nothing wrong with an enhanced stone but it’s good to ask.

I wouldn’t rule out CZ either.

Do the people with moissanite or cubic zirconia engagement rings tell people what they are made of if people assume they are diamonds?

I wouldnt know a double refraction if it hit me in eye!

I have diamond jewellery with some pretty large stones and I also have a stunning mossanite ring that I found. If anyone asked I would tell them what each stone was. TBH I suspect some people think it’s all real and some people think it’s all fake. It doesn’t bother me either way.

Mine is a morganite and it is STUNNING

Mine is morganite with 2 small diamonds

I wouldn't get cubic zirconia for a ring I was going to wear daily long term. They look lovely when new but they can go cloudy and dull over time.
My engagement ring was second hand years ago. I wanted a solitaire rather than a cluster which is all our budget stretched to new. I think if I was buying now I would get a vintage ring, there's some amazing ones on Instagram very reasonably priced from independent jewellers.

I have a moissanite ring that I wear everyday as I'm too nervous of losing or being mugged for my big rock engagement ring. I had it made in 18k gold and the only difference I can see is that its more sparkling than diamond. No one has ever asked me if its real and I would be shocked by their rudeness if they did.

I feel it's ridiculous to spend a fortune on a piece of jewellery when you could spend it on house deposit, nice holiday, kids' future etc.

My engagement-style ring is silver with CZ stones from H Samuel, and looks and shines exactly like a £10k ring of the exact same design in a posh jeweller's shop window. A little soak in a cup of water with washing up liquid and a gentle scrub with a baby toothbrush every other month- shines bright every time. Glad it's silver because white gold goes yellow and needs cleaned yearly.

No one, and I mean no one, realised it wasn't diamonds. They asked if I had remembered to insure it, compared it favourably to their diamond rings and commented on how well my partner had done getting such an expensive ring.
Its cost? £25!

Fedup21, I told close friends but they hadn't asked, I just chose to share. I left everyone else thinking it's diamonds, haha.

keepingbees - That was my only reservation about a CZ, frankly they all look really similar, moissanite, diamonds and cubics but I'm not sure if the CZ will last the test of time. I've got some CZ earrings and they've become dull over the years and don't really sparkle anymore.

Luckygreeneyes, thanks so much for your photo, your ring looks lovely 🥰 I"m a right in saying morganite is pinky? I.e, not diamond colour?

@Becky9191 you can design your own ring on Lily Arkwright that's what I done and I'm so happy with it, it was quick to make as well and they make a mock up of your ring to send to you in case there's any changes that you want to make to it and you can see it like 'life like' the service was amazing too. I had one problem about a year after I got it and they sorted it for me quickly F.O.C! I'm going to buy my wedding band from them too when it's nearer the time.

My diamond engagement ring looks cloudy too: cleaning is expensive!