Advice on emeralds as side stones in ring

[calaleee]

Hi,

Apologies if this has already been discussed, I did do a search but didn't see anything specific to emerald side stones.

My partner and I are in the process of designing an ering and have fallen in love with the idea of emerald accent stones like these art deco style examples below. I know emeralds are not good for center stones but are these little side stones similarly risky? I think tsavorites are similarly soft so any other alternatives to get a nice green color? Or advise on the best cut/setting combo to make replacing the stones easier if something does happen in the future? Thanks a lot!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hello there and welcome to the forum! Annnd... congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!!

There's some debate over whether emeralds are durable enough for daily wear/an engagement ring. It also depends on the specific stone's jardin and treatments, and how hard you are on your jewels. But if you want to err on the side of caution, I love your idea of a diamond center stone and emerald accents! Have you seen @elle_71125's "clover" ring? It's my favorite!! Good luck in your hunt!

 

[calaleee]

THank you! We have learned a lot from reading up on the conversations and resources on PS so far. That ring is sooooo pretty! So is it fair to say that the side stone idea is potentially ok for ering or should we save the heartache and just go with sapphires?

 

[monarch64]

I think you should get exactly what pleases your eye but plan to only wear the ring in certain (safer) circumstances.

A diamond can crack if hit the right way with the right force. There is no “strongest,” “infallible” stone. Get what you love and then treat it according to its limitations.

You wouldn’t drive a Tesla off-road. Think of your ring that way. You’ll be fine.

 

[headlight]

You will not be able to put your ring in an ultrasonic or even soak in hot water, and will need to use very mild soap and not soak for a long time if you use emeralds due to the filling that is just the norm for emeralds because they are so fractured naturally. Save the emerald for a pendant or earrings, or a special occasion right hand ring.

 

[Autumn in New England]

THank you! We have learned a lot from reading up on the conversations and resources on PS so far. That ring is sooooo pretty! So is it fair to say that the side stone idea is potentially ok for ering or should we save the heartache and just go with sapphires?

Both monarch and headlight make good points on each side of the "argument." I can only tell you what I would do. If I had my heart set on emerald accent stones, that's exactly what I'd buy. And then I'd be sure to take good care of the piece. For me, I never use ultrasonics or steamers on my jewelry anyway. I always clean with luke warm water, a soft toothbrush, and some Dawn (mild dish detergent). That will be perfectly safe for your emeralds. But I also never wear my jewels in the shower, to swim, or while doing household chores, etc. How you wear your jewels is a big consideration, IMO. And, honestly, the difference between a diamond center stone and an emerald center stone, with regard to durability, is going to be more prominent. But between emerald and sapphire accent stones? Nah. I don't think it will make a huge difference in terms of durability. Regular maintenance can help stave off loose or lost stones. But I wouldn't necessarily worry about damaging emerald accent stones. I do agree that it's probably best to keep an emerald center stone in a right hand ring, as opposed to a ring you will wear daily. Please keep us posted on your design ideas! I'm really interested in seeing the end result!!

 

[headlight]

With all due respect, Sapphire and emerald are definitely not the same as far as durability.

 

[Autumn in New England]

With all due respect, Sapphire and emerald are definitely not the same as far as durability.

Sorry for the confusion! To be clear, they are certainly not. Corundum is a 9 on the Mohs scale and beryl is an 8. Plus, you have the jardin/treatment issue, which I mentioned earlier. But what I meant was that as small, recessed, accent stones, if I had my heart set on emeralds, I wouldn't choose sapphire instead simply because of the difference in durability. Now if we're talking a diamond center stone or an emerald center stone, there's a much bigger discrepancy.

 

[headlight]

Diamonds are grease magnets - I want to be able to really thoroughly clean my stone!
What is “jardin” you mention?
Thank you!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Diamonds are grease magnets - I want to be able to really thoroughly clean my stone!
What is “jardin” you mention?
Thank you!

I hear ya! But you absolutely can thoroughly clean your diamonds with Dawn. It's actually a de-greasing agent, yet gentle, which is why they use it to clean ocean birds affected by oil spills.

So "jardin" is the French word for "garden," which just refers to an emerald's internal characteristics (fancy language for an emerald's inclusions).

 

[headlight]

Ha… definitely nice way to describe the inclusions… with that said when I was taking the gem identification course there were some emeralds that did have beautiful inclusions!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Ha… definitely nice way to describe the inclusions… with that said when I was taking the gem identification course there were some emeralds that did have beautiful inclusions!

Yes, clever use of language! "They are not imperfections. It is je ne sais quoi! It is jardin!!" The French make everything sound special. But, yeah, oftentimes it is rather beautiful and unique to each stone, as you said.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Yes, clever use of language! "They are not imperfections. It is je ne sais quoi! It is jardin!!" The French make everything sound special. But, yeah, oftentimes it is rather beautiful and unique to each stone, as you said.

oh no
thats giving me flash backs to the fake (Italain) larImar that came with a French accent

and if i wanted an emerald ER, this way with accent stones is the way i would do it

 

[Bron357]

Perhaps green sapphire?
Emeralds aren’t very durable in an everyday ring. The jardin or inclusions are common as that’s how the crystal forms. Such natural inclusions can result in a chip, crack or break of the emerald if you are unlucky and give it a solid bump. That’s why emeralds in rings aren’t so durable. Using our hands opening doors, going into drawers / handbag, grasping a metal railing etc it’s easy to accidentally “bang” the ring against a hard surface. Also emeralds are usually “oiled” because this makes the crystal inclusions less visible. Over time and especially with using any soap the oil can dissipate and the emerald (s) then look much less attractive.
Of course, many people do love and wear emerald rings but you just have to be aware of what might happen.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Green stones are amazing. Most tend to be on the softer side (garnet, emer, kornerup, tourm) or in the case of sapphire, not easy to find in vivid shade. You can clean the others with no trouble in a way you can't with emeralds.

*You could just get very nice lab emeralds for sides/accents that will be more durable(no/little inclusions), won't have treatments, give you the color you want and save the heartache if you damage one. Labor would cost more than the stone. Just a thought.

 

[T L]

I would do tsavorite instead. In melee sizes, they’re more affordable, and you don’t have to worry about fillers and cracks as much.

 

[Crochet_Sparkles]

Hi,

Apologies if this has already been discussed, I did do a search but didn't see anything specific to emerald side stones.

My partner and I are in the process of designing an ering and have fallen in love with the idea of emerald accent stones like these art deco style examples below. I know emeralds are not good for center stones but are these little side stones similarly risky? I think tsavorites are similarly soft so any other alternatives to get a nice green color? Or advise on the best cut/setting combo to make replacing the stones easier if something does happen in the future? Thanks a lot!

One thing you could do, in designing the ring, would be to ask the designer to procure extra of the accent stones. This would obviously increase the cost, but you'd have extra matched stones on hand if one of the accents ever cracked or discolored.
For what it's worth, my mom's ering is diamonds and emeralds. She takes basic care (don't wear it showering, swimming, gardening, etc) and it still looks great 49 years later.

 

[calaleee]

Thank you all for the input and perspectives! Really helpful. I do really want a green stone so I'll look into the suggestions for lab emerald, extra pieces, etc.

 

[barbx]

I'd echo the thoughts here on lab or other green stones. I have an art deco flip/day to night ring (not my ring below but similar) and even with everyday wear (and me being a ding dong) I managed to lose both a ruby and sapphire ) because of the very shallow setting. I got my ring repaired and I'm way more careful, but it's upsetting that I can't wear it everyday because it's so delicate.

 

[emmy12]

My mom wore her rings, including this family ring, through everything (EVERYTHING, dishes, cooking, cleaning, gutting and cleaning turkey for thanksgiving, etc.). She never took it off. Several years later my dad had a pendant made to match the ring and she also wore it through everything (which is less wear and tear than a ring, mostly showers, swimming pools, etc)...

She wore them every day for at least 10 years.....until the day she noticed the emerald had cracked. That was when she (and by extension I) learned that gemstones need to be babied.

Looking at these two images side by side should convince you why emerald is not a great side stone choice for a daily-wear ring.
Stones are: blue sapphire, pink tourmaline, peridot, and emerald.

Lab stones will have the same hardness as a natural emerald but fewer inclusions. Less inclusions means they'll be less likely to crack, but they will still be susceptible to the surface damage over time.

 

[Timor]

First of all congratulations!
Personally I think the decision would have a lot to do with how you perceive an ering. If you want it to be an everyday ring while also lasting forever as it is then maybe emeralds would be risky. If you are okay with the ring showing signs of time/having some of the stones replaced if damaged/only wear occasionally then I say go for whatever you like, you will love it more this way I would even consider replacing with a different colored stone in a ring with multiple melees, provided it doesn't screw up the design, showing how the ring changed with me through the years!
And being a big fan of green sapphires I recommend it as a durable alternative, though totally understand that the look is different from an emerald.