Alternative Center Stone in an E-Ring

[FutureMrsC]

We''ve just started the hunt for "the" ring and so far I love the halo look for a setting. However I think diamonds are a bit out of our budget unless we wait quite a while. Lucky for him I don''t want anything much over .75 cts. unlucky for him I discovered I''m color sensitive and haven''t seen anything below an F I like. We''re paying for our own wedding and honeymoon as well so I''d rather not blow a ton on the ring... Anyway, does anyone have suggestions on a good alternative natural gemstone for the center stone? I figure we could always change it out in a few years when we''re more established and the halo will still hold diamonds. I''d like something that sparkles a little, but I''m not opposed to color like the pink tourmaline. I have no idea on ruggedness of other gemstones however, and I''d like to pick something that I don''t have to worry about care of too much. I prefer round cuts. Are there any nice white alternative stones? Any suggestions. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome

I am not very knowledgeable about coloured stones, but maybe a white sapphire might be a consideration?

 

[MINE!!]

EEEKKK!!!! I guess I am color sensitive as well. I cannot find anything in white that I like. I am sorry to hear that you are looking for a colored gemstone as an alternative to the "real" thing. But,...

It depends on what color you are looking for. Zircon maybe or white sapphire for something white. And there are a rainbow of colors for other gemstones as well.

 

[Barbara]

Hi Future Mrs. C,

Both white sapphire and white zircon have advantages. Sapphire is very hard and tough and quite durable enough for many years of use, it has little dispersion, though. If you are thinking of replacing the stone fairly soon, you might seriously consider white zircon which is too fragile for long term use in such a ring, but if well cut has fantastic near diamond luster and dispersion. White topaz & white beryl are also possibilities as well as Danburite and petalite, but, personally, I''d go either with the sapphire or the zircon if I wanted colorless. For other colors it would be best to stick with sapphires, chrysoberyl or possibly spinel for reasons of durability.

Barbara

 

[FutureMrsC]

Thank you very much for your feedback. You''ve given me a fantastic starting point to look into possible alternative center stones.

I''d like a little sparkle, but not sure if I want white or another color yet. Need to see some loose gems in person

I do think I''ve decided on a halo setting for sure

so I will have some diamonds.

 

[movie zombie]

while i could echo Mine, i will go a step further and say there is a whole world of color out there to be explored. please take some time and get acquainted with those stones and colors. if this is your e-ring and you''re going to be wearing it for a while, you don''t want to always feel like you settled for less.....assuming you really did want a diamond and think you''re going to save some $$$ by going with color.

good color stones can out price diamonds.....so you may be settling for less even with a color stone. but until you explore them and see what is out there, you won''t know. there is a stone...just like there is a diamond...for every budget. and there are many who have opted for color e-rings...with and without diamonds.

imo, the center stone should be the star: i can''t conceive of paying more for the diamonds that are mounted with it than i did for the center stone itself...again, that is just my opinion.

much will also depend on how you plan to wear this e-ring: 24/7 or only when you leave the house?

also, if you want something with some sparkle and in color, consider a concave cut which makes stones appear to be brighter and more sparkly than they actually are.

movie zombie

 

[londonblue]

I don''t think anyone has mentioned white topaz yet, although I''m not sure about the availability of it. They do use white topaz extensively in creating the variety of mystic topazes.
For highest similarity to diamond I would say zircon. If you''re only planning on fairly short term and end up exploring cuts other than round, ie emerald, asscher, cushion, marquise, you may consider cz. But if you stick w/ round natural should be easy enough to find.

I''d highly encourage you to check out rubies and sapphires as they look quite stunning in diamond halos.

If you haven''t yet, definitely check out the color ring thread

 

[movie zombie]

and another thought: a 2 carat color stone will not have the same dimensions as a 2 carat diamond. make sure that the setting you want can accomodate a diamond later....especially since you're planning on going with a halo.

movie zombie

eta: i don't think topaz is hard enough on the Moh's scale to endure everyday wear and tear.....

 

[londonblue]

hmm, hardness might definitely be an issue

For reference to MrsC, here's hardness's for the gemstones listed so far:

diamond - 10
sapphire - 9
cubic zirconia - 8.5
topaz - 8
beryl - 7-8
zircon - 7-7.5
garnet - 6.5-7.5

diamond is about 4 times harder than sapphire (although I turned up some searches online claiming 90 to 140 times harder??)
sapphire is about 5-6 times harder than topaz

just another thing to think about when choosing that bling!

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

Get thee to a tsavorite....

Pokey''s Ring

 

[clementine]

I think going with something you can afford is a great idea - we could only afford a .24 diamond 18 years ago, and in hindsight, I would do what you''re doing.

MY opinion is that I would go colored instead of a white "something" only because people might look at the white stone and think it''s a diamond that''s maybe a poor cut or quality because it may not sparkle like the real thing. I love color and would go BRIGHT and be proud of it! Who knows, you may love it so much you might never replace it. AND, you can get a much larger size - easily over 1 carat.

Good luck, look around and have fun! I have been on the hunt for a colored stone for awhile, and I just can''t decide what I want because there is SO MUCH to choose from!