Blue zircon or aquamarine for an engagement stone? What about danburite?

[MommaChristine]

Are any of these acceptable?! I''ve never heard of danburite until today but .. it seems pretty .. though I guess that doesn''t tell me much!

 

[neatfreak]

All are really too soft for a daily wear ring...

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 1/15/2009 8:09:41 AM
Author:MommaChristine
Are any of these acceptable?! I''ve never heard of danburite until today but .. it seems pretty .. though I guess that doesn''t tell me much!

All of these have problems. They are not really suitable for daily wear.

Zircon has a high refractive index so will be sparkly, but they are fragile and tend to chip quite easily. It''s a 7.5 on the Mohs and has two directions of cleavage.

My cousin has an aquamarine as an e-ring and after several recuts due to chipping now only wears it on special occasions and regrets her choice. Some people get away with it by having a very protective setting.

I''m not sure that you will like danburite that much in person - it doesn''t have ''fire'' as it''s dispersion is only average. It''s also only a 7 on the Mohs, so pretty soft although it doesn''t have cleavage which makes it tougher than stones like topaz.

 

[chrono]

I agree with the rest. All are too soft for daily wear. A blue zircon is sparkly but is very soft. The facet points tend to wear down after a while. A deeply saturated aqua without any gray tends to be expensive and isn''t recommended as an everyday ring. Danburites have a wonderful sparkle but can chip just by dropping it.

 

[RNgemlover]

I have a 10.5 carat blue zircon that I wear very often in a ring. It is a stunning stone, and in a vivid blue there is nothing like it, reminiscent of a blue diamond. Although I have never chipped, scratched, or otherwise messed it up yet, I also remove it before cooking, dishes, or ANY activity in which I use my hands. So, I''m thinking that isn''t the best route for an engagement ring that will most likely be worn every day. Have you considered buying a sapphire that might have the same kind of hue? there is a company called, The Natural Sapphire Company, and they all kinds of colors, for all kinds of prices. You might find a light blue stone that you would like, and the stone will obviously be more durable than the zircon.