Suitable alternative to Emerald

[dk168]

Help please, CS peeps.

I am helping a colleague to source an e-ring for his girlfriend, whose heart is set on emerald, and in this design:

http://www.crystalrealm.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=2076&p_catid=100

I informed him that emerald is too soft for every day wear, and am struggling to think of a suitable green CS that may suit.

Hence this thread asking for help, and thanks for your help in advance.

DK

 

[mochiko42]

Maybe tsavorite?

 

[pregcurious]

When I think green, you've got emerald, tsavorites or other green garnets, or tourmaline. None of them are as durable as diamond, sapphire, chrysoberyl, or even spinel.

What about teal Montana sapphires? http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_montana.html

 

[enbcfsobe]

Green zircon? Is that a thing?

 

[T L]

Help please, CS peeps.

I am helping a colleague to source an e-ring for his girlfriend, whose heart is set on emerald, and in this design:

http://www.crystalrealm.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=2076&p_catid=100

I informed him that emerald is too soft for every day wear, and am struggling to think of a suitable green CS that may suit.

Hence this thread asking for help, and thanks for your help in advance.

DK

If you want deep rich green color, tsavorite is your best bet, but as a garnet, it's not as durable as sapphire. However, green sapphire is not as saturated as nice green tsavorite. Green sapphires tend to be greyish or more of a pine green color. You can find some nice greenish blue ones, but they won't look like the green of an emerald.

There's also chrome tourmaline, but that's even less durable than tsavorite.

I wear a tsavorite almost every day, and I can attest to its durability, however, if his girlfriend is hard on her jewelry, never takes it off, does gardening and housework in it, then I wouldn't advise tsavorite.

 

[T L]

Green zircon? Is that a thing?

Yes, but they're also not very saturated green, like an emerald. They are very affordable though, although slightly radioactive (not enough to harm anyone though). They also tend to be a bit sleepy.

This is mine, it was like $30. Not bad, but probably not durable enough for an e-ring and definitely not an emerald green. If one likes this color though, it's an option, and some tend to be very dark or greyish green.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Hardness is the resistance to be scratched, not chipped or cracked. Most stones are hardness 7 and above. You very few things around that are harder than 7. Your kitchen knife is not one of them, it can't scratch these stones.

Diamonds and sapphires are harder to scratch, but can still be chipped or cracked.

It really boils down to how hard you are on your hands and things on them. My wife wore a tourmaline for many years every day, and there wasn't a mark on it. Eventually she lost the ring. In men I see some guys who's watch crystals are scratched up so bad you can hardly read the time, and then others are perfect. I take really good care of my watches and non of them are marked. So, when the Apple Watch comes out, I'm faced with do I pay extra for the sapphire crystal face, or go with the sport watch with out it? I feel your pain.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Hi, DK. I second mochiko and TL's comments about tsavorites...if she's not really hard on her jewelry. Sorry, but I have to link to this from Gary (I know it's not a marquise but I think it'd still work with that design).

1.52 ct
7.8 x 6.8 x 3.8 mm
VS clarity
$1,440
http://www.finewatergems.com/garnet.html

 

[T L]

Hardness is the resistance to be scratched, not chipped or cracked. Most stones are hardness 7 and above. You very few things around that are harder than 7. Your kitchen knife is not one of them, it can't scratch these stones.

Diamonds and sapphires are harder to scratch, but can still be chipped or cracked.

It really boils down to how hard you are on your hands and things on them. My wife wore a tourmaline for many years every day, and there wasn't a mark on it. Eventually she lost the ring. In men I see some guys who's watch crystals are scratched up so bad you can hardly read the time, and then others are perfect. I take really good care of my watches and non of them are marked. So, when the Apple Watch comes out, I'm faced with do I pay extra for the sapphire crystal face, or go with the sport watch with out it? I feel your pain.

True, and while tourmaline and garnet are around the same hardness, in my experience, garnets are more durable.

 

[megthered]

I wear an 2 ct. Emerald ring and emerald eternity band every day for the last 25 years. I have never had a problem with either one. I do everything, housework, taking care of animals, camping, fishing, you name it. If it's what she wants, why not get it. Yes, they are expensive, but it's what she wants.

 

[indigoblue]

But if her heart is set on an emerald, maybe he should get one anyway. That is a pretty small stone, and it looks very well protected in that setting. I have a friend who has been wearing an emerald wedding ring for 40 years. It may look a little worn, but it is what she wanted.

 

[LoversKites]

But if her heart is set on an emerald, maybe he should get one anyway. That is a pretty small stone, and it looks very well protected in that setting. I have a friend who has been wearing an emerald wedding ring for 40 years. It may look a little worn, but it is what she wanted.

Ditto. Nothing will really replicate a glowy emerald. Tsavs are more of a metallic green rather than a glowy green from what I've seen.

(Or he could get a chatham or other synthetic emerald)

 

[MrsCornishWed]

Maybe I'm wrong to say this; I'm still very new to jewellery and cs...



But if it were *me* and my heart was set on an emerald, assuming it's a fairly small stone and not meg
a $ ... I'd buy an emerald and resolve myself to the fact it may eventually mean sourcing
a replacement stone ......I wear my tanzanite half eternity every day because I adore it. But I know that In doing so I will eventually damage it.. and it'll need fixing/stones replacing.. The stones are extremely small though so it's not going to break the bank to do so.

 

[Acinom]

How kind of you to help out your friend.
The setting is quite low so an emerald would be well enough protected if it's not too big and if she is mellow with her hands

 

[MJO]

Maybe I'm wrong to say this; I'm still very new to jewellery and cs...



But if it were *me* and my heart was set on an emerald, assuming it's a fairly small stone and not meg
a $ ... I'd buy an emerald and resolve myself to the fact it may eventually mean sourcing
a replacement stone ......I wear my tanzanite half eternity every day because I adore it. But I know that In doing so I will eventually damage it.. and it'll need fixing/stones replacing.. The stones are extremely small though so it's not going to break the bank to do so.

Completely agree

 

[distracts]

But if her heart is set on an emerald, maybe he should get one anyway. That is a pretty small stone, and it looks very well protected in that setting. I have a friend who has been wearing an emerald wedding ring for 40 years. It may look a little worn, but it is what she wanted.

This tends to be what I think. If it's definitely going to be a green stone, might as well go with emerald. She'll have to know how to take care of it for ANY green stone, so she may as well get the one she really wants.

 

[chrono]

She may be happiest with an emerald because a tsavorite looks too different to me. Not only that, it isn't particularly durable as an e-ring stone. A search will bring up Pandora's experience; she is extremely well versed with CS gemstone care and still damaged her tsavorite. She carried a ring case with her everywhere to safely store her ring when doing doubtful activities, removed her ring as soon as she step through the house door.

 

[dk168]

Hmmmm, there is another issue in the form of budget, in that stone + ring in WG = 700 GBP!

I had a look at Embassy Emeralds, and found one that is 1.41ct marquise cut, priced at nearly 5k USD!!!

DK

 

[T L]

Hmmmm, there is another issue in the form of budget, in that stone + ring in WG = 700 GBP!

I had a look at Embassy Emeralds, and found one that is 1.41ct marquise cut, priced at nearly 5k USD!!!

DK

Well, does she want an emerald because she loves the color green, or does she want one because she loves the silky emerald glowy green that only emeralds have? If she just loves the color green, tsavorite is a great option, although as others have said, it's not really an acceptable emerald substitute to an "emerald purist."

 

[dk168]

I shall suggest a Tsavorite as an alternative to Emerald, and that she would need to be careful with the ring etc...

Tsavorite is also more affordable.

Can't remember if Emerald is her birthstone or not, and I shall check the original message tomorrow.

Thanks all for your input and suggestions.

DK

 

[Edward Bristol]

Chrome Diopside - very nice.

 

[T L]

Chrome Diopside - very nice.

I disagree, it's too soft for an e-ring (softer than tsavorite) and its often a very dark pine green color, low RI, and just lackluster IMO.

 

[VirginiaZee]

Well, does she want an emerald because she loves the color green, or does she want one because she loves the silky emerald glowy green that only emeralds have? If she just loves the color green, tsavorite is a great option, although as others have said, it's not really an acceptable emerald substitute to an "emerald purist."

That's a good question... I was guessing that she wanted an emerald for the gorgeous saturated glow, but maybe she just likes green? And if she does just like green, do you know if she likes green-green, or would a blue-green be acceptable? If it's blue-green would a teal sapphire work?

 

[dk168]

His other half is a gent, I found out on Friday (goodness knows how I managed to miss that one!). I suggested Tsavorite garnet to him, and for the ring setting to be made chunkier, and that an emerald may be outside his budget. I shall mention it may be a good idea to bezel-set the stone.

DK

 

[MollyMalone]

Help please, CS peeps.
I am helping a colleague to source an e-ring for his [other half, a gent], whose heart is set on emerald, and in this design:
http://www.crystalrealm.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=2076&p_catid=100
I informed him that emerald is too soft for every day wear, and am struggling to think of a suitable green CS that may suit.
Hence this thread asking for help, and thanks for your help in advance.
DK

Hmmmm, there is another issue in the form of budget, in that stone + ring in WG = 700 GBP!
I had a look at Embassy Emeralds, and found one that is 1.41ct marquise cut, priced at nearly 5k USD!!!
DK

His other half is a gent, I found out on Friday (goodness knows how I managed to miss that one!). I suggested Tsavorite garnet to him, and for the ring setting to be made chunkier, and that an emerald may be outside his budget. I shall mention it may be a good idea to bezel-set the stone.

DK

As someone whose emerald ring was nearly 120 years old when I started wearing it daily years ago, I'm fine with an emerald as an e-ring (assuming the wearer is not super hard on rings & is willing to take the usual precautions which benefit any ring). But 700 GBP is equal to just $1093 in today's USD & it isn't clear from the CrystalRealm web pages if you can send in your own center stone, what the price would be for that option. So unfortunately we don't yet know if even an alternative is do-able, either financially or logistically.

They could contact Norman Greene, who makes the puzzle rings sold through CrystalRealm, directly to see what he himself might say about pricing, the customer supplying the center stone, modifications, etc.
http://www.puzzlering.net/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Puzzle-Rings-by-Norman-Greene/131270185763

 

[dk168]

Thanks MollyMalone for the link, I am sure he'll find that very useful.

DK

 

[MollyMalone]

You're welcome -- fingers crossed!