Tsavorite for engagement ring? Bad idea?

[NexivRed]

Hi all. As the thread title says really!
My birthstone is garnet and my favourite colour is green, and I adore tsavorite whether they’re a deep green or mint. But would it be a mistake to wear one 24/7 as an engagement ring?

My boyfriend and I are looking at stones and I’m a long time lurker of this fantastic site. We’ve been browsing some of the amazing cuts posted on the recommended vendor sites, and I’m starting to wonder, if I don’t use a tsavorite then there’s really no other stone I feel an affinity with. So I think it’d just come down to being wowed by a fantastic cut at our price point (no idea what that is yet!) with a colour that suits my pale, pale skin.

But before we go down that route I’d like to eliminate tsavorites. It states 6.5-7.5 on the Mohs scale. 7-7.5 I could maybe deal with! But what creates such a range? I’d worry about anything softer as I’d like either a solitare or maybe halo setting. Bezel is not an option.

I hope you guys can help! My boyfriend seems very interested in browsing precision cuts; especially the funky ones like concave. And I’d just love a stone I can look down at every day and think “Wow, I’m so lucky to have gotten this!”

Thank you.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I love green garnets too! They are the majority of my jewelry box I think lol.

As an everyday stone it’ll probably pick up its fair share of scratches and chips and you may need to have the stone repolished, recut or replaced at some point depending on the wear and tear.

That being said, that “point” might not be for 30 years or 40 years depending on your sensitivity to those things, at which time you might like the idea of upgrading to a new ring anyways lol.

Common consensus would be that the stone is too soft for an everyday engagement ring but i like to play devils advocate and say that maybe it’s only “too soft” if you expect it to last centuries without a scratch. I’ve seen some awesome antique garnet jewelry that are probably 100 years old that have some scratches and chips on the stone, but still look beautiful and could be sent to repolish to be back to looking like new.

I also have spinels ive managed to scratch, so a higher moh score isn’t klutz proof lol. Luckily I can’t see it unless I really squint and hunt for it and I’m not a “mind clean” person.

 

[qubitasaurus]

It is lovely your boyfriend is so engaged with the process. I also feel like if you are willing to accept that it may get nicked and need a touch up or replacing at some stage down the line then you should go for it. I have a tourmaline I wear all day everyday, it is fine after a few years. I can see that some stage down the track it wont be fine (as I am already aware of some wear and tear on the facets, but it is almost to small to detect). But by that stage I am sure something else glittery will have caught my eye as I am a bit of a magpie. If you are heavily emotionally invested in this ring, and cant bear to part with it then a more durable stone may suit you better.

 

[elle_71125]

It’s a gorgeous gem so I totally understand why you’d want one for a e-ring. I love all things colorful so I’m a huge lover of CS engagement rings. I got engaged with a diamond but eventually upgraded to a sapphire ring. I’ll admit that I’m a bit spoiled now because I wear a different CS ring as my e-ring pretty much daily. Like @qubitasaurus I am a total magpie.

I’m going to agree with the previous posters. If you can accept that you may eventually have to replace the tsavorite then I’d say go for it. Oh, and congrats on your upcoming engagement.

ETA: I don’t wear any of my rings 24/7. I always take them off when I get home or before doing any housework. No reason to shorten their lifespan. I know you’re not a fan of a bezel (me either btw) but I’d recommend a halo to help protect the gem a little bit. Also, sparkly diamonds around a bright gemstone never hurt anybody.

 

[NexivRed]

Hi, thank you both for your replies!

Yes! I’m a huge coloured stone nut and enjoy the idea of sourcing stones and choosing custom settings, so tbh, I was always worried about receiving a ring chosen by someone else. But I’m so stoked he’s interested in it all at the same level as me.
I’d mentioned offhand that I liked tsavorites (for the reasons mentioned) quite a while ago, and then caught some recently viewed pages showing that he’d remembered! So that was awesome

I think I’m going to have to stick with tsavorite for now. I have no problem upgrading in the future; I can easily see a ring as a symbol of where we are in our lives and love. So to start off with a simpler ring that grows with us is perfectly fine for me. I mean, we’re trying to buy a house right now! So I’d rather he saved our funds for that!

Garnet is also his birthstone, and green is also his favourite colour. So I think it’s meant to be. And I’d honestly be happy setting the stone in an inexpensive silver setting for the time being so more funds can go towards the stone itself. I think I want a white metal, although if we chose mint green I might have to go for rose gold. I’m not a YG person.

I love Asscher cuts, step cuts, emerald cuts, square cuts, and specialist precision cuts best. I also have a biiiig pull towards trillions now too! It just has to be something unique and sparkly. Cut and clarity mean everything to me.

 

[NexivRed]

I found this image on the forum. Am I right I’m thinking that’s actually been set in a bezel? The dainty dots really add a delicate touch. And then the halo is beautiful. I also adore the mixed metal look (I wear both white and rose gold, and my watch on that wrist is two tone.)

 

[elle_71125]

I found this image on the forum. Am I right I’m thinking that’s actually been set in a bezel? The dainty dots really add a delicate touch. And then the halo is beautiful. I also adore the mixed metal look (I wear both white and rose gold, and my watch on that wrist is two tone.)

Yup. That’s set in a bezel. The milgrain (the little dots) is a great touch to this vintage looking ring.

 

[NexivRed]

Milgrain! I knew there was an actual term for it, thank you. I really love that look. I own an 18k rose gold “bubble” band, and eye up matching bangles constantly. I like mixing metals and styles, but still like to have themes running through what I’m wearing to create a look. Milgrain on an engagement ring would suit very well!

 

[2Neezers]

Tsavorites are one of my favorites gems too and I’m glad you are going to go with what your heart wants .
You may have already visited these pages, but here are some vendors to browse who offer beautiful Tsavorite eye candy.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GranGem?search_query=Tsavorite
https://www.gemrite.com/40-tsavorite-garnet
https://jefferydavies.com/categories/tsavorite/
https://gemfix.com/gem-category/garnet/garnet-tsavorite
When you are ready to purchase your stone, I would also suggest Bruce Bridges at Tsavorite USA. His father Campbell Bridges discovered Tsavorite in 1960’s and Bruce sells direct to consumers. He offers personal service and will work within your budget.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Congratulations! I have a feeling you’re going to find a ring that is unique to you! Green also represents growth, health, and new beginnings, so it’s a perfect choice for an engagement ring.

 

[MollyMalone]

@NexivRed -- I'm fond of bezeled stones, and especially bezeled pears when set in a halo as in the pic in your post at #8. But fyi there is a downside to bezels. A "bench" typically has to either bust the bezel or break up the gem. So if the stone need to be removed for a refresh (e.g., polishing out a nick or facet abrasion), the bezel almost always has to be busted in order to extract the stone. Nicely rebuilding a bezel is frankly something that not every bench executes well. And in the case of replacing the stone (in lieu of refreshening the original stone), finding a replacement colored gem that is well suited for the existing setting may be a challenge.

I’d honestly be happy setting the stone in an inexpensive silver setting for the time being so more funds can go towards the stone itself.

Hope you don't mind me encouraging you to jettison the idea of a silver setting. Yes, silver is less costly than gold, but the major cost of a ring is due to labor/fabrication (plus, any additional side stones). So unless you opt for a basic solitaire, I don't know how much of price difference there would be between a silver mount and a gold one.

Plus, it's never been obvious to me how you remove tarnish from a silver head (be it bezeled or pronged) without risking some possible damage to the colored stone. But I know @lovedogs has at least one silver ring, maybe more, set with a colored gem, so perhaps she (and others) can help out with tips on the care of such a ring.

 

[MollyMalone]

Since you mentioned "specialist cuts", I'd like to add John Dyer to the fine list of possible sources for tsavorites that @2Neezers gave you:
https://www.johndyergems.com/catalog_pages/gemstone-stone-Tsavorite_Garnet1.html

 

[Arcadian]

If you opt for a silver setting, please use fine silver or a tarnish resistant alloy. On the gold route, you could do a 14K white gold, which would not be as expensive.

I don't see anything wrong with going with a tsav for an e-ring, as long as you know that you probably will need to baby it some. No digging ditches, etc with it on but thats pretty much any ring.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

If you’re trying to be budget conscious with a setting you can also keep an eye on the preloved places that PSers often post like loupetroop or diamond bistro. Second hand settings can be a great deal and prong style heads often have some size wiggle room or be changed out entirely.

 

[voce]

If you're trying to go budget with a silver setting you might want to consider a sterling silver solitaire type setting you can set the tsavorite into yourself. A tool kit from Amazon is as low as $15 and the setting from Etsy is $15-20.

How large would you like the tsavorite? I was just browsing on Etsy and found an elongated emerald/step cut tsavorite that was over 2 ct and under $1000. I am afraid of posting a link since there may be lurkers around, but I'm sure you can find it with just a little bit of effort on your part.

 

[NexivRed]

Thank you for the replies! The comments regarding a silver setting are duly noted, and tbh, now I have an excuse to go gold I think I’ll also stick to 14k rose gold as well as I like the pinker colour.

I had seen some of those stones, and I think I bookmarked a few others too, if only for inspiration. Comparing stone to stone is very helpful at this stage; trying to work out what I like and need on my finger haha.

Resetting this exact stone if bezelled won’t be too much of an issue. I think we’d like either keep the ring as is, or perhaps sell it to fund any upgrade.

However, now I’ve seen those John Dyer cuts, they’ve just set a benchmark. My boyfriend had already found the site too, and was eyeing up a green, trillion cut tourmaline. The trillion cuts are truly amazing, but I’m also really drawn to the pears. Cut simply, I’ve never been that fond of the shape (despite a lot of tsavorites being cut that way), but I had a feeling a special cut would just look amazing in that shape. And they do! And they look like the Milennium Falcon!

The starbright cut on a pear looks awesome. And I love the super trillion. I need to see some examples of trillions with halos though I think.

 

[NexivRed]

Oh, I should add that I definitely want some good finger coverage and I’m a size 7.25 on that finger. So over a carat for sure, plus halo (I think I need to go halo) I think would work.
I definitely don’t want to spend over 1000GBP, but he may have a different (smaller) budget lol.

 

[dk168]

Jeff Davies currently has two Tsavorites over 1ct listed in his eBay shop, a pear and an oval, both within the OP's budget.

However, they are on the pale side for me personally.

He also has a couple of smaller ones listed, again, on the pale side for me.

I purchased a 0.70ct from him recently, with visible inclusions in the magnified pic, however the colour pops at me, and I got it for under 17.00 USD and consider it as a bargain


DK

 

[Bron357]

A Tsav in a rose gold setting surrounded by white gold set diamond melee will look fabulous.
However, just to point out, that the centre gem aside, a custom made diamond halo setting to fit a gem will be expensive, maybe even more than your whole budget.
So with that in mind, it is much more cost effective if you can find a gem that fits into a standard semi mount you won’t have to go the custom route.
There is a recommended vendor, Ivy and Rose, who do a range of Art Deco/ Art Nouveau style at a good price.
And finally, if you’re in the UK and buy from the US, don’t forget about the customs/ taxes you’ll have to pay if you buy from overseas.

 

[Bron357]

And I’ll just throw in that Tourmaline also come in varying shades of green.
Here are a few of mine.

 

[leslie1956]

Congratulations on your engagement! I love Tsavorite garnets, two of my favorite rings feature this stone One features a trillion cut Tsav with Paraiba and hauynite melee in platinum and the other is an
eternity ring in WG. My trillion ring isn't an e-ring, but would work well as one since the Tsav is well protected

 

[peacechick]

My BFF has a nice large tsav engagement ring and it’s beautiful but she does not wear it everyday. Mainly when she goes out. I would point out that while diamonds don’t suffer facet wear like softer stones do, they do chip, so either way the best way to protect your ring is not to wear it for chores. My advice for a lifetime stone is to buy a nice big one that you can afford to have polished up or recut down the road without losing its size.

For a gemstone of high value (I would put tsavorite in this category), I would not set it myself. From experience, it may be wonky and you may damage it. Save it for fun, inexpensive stones.

I also would not set it in silver as silver is a pain to clean. I have a lot of silver rings and every few months they have to go for a boiling bath with baking soda to get them clean and then I polish the ones with soft stones myself with a polishing cloth. Unless you really like the oxidised silver look, I would recommend going for 10k gold, which is affordable and durable. Oh, and resizable at any jeweller (you have to find a silversmith to resize silver).

 

[NexivRed]

Thank you for more wonderful advice.

Yes, I’ve taken a look at Ivy and Rose and I think they’re definitely worth contacting. I also found a vendor selling a two tone pear mount, and I adore the quality of Julia B’s milgrain work but I don’t think I can afford her. Ivy and Rose seem very good value.

Still can’t decide what shape to go for. I think it may need to be a trillion as those always seem to catch my eye. I’m thinking maybe I should buy some rough and then see if John Dyer will cut it for me?
Would Bruce Bridges be a good person to contact about rough? Or do cutters prefer to source their own stones. I’m guessing I should find the setting first and then I’ll know the measurements?

I couldn’t see any trillion mounts on I&R’s Etsy store. Do you think I might pay more to have one created? I’m struggling to decide how to have the halo as well, as I’m really fond of halos that are a slightly different shape to the stone. Like rounds put into square halos, or cushions put in hexagons.
I need to find more inspiration for trillion halos! I’d like the ring to be somewhat simpler than a lot of the I&R bands; maybe not even anything on the shoulders. So other than milgrain surrounding the stone, I’m unsure of how the rest should look at this point.

I like that about green meaning a new beginning and good health This will be my second relationship after 11 years with the father of my two boys (and we’ve remained friends), and I never thought I’d get another chance after struggling with physical and mental disabilities. However my fiancé to be is a truly incredible man. So I hope the ring will be a good omen!

 

[NexivRed]

Okay, I think I’ve just had a breakthrough regarding shape
I’m not a fan of rounds, and although I love the square cuts, I was worried one would look too heavy and bulky considering I already have a large frame and large ring size. So I think that’s partly why I was drawn to pears and trillions; they have a point and a slimness to them.

But I just saw a mount from a recommended eBay seller, and I think I quite fancy a square cut set in a diamond shape!


In fact, I quite like this mount as the surrounding stones are fairly small, the milgrain has a good presence, and the stone will truly be centre stage. I just wouldn’t have the whole thing in rose gold.

Boyfriend likes it too and had bookmarked a few likecthis, so we’re onto something!

 

[2Neezers]

Okay, I think I’ve just had a breakthrough regarding shape
I’m not a fan of rounds, and although I love the square cuts, I was worried one would look too heavy and bulky considering I already have a large frame and large ring size. So I think that’s partly why I was drawn to pears and trillions; they have a point and a slimness to them.

But I just saw a mount from a recommended eBay seller, and I think I quite fancy a square cut set in a diamond shape!


In fact, I quite like this mount as the surrounding stones are fairly small, the milgrain has a good presence, and the stone will truly be centre stage. I just wouldn’t have the whole thing in rose gold.

Boyfriend likes it too and had bookmarked a few likecthis, so we’re onto something!

I have this setting in white gold and I like it a lot! It’s very pretty in person and has a substantial feel and great finger presence. I think it’s a great choice! The only thing I would mention is that if you plan to wear a wedding band with it, the band won’t sit flush against the band of this ring and there will be a gap. Some people prefer a gap, others don’t...They are making bands now that are split in the front that could work if you don’t want a gap between the two bands.
What size Tsavorite are you hoping for?

 

[lovedogs]

Saw this today and couldn't help but be reminded of you @NexivRed. I know it's not a Tsav, but it's a demantoid garnet so it's close, PLUS it's a pear with an AGL report already set in a lovely setting.

If my conversion math is right, you wanted to stay under 1,300 USD, and this is a bit above that, but includes the setting and doesn't look like it's been sold (despite being online for a few months), so you could ask the seller to negotiate on price/pay over a period of time, etc.

Just wanted you to see it

https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...id-and-diamond-ring-agl-prestige-report;22858

 

[peacechick]

Saw this today and couldn't help but be reminded of you @NexivRed. I know it's not a Tsav, but it's a demantoid garnet so it's close, PLUS it's a pear with an AGL report already set in a lovely setting.

If my conversion math is right, you wanted to stay under 1,300 USD, and this is a bit above that, but includes the setting and doesn't look like it's been sold (despite being online for a few months), so you could ask the seller to negotiate on price/pay over a period of time, etc.

Just wanted you to see it

https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...id-and-diamond-ring-agl-prestige-report;22858

@lovedogs, isn’t demantoid a lot more brittle than tsavorite? Don’t own any myself but it seems comparable to zircon in its tendency to chip?

 

[voce]

Demantoid is 6.5-7 on Mohs and tsavorite is 7-7.5 on Mohs. Tsavorite is one of the hardest garnets and won't get scratched by dust (has quartz and is 7 on the Mohs scale).

That said, however, I think demantoid is gorgeous because of its fire, and depending on how much @NexivRed is willing to baby the engagement ring I think it's a plausible option for e-ring.

 

[NexivRed]

@lovedogs how funny you should mention demantoids! My boyfriend had mentioned them a couple of times, and then yesterday I found out he’d been looking at them for weeks because he much prefers them. And after seeing the flashing green colours and the fire, so do I!

So now we are demantoid hunting and shape isn’t as important as finding a beautiful one at the right price point, preferably from Russia. So thank you for that link, that’s a beauty!

Also, I had 1000 British pounds in mind, so the ring is not crazily over budget. I think my boyfriend might be increasing the budget all the time though he’s so into this.
He designs things for a living that involves CAD and 3D printing etc, and commented that everything I’ve said I liked, he would have considered doing. So I fully trust him to come up with something awesome!

 

[BerryMarry]

My friend has a ring with such stone. Looks amazing. I think nothing bad in having it in a wedding ring. The main thing is that you are sure in your choice of a life partner Not in a ring. But of course, we girls usually want everything to be perfect.