Personal taste is as multifaceted as any gem available on today’s market. Nowhere is it carved in stone that a bride-to-be must don a diamond ring. As an ultra-unique individual, you’ll want a band capable of capturing such a chic reflection. That’s not to say that diamonds aren’t elegantly timeless. But if you just so happen to have your heart set on a rock that’ll give you more bang for your buck, go ahead and explore such sparkling alternatives. Aside from affordability, personal preference and symbolic resonance are all perfectly good incentives for choosing a semiprecious stone over a comfy-conventional diamond.
the color of less money
As with a diamond, cut, color, clarity, and carats are categories to consider upon selecting a gemstone. You can also choose between a natural or treated stone, for example, a mystic topaz. Its rainbow-like ripples are the result of stone enhancement through a coating treatment. Stay on budget by downgrading in price (but not in taste), say from a ruby to a passionate red garnet or spinel.
Go green with an emerald-like garnet or tourmaline - a color said to symbolize such admirable attributes as faithfulness. A sapphire or blue iolite will only inspire the happiest of tears, while a pearl will win you over with its simple, snow-white pleasantry. Moonstone, tanzanite, peridot, or moissanite are all other options just lying at your fingertips. For a metal band that dares to bare, try tungsten, titanium or two-tone rings of varying metallotherapy.
precious-lots of designs
Exclusive cuts that are offered include trilliant, Asscher shape, and pear. Hot-to-trot settings such as the bezel, cluster, or pave setting are sure to bedazzle. Claddagh rings and Japanese mokume gane rings are ethnic designs that will suggest both a past and present steeped in love and loyalty. Choose a ring that truly paints a picture of your personality - from a studded medieval band, to a ballerina-set annulet, to a leafy filigree motif.
If you relish all things vintage, antique rings remain a timeless option, with their unsurpassable scrollwork and inimitable appeal. Celebrate female sensuality with an Art Nouveau bauble, mounted with anything from opals to aquamarine in a cutesy-edgy curvilinear form. Keep in mind, jewelers of old didn’t fuss as much over the clarity of a stone as is the case today.
another man’s treasure
Consignment shops, independent jewelers, and boutiques gone antique are all superb sources for one-of-a-kind finds. You and your sweetheart may also want to take advantage of technological advancements and scope out a few online auctions. Lastly, the ring of your dreams may lie in the heart of an estate sale or restyling event, just awaiting your rescue, so hop to it and get bidding.
design your own humdinger
Throw caution to the wind and create the arts and crafts project of a lifetime with a ring of your very own design. Take baby steps by enlisting the help of jeweler who can incorporate small yet personalized plumes, dates and initials into an already selected band. ‘His and hers’ entwined birthstones are a sentimental choice that won’t border on sappy. And who said the two of you had to be so matchey-match anyways? If you’d rather wear a token of amour closer to your heart, pendants, lockets, and drop earrings all make exquisite choices.
