Gemstone Engagement Rings: Best Engagement Ring Gemstones

Does an engagement ring have to be a diamond? Absolutely not. Maybe you’ve never pictured yourself as a traditional bride. Or maybe you’re just not into diamonds. If you’re looking for a unique or less expensive alternative, a gemstone engagement ring could be the perfect choice for you.

They come in all price ranges, all styles and colors. You can choose a clear, sparkly stone. Or a beautiful blue, green, red or pink stone. Colored gemstone engagement rings even come in peach, orange or yellow. No matter what your favorite color is, there’s a gemstone to match.

Are Gemstone Engagement Rings Tacky?

No. If someone calls something tacky, they’re just trying to shame you into doing what they want. Everyone has different taste, and that’s ok. Lots of people like engagement rings with precious stones, and lots of people don’t.

Some people who do like non-diamond engagement rings: Katy Perry and Eva Longoria both wear ruby engagement rings, Princess Eugenie wears a pink sapphire ring. And the most famous engagement ring of all time is Kate Middleton’s blue sapphire ring.

The important question here is: do you like gemstone engagement rings? If you do, there’s tons of gorgeous rings in every cut and color you can imagine. Take your time looking at all the different gems and jewelry styles - you’re sure to find one that suits your taste.

Please note: this article contains affiliate links. That means that I may earn a commission if you decide to buy something.

Blue Sapphire Engagement Rings

Blue Sapphire is a popular choice for engagement rings. It has an Mohs hardness rating of 9, making is a durable stone that’s perfect for every day wear in a ring, before and after your wedding.

How Much Should An Engagement Ring Cost?

Tradition says the man should spend two months salary on an engagement ring for the woman. Ha ha right! So many outdated ideas in just one sentence. A more realistic approach is to to decide how much you want to spend on an engagement ring together. Unless it’s a surprise, you’ve probably already discussed the ring, the proposal and the wedding. Especially if you’ve combined your finances.

Lots of couples already live together and make financial decisions together. There’s no reason not to do the same with engagement rings. Decide how much to spend based on your priorities and your future goals. You can find gorgeous engagement rings on any budget. Talk it out and come up with a number that works for you. Before you settle on a number, think about:

How important is the ring? Some people consider it an important symbol and want to spend a lot on the ring. To others it’s not as important.
Where are you financially? Have you both started on your careers, with steady hours and pay?
Do you have other big goals coming up? Maybe you want to set aside money for a wedding, a house or to start a family. Or maybe you want to finish a degree or start a business. It’s an exciting time, but don’t forget that you have a whole life to live after the wedding is over.

What’s the Mohs Hardness Scale?

The Mohs hardness scale is a number that tells us how easily a diamond of precious stone will scratch. It’s important when you’re choosing the gemstone for your ring. If you wear your ring every day, you want a stone that won’t be easily damaged.

The number is from 1 to 10. Diamond is the hardest to scratch and it has a Mohs rating of 10. The easiest stone to scratch is talc, with a Mohs rating of 1. Stones with a rating of 7 or higher are generally the best choices for engagement rings.

Aquamarine and Rose Gold Ring

Aquamarine is a blue gemstone that’s less expensive than sapphire, but still a great choice for engagement rings. It has an Mohs hardness rating of 7.5 to 8 and it comes in a variety of blue shades.

Tanzanite and Diamonds for an Engagement

Tanzanite is another blue colored stone that’s perfect for engagement rings. It comes in unique blue and purple shades. It has a hardness scale of 6.5 to 7, so it could be less durable than other gemstones.

Are Gemstone Engagement Rings Cheaper?

The price of a ring with a precious stone, instead of a diamond, depends on the quality of the stone, the setting and the type of metal used to make the ring. In general, a high quality gemstone is less expensive than a high quality diamond, especially if you’re looking for a ring with a big stone. Bigger diamonds are rare and the cost increases for larger stones. If you’re looking for a bigger stone on a budget, you can choose a white sapphire, morganite or moissanite to get the bright, sparkly look of a diamond for less.

No matter if your budget’s big or small, there’s beautiful stones in every price range. If you’re looking for something more unique, you can even choose a colorful stone, like emerald, ruby or sapphire. If you want a colorful gem on a smaller budget, there’s options in every color: aquamarine, amethyst, alexandrite, tanzanite and peridot, just to name a few.

Want to see some prices? If you’re on a budget, check out my curated list on Etsy - they’re all under $1,000! Engagement Rings with Gemstones

Get Engaged With a Diamond

If your heart’s set on a diamond, you can absolutely find one, even on a budget. As long as you’re not looking for huge diamond or an elaborate setting for your ring, you can find beautiful diamond rings for less than $2,500.

A 14k yellow gold ring is durable, and less expensive than white gold or higher carat gold
Diamond rings with a solitaire stone are the best value
Choose a diamond that’s smaller, but better quality for your ring

For everything you need to know about choosing diamond engagement rings on a budget, check out this article from The Diamond Pro - Buying Guide: Diamond Engagement Rings Under $2,500

Lab Created Gemstones

Natural stones are getting harder to find - and a lot more expensive. Most gemstone rings and jewelry are made with synthetic or lab created stones. A lab created stone is exactly the same as a natural one. It’s made from the same materials and has the same composition.

Lots of people like lab grown stones for ethical and environmental reasons. If you want a green or eco wedding, your jewelry is a great place to start. Since lab created stones weren’t mined you don’t have to worry about the problems that go along with that.

A man made stone is traceable so you know exactly where it came from. The stone has a low carbon footprint and can be better for the environment than natural stones or diamonds.

Emerald Bridal Jewelry

If you wish for a green colored gemstone, emeralds are a great choice for engagement rings. Emeralds have an Mohs hardness rating of 7.5 to 8, so they’re durable enough to wear every day after your wedding. If you’re looking for unique engagement rings, an emerald is a beautiful choice.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Gemstone Rings?

Pros of Choosing a Gemstone:

Ethical choice
Better for the environment
Can be less expensive than diamonds
Lots of choices for unique engagement rings

Cons of Choosing a Gemstone:

Some gemstones are less durable than diamonds
Less traditional than diamond rings

How Color Affects the Value of a Gemstone

The most important factor in valuing a gem is it’s color. Jewelers will talk about hue, intensity, tone and distribution as a way to explain the value of a certain stone. Part of the value is based on how close the color is to it’s spectral hue. That means that the color has no undertones. For example a green gemstone with no blue or yellow undertones is more desirable.

Jewelers will also look at the intensity, the tone and the distribution of the color in a stone. Intensity means how bright and vivid the color is. Tone means how light or dark the stone is. If there’s too much black, white, gray or brown in the stone, it’ll be less valuable. Typically, stones that are very pale or very dark sell for less per carat.

The color of a gemstone can be enhanced by a good cut. The cut of the stone can let more in light, bring out the color and add value. Lighting will affect the color as well. The color of a gemstone will look different in daylight vs night. Or fluorescent vs natural light.

If you’re choosing an inexpensive stone for yourself, don’t worry too much about the technical points. Pick a stone that you like looking at. You’re going to wear it every day, so the most important opinion is yours. Choose a ring you love and wear it with pride.

London Blue Topaz Ring

Another popular gemstone for engagement rings is called London Blue Topaz. The stone is a topaz in a medium blue color. London Blue Topaz has an Mohs hardness rating of 8, so it’s a great stone for engagement rings.

Purple Gemstone: Amethyst

If you’re looking for an affordable ring with a purple gemstone, amethyst is a great choice. With an Mohs hardness rating of 7, amethyst engagement rings are durable enough to wear every day.

How Clarity Affects the Value of a Gemstone

Clarity in a gemstone means the same thing as it does in a diamond. The clarity of the stone depends on whether there are any blemishes or spots (called inclusions).

Clarity in gemstones is not as important as it is with diamonds. The main problem with inclusions is if they weaken the stone. Cracks or flaws that are too close to the surface can make the stone more likely to chip or break. Sometimes an inclusion will detract from the beauty of the stone.

But don’t worry, the stone doesn’t need to be perfect to be beautiful and valuable. A flawless gemstone is very rare. In fact, many stones must have certain flaws - that’s how the jeweler can tell what kind of a stone it is. If someone offers you a flawless gemstone, it’s probably synthetic instead of natural.

Clear Gemstones: Cubic Zirconia

Cubic zirconia jewelry has gotten a bad rap for being cheap. It’s a synthetic gemstone, just like the rest. But it’s inexpensive because of how easily it’s made in the lab. If you’re on a super tight budget, cubic zirconia is a pretty substitute for diamonds.

Rare and Beautiful: Moissanite Jewelry

Lots of people love the origin story of moissanite gemstones. They were originally found in a crater from a meteorite that crashed to earth. Of course, this makes them very rare. Luckily, the composition can be reproduced in a lab.

The synthetic stones are super sparkly, durable and beautiful. They’re a 9.25 on the Mohs scale, so they’re a great choice for engagement rings. A moissanite compared to a diamond of the same size is a lot less expensive, too. If you’re looking for an impressive ring at a great price, make sure to look at moissanite.

How Cut Affects the Value of a Gemstone

Like diamonds, a good cut will make a gemstone even more beautiful. It will let in the right amount of light. The stone will look brilliant - not too pale and not too dark. The right cut will show off the color of the gemstone.

There are two types of cuts for a colored gemstone: cabochon or faceted. Cabochon is the name for a smooth, rounded stone. Cabochon is ideal for opaque stones, like turquoise, moonstone or opal.

A faceted cut on a gemstone is the same as a on a diamond. The gemstone is shaped with a flat top and a number of faces. This lets light into the stone and enhances it’s color, brilliance and beauty.

How Carats Affect the Value of a Gemstone

Like diamonds, gemstones are measured in carats. The carat is the weight of the stone, so different stones of the same carat can be different sizes. For example, emeralds are lighter than diamonds. So a one carat emerald will look bigger than a one carat diamond.

White Sapphire: Perfect for Solitaires

White sapphire is a terrific gemstone for engagement rings. It has a hardness scale of 9. The lower price of a white sapphire makes it a great alternative to a diamond. Especially if you’re looking for a bigger stone. A large, solitaire diamond ring can get expensive. If you want a high quality stone for your engagement ring, you can choose a white sapphire instead of a diamond and get more value for your money.

Morganite: Peach and Pink Stones

With an Mohs hardness rating of 7.5 to 8, morganite is a great gemstone for engagement rings. It comes in pink and peach colors. With a huge range of shades, you can find a unique engagement ring to suit your style perfectly.

Pink Sapphire

If you’re looking for a pink engagement ring, pink sapphire is a beautiful choice for your wedding jewelry. It has an Mohs hardness rating of 9, the stone is very durable. You can find pink sapphire engagement rings in every price range.

Ruby Red

Ruby engagement rings tend to be a bit more expensive than other precious stones, due to the high value of the stone. A big, solitaire ruby ring can get pricey, but if you’re looking for a simple style with smaller stones, ruby is a beautiful and unique choice for engagement rings.

Heat Treated Gemstones

When you’re reading gemstone descriptions online, sometimes you’ll see that they’ve been heat treated. This doesn’t affect the value of the stone. In fact, most gemstones today are treated with heat or radiation.

Most gems are exposed to heat and radiation as they’re forming in nature. Treatment in the lab is just carrying on the same process. The treatment will enhance the color and clarity of the gemstone. The results are permanent and your stone will not lose quality because of it.

Natural, untreated gems are very rare. If you do purchase one, it should come with a gem testing report to verify it.

Want to see a bigger selection of engagement rings? Check out my curated list on Etsy: Gemstone Engagement Rings