When Engagement Doesn't Mean a Diamond

This is part of the wedding series put together by the bloggers of BE Society on planning your ideal wedding. Be sure to check the linky at the bottom for all the great tips throughout this month.

   

   There is a new trend in engagement rings ladies and you just won't believe it! Used to be when your love proposed the only questions about the ring were the size and cut of the diamond. Perhaps a choice between white and yellow gold were also to be considered. These days women really know what they want and believe it or not, it's not always a diamond ring at all. Celebrities are usually on the cutting edge of these trends and this non-traditional engagement ring movement is no exception. Halle Berry wears a beautiful emerald ring and Nicole Ritchie rocks a gorgeous pink sapphire as her engagement bling. Let's not forget the Duchess Kate Middleton who wears the late Princess Diana's sapphire on her left ring finger.

   This option is not only for the rich and famous mind you. More and more "regular" women are choosing not to get a diamond engagement ring either. My sister, for example just didn't care to have a diamond when she got married and opted for a beautiful aquamarine ring instead which is pictured here:

I love the look of a diamond but like large, chunky rings which can get very expensive if you are going for that look in a diamond! I found a perfect compromise in a white aquamarine ring that my fiancee is still thanking me for choosing!

   I'm not just a from a family of oddballs that would rather have an alternative stone in our rings. I met a girl shopping once and admired the stunning cushion cut garnet ring she had chosen as her engagement ring because, as she put it, "Diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend."

   There are several advantages to going this route when choosing your ring. You have a much larger variety of ring styles available to you. You can be much more creative and get a lot more ring for your money. For example, the average price for a diamond is $4000 and up for one carat. That is just the diamond, mind you. Depending on the type of gold or platinum the diamond is set into and if there are surrounding stones, the price jumps up and up. These days most diamond engagement rings are financed like you would get a loan for a car. That's a payment each month for one piece of jewelry! At least when you pay for a car it provides you with transportation! With an alternative stone you can choose the color and therefore you can choose the metal you would like to have to best match your gemstone. With a little more wiggle room in price you may opt to have side stones, large or small that can be diamonds to add a little sparkle to your original ring. Let's have a look at some examples.

This is a 2 ct diamond set in platinum from Tiffany & Co.

It retails for the sale price of $33,500.00.

Here we have a 2 ct white sapphire set in rose gold, surrounded

in diamonds with 2 rings that wrap the solitaire. This can be purchased

online at Etsy for about $2,430.00.

This ring is a 4 ct cushion cut Kunzite stone set in 14kt white

gold with 26 diamonds around the halo & down the shank. You can

buy this one at AdziasJewelryAtelier for $2,480.00.

Here is a 2 ct pink Morganite stone set in 14kt white gold with

diamonds on the shank. This ring can be found at Ross-Simmons

& costs only 295.00.

This interesting piece is a 3 ct pink sapphire in 14kt black gold.

You can find it at wahelo.com & it costs $2,249.00.

   Your ring, like your wedding day is all about you. Make it your own. Throw the "rules" out the window. After all, you'll be wearing it for the rest of your life so it should be something that you really love. Happy Shopping!