When people think of engagement rings, they tend to think of sparkling diamonds and other transparent, faceted stones, such as sapphires and rubies. But there’s absolutely no rule that says your engagement ring must follow tradition!
At Copeland Jewelers, we’re famous for creating custom jewelry, and we love providing our customers with unique, unforgettable pieces. If you’re looking for an engagement ring that’s one-of-a-kind, doesn’t sparkle, or is just a little lower in price, consider these beautiful alternatives!
Turquoise
Turquoise is a lovely blue to a blue-green stone that ranges from pale to bright in its intensity. It’s partially composed of copper and aluminum, and some specimens of turquoise contain flecks of these metals that can be quite striking.
This gem looks beautiful whether it’s polished to a shine or has a matte finish, and it’s used by several southwestern Native American and Central American cultures in traditional jewelry designs.
Turquoise is associated with nature (blue from the sky and green from the earth) and also signifies friendship – perfect for asking your best friend to marry you!
Pearl
Pearls are not technically gemstones since they’re organically created inside mollusks, but they’ve been hallmarks of beautiful, classy, timeless jewelry for centuries.
Pearls are available in a vast range of colors, including white, ivory, silver, black, blue, yellow, peach, pink, and brown. Pearls are very soft (between two and a half and four and a half on the Mohs scale, which goes up to ten), which means large ones are in danger of scratching or tarnishing if worn frequently, but small pearls look beautiful set among other, hardier gemstones.
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a deep blue gemstone, often flecked with specks of gold, that has been highly prized for thousands of years. It was crushed and used to color paint by many of history’s most famous artists, including Titian and Vermeer.
Today this semi-precious stone is relatively inexpensive although its medium-hardness means it may need some attention from a jeweler every few years to keep it in top shape.
Despite its beauty, lapis lazuli is rather uncommon to find in engagement rings, meaning that you’ll be helping to shape a coming trend if you choose this lovely stone!
Onyx
Onyx is usually thought of as black, although it can come in a variety of other colors as well. Onyx is dense and smooth, pairs well with other stones, and looks nice against virtually any type of metal.
This gem is said to reflect others’ negativity away from the wearer and represents perseverance and determination – if your love has had to overcome a number of obstacles, onyx may be your perfect engagement stone!
Opal
Opals are amazing because they consist of and reflect so many colors – truly, each opal in the world is utterly unique! Their base color can be just about anything, although white and green are the most common.
These beautiful stones do require some attention and care, as they score a six on the Mohs scale and can dry out and dull or crack if not properly attended to, but they are associated with love, passion, creativity, inspiration, and spontaneity – what better qualities to have in a marriage?
Labradorite
Labradorite has been gaining popularity in recent years and is perfect for someone who is stylish, yet understated.
Its color ranges from black to brown to blue, with gray-brown usually considered the most desirable shade. It can be iridescent or matte.
Labradorite is named for Labrador, Canada, one location where these gemstones are found, and an Inuit legend says the stone has been seen falling to the ground from the Aurora Borealis – beautiful imagery for someone who lights up your world.
Sunstone
Sunstones were discovered much more recently than most other gemstones, and they’re also gaining popularity in the fine jewelry world. Their coloring is often peachy, but they can also be red, pink, orange, and green.
Most sunstones are mined in the United States, which is a plus if you’re looking for an all-American engagement ring. They score between six and seven on the Mohs scale and are often arranged in clusters with other semi-precious gems.
Sunstones are said to bring their wearer prosperity, vitality, and fearlessness.
Moonstone
Moonstones are naturally opalescent and are often polished to a brilliant shine. They are found in a wide range of colors, including white, gray, blue, green, pink, peach, and brown.
The ancient Romans believed moonstones were light from the moon made solid, and both the Romans and Greeks associated the stones with their lunar gods and goddesses.
Today, the moonstone is the state gem of Florida, not because the stone can be found there, but to commemorate the Apollo moon landings that launched from Kennedy Space Center.
If you’re over the moon, for your future fiancé(e), consider an engagement ring with a moonstone.
If any of these gemstones sound intriguing to you, or if you’re interested in other non-sparkly stones not mentioned here, don’t hesitate to speak to someone from Copeland Jewelers today!
Our fine jewelry store has the best selection of engagement rings around. Whether you’re looking for something traditional, decidedly untraditional, or if you can’t find the exact right design in our store, we’d be thrilled to design a custom piece for you.