Austin engagement ring

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 Austin 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 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 ATX fine jewelry store has the best selection of engagement rings around, whether you’re looking for something traditional or decidedly untraditional, and if you can’t find the exact right design in our store, we’d be thrilled to design a custom piece for you.

Engagement rings Austin

Since the early days of the twentieth century, American engagement rings have traditionally been made with white diamonds. White diamonds’ purity of color and incredible strength have come to represent long-lasting love, but there are many other faceted stones that also make for beautiful rings. If you’re looking to buck tradition with a wonderfully unique engagement ring, your Austin fine jewelry store invites you to consider these alternatives!

Sapphire – Sapphires are usually thought of as blue, although they are available in a variety of colors, including purple, green, pink, yellow, white, and more. Sapphires are very hard and durable (they’re the third hardest substance on earth!), which makes them a great option for a ring that will be worn every day. They have a wonderful natural sparkle, which can be enhanced even more by the cut of the stone, and they enjoyed an increase in popularity after Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with a sapphire ring that had formerly belonged to his mother, the late Princess Diana.

Ruby – Rubies are technically red sapphires, but we’ve come to consider them an entirely separate class of stones. They naturally feature the same hardness and durability as sapphires, and they can range in color from deep bloodred to pale pink. Rubies symbolize fire, friendship, love, happiness, and an open heart, all things that you probably hope will play into your engagement and future marriage!

Emerald – Emeralds are the fourth of the “precious” stones (the other three being diamond, ruby, and sapphire). They generally range in color from dark to light green, sometimes including a blue or aqua tinge, and very rarely, red sapphires are found as well. They are the brittlest of the precious stones, so be sure to inquire about the cut of your emerald and how it will hold up over time. Emeralds are associated with Cleopatra, and they’re not nearly as popular now as they were a few decades ago, but that’s actually kind of a plus – an emerald ring today has a charming feel of vintage elegance!

Amethyst – Amethysts are available in a variety of purple hues and look beautiful no matter what metal they’re set in. They only measure a seven on the Mohs scale of hardness (diamonds are ten; sapphires and rubies are nine), but they still make a lovely and durable choice for an engagement ring, and they sell for a fraction of the price of a comparably sized precious stone.

Garnet – Garnets are usually thought of as red, and they make a beautiful and less-expensive alternative to rubies. However, they also come in other colors, including yellow, green, purple, and brown, and some even change colors depending on lighting conditions. Garnets have a brilliant natural sparkle and are associated with passion, commitment, and devotion.

Morganite – Morganites are made of the mineral beryl, which makes them chemically related to emeralds. Morganites are mainly various shades of light pink, but they can also cross into orange-yellow territory. This gem, which was named after American millionaire J.P. Morgan, makes an especially striking, nearly monochromatic engagement ring when set in rose gold.

Aquamarine – Aquamarines are another cousin of the emerald, and they’re known for the greenish-blue hue that gives them their name, ranging in shade from very pale blue to deep turquoise. They’re quite durable, scoring between seven-and-a-half and eight on the Mohs scale, and they’re known for their incredible clarity, which makes them look more expensive than they often are and calls to mind the sky and the sea.

Tsavorite – Tsavorites (also sometimes called tsavolites) are chemically related to garnets, but they’re often compared to emeralds because of their brilliant green color. They’re only slightly less hard than emeralds as well, scoring between seven and seven-and-a-half on the Mohs scale. Tsavorites were named for Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, where many of the gems are found. If you’re looking for a brilliant green stone at a much lower price than most emeralds, definitely consider a tsavorite for your engagement ring!

Moissanite – Moissanites should definitely be considered if you love the look but not the price of diamonds. They’re usually clear, like white diamonds, but they can also be found in yellow or green. Moissanite is the second hardest substance on earth, falling right between diamonds and sapphires. They offer all of the glamor at a much lower price!

Topaz – Topazes are dynamic stones that are available in a wide variety of colors, including colorless, pink, blue, yellow, gray, orange, brown, and dark red. They’re found all over the world, and their commonness makes them relatively inexpensive. They’re also pretty hard and durabe, coming in around an eight on the Mohs scale, with slight differences between shades. If you’re looking to put multiple stones in multiple colors in your engagement ring, consider different varieties of topaz.

Copeland Jewelers boasts an expert staff that can educate you all about current and historical trends in engagement rings as well as different types of gemstones. We’re also your source for ATX custom jewelry and can create a one-of-a-kind engagement ring that’s as unique and meaningful as your relationship with your sweetheart!