Sapphire Engagement Ring Guide: Picking a Center Stone for a Colored Stone Engagement Ring

Sapphires: Colored Stone Engagement Ring Guide

Sapphires, particularly blue sapphires, have been used in engagement rings and royal jewelry for centuries. The blue sapphire engagement ring is what people are most familiar with. Blue sapphires offer a classic, timeless feel that is a common alternative to diamond engagement rings. However, sapphires come in every color of the rainbow, except red; keep reading to find out why.

Sapphires are composed of the mineral corundum. Corundum is not only the mineral for sapphires, but also for rubies! Fun fact: All red sapphires are actually rubies. That is why there would never be a piece of red corundum classified as a sapphire.

Localities play a huge role in the value of a stone, and rarity for a particular color relative to a given region is necessary to consider when placing value on a stone. What a gift it is to explore this Earth and experience gemstones that began their existence millions of years ago.

Sapphires are great for daily wear. Compared to diamond hardness ranked as a 10/10 on the Mohs hardness scale, sapphires rank at a 9/10. So even looking at them from a logistical perspective, they are perfect for a ring intended to last a life time.

Pink sapphires are the next most common pick for a colored stone engagement ring. They offer soft baby pinks, vibrant magentas, and the highly sought-after padparadscha hue. For the vibrant, colorful partners who enjoy literally stopping and smelling the roses. Pink sapphires are found in a wide variety of places. Strangely, pink is the color that connects more sapphires localities than any other. While Sri Lanka is often thought of as the Mecca for fancy sapphires like pink, other regions, including Madagascar, Vietnam, Tanzania, and Afghanistan, have even lesser-known regions such as Colombia, Montana, Thailand, and Nigeria. 

Fun Fact: Vietnam almost exclusively produces pink sapphires!

Green sapphires and teal sapphires are such a beautifully unique choice for a colored center stone. With hues all over the spectrum, including sage, mint, and olive hues or lagoon teal tones, these stones prove to be eye-catching for a whimsical, earthy aesthetic. For the partners that spend time admiring how tall trees are and prefer a trail to a sidewalk. Green sapphires are found all over the world. Most notably, Montana, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Australia.

Blue sapphires, other than royal blue, can be a stunning option that offers a brighter presence compared to the classic royal blue engagement ring. Blues can range from baby blue to vibrant sky blue. Lighter hues of blue can be a bit more rare, and they are primarily found in Montana, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar.

Purple sapphires are another beautifully underrated option for a colored stone engagement ring. Purples often come in all shades, from soft lilac to deep jewel tones. For the partners that love evening strolls and collecting wildflowers. Purple sapphires come from Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Thailand, and Burma.

Orange and yellow feel like the sun sent you a droplet of light from the sky or a flame kissed a stone. Bright hues of lemon yellow and fiery oranges take a colored stone engagement ring and make it even more special. For the partners who chase sunsets and love when leaves change in the fall. These tones are found all over the world as well. Most notably from Tanzania, Australia, Montana, Madagascar, and East Africa.

Parti sapphires are stones that contain two or more colors. This phenomenon is due to chemical or heat changes throughout the growth process of a stone. These stones are truly one of a kind as the color zoning is wonderfully unique to every parti sapphire. Such a fun alternative engagement ring stone or colored stone engagement ring. These stones are for the creative couples who appreciate art and meteor showers. Parti sapphires can be found anywhere a sapphire is found.

Opalescent sapphires are a breed of their own. Opalescent sapphires are a natural phenomenon, microscopic inclusions within the sapphire give it a silky iridescent appearance that mimic that of an opal. This effect can add a whole new experience to a given color sapphire, making them such a mystical choice for a colored stone engagement ring. Opalescent sapphires are most notably found in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Madagascar.

Sapphires truly offer such a magically diverse range of options to make your colored stone engagement ring genuinely one of a kind. With every color of the rainbow accessible, and the durability to last, you can not go wrong with picking a stunning sapphire to lead the design of a custom engagement ring.