With many celebrities choosing unique coloured gems and diamonds for their engagement rings, such as Blake Lively and her fabulous pink diamond, Katy Perry with her stunning ruby engagement ring and Ariana Grande choosing a sentimental pearl and diamond ring, it’s no surprise why colourful engagement rings are growing increasingly popular.
If you’re considering a coloured gem for an engagement ring over a diamond, choosing your partner’s birthstone can be even more meaningful as it’ll show a lot of thought went into the decision. Here, we’ve put together a list of every birthstone, what they mean which are suitable for daily wear.
1. January Birthstone: Garnet
Although available in a range of colours from green to orange, garnets are typically a deep, dark red. This stone symbolises love and a passionate life force, which is an ideal gem to give someone you wish to marry. However, on the Mohs hardness scale, the garnet is 6.5-7.5, which means that it’s more likely to scratch if worn on a daily basis. If you want to include garnet in an engagement ring, we’d recommend using it for smaller stones surrounding the main stone.
2. February Birthstone: Amethyst
The beautiful amethyst is deep purple in colour, making it perfect for anyone who enjoys creating a fashion statement. Symbolising love, desire, happiness and good fortune, amethysts have been associated with the goddess of venus for centuries. This stone has also been associated with St. Valentine as it was believed he always wore the gem - making it perfect for a Valentine’s Day proposal. Amethyst has a rating of 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, so while it wouldn’t be suited as the main stone in an engagement ring as it’ll likely scratch, it can be included as smaller stones.
3. March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Light in colour, the aquamarine is a stunning gemstone that has a Latin meaning of ‘water of the sea’ and is the perfect transition from winter to spring. Modern and elegant, this stone symbolises tranquillity, serenity, clarity and harmony and will suit a traditional bride as it can be the ‘something blue’ that should be worn at a wedding. Aquamarine scores a 7.5-8 on the Mohs hardness scale, which makes it just hard enough to the main stone in an engagement ring.
4. April Birthstone: Diamond
If your partner was born in April, then you’re in luck as the classic diamond is their official birthstone! Symbolising courage, harmony and love, diamonds are still the most popular choice for engagement rings. If you’re wanting something a little unusual, choose different coloured diamonds such as pink or yellow or a rose gold setting for a more modern look. Diamonds score a 10 on the hardness scale, which puts them at the top and makes them practically indestructible.
5. May Birthstone: Emerald
Deep green and glamorous, emeralds are the perfect mix of classic and unique making them a popular choice for engagement rings. Symbolising love, fertility and fidelity they represent marriage and the future of potentially starting a family perfectly. On the Mohs hardness scale, emeralds score 7.5-8. But, they often have inclusions trapped inside the gem that can make them more fragile than the scale suggests. So, we wouldn't recommend using it as the main stone but rather include smaller emeralds within the design.
6. June Birthstone: Pearl
As one of nature’s most beautiful stones, pearls are typically found in either freshwater or saltwater oyster beds. The colour and variety of pearls are also incredibly vast which makes them ideal to use in jewellery. Symbolising fertility and long life, they’re a great stone to represent marriage and those who want to start a family. Sadly though, pearls only score a 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale which makes them one of the most fragile stones and, therefore, not suitable for an engagement ring. You could choose to use smaller pearls to set alongside a harder gemstone or consider imitation pearls that are just as beautiful as the real thing.
7. July Birthstone: Ruby
Rich, red rubies have been used in a few celebrity engagement rings in recent years, including Emma Stone and Katy Perry. Their distinctive colour looks incredible when set within silver or gold and they were actually deemed the most precious gemstone in the Bible. As a symbol of wealth, love and passion they’re a great choice for those getting married. And, as rubies are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale they’re ideal to wear daily as an engagement ring.
8. August Birthstone: Peridot
Peridot is a somewhat underrated gemstone as many typically choose an emerald instead when looking for a green stone. But, the paler yellow-green shade of the peridot is extremely pretty and reminiscent of summer and the greenness of trees and grass. Symbolising harmony, good health, balance and strength it represents a long-lasting marriage well. This gem scores a 7 on the hardness scale, so while they’re not the best choice for the main stone in an engagement ring, they would look beautiful surrounding a larger diamond.
9. September Birthstone: Sapphire
Sapphires are available in a wide range of colours, from pink and orange to yellow and green. But, the most popular colour sapphire is the brilliant blue. Some sapphires may also show two or more colours in a single stone. Sapphires symbolise good fortune and wisdom and are of the same family of gemstones as rubies. Rated as a 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphires make perfect gems for an engagement ring.
10. October Birthstone: Opal
The opal is a truly mesmerising stone where light refracts and bounces around inside to produce the iridescent spectrum of colours. For the untraditional bride, opals make a great choice for an engagement ring as they sparkle in a different way from diamonds. They are also believed to have healing powers and can bring good luck to the wearer. With a 5.5-6.5 on the hardness scale, they’re not recommended for an everyday engagement ring as they will be very scratchable.
11. November Birthstone: Topaz
November’s birthstone of topaz is another stone that’s also available in a wide variety of colours such as yellow, pink and blue - giving you the option to choose not only your partner’s birthstone but their favourite colour too. Topaz is a symbol of deep love, affection and fire energy, making it just right for an engagement ring. It also has a rating of 8 on the hardness scale, meaning that it could be used as the centre stone of an engagement ring and is suitable for everyday wear.
12. December Birthstone: Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a fairly new gemstone that was discovered in 1967 Tanzania and revealed to the world by Tiffany’s in 1969. This stone is known and loved for its intense and vibrant shade of blue. In fact, it’s now such a widely coveted gemstone that it’s considered to be very rare and is estimated to disappear in our lifetime. This stone symbolises majesty, intuition and purity. While it’s no doubt extremely valuable and would be wonderful to have as part of an engagement ring, it has a rating of 6.5-7 on the hardness scale so it wouldn’t be suitable as the main stone.
Looking to propose soon? Take a look at our 5 best autumn proposal ideas to get some romantic inspiration.
Or, if you need more help and advice, read our guide on how to choose the perfect engagement ring with tips from the experts at Sacet.
.png)
With many celebrities choosing unique coloured gems and diamonds for their engagement rings, such as Blake Lively and her fabulous pink diamond, Katy Perry with her stunning ruby engagement ring and Ariana Grande choosing a sentimental pearl and diamond ring, it’s no surprise why colourful engagement rings are growing increasingly popular.
If you’re considering a coloured gem for an engagement ring over a diamond, choosing your partner’s birthstone can be even more meaningful as it’ll show a lot of thought went into the decision. Here, we’ve put together a list of every birthstone, what they mean which are suitable for daily wear.
1. January Birthstone: Garnet
Although available in a range of colours from green to orange, garnets are typically a deep, dark red. This stone symbolises love and a passionate life force, which is an ideal gem to give someone you wish to marry. However, on the Mohs hardness scale, the garnet is 6.5-7.5, which means that it’s more likely to scratch if worn on a daily basis. If you want to include garnet in an engagement ring, we’d recommend using it for smaller stones surrounding the main stone.
2. February Birthstone: Amethyst
The beautiful amethyst is deep purple in colour, making it perfect for anyone who enjoys creating a fashion statement. Symbolising love, desire, happiness and good fortune, amethysts have been associated with the goddess of venus for centuries. This stone has also been associated with St. Valentine as it was believed he always wore the gem - making it perfect for a Valentine’s Day proposal. Amethyst has a rating of 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, so while it wouldn’t be suited as the main stone in an engagement ring as it’ll likely scratch, it can be included as smaller stones.
3. March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Light in colour, the aquamarine is a stunning gemstone that has a Latin meaning of ‘water of the sea’ and is the perfect transition from winter to spring. Modern and elegant, this stone symbolises tranquillity, serenity, clarity and harmony and will suit a traditional bride as it can be the ‘something blue’ that should be worn at a wedding. Aquamarine scores a 7.5-8 on the Mohs hardness scale, which makes it just hard enough to the main stone in an engagement ring.
4. April Birthstone: Diamond
If your partner was born in April, then you’re in luck as the classic diamond is their official birthstone! Symbolising courage, harmony and love, diamonds are still the most popular choice for engagement rings. If you’re wanting something a little unusual, choose different coloured diamonds such as pink or yellow or a rose gold setting for a more modern look. Diamonds score a 10 on the hardness scale, which puts them at the top and makes them practically indestructible.
5. May Birthstone: Emerald
Deep green and glamorous, emeralds are the perfect mix of classic and unique making them a popular choice for engagement rings. Symbolising love, fertility and fidelity they represent marriage and the future of potentially starting a family perfectly. On the Mohs hardness scale, emeralds score 7.5-8. But, they often have inclusions trapped inside the gem that can make them more fragile than the scale suggests. So, we wouldn't recommend using it as the main stone but rather include smaller emeralds within the design.
6. June Birthstone: Pearl
As one of nature’s most beautiful stones, pearls are typically found in either freshwater or saltwater oyster beds. The colour and variety of pearls are also incredibly vast which makes them ideal to use in jewellery. Symbolising fertility and long life, they’re a great stone to represent marriage and those who want to start a family. Sadly though, pearls only score a 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale which makes them one of the most fragile stones and, therefore, not suitable for an engagement ring. You could choose to use smaller pearls to set alongside a harder gemstone or consider imitation pearls that are just as beautiful as the real thing.
7. July Birthstone: Ruby
Rich, red rubies have been used in a few celebrity engagement rings in recent years, including Emma Stone and Katy Perry. Their distinctive colour looks incredible when set within silver or gold and they were actually deemed the most precious gemstone in the Bible. As a symbol of wealth, love and passion they’re a great choice for those getting married. And, as rubies are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale they’re ideal to wear daily as an engagement ring.
8. August Birthstone: Peridot
Peridot is a somewhat underrated gemstone as many typically choose an emerald instead when looking for a green stone. But, the paler yellow-green shade of the peridot is extremely pretty and reminiscent of summer and the greenness of trees and grass. Symbolising harmony, good health, balance and strength it represents a long-lasting marriage well. This gem scores a 7 on the hardness scale, so while they’re not the best choice for the main stone in an engagement ring, they would look beautiful surrounding a larger diamond.
9. September Birthstone: Sapphire
Sapphires are available in a wide range of colours, from pink and orange to yellow and green. But, the most popular colour sapphire is the brilliant blue. Some sapphires may also show two or more colours in a single stone. Sapphires symbolise good fortune and wisdom and are of the same family of gemstones as rubies. Rated as a 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphires make perfect gems for an engagement ring.
10. October Birthstone: Opal
The opal is a truly mesmerising stone where light refracts and bounces around inside to produce the iridescent spectrum of colours. For the untraditional bride, opals make a great choice for an engagement ring as they sparkle in a different way from diamonds. They are also believed to have healing powers and can bring good luck to the wearer. With a 5.5-6.5 on the hardness scale, they’re not recommended for an everyday engagement ring as they will be very scratchable.
11. November Birthstone: Topaz
November’s birthstone of topaz is another stone that’s also available in a wide variety of colours such as yellow, pink and blue - giving you the option to choose not only your partner’s birthstone but their favourite colour too. Topaz is a symbol of deep love, affection and fire energy, making it just right for an engagement ring. It also has a rating of 8 on the hardness scale, meaning that it could be used as the centre stone of an engagement ring and is suitable for everyday wear.
12. December Birthstone: Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a fairly new gemstone that was discovered in 1967 Tanzania and revealed to the world by Tiffany’s in 1969. This stone is known and loved for its intense and vibrant shade of blue. In fact, it’s now such a widely coveted gemstone that it’s considered to be very rare and is estimated to disappear in our lifetime. This stone symbolises majesty, intuition and purity. While it’s no doubt extremely valuable and would be wonderful to have as part of an engagement ring, it has a rating of 6.5-7 on the hardness scale so it wouldn’t be suitable as the main stone.
Looking to propose soon? Take a look at our 5 best autumn proposal ideas to get some romantic inspiration.
Or, if you need more help and advice, read our guide on how to choose the perfect engagement ring with tips from the experts at Sacet.