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White Diamond Alternatives for Your Wedding Ring

While the traditional white diamond is still the standard in wedding rings today, some new and exciting alternatives are becoming increasingly popular. When considering a wedding ring, you might want to research other types of diamonds or other gemstones both for style and affordability. Below is a breakdown of some of the up and coming diamonds and gemstone alternatives.

I: Colored Diamonds

Most colored diamonds are rarely vibrant in their natural state. Many times, jewelers embellish the innate hues in order to add brilliancy to the stone. If you do wish to find a naturally brilliant colored diamond, know that these are significantly more expensive and may still be altered slightly before the jeweler even receives the diamond. Choose wisely and consider the price before purchasing a colored diamond. Often times the altered versions are brighter and more attractive than their natural counterparts. In order to find out how much the diamond is naturally colored, check the carat measurement and ask how the diamond is graded. Colored diamonds are graded according to the following system from lowest natural color to highest:

  1. Faint
  2. Very Light
  3. Fancy Light
  4. Fancy
  5. Fancy Intense
  6. Fancy Vivid
  7. Fancy Deep
  8. Fancy Dark

Yellow Diamonds

Yellow diamonds receive their golden coloring from interactions with the chemical nitrogen. Greater concentrations of nitrogen cause higher brilliancy and therefore alter the chemical makeup of the stone. When it comes to wedding rings, yellow diamonds can play both a central and supporting role to the look of the ring. Often times, jewelers will use several yellow diamonds to surround and accentuate a white diamond center. This combination can be very attractive and help defray the cost of having more than one white diamond. That said: yellow diamonds are also popular centerpieces combining the majestic color of gold with the sparkling tradition of having a white diamond wedding ring.

Pink Diamonds

Pink diamonds are some of the most popular and sought after alternatives out there. Both classy and feminine, pink diamonds look wonderful alone and standout among white diamonds and silver metals. Unfortunately, pink diamonds are also very rare and more expensive than yellow diamonds. This is partially because pink diamonds are formed from plastic deformations during the growth of crystals. This unique chemical change is less common than diamonds that interact with nitrogen. Luckily, it doesn’t take very many pink diamonds to create a stunning wedding ring. For fans of silver, tungsten, or steel, pink diamonds may be a nice way to enhance the beauty of your wedding ring without overpowering other stones or colors.

Black Diamonds

Often referred to as Carbonado, black diamonds are formed from several minerals such as pyrope and fosterite. Unlike other colored diamonds, black diamonds can result from many different combinations of minerals and nitrogen based interactions. There are even those who believe that some rare black diamonds originated from interactions with fallen meteorites. Despite all these seemingly dark qualities, black diamonds are incredibly luminous and attractive stones. Although they can be very expensive, black diamonds are both brilliant and masculine and work well with strong metals. This may be a unique addition to men’s wedding rings, and provide a bold accent to lighter stones on women’s rings as well.

II. Gemstones

You don’t always have to have a diamond to make your wedding ring look attractive. Some gemstones are just as unique and brilliant as diamonds. Gemstones can also be a nice way to both replace and/or accent a diamond wedding ring. Here are just a few popular gemstones:

Rubies

Ranging from deep pink to blood red colors, rubies are both stunning and romantic. Today rubies are some of the most popular gemstones in wedding rings and can function in a variety of ways. For one, the deep coloration of a ruby works well with both gold and silver wedding rings. Rubies are also quite sturdy, and are second only to diamonds and moissanite when it comes to hardness. Few other gemstones hold up to the sheer strength and diversity a ruby can offer and we see them growing in popularity for both men and women’s wedding rings.

Sapphires

Sapphires are referred to as any gem made from corundum and aluminum oxide that isn’t red. If it were red, it would simply be a ruby. Therefore, sapphires share many of the same wonderful characteristics as their red-headed cousins. They’re strong, durable, versatile, and widely popular in wedding rings. What gives sapphires an advantage over rubies are their versatility in color. Sapphires can range from the traditional blue to other shades of pink, purple, green, orange, and yellow. For just about any metal or any ring style, sapphires can attractively adorn an endless variety of wedding rings.

Emeralds

Formed from the minerals beryl and chromium, emeralds are known for they’re deep and vibrant green color. These expressive gemstones have the benefit of being both hard and durable, and can benefit a wedding ring in many ways. Color alone can make emeralds adapt to both gold and metal. They are also capable of complementing diamonds and other gemstones in a variety of ways. Both culturally and traditionally, emeralds are widely respected as one of the finest jewels in the world.

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