I really want an aquamarine engagement ring, but I’ve read different things about them. I know it has a hardness rating of around 7.5 to 8. The one I’m looking at has the aquamarine as the center stone, and it’s surrounded by diamonds.
Anyway, some websites say that aquamarine is suitable for everyday wear and others say it isn’t and that it’s more suitable for occasional wear. Since it would be my engagement ring I’d be wearing it pretty much everyday.
I really love the color, and I don’t want just a plain diamond ring, but I also want something that is durable. My boyfriend and I don’t know much about rings, and we’re getting tired of searching for a definitive answer. Any help would be appreciated.
Educated Women- Engagement rings are not only diamonds, and I certainly wasn’t aware that you only had to wear your birthstone. I guess I should get rid of my amethyst jewelry. I don’t care if people don’t think it’s an engagement ring. I will.
Everyone else: I didn’t mean to refer to diamonds as plain. I think they are beautiful, I just don’t prefer them. Thanks for the responses!
I have a ring with a large aquamarine oval stone in the middle and little circle diamonds all around. (my birthstone for March) I have worn it as an occasion ring, but also quite often to work and it has held up very well. I think it is a great idea to have an engagement ring that is out of the norm! The only problem I have had with my ring is the prong settings around the outside. I have lost two of the small diamonds so far, and getting them replaced is expensive! So, coming from a person who is hard on jewelry, I would say go with the aquamarine!
November 13th, 2009 at 3:06 am
My birthstone is aquamarine. My parents and relatives have been buying me aquamarine jewelery all my life and I’ve never had a problem with the stone. I would not refer to a diamond as a plain old stone, I would consider doing the center stone a diamond and aquamarine around it, that way it would look more like an engagement ring and you wouldn’t have to worry about the strength of it because the smaller stones wont need to be anywhere near as sturdy as the large center stone.
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November 13th, 2009 at 3:51 am
Being an 8, an aquamarine would be pretty durable, it is also a fairly pale stone so i think it would be okay with every day wear. Maybe you should just shop for a regular ring rather than an engagement ring because most engagement rings are all diamonds. Also, you can go to some jewlery stores and ask if you can have your ring custom made.
Good luck on your engagement!
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November 13th, 2009 at 4:14 am
I have a ring with a large aquamarine oval stone in the middle and little circle diamonds all around. (my birthstone for March) I have worn it as an occasion ring, but also quite often to work and it has held up very well. I think it is a great idea to have an engagement ring that is out of the norm! The only problem I have had with my ring is the prong settings around the outside. I have lost two of the small diamonds so far, and getting them replaced is expensive! So, coming from a person who is hard on jewelry, I would say go with the aquamarine!
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wearing one for years
November 13th, 2009 at 4:37 am
My birthstone is also aquamarine and I’ve never had a single problem with any of my rings. You should get the ring you want, don’t follow the crowd for the sake of being like everybody else.
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November 13th, 2009 at 4:53 am
I think that aquamarines are very beautiful. However, it will never be as strong as a diamond. I have an aquamarine ring with diamonds around it also, and I notice that when I’ve worn it for a few days it get cloudy. Then, I have to clean my ring again. I’ve seen other women with aquamarines, and their ring is also cloudy when it’s dirty. I would opt to get a sapphire or ruby for an engagement ring. Their hardness is better than aquamarines, and because of their dark color, the stone always looks clean and shiny.
I do not think you’ll have any trouble with the aquamarine being long-lasting. I’ve had mine for about 2 years, I wear it very frequently, and it still looks nice.
Hope that helps!
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November 13th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Aquamarine is the blue variety of the beryl family of stones, ranging in color from a greenish blue to a blue-green, and almost always very light in tone. Aquamarine is usually void of any inclusions though small inclusion can occur. 1 – 10 carat stones are common but faceted stones of 1,000 carats are known to exist. With a hardness of 7.5-8 on the mohs scale aquamarine is a relatively durably stone, though can form abrasions throughout years of wear. Major sources of aquamarine include Brazil, Afghanistan, Madagascar, and the U.S.
I think its a good choice they hold up well and are beautiful
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November 13th, 2009 at 6:00 am
That’s also my birth stone. It’s becoming more rare of a gem. I agree they can get cloudy with wear and you’ll have to clean it more often.
However, they are durable, with my experience. And because of their pale color, I’ve been asked if I was engaged wearing my aquamarine ring, when I wasn’t. So if it’s what you want, go for it.
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November 13th, 2009 at 6:48 am
I will have to be the dissenting opinion here… I have worked in the jewelry business for almost 8 years and have had the pleasure of working with other jewelry professionals with many, MANY more years of knowledge than I. The problem with an aquamarine engagement ring is a multi-faceted one (HA! Little jewelry pun). Obviously, the higher the quality of the aquamarine that you choose (if you decide to do so) will ultimately effect how much the following things come into play. However, if you are simply looking at your standard National Jeweler’s typical Aqua offerings the quality tends to be very, very poor and the points listed below will be a great factor in the wearability of your ring. I highly discourage the use of aquamarines in everyday jewelry for the following reasons:
1) Aquamarines do not have the same qualities as diamonds or other highly durable gems such as sapphires, rubys, etc. Hardness (which you already know about) is one, but you also have to consider things like light refraction which will affect the way the gem sparkles when you are wearing it. Diamonds have a very high refraction idex (2.41) which will allow it to capture the light and sparkle much more than an aquamarine with a very low refractive index (1.577). This may not be important in the beginning when your ring is new and clean, but over time as you wear your ring elements that you come into contact with such as lotion, hairspray, soap, shampoo/conditioner, dust, etc. will all leave a film on your gemstone lowering the refractive index even further which will leave you will a dull, flat, lifeless looking aquamarine.
2) Although Aquamarines are listed as an 8 on the mohs scale, that does not really give you a fair representation on how durable they are against scratching. Aquamarines are more prone to scratches on the facet surfaces and bearding around the girdle than diamonds and other precious gems which can permanently affect the appearance and durability of the stone.
3) While most National Jeweler’s offer some type of a lifetime warranty on their Diamonds and Precious Gemstones against chipping, cracking, breaking, or loss from the setting; most DO NOT however offer this type of warranty on any semi-precious gemstone jewelery. So if you lose it from the setting or chip it, you are out of luck in most cases. (If you aren’t purchasing from a store with a warranty replacement policy then this will not apply.)
4) This one is also based on your specific plans for the ring, but if you are looking at Aquamarine rings that are pre-made and "out of the case" at most jewelry stores the mounting itself is not going to be as durable as a traditional engagement style ring. Rings that are specifically made for engagement rings contain more gold and more work is put into their construction than what goes into making the mountings for semi-precious gemstone rings. This is due to the value of the stones contained within the ring vs. what would be appropriate to spend on the setting. In plain terms, the more expensive the gems in the ring, the more workmanship and materials go into the setting.
It is certainly not my intention to dissuade you from having your "Dream" Engagement Ring, I just want you to be fully prepared to make the best/most informed decision you can…. there are lots of other options besides a "Plain Diamond Ring". In fact, Diamonds and Sapphires come in nearly every color of the rainbow and can offer you the uniqueness that you are seeking and the durability of a life-time of daily wear. I really advocate NOT choosing any semi-precious stones as lifetime, everyday wear pieces (rings especially because they take so much more abuse). Ultimately, you and your fiance will need to decide what is best for the two of you.
Best of Luck and Blessings to you both!
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Oh, and sorry for the lengthiness of my posting!!
November 13th, 2009 at 6:54 am
My engagement ring is an aquamarine and our jeweler didn’t have any concerns about the durability for everyday wear.
I’m pretty tough on my jewelry and it is holding up just fine.
Its a beautiful stone, I bet you will love it!!!
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November 13th, 2009 at 7:32 am
No dont do that. Aquamarine is the color of March so if you werent born in that month then it is stupid to wear that stone. People will assume you are wearing your birth stone. Also it will not look like an engagement ring. Engagement rings are diamonds only.
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November 13th, 2009 at 7:55 am
My sister’s birthstone is aquamarine and she wears her birthstone ring every day, no problems to my knowledge. So long as you don’t abuse it I wouldn’t see a problem.
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November 13th, 2009 at 8:01 am
i just went to a funeral of a lady who had a large round plain solitaire aquamarine engagement ring. guessing it was 2-3 carats. she was married in the 1940s. ring held up just fine, except that it had hard water deposits on it from our hard houston water. I used to sit behind her in church and long to give it an acid bath.
this ring took your breath away, even coated in crud. i understand that over the course of 60 year of marriage, the gold wore out and she had it reset in a fresh setting a couple of times. may i suggest platinum? doesn’t wear out.
get your aquamarine.
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November 13th, 2009 at 8:39 am
my engagement/wedding ring (just one ring for me) is aquamarine. It’s stunning, and I get compliments on it all the time. I’ve had it for years now and it’s holding up just fine. It does tend to look cloudy though if I don’t clean it. So, it gets cleaned (at home with jewelry cleaner) about once a week or so to keep it shiny. Hope that helps.
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