When you hear the word engagement ring, what do you picture? For most people it’s a stunning diamond ring. Since the 1950’s, diamonds have been the most popular gemstone for engagement rings. This is due to their beauty, durability & some legendary campaigning by diamond giant De Beers.
a vintage Da Beers ad
We are now in an era of custom design & individuality within one’s personal style. Why have the same piece of jewelry that everyone else does? We have been loving collaborating with our clients on engagement rings & wedding bands that are one of a kind. This has resulted in a rise of sapphire & colored gem rings, as opposed to more traditional diamond ones.
We want to highlight a versatile gemstone that is perfect for your engagement ring dreams - spinel. This beautiful gem simply does not get enough recognition. Many have forgotten about this stone because it has been mass-manufactured synthetically since the 1930s, resulting in some to associate it with ‘cheapness’. In reality, natural spinel is a rare & beautiful gem. It's an oxide mineral with a Mohs hardness of 8 - hard enough to use in engagement rings. In fact, Spinels are so naturally beautiful, almost all of them on today’s market are untreated.
Spinels form in colors that span the entire spectrum:
red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet & purple - even black, gray & colorless. Along with its natural beauty & stamina, spinels are also sold at a comfortable price range. This will help you stay on budget, or even spend less than you originally anticipated!
We think this gemstone deserves its moment in the spotlight. We are constantly impressed with the unique tones & hues this gem forms in. It’s a great alternative to sapphires & diamonds. Forget the synthetic rumours, we can source natural spinels for you no problem. As always, we recommend double-checking if your stone is synthetic or not before committing to a purchase.
We are now fully open with safety procedures in place! Book here or stop by our downtown storefront at 206 Sparks Street in Ottawa. You can contact us here with any questions. Our jewelry professionals are happy to help you with this exciting process!