All about Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
When shopping for this special occasion, emerald cut engagement rings are very popular and have been for decades.
Large step cut diamond rings appeared in the mid 1920’s and haven’t really disappeared from the market since. Emerald cut engagement rings are often made from precious stones such as emeralds, sapphires or rubies.
Rubies are by far the most valuable and given the link between all things red and romance are often the stone of choice for brides to be. For centuries the finest rubies have come from Burma but with this region now closed to the outside world, these stones are being mined elsewhere most notably Thailand.
If you are buying a new emerald cut engagement ring and a ruby is the main stone, ask to see the ring in daylight. The artificial lighting in the jewelry store can make rubies look redder in color than they actually. There have been reports of people buying “blood” red rubies only to find they were a very dusky pink when they wore them in daylight. Not only are they less valuable but they also don’t look so good. Some people will tell you only to buy a Burmese ruby but this is not a guarantee of quality. All real genuinely valuable stones will be appropriately certificated.
Science is developing all the time and new methods of producing synthetic stones have appeared. Some have proved to be problematic even for gemologists to spot as fakes!
If you don’t fancy a ruby, you might like an emerald or sapphire emerald cut engagement ring. But for some women only diamonds will do and you can find plenty in this style. The cut is quite unforgiving so you need to make sure that the stone is of good color, clarity and is over 1 carat in weight. Most emerald cut diamond rings will be set in platinum but some may be set in white gold or yellow gold.
The setting on an emerald cut engagement ring will normally be the prong setting to allow as much light as possible into the stone. With some stones, the jeweler may use an invisible setting which involves cutting grooves into the back of the precious stone.
If you want to buy a vintage emerald cut engagement ring, there are many to choose from. You also have the benefit of knowing that the ring on your finger is most likely going to be unique. The odds of you meeting another lady with the same ring are quite low. During the 1920s and 1950’s it was not unknown for paste jewels to be used instead of real stones so do buy your vintage ring from a recognized jeweler or auction house. Always insist on the proper certificates. Your insurance company may wish to see a copy to prove the value of your new purchase.
No matter what stones you include in your emerald cut engagement ring, wear your new ring with pride and look forward to your amazing life together.