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| HOME : FORUM : EDUCATION : GEMSTONES : Best sparkling gemstones after diamond? |
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Best sparkling gemstones after diamond?
Post#1 @
12-16-06
, 01:52 AM
I'm thinking saphire, tanzanite and spinel... probably a well cut saphire would sparkle the most. I have to admit I'm not a gem pro so I'm looking to get some opinions, please. The reason I'm asking is because I'm wondering which gems make the best engagement rings sparkle-wise and I prefer to use natural/untreated gems whenever possible. Thanks 
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Post#2 @
12-16-06
, 09:30 AM
Hi, Adylon, I'm no expert, either. I suppose there is some scientific answer to your question...refractive index, or something...but that's for someone else to address! LOL I just wanted to mention not to overlook the garnet family...tsavorites and spessertites come to mind. They can be VERY lively! I saw a spess once in a ring that truly looked like it was lit up. It was blinding..from across the room! I've also been impressed with what spinels can do. Another nice thing is that garnets and spinels are usually completely natural and untreated. I personally would not consider a tanzanite for an Ering...too soft. widget |
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Last edited by widget : 12-16-06 at 09:32 AM.
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Re: Best sparkling gemstones after diamond?
Post#3 @
12-16-06
, 09:49 AM
I love tsavorite - I bought a pair for my mom to set as earrings, and they were not even the finest stones; you can see them shine and sparkle across a room, and the depth of color is gorgeous. |
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Re: Best sparkling gemstones after diamond?
Post#4 @
12-16-06
, 02:42 PM
Quote:
There are a number of factors that influence "sparkle". Some of them are: 1. Cut design quality. This is numero uno. A stone in any material can have a great deal of brightness and sparkle if the angles are good and the balance between the size of the stones and the number of facets is good. This factor varies for every stone material, meaning that a design which works well for aquamarine may not work at all for diamond. 2. Polish. This has a large influence on sparkle, as the better the polish the brighter the light return from any given facet. 3.The base color and saturation of the material. Lighter materials have more sparkle than dark materials since they allow more light to get back out of the stone. Some darker materials can still be very attractive and sparkley since the contrast between the dark body color and the brighter reflective color is so great, (looking something like lightening against a much darker sky). 4. The refractive index of the stone. This is not as big a deal as other things...until you tilt the stone. Materials with a lower refractive index will lose brightness and sparkle as they are tilted much sooner than materials with a higher refractive index. When you tilt a diamond 20 degrees you can still have good brightness over much of the stone. Tilt a sapphire 20 degrees and you'll get a large "tilt window" with no brightness surrounded bay a brighter smiley face. They still look nice, but the sparkle drops off faster as you tilt a colored stone than it does a diamond. 5. Stone size. The bigger the stone, the more potential sparkle it can have, especially at long distances, like across a room. I cut a large, 12mm, aqua for my daughter's wedding ring and I that darn thing could be seen clearly from outside the house, 60 feet away, with her sitting in a darker area inside. There are many more things than sparkle that should influence a decision to buy a particular gem for a ring. Durability, color, clarity and cut quality loom large in this respect. Tanzanite has much lower durability and refractive index than either spinel or sapphire, so I would advise only using tanzanite in pendants or earrings, though it can be used well in a ring if well protected. I actually had a tanzanite ring that I wore for years which showed minimal wear after all that time. It was set down into a pocket in the top of the ring and the only way to get to it was a direct blow from the front so it just never got hit. My list of preferred ring stones goes something like this: Sapphire, spinel, chrysoberyl, topaz, aquamarine, garnet, quartz Other stones such as peridot, tanzanite, zircon, opal and moldavite all need to be either set in a protected setting or worn with care. Remember that if you do ding up many stones, that they can often be re-cut on the crown only at a modest cost. |
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Post#5 @
12-16-06
, 03:15 PM
Quote:
Thanks Michael! Is your list in order of preference? If so, any reason why that order? widget |
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Re: Best sparkling gemstones after diamond?
Post#6 @
12-16-06
, 04:54 PM
thanks for the responses guys michael i'm glad you like spinel, it's one of my personal favorites for rings too and since it comes in very nice pinks and reds and it is usually natural/untreated/unheated and very affordable, it's one of my favorites especially for engagement rings.emeralds2love - tsavorite is my favorite green stone by far
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Re: Best sparkling gemstones after diamond?
Post#7 @
12-16-06
, 05:19 PM
Widget, My list is ordered by durability. Durability is very closely linked to how a gem is treated however, so many people can use the softer stones without problem. I once sold a beautiful aqua to a girl who worked in a hardware store and she refused to remove it when doing things like stocking pipe fittings. That stone turned into a frosted cabochon in about three years. I've seen other aqua's from antique pieces which showed virtually no wear after 60 years. It all depends on how they're treated. |
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Re: Best sparkling gemstones after diamond?
Keep in mind that for an engagement ring durrability should be one of the big factors that influences your decision. The best stones would be Diamond, Crysoberyl and Corrundum. Engadgement rings should have special consideration over other rings because of the amount of wear and the sentamental value. Think about these things. 1. is your wife going to wear it every day. 2. how is it going to be worn. 3. Will you upgrade at a later date. 4. Is this ring something you may want to pass on to your children. |
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