a guide to gemstones
How to buy coloured gemstones
Coloured gemstone rings are currently very popular, with royals and celebrities leading the way with the latest trend. They are beautiful, unusual and make any ring stand out.
As early as 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte gave his future empress, Josephine, a sapphire and diamond ring for their engagement. Today, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has one of the most famous engagement rings with a 12 carat Sapphire encircled by diamonds.
Coloured gemstones can make a ring more unique and distinctive: by choosing a stone with meaning, such as a birthstone of yours or your partner's, historic symbolism of the stone or colour; all details that can add on emotional value.
All of our Gemstones come fully certified from a highly accredited London certifier.
Why choose a gemstone?
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Quality and rarity
High quality coloured diamonds are rare, so there is a premium on top quality coloured stones.
It is worthwhile to compare a number of gemstones before you pick your final choice, to understand the varying quality factors and how they affect value.
As with colourless diamonds, always ask for a Coloured Stone Identification Report by a trusted authority, such as GIA.
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Colour
We can determine the quality of the coloured gemstone much like we do with a colourless diamond by using the 4Cs; colour, clarity, cut and carat.
Colour is the most important when choosing a coloured gemstone: there is no universal grading system to evaluate clarity and the cut may vary greatly from stone to stone.
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Durabiliity
Durability is high on the list of considerations when finding your engagement ring gemstone.
Different gemstones have different properties and tolerances against daily wear.
Gems must be able to withstand bumps, bangs, heat, light and household chemicals.
Examples of gem set commisioned rings made in our studio
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Oval teal sapphire trilogy ring
Featuring a fully certified rare oval cut teal coloured Australian sapphire, set with pear shaped side diamonds.
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Cushion cut yellow diamond trilogy engagement ring
Featuring a 1 carat cushion GIA certifed intence yellow diamond, this trilogy ring exudes natural fire.
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Oval emerald and diamond halo set engagement ring
Set with a magnificent Colombian oval cut emerald, this 'halo' set ring is truly stunning.
Emerald
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Octagonal cut emerald
Emeralds come in a huge variety of colours and quality, generally speaking the richer the colour, the higher the price.
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Oval cut emerald
Oval emeralds have become increasingly popular recently, they create the wow factor as a centrepiece in a ring such as a trilogy, where the side stones are pear shaped diamonds.
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Cushion cut emerald
Cushion cut emeralds can look great in an art deco themed engagement ring, sometimes accompanied with taper baguette cut diamonds
Royal blue sapphire
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Oval cut sapphire
Oval cut sapphires come in varying ratios of size and all hues of blue, from dark deep blue to cornflower light blue.
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Cushion cut sapphire
Cushion cut sapphires can come in symmetrical shapes or an elongated shape.
They catch the light and can have a beautiful depth of colour
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Pear shaped sapphire
Pear shaped sapphires can look stunning in necklaces and engagement rings
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Round sapphire
Every sapphire mine produces a wide range of quality, and origin is not a guarantee of quality. For sapphire, Kashmir receives the highest premium, although Burma, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar also produce large quantities of fine quality gems.
Teal sapphire
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Octagonal teal sapphire
Unlike blue sapphires in other shades, which often come from Sri Lanka or Myanmar, the majority of Teal sapphires come from Australia.
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Oval teal sapphire
Oval teal sapphires are becoming increasingly popular over the last few years, they have a unique lustre and can look truly amazing when paired white white diamonds.
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Round teal sapphire
Round teal sapphires like this are a truly unique and special variety of corundum that features two of nature's most majestic colors: deep ocean blue and vivacious green
Peach & pink sapphires
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Round pink sapphire
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Oval peach sapphire
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Pink pear shaped sapphire
Coloured diamonds
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Pink Diamond Halo Ring
This halo set cluster ring is set with a vivid cushion cut pink diamond.
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Black Diamond Ring
Black diamonds come in all shapes and sizes, this ring features an elongated hexagonal rose cut black diamond, flanked by trilliant cut diamonds.
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Yellow Diamond Halo Set Ring
Featuring a 1 carat fancy intense graded GIA cushion cut yellow diamond, this ring is has a elegant, yet eye catching design.