ENGAGEMENT RINGS - ALTERNATIVE GEMSTONES

You’ve probably read a heck of a lot about diamond engagement rings and been bombarded by talk of them. With that in mind, the following statement may well come as a big surprise to you, but we'll make it anyway - you aren't contractually obliged to buy a diamond engagement ring at all!

Now that we've made that point loud and clear, and you've picked yourself up from the floor, we can get on with the serious matter of looking at alternative engagement rings...

There are a whole host of alternative gemstones around, and each can provide an attractive, meaningful and perhaps cheaper alternative to their diamond counterparts. They can be just as beautiful, and help to add that personal touch to an engagement ring. So whilst it may be the case that ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’, it's also the case that diamonds are a wallet’s worst enemy and to look beyond them is not necessarily a bad idea.

So, if your bride-to-be doesn’t particularly like diamonds, has strong Astrological beliefs, or is after a bit of colour in her life then read on. However, if, like many others, she believes (incorrectly we may add, but don’t tell her that!) that engagement rings aren't official unless they're furnished with a huge financially-crippling diamond, then you may wish to look away now and whatever you do, don’t bookmark this article!

Assuming that you are still reading, let’s outline the alternatives to diamonds in a little more depth. There are three common ways for choosing an engagement gemstone, namely; by birth-month, meaning and by star-sign.

Gemstones by Birth Month
The following list of birth-month gemstones originates from Biblical times. It originated when 1st Century Jewish High Priests used to decorate their ceremonial outfits with the twelve gemstones shown below (in case you are interested – Exodus 28, 15-30!):