Five Reasons I Got a Gemstone Engagement Ring

Something a little different today! I am the happy owner of a non-diamond engagement ring. Charles and I married in August 2019, but I still get several questions about it. For details, it's a 2.3-carat natural sapphire from Rock Creek, outside Philipsburg, Montana. It has a third of a carat of reused estate diamonds in a halo around it. We had a great time finding the perfect piece for me to wear every day, and I genuinely love it. I can't imagine anything else.

But it's not a diamond. Why? I knew I didn't want a diamond from the beginning, but why was that?

It’s something special.

Call me a snooty lady, but everyone has a diamond ring. It's normal. Charles and I had this spectacular tale involving huge coincidences and a massive amount of luck. I wanted something special for that. The kind of ring that looked like us and not something I could find a copy of at the mall. I could also get something in my favorite color!

We could shop small.

We could support some local businesses with our engagement ring by choosing not to use a diamond. We used a local gem setter who custom-made a setting for us. We also purchased a loose stone that was, through mostly luck, locally mined and cut.

It was more budget-friendly.

Unfortunately, Cait has expensive taste when it comes to jewelry. I like big stones, and a diamond the same size as the sapphire stone I ended up with would cost thousands and thousands of dollars more. We found a rock that was everything I wanted but for a fraction of the price. You could also go even more budget-friendly with lab-created stones if you wanted to.

They’re just as durable.

If you choose a sapphire, as I did, it comes in all the same colors as diamonds, including white (clear). They're also nearly as durable. If you're choosing a very soft stone, like an opal or a morganite, which jewelers don't recommend for daily wear, you must be a little more careful. I'm not easy on my ring and haven't had a single issue. They're durable and still pretty, just like a diamond.

It’s traditional…for me.

My mom also had a colored stone. She has a garnet. I was used to seeing a non-diamond ring on someone daily, so it made sense to get one too.

I wanted a piece of jewelry I could wear every day and never get tired of looking at it. I found something unique, beautiful, and indeed us. I can't imagine making a different choice now, and I happily recommend this route to anyone moving forward on choosing a forever ring.

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