The Alternative Approach: Choosing a Non-Traditional Engagement Ring

While diamonds remain the number one choice when it comes to an engagement ring, many couples prefer to take an alternative approach - choosing instead a unique gemstone, a family heirloom, or even moissanite, a lab-produced compound whose hardness is second only to diamonds.

For those who want to take a "something old" approach to the engagement ring, family heirlooms handed down from a mother or grandmother or a piece found at an estate auction are particular favorites for the future bride who wants to honor her traditions in a non-traditional way. In particular, antique styles and cuts, especially reset into platinum, have been strong sellers. Antique engagement rings are appealing to those brides who like to express their own style by wearing a ring that is truly unique.

For the girl who loves "something blue," a splash of color for the engagement ring is another possibility. While colored gemstones are more unusual for the American bride, they have long served as the centerpiece for royal European families. Remember Princess Diana's beautiful, 18-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 small diamonds? Less expensive blue gemstone alternatives include blue spinel, iolite and blue tourmaline.

According to the American Gem Trade Association, other popular colored stones chosen for engagement rings include the ruby, emerald, tanzanite, and garnet. The appeal of colored gemstones lies in the fact that each stone possesses a symbolic meaning, allowing the bride the truly express her personality. Ivana Trump, Jane Fonda and Kirstie Alley are just a few famous women who chose a colored gemstone engagement ring rather than diamonds.

Symbolizing faithfulness and continuity, green gemstones are an especially poignant choice for an engagement ring. Green gemstones include the emerald, green garnet or green tourmaline, with the emerald being the most prized stone. Ancients believed emeralds had healing powers and served as symbols to love, rebirth and eternal youth.

A truly historic association to love, rubies represent a heart of passion. The warmth of red reflects courage and the ability to take action without fear of reprisal - an especially good choice for a man confidant of his lover's response to marriage. Part of the corundum family of minerals, rubies are rated a 9 on the Moh's scale of hardness (diamonds rate a 10). In addition to rubies, tanzanite and garnet are other favored choices as well.

For the bride-to-be who loves color but may not want to take on such a daring choice as a ruby, colored diamonds are another exciting alternative. While available in a wide range of shades, "fancy" colored diamonds are considered rarer and therefore pricier than their white counterparts. The more common fancy diamonds come in yellow, pink, blue, and green.

Love the look of the diamonds but want something less expensive? Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is the most popular diamond stimulant on the market today. The man-made substitute possesses physical properties so close to the diamond that most people can't tell the difference. While diamonds feature more brilliance than CZ, the alternative shows more fire (color) than the real thing. With a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale, a CZ ring can stand up to daily wear and is actually heavier than a diamond. Perfected in a lab, CZ offers a cut and clarity comparable to finer diamonds.

First discovered in a meteorite, moissanite is a colorless compound with similar qualities to diamonds. Now produced in labs, moissanite ranks over 9 on the Mohs scale and features a high level of fire, brilliance and luster - an ideal choice for the alternative engagement ring. More economical than a diamond, moissanite is gaining a celebrity following including actors Brooke Shields and Vivica A. Fox, as well as supermodel Niki Taylor. Given its ability to stand up to daily wear, it is also worn by well-known sports figures, such as Mia Hamm and Jackie Joyner Kersee.

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