Engagement Rings ! ??

[thekunk07]

my 10th anniversary is coming and i'd like to get the wife either a new ring or a celebration ring. any suggestions?

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

my 10th anniversary is coming and i'd like to get the wife either a new ring or a celebration ring. any suggestions?

Get the diamond or other stone loose, then getting a ring made for it. Even if you don't want a particularly eccentric design, it's more cost-effective and you can get a better-made ring that way.

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by haganah

So it's now a romance issue?

The only fear you should have is your wife taking the ring off and mailing it to a special lab. But I think if you're wife is doing that...well you've got enough troubles already.

BTW, I'm not so sure how much romance there is in a product that's created by companies that have encouraged blood shed and massive overpricing. That said, I'd still use a natural stone - just because

I want as much blood on my diamond as possible - only makes it more valuable and more romantic...

 

[KenN]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

I have no idea what the scientific explanation is. But sapphires are much, much harder. Rubies can crack and chip much more easily. The color fades too. They turn pink over time.

Diamonds are tetrahedrally bonded carbon atoms packed into a very dense FCC structure, this crystal lattice structure contributes to the extreme hardness of diamond. (Mohs scale = 10)

Unlike diamonds (purely carbon), sapphires and rubies are both derivatives of corundum (a molecule made of Aluminum and Oxygen atoms). Sapphire and rubies are formed when impurities are introduced to the corundum mineral structure. Theoretically (i.e. on a molecular scale) both sapphires and rubies should have the same hardness (Mohs scale = 9); But since sapphires and rubies are naturally formed crystals, their physical properties vary at the macroscopic level. On average, sapphires and rubies should be of the same hardness.

Emeralds are an entirely different story.

 

[evor1]

currently lab made diamonds are not much cheaper than mined diamonds. but yeah if there was a significant price difference youd have to be a moron to purchase a mined diamond for a premium. i can hear the arguments now of the idiots...but but but mined diamonds have tiny flaws that gives them character! who wants a perfect diamond!?

 

[thekunk07]

next thing you'll tell me stop buying crack because kids die selling it or meth cause truckers blow up making it. jeez.

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by evor1

currently lab made diamonds are not much cheaper than mined diamonds. but yeah if there was a significant price difference youd have to be a moron to purchase a mined diamond for a premium. i can hear the arguments now of the idiots...but but but mined diamonds have tiny flaws that gives them character! who wants a perfect diamond!?

It was my understanding that that's the argument currently being used against synthetic sapphire - the lab made variety is only distinguishable because those made in a lab are flawless, whereas there will always be small flaws in natural stones. Can anyone confirm/deny?

 

[evor1]

yeah pretty much. its funny people pay extra to get a good quality mined diamond...yet they dont want a perfect lab diamond simply because its cheaper (well in the future when they can be manufactured more cheaply).

 

[West24]

Originally Posted by KenN

Diamonds are tetrahedrally bonded carbon atoms packed into a very dense FCC structure, this crystal lattice structure contributes to the extreme hardness of diamond. (Mohs scale = 10)

Unlike diamonds (purely carbon), sapphires and rubies are both derivatives of corundum (a molecule made of Aluminum and Oxygen atoms). Sapphire and rubies are formed when impurities are introduced to the corundum mineral structure. Theoretically (i.e. on a molecular scale) both sapphires and rubies should have the same hardness (Mohs scale = 9); But since sapphires and rubies are naturally formed crystals, their physical properties vary at the macroscopic level. On average, sapphires and rubies should be of the same hardness.

Emeralds are an entirely different story.

exactly. i dont know if you copy and pasted this or if you actually knew this. but mafoofan you are mistaken. ruby and sapphire are the exact same thing with different colouring agents. the only reason one would chip more easily or crack/split would be because one has more or more defined cleavage planes, or one is lots of internal strain due to very fast heating and cooling. but ruby and sapphire dont differ in any of those areas, so they are pretty much the exact same thing. they both have no cleavage planes.
this is how it is...
ruby=red
sapphire=any other colour other then red.

 

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

Wait a few weeks. She's likely to ocillate between not wanting a diamond and wanting one several dozen times.

If you don't do a diamond, do a sapphire. Assuming she wants to wear the ring day-to-day, you'll need a durable enough stone. You can try explaining to her that diamonds are good for that reason, if nothing else: no other stone can withstand so much abuse. But sapphires are good too. Other precious stones (rubies, emeralds, etc.) are fragile and fade over time.

+1. When I proposed. I did a sapphire ring.
I still have the ring in a coffee mug somewhere.

 

[West24]

Originally Posted by dcg

It was my understanding that that's the argument currently being used against synthetic sapphire - the lab made variety is only distinguishable because those made in a lab are flawless, whereas there will always be small flaws in natural stones. Can anyone confirm/deny?

not true at all. many made in a lab will react different in different tests. i.e. high fluoresence when tested under UV light etc. and they arent always flawless, many times they will have flux, or feathers or certain growing plates. it also matters how they were lab grown, flux or flame fusion etc. naturals can also be flawless.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by West24

exactly. i dont know if you copy and pasted this or if you actually knew this. but mafoofan you are mistaken. ruby and sapphire are the exact same thing with different colouring agents. the only reason one would chip more easily or crack/split would be because one has more or more defined cleavage planes, or one is lots of internal strain due to very fast heating and cooling. but ruby and sapphire dont differ in any of those areas, so they are pretty much the exact same thing. they both have no cleavage planes.
this is how it is...
ruby=red
sapphire=any other colour other then red.

Like I said, I know nothing about the technical distinctions, but it's certainly true that rubies fade with prolonged exposure to light: http://www.gemtradenet.com/Education/ruby.aspx

 

[West24]

its not about knowing technical distinction....but you were putting out wrong info. and yes many gemstones fade. you can prevent it.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by West24

its not about knowing technical distinction....but you were putting out wrong info. and yes many gemstones fade. you can prevent it.

What did I say was wrong? Rubies tend to fade with exposure to sunlight. Thus, I would be concerned about investing in a ruby ring to be worn every day. I think I was technically wrong about the hardness issue (rubies being chemically identical to sapphires), but it turns out that rubies are also frequently treated, which makes them more delicate.

 

[West24]

you could also try an alexandrite. as it is very unique and different. it changes colour in different lights. from red to green. just know that a good colour change alexandrite can be worth more per ct then a good diamond. but still its very cool and she can show her girlfriends what an amazing stone she has lol.