In a typical marriage proposal, the man gives the woman an engagement ring set with a diamond. However, some people choose to not go this route and use other gemstones. As it happens, most members of the British Royal Family used different gemstones, the most recent being Prince William’s use of his mother’s sapphire engagement ring in his own marriage proposal. This had led to a surge in the popularity of the sapphire in engagement rings and engagement ring settings as well as other pieces of jewelry.
Sapphire is the next hardest gemstone on the Mohs scale after diamonds with a hardness of 9. It comes from a mineral called which also produces rubies. These gemstones usually are blue but they can also be found in other colors, including pink, orange, purple and green, which is the result of other elements such as iron, titanium or chromium being present in the gemstone. The blue stone is the most popular and by far the most valuable of sapphires, although deep colored sapphires of different colors are often equally as valuable.
Sapphires are particularly popular in earrings and pendants, particularly because the sapphire is known for giving is wearer a classy look. It also is frequently used in conjunction with diamonds and are used together in a wide range of combinations. Sapphires can be found in stud, drop and hoop earrings and usually cut as emerald, pear, marquise and princess-shaped stones. However it can also be found in other shapes in other pieces of jewelry, such as princess-cut sapphires in an eternity ring.
Two very popular designs that involve diamonds and sapphires is to alternate stones along the outside of a piece of jewelry or by having one surround the other. The first design is most popular on bracelets and earrings, while the second is popular on a wider range of jewelry including earrings, pendants and rings. In rings, the sapphire is most popular on rings that feature more than one large stone, such as a five stone or three stone rings. Rings and pendants that feature sapphires usually consist of a large oval-shaped sapphire in the center and several rows of diamonds around its circumference.
For those who are interested in the meaning and metaphysical properties of the sapphire, it is often considered to be a symbol of commitment and is usually a gift if one wants to show their faith to their significant other or spouse. For married couples, it is the stone of choice for the 45th wedding anniversary. It is also the birthstone of the months of September and April and is an appropriate gift for people born under the Aquarius, Virgo, Libra and Capricorn Zodiac symbols.
