Lots of couples nowadays decide on alexandrite engagement rings and wedding bands. Thoughtfully choosing the design and paying attention to the quality of the stone, you can get the most beautiful unconventional ring you’ve ever dreamed of. In this article, you’ll find inspirational ideas & tips on how to choose the best alexandrite engagement ring for you or your soulmate.
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Why an alexandrite engagement ring?
Engagement rings with colored stones became very popular in recent years, especially among millennials. They refuse classic diamond rings and opt for colored alternatives in different hues for thousands of financial, stylistic, and ethical reasons. Apart from diamonds, there are lots of offers for colored gem rings you can choose from. One of those is an alexandrite engagement ring.
About other great alternatives, you can read in our Complete guide to alternative engagement rings.
Alexandrite stone comes from the chrysoberyl family. There are chrysoberyls of many different green or yellow hues (one of them is in the picture above). But alexandrite is a unique variation of chrysoberyl that shows a very unusual optical effect — a color change (that gemologists also call “reverse”) from green/blue to red/ purple under different lights.
The color change dramatically affects the value of the stone. The stronger the dual colors are, the more valuable the stone becomes.
Alexandrite may have a strong change, as well as not so intense: the stones can exhibit from 100% to just 5% color change. So, the most valuable high-quality gems would have a 100% color shift from pure green to pure red. Others can display the color change from blue to brown-red, etc. You will not find two totally equal alexandrites with the same intensity and colors.
Alexandrite may have a strong change, as well as not so intense: the stones can exhibit from 100% to just 5% color change. So, the most valuable high-quality gems would have a 100% color shift from pure green to pure red. Others can display the color change from blue to brown-red, etc. You will not find two totally equal alexandrites with the same intensity and colors.
Why is alexandrite great for engagement rings?
First and foremost, because of its unique beauty. Alexandrite’s color change fascinates people since 1830 — the year alexandrite was discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains. This color change may vary from a mesmerizing strong hue of a very expensive fine quality alexandrite to the delicate moderate coloration of an affordable alex.
Secondly, alexandrite (as well as chrysoberyl in general) is a very hard stone, with its good 8.5 hardness on the Mohs scale. Since we are talking about engagement rings, this hardness is great for everyday wear. The alexandrite is very scratch-resistant.
Thirdly, if you choose a lab-created alexandrite for your ring, you’ll have almost perfect clarity of the stone and will get color purity without paying a fortune. Natural alexandrite however is a Type II clarity stone which means it usually has some inclusions.
Let us have a closer look at the lab-created alexandrites and their advantages.
Lab-created vs Natural alexandrite engagement rings
Natural alexandrites are very rare to find in nature (it’s one of the rarest gemstones) and hence, they are very expensive. The price of natural alexandrite can start from $ 10,000 per carat. Since there are not enough of them to meet the demand of customers, there are synthetic alexandrites, created in a lab. They have the same mineral composition and feature all the same chemical, physical, and optical properties yet they are much more affordable than natural.
Still, the name synthetical alexandrite is often used to describe synthetically-grown corundum. It looks like alexandrite, but has a different mineral composition as well as qualities! A lab-grown alexandrite is more expensive than synthetic corundum and vendors can try to hoodwink customers to make extra profit from the price difference. Be aware of it while choosing your ring.
So, a true lab-created alexandrite is made of the same material as a natural one. Their physical and chemical characteristics are identical. Lab-grown alexandrites are real but not natural. They cost also less than their natural counterparts, yet still rank among the most expensive synthetic gemstones.
Why an lab-created alexandrite engagement ring is no less excellent than a natural alexandrite engagement ring:
- Both natural and lab-grown alexandrites feature the same hardness of 8.5 and both are great to withstand wear and tear.
- Lab-created alexandrite has very few inclusions as already mentioned. Many inclusions affect the way a stone reflects light: the fewer inclusions, the purer and more transparent the stone.
- As for color change, a lab-created alexandrite will exhibit the same “emerald by day, ruby by night” effect as a natural one.
- The price of a lab-created alexandrite ring is very attractive in comparison to a ring with a natural stone. So, how much is a real alexandrite ring? For a lab-created one, the price usually starts from $ 1,300.
How to choose an alexandrite engagement ring
While choosing your ring, you have to be sure that your stone is alexandrite, not alexandrite-like corundum or spinel. (There is also a color-change sapphire which is similar to alexandrite, as well as color-change garnet that can be a real fooler). A trained gemologist is able to distinguish one from another with the help of a microscope. Since you don’t have a trained eye, choose a proven seller which will give you a certificate for your stone.
A certificate of authentication (or an appraisal) will tell you if the stone is natural or lab-created, heat-treated, fracture-filled or has any other enhancements. It will also mention the stone’s flaws if any and give you an overview of the color change. Keep it simple: just don’t buy an alexandrite without proper certification.
Besides, not all color-change chrysoberyls are alexandrites, despite the assurances of sellers! GIA describes the color change of alexandrite as blue/green to red/purple. Still, there is no official gemological consensus on what means the genuine “classic” color change of alexandrite. That’s why chrysoberyls with the color change may be called alexandrites at jewelry malls or in various TV shops. But when sent to a gemological laboratory, they won’t grade out as alexandrite.
If you see an alexandrite ring that is green in color but changes to other shades of green (or yellow, gray, brown, or any other hue besides shades of red/purple), it’s probably not an alexandrite. With a high probability, it is only a color change chrysoberyl or other stones like garnet, spinel, etc.
We at NinaVova create custom-designed alexandrite engagement rings with all certificates for our stones. One of our tasks is to make a customer far from stress, long agonizing thinking 🙂 and fraudulent mall sellers. We let clients just enjoy the process of creation. So, let us here sum up
your easy-to-do steps if you decide on an alexandrite engagement ring:
- define your budget;
- choose a reliable seller or jeweler designer;
- think about ring styles you or your partner will surely like (one of the ways is to make a Pinterest board and pick your favorite designs there);
- share with your jeweler your ideas, budget, and discuss other details (like metal for your ring, and etc.).
Keep in mind if the price for an alexandrite ring looks too good to be true, it is most likely a simulated (not real) alexandrite or a color change chrysoberyl ring.
Great ideas for alexandrite engagement rings
A new trend in engagement ring jewelry of 2021 is heirloom-inspired designs. People like to connect their modern love stories to vintage, creating new family traditions.
An alexandrite engagement ring is a great option for an heirloom ring. Here we’ve collected the most beautiful designs of alexandrite engagement rings for your inspiration.
Cuts of natural alexandrite rings
Modern alexandrites are cut in a so-called mixed cut which is common nowadays. It’s usually oval and has brilliant facets on the top part of the stone and step facets on the bottom part.
It can be a challenge for a cutter to cut an alexandrite because he has to reveal the full beauty of the stone and keep its weight. Old stones will not have modern-day faceting (unless they’ve been recut). For some decades ago, the majority of alexandrite was just cut to preserve weight and the stone could be cut with many flaws. Nowadays, you’ll see really beautiful examples of alexandrite’s cut on the market.
Settings of alexandrite engagement rings
Due to its excellent hardness, alexandrite is great in any setting, both low or high. You can find alexandrite engagement rings in three main settings:
- a prong setting that makes alexandrite appear in its full beauty,
- a bezel setting, which protects a stone with a metal rim,
- a halo setting, when alexandrite is ringed by smaller stones.
One of the most popular settings is a three-stone engagement ring featuring two side stones (usually white transparent lab-created diamonds or moissanites) that accentuate the size and brilliance of the center alexandrite.
Styles of alexandrite engagement rings
Due to its excellent hardness, alexandrite is great in any setting, both low or high. You can find alexandrite engagement rings in three main settings:
Alexandrite wedding bands are also growing in popularity, especially among nontraditional out-of-the-box couples. It’s an excellent option for someone who is not satisfied with simple solid gold wedding bands and considers alexandrite wedding rings while searching for his personal symbol of love.
For your alexandrite engagement ring, you can choose any metal. However, for a modern look, couples choose white gold or any white metals such as platinum or silver. For a vintage ring and more period look, an alexandrite ring with rose or yellow gold is the best choice.
Combinations with different stones
If you like to make your ring a birthstone one, alexandrite is the birthstone for the month of June along with the pearl. Because of that, these two gems were often combined in vintage alexandrite and pearl rings.
The already mentioned three-stone combination is popular with moissanites or lab-grown diamonds as side stones. The transparent sparkling stones accent perfectly the vibrant beauty of the center alexandrite.
One more unusual but very popular combination is a moonstone alexandrite engagement ring. Moonstone is a more fragile stone than alexandrite and needs a protective setting. The best designs can be with an alexandrite as a center stone and two (or more) bezeled sheer moonstones.
And the last combination is an alexandrite engagement ring with a sapphire. The deep blue color of accented sapphire stones and the bright hue of alexandrite make together an unforgettable and very nontraditional look. A sapphire alexandrite ring will attract the eye of anyone. Besides, using a sapphire with an alexandrite is a great idea because sapphire is a very durable stone, recommended for daily wear.
Many couples like a stylized ring with colored stones as a separate engagement ring that will move to another finger after the wedding set is selected. They buy a vivid remarkable engagement ring, and by the time they will purchase a more classic wedding set that can be easily combined with other rings as well.
You can also read our comprehensive article about lab-created alexandrite where you will find more details about this beautiful stone.
Alexandrite may have a strong change, as well as not so intense: the stones can exhibit from 100% to just 5% color change. So, the most valuable high-quality gems would have a 100% color shift from pure green to pure red. Others can display the color change from blue to brown-red, etc. You will not find two totally equal alexandrites with the same intensity and colors.