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Why Sapphire Engagement Rings Are A Popular Diamond Alternative in Australia
Looking for a coloured gemstone to include in your engagement ring? Sapphires are a popular diamond alternative for engagement rings in Australia for good reason. Explore why here.
While diamonds are often the default option for engagement rings, there’s one other gemstone variety that’s a strong favourite for engagement rings in Australia: Sapphire. This incredible coloured gemstone variety is an increasingly sought after option for engagement rings, particularly for couples looking for a locally sourced Australian gemstone.
Here’s why.
1. Sapphires are one of the strongest coloured gemstones.
For a ring you’re going to wear on your hand every day, you want a gemstone that’s strong. Diamond is the strongest of all gemstones, and it’s this strength factor (rather than any rarity factor) that makes diamond the most popular gemstone option for engagement rings.
While no other gemstone is quite as strong as a diamond, there are other gemstones that are still strong enough to use in an engagement ring. So, diamonds aren’t the only strong option. Sapphires are one of the strongest coloured gemstones around, and they typically hold up very well in an engagement ring.
The infamous Sapphire is one of the few coloured gemstones that are strong enough for engagement rings.
2. Sapphires are found in a huge range of colours.
While sapphire is strongly associated with the colour blue, this gemstone variety isn’t exclusively blue. Fancy sapphires are available in many more colours than the traditional deep blue we’re all familiar with. The world’s sapphires includes colours from pale pastels through to bold colours in every shade you can imagine (except red, because a red gemstone with sapphire’s chemical makeup is classed as a ruby). There are even that display different colours in different lights as you go about your day, known as colour shift sapphires, or colour change sapphires.
If there’s a colour you love, chances are you’ll be able to find a sapphire in that shade. Locally in Australia, sapphires for engagement rings can be found in blues, greens, yellows, teals. Australia is particularly famous for gemstones that display multiple zones of these colours, known as parti sapphires. Other sought after favourites around the world include the peachy pink Padparadscha Sapphire, and the pastel ocean-like colours of Montana Sapphires.
Sapphires can be many colours other than the familiar Blue Sapphire, including peachy pink shades of the rare Padparadscha Sapphire.
3. Each Sapphire is wonderfully unique.
If you’re looking for a ring that’s unique, a coloured gemstone like sapphire is a wonderful way to know that no one has a ring exactly like yours. Natural sapphires have subtle variations in the colour, colour distribution, and patterning that gives each individual gemstone its own unique character. This uniqueness goes even further when you add your choice of shape and faceting style.
It’s a true joy making each and every sapphire engagement ring we create here at Harlequin Jewellers, and seeing how the uniqueness of the gemstone creates a personalised engagement ring for every client.
Colour variations in Natural Sapphire, especially Australian Parti Sapphires, make each gemstone wonderfully unique.
4. Sapphires are one of the few Australian gemstones suitable for an engagement ring.
If you’re looking to support Australia’s local industries instead of choosing an engagement ring with a gemstone from overseas, an Australian sapphire engagement ring is a wonderful way to achieve that. Australian sapphires are one of the few gemstone varieties found in our beautiful country that are strong enough for an engagement ring. We’re so lucky that the colours of Australian sapphires are breathtaking as well.
Choosing a local Australian jeweller to create the piece for you goes even further to support our local industries, and you’ll start your next life chapter with a unique, beautifully made piece to celebrate it.
Australian Sapphires are exceptionally beautiful, unique, and one of the few local gemstone options strong enough to consider including in an engagement ring.
Design your own sapphire engagement ring with an Australian jeweller
To bring your on unique Australian sapphire engagement ring to life, book an appointment directly with our jewellery maker, to explore some incredible gems, and get all the advice you need to create a practical and beautiful design.
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