Emerald Engagement Rings

Emerald or diamond

Diamond is harder and more forgiving. That is the honest starting point. Emerald sits at 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, and the natural fractures running through most emeralds make it more brittle than the number suggests.

What you get in exchange is colour that a diamond cannot offer, at a price that buys considerably more stone. A 2 carat emerald of good colour costs a fraction of a 2 carat diamond of good colour. For many couples that trade is worth making — provided the ring is built properly.

Settings for a ring worn every day

This is where an emerald engagement ring succeeds or fails.

Corners are the weak point on an emerald cut. The cut has its own name precisely because those clipped corners exist to remove the most fragile part of the stone. A setting that leaves them exposed is asking for trouble a decade in.

Bezel — the most protective option. The metal rim shields the girdle and corners entirely. Suits anyone who works with their hands.

Halo — surrounding diamonds shield the girdle while adding presence, letting a smaller centre stone read larger.

Three-stone — side stones physically protect the centre while carrying the past-present-future symbolism.

Claw — more light into the stone, less protection. We use it where a particular emerald has the clarity to take it.

Platinum and 18K gold both work structurally. Yellow gold warms the green, white metals sharpen it. That choice is aesthetic rather than practical.

Living with an emerald ring

Take it off for gardening, gym work and anything involving impact. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, never an ultrasonic cleaner — ultrasonics drive out the oil and expose the fissures underneath.

Bring it back to us every few years. We check the setting, re-oil if needed, and re-polish. That is included for anything we made.

Designing your own

Most of our engagement rings start with a client choosing a loose stone rather than picking a finished ring.

The process: consultation to work out what you are after, then selecting the emerald, then design sketches, then a 3D rendering you approve before anything is made. Fabrication follows. Four to eight weeks from design approval, depending on complexity.

Browse our loose Colombian emeralds to start with the stone.

On origin and treatment

Every emerald we sell comes with its origin and  oil treatment stated. Our family has traded Colombian emeralds for four generations, and most of what you see here is Colombian. The detail on origin, oiling and how to judge quality is on our emerald rings page.