How to Choose the Right Gemstone

female model with hand on chin, blue gemstone ring on finger

Thinking about investing in a gemstone? It’s tempting to purchase whatever happens to catch your eye, but gemstones are a big investment that create heirlooms and vintage pieces for many generations. To invest in the right piece, it’s best to shop at a local jewelry store run by gemstone experts. Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right gemstone for your jewelry.

Decide on Your Budget

Your budget isn’t just based on how much money you have saved to buy a gemstone. You should also ask yourself whether you want precious or semi-precious gems. Is this something you will wear every day? If so, it may be worth spending more.

For less than $100, you can purchase semi-precious gems like amethyst, citrine, peridot, turquoise and treated topaz. For less than $500, you can get semi-precious gems like tourmaline, opal, aquamarine, morganite, prasiolite, or garnet. For fine quality precious gems, anticipate spending $2,000 or more. The price will depend on the type and size of the gemstone.

Find the Right Shape

Gemstones come in several different shapes. These are a few of the most popular shapes.

  • Round: Popular for colorless diamonds.
  • Princess: Good for colorless diamonds. You’ll need to be careful if you’re considering using softer gemstones like emeralds because the delicate corners can chip.
  • Heart: Offers a unique, soft look.
  • Oval: This shape makes the finger appear longer and slimmer.
  • Pear: This is a teardrop-shaped cut.
  • Marquise: This is a unique shape that elongates the finger. It’s a blend of oval and pear shapes.
  • Cushion: Cushion cuts are the go-to shape for displaying colored gemstones.
  • Radiant: This is another popular shape for colored gemstones because light reflects off the gem in these rings.

Consider the type of gemstone you’re interested in, its fragility, and how you plan to wear it in order to choose the right cut.

Choose a Setting

Next, you’ll want to choose your setting. Consider these popular settings:

  • Solitaire: This is the most popular setting, and it’s the most cost-effective because it requires only one stone. It’s simple and pairs well with everything.
  • Halo: These settings use smaller stones around a larger central stone to make the ring look bigger, busier, and turn it into more of a statement piece.
  • Three stone: This setting features a center stone flanked by two slightly smaller stones. It’s a flashy statement piece and the most expensive settings.
  • Side stone: This one uses smaller stones to make the ring look bigger and busier, which turns it into more of a statement piece.

Popular Gemstones to Consider

There are dozens of types of gemstones to consider. Each gemstone offers you different colors—and different symbolic meanings, too. Below is a list of some popular gemstones to consider.

  • Aquamarine symbolizes hope, health and youth. It comes in shades of blue with hints of cyan and green. It can be brittle, making it sensitive to chips and scratches.
  • Ruby represents integrity, confidence and strength. Rubies, also known as the King of Gems, are extremely tough and suitable for everyday wear.
  • Sapphire symbolizes faithfulness, truth and insight. Sapphires are hard, making them perfect for everyday wear.
  • Diamonds are elegant and versatile, representing eternal love, invincibility and fearlessness. Stones with little to no color are most popular. Diamonds are extremely durable. They are considered the hardest gemstone out there.
  • Emerald represents unchanging love, rebirth and faithfulness. It’s a dark to medium green with hints of blue. These stones must be cleaned gently because they are prone to scratches and chips.

Finding the perfect gemstone can be difficult. You’ll need to weigh your budget, the type of stone, color, cut, setting, and whether you want a custom piece, vintage jewelry, estate jewelry or something new in order to invest in a piece that you’ll love for years to come. We can help make that choice easier. Contact Miriam’s Jewelry to schedule a personal design consultation or jewelry appraisal today.

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